Personal Style: Pulled in Many Directions

I have a hard time pinpointing my personal style. As you might see from my inspiration board on Pinterest, I gravitate to a lot of possibly contradictory elements. I like bright colors. I like prints, even when they're loud. Sometimes I add colorful statement jewelry. Then again, I also like a slouchier, more monochromatic, and more casual look. A more minimalist aesthetic has appeal to me. It is an open question whether those slouchy styles work for my figure, but that's a question for another day. 

I am not sure that I could hope to bring together both extremes simultaneously in a single outfit. I then have to balance my personal style inclinations with the limitations of my current (and future) lifestyle and needs. 

In a few months, five days of most every week of my life will involve an office with a dress code. Its a fairly permissive business casual dress code. Day to day, there's not much interaction with clients or anyone else outside the office. As a result, very few occasions demand formality. Additionally, many of the women (both up and down the corporate ladder) have fun with workplace dress. Despite the possible stereotype that my field is very conservative, there's some room for experimentation (within limits). Bright colors, loud prints, and skinny pants that show a bit of ankle etc. are a-okay most days so long as the overall look is still professional and covered up. 

From my summer internship at the same company, I think even my current predilection for casual, slouchy looks could also be fine, though with some obvious limits. There will be no jeans, leggings ,or hybrid leggings-pants, but that might go without saying. 

All this is to say I still don't have any answers to those personal style questions I was thinking about a few weeks ago. I just wanted to put together some pictures that  illustrate what I'm thinking about.

None of the photographs are mine, image sources should all be clear from looking at the captions on my Pinterest board.

In case you might be wondering about my future office dress code, Jamie Chung's Marimekko for Banana Republic outfit would be work appropriate. Peony Lim's outfit is not (chambray shirt if a no-go for me personally at work and the skirt is too short), though I would probably be ok with the overall color scheme with a few brightly colored elements swapped out for neutrals. I might or might not be envisioning wearing the green sweater type outfit to work, with jeans swapped out for slim-fitting cropped slacks and no t-shirt peeking out. 9to5Chic's tan-colored outfit is maybe too casual even with the sandals swapped out for closed-toe shoes. If the top could be tucked in, the skirt would be fine. All of the modified outfits would be pushing the envelope a bit, but still appropriate on non-client meeting days. I just threw in Atlantic Pacific (outfit won't translate to work) and Extra Petite (definitely work appropriate) for fun.