Why do we like what we like? Is it learned? genetic? A mix of both? I distinctly remember, when I was about ten years old, telling my mother that I would NEVER have antique furniture or Oriental carpets. “I am going to have wall to wall carpeting and all modern furniture,” I stated adamantly.
And, while my passion for wall to wall carpeting abated sometime in the late 80s, I still do have very different style from hers. My sister, on the other hand, always loved my parents’ style and decorated her home in a very similar fashion to them. And, in a genetic twist that further proves my point, my first cousin has my mom and sister’s taste as well!
This leads me to believe that, in addition to special talents and temperaments, quirks and foibles, style is highly genetic. Now, I’m not sure exactly where I got my passion for bright colors or love for glamour but I’d be willing to bet that someone in my lineage had a similar bent.
Photo of Margherita and Angela Missoni from Style.com
As a big fan of Missoni, I found it interesting a while back to discover that the Missoni women (grandmother, mother and daughter) all have the same taste. A preference for a certain aesthetic runs deep in their veins. (Lucky for the rest of us, huh?)
I also tend to think that our sense of style is broader than just a love of a certain type of furniture or a certain color scheme. This point was driven home to me one day when I was looking at several images I’d put up on the wall in my walk-in closet. Three images, of quite different types, sat right next to each other. They were all things that fascinated me at one time or another.
The photos were of The Delano Hotel, Duran Duran and Marion Cotilliard.
Photo from smh.com
(The above photo and the Marion Cotilliard photo below are the same photos I have hanging in my closet.)
Photo from observer.com/photos
First of all, I had such an intense visual reaction to Duran Duran the first time I saw them. Like many other girls my age, I was infatuated with their whole image, music and general aura. To this day, I still find them attractive. They have all aged so gracefully!
Photo from delanohotel.net
Next to the Duran Duran photo was a photo of something else that caught my fancy in the late 90s and never let go. The Delano Hotel. The billowing white curtains, the incredible verandas, the Alice & Wonderland garden and pool…my head literally went spinning the first time I set foot in it.
Here is a fun little utube video of Samantha Brown from The Travel Channel there.
And then there was the photo of Marion Cotilliard, an actress I have, to be honest, never seen on screen. I put up the photo because there was something about her that was terribly familiar and fabulous at the same time. Something French? Something 20s? Something mysterious.
Photo from NYTimes.com
When I look at all of these pictures together, I see myself. I mean, I see a theme that reflects my true style gene. When we look at the world, it is through wonderfully unique glasses. And sometimes, it’s interesting to stop and reflect on why we are reacting to things the way that we are.
To wrap this up, I wanted to include a little ditty from “Style Statement: Live by your own design,” a spectacular book by Carrie McCarthy and Danielle LaPorte. If you want an energized life, in full color, with surround sound, you’ve got to dive into yourself. Only the self-referencing thrive. We rarely think twice about what we’re attracted to. But what floats our boat – and why – is the zillion dollar question.
Wonderful post! So well said. It has me thinking. I think I did get some of my color sense from my mother, but we do have different styles. I was so unsure of my own personal style for so long. I believe I was afraid to express the true me because of the environment I grew up in, but now that I’ve recognized it and embraced it, I realize it has been there with me since day one. Thanks for putting this post out there for us all to reflect on.
Yeah, I think that embracing who we are is a challenge for a lot of us…if we don’t see a clear reflection of ourselves in our environment. I remember the first time I went to Israel in my early 20s, my dad said, “Your hair must have felt right at home there.” (I have very curly hair & most people in my hometown have straight hair.) It’s an interesting process embracing who we are…sometimes it is just like making diamonds out of coal.
p.s. I realized how ironic my last comment was once I posted this with my photo…with straight hair! I really do need to get around to changing that photo!
hello there – I followed you back from the Style Statement site & I am so glad I did – what deliciousness is here!! I’m settling in with a cup of tea!
One of the things I do is collect images from magazines and paste them all – anything that caught my eye – in a big book. The result is a collage of things that never cease to surprise me. But I think that this post has sparked a new project for summer. Rather than tucking them away into a book I am going to stick them on my wardrobe and see if living with them face-to-face will give me any more insight. Thank you!!
Megg – I’m thrilled that you found your way here & liked what you saw. I checked out your site as well & found it to be wonderfully inspiring as well. You & your husband to be are like a young version of my parents (my mom is a writer & my dad (who passed away a few years ago) was a painter!) And we spent many a sabbatical in England. How lucky you are to be there. I’m finding myself missing it these days…
Great post! I sure hope Style isn’t genetic or I’m doomed!
The last quote really sums it up nicely. It is definitely an interesting question that you posed. I think to some degree, most of us are influenced by childhood and our families. There are exceptions, though, and I’m one of them. It took a lot of travel and time to develop my own sense of style. My parents did not decorate their homes or have a particular style – they simply left their walls white and used what furniture was deemed practical. I am heavily influenced in my travels by my mother, though, who is an avid traveler and from whom I received the adventure bug from. I think I bring home a lot of ideas from those travels and from lots of books and magazines
In the end, my style is so eclectic that I just have to find a way to put it altogether lol. Great photos you chose for a wonderful post.
P.S. I’m a huge fan of Samantha Brown. She’s so cute and always brings interest in her shows.
Karen
this is a great piece. I’m going to blog it. And thanks for the lovely propos on Style Statement. Of course…you must be on the verge of creating your own Style Statement, yes?
more soon,
Love
Danielle
http://www.carrieanddanielle.com
Karen,
When I think of the designers I admire the most, they’ve all done exactly what you’re talking about…traveled the world, taken time to develop their own unique sense of style and have felt comfortable pulling disparate elements together to create something unique. Take Jonathan Adler for example…his latest pillows are granny chic meets funky modern. Pure genius…with a sense of humor.
Danielle,
What an honor to have you stop by. Your work has been so inspirational for me. And, yes, I am, as you said, on the verge of creating my own Style Statement. I was actually just telling a friend of mine yesterday that I wished that I could just have you and Carrie tell me what it was instead of digging for it myself.
Thanks for all that you do!!!
Ursula
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I just wrote a “Style Gene” piece, inspired by your post today. Go check it out and feel free to spark the convo further!
I saw in your bio that you believe in “80% Comfort…20% Glamour.” That shld help you with creating your Style Statement! Let us know when you get there.
xo
D
Danielle,
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love the post! Seeing that made my day! I will definitely let you know when I “get there”…you’re absolutely right that it’s related to comfort and glamour…but something in me tells me that it’s more complicated/sophisticated than that. I’ll let you know.
Ursula
Very interesting and well written! our proud mom sent me a link
as your sister, I must say I see ‘mom’s’ style influencing you even though you see your lust for bold colors as so different. Our kitchen growing up had one wall that was purple, deep, rich, vibrant purple! and the upstairs bathroom had one wall fushia – way before people were into bright accent walls, our parents were…
Now our mom has the zen room that feels more clean and fresh than the antiques in the rest of the house.
Just saying, it seems we have some overlap – not sure what’s nurture vs nature – but love thinking about it all with you.
love
justine
ps- if I had more money, I wonder how much my style might vary? I feel like my own home is an accident in what’s convenient and definitely involves compromises with what’s been ‘passed on’ and what my husband likes… that’s probably a whole other topic – our true style self…
pps – I LOVE the curly hair pic so much more than the straight hair! curls are so much a part of you!! glad to see it’s back
J-
Funny…I’d forgotten about that fuschia wall! I love your home. It doesn’t feel accidental at all.
Love ,
U
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