I think style can be learned. But not like one learns math, out of a book, but more the way one learns courage, from an accumulation of life experiences that lead you to knowing yourself. However, just like some people never learn to be comfortable in their own skin, some people never learn good style, they just emulate others and follow trends. So we can prove theory one wrong – have you seen some of those red carpet get-ups that just don’t fit or flatter? There is an example of someone with loads of money, professional assistance, and cutting-edge dress designs at their disposal, and yet their outfits continually fail. Money can buy fancy clothes, not style…

I think being raised around style would definitely help – it would make you aware of it’s existence, the way being raised around religion gives you knowledge of God and faith, but it does not guarantee that you will grow up to be a catholic. However, that theory doesn’t really hold water because then you would have families where every generation was stylish or every generation lacked style, and I don’t think that’s the case, because it would be too obvious. Plus, there is a general consensus, I think, that children learn as much from their peers as they do their parents, so perhaps being in a stylish environment can contribute to being stylish….like, say, being French. But that just proves that style is learned.

I would agree with your conclusion, with one caveat. I think a personal style is developed as you grow older, and for people who are so inclined, it expresses itself in fashion. For example, my dad has his own “style”, but it is more geared towards economy and function, not aesthetics, color, or design. I think whenever a person’s outlook on life, their personality, their habits, starts to express itself in their outward appearance, this has to be considered a style. Some people are naturally very particular about things, whether it is their appearance, their home, or just weird personality quirks; if they also have a love of fashion, then this particularity could result in an innate sense of style.

Take Lady Gaga – she has a style for sure, even though it is not in my taste. While I was looking for images of her, I found an article where she talked about her personal style inspirations, and she said that she studied the design of Thierry Mugler, and was attracted to outfits that paid homage to his work. So even though she might have a great natural ability to don weird get-ups, she’s also done some research as to how to channel that special, um, gift she’s got. I think everyone can learn it by simply paying attention to it, and cultivating it. I feel like reading fashion magazines and looking at shopping websites (like ShopBop’s lookbooks) is like doing personal style research, and sometimes when I wear a new outfit, it is like practicing. Practicing for what, I am not sure…but I would be interested in what comes of your research. What books are you going to read? How do you decide? It seems like you will have to pick ones where you like the style, because you will probably be influenced by it…or are you thinking more psychology-type books about how and why some people have style and some don’t? Yes, keep me updated!