Is style inherited, or are you born with it?

April 2026 | Style Series

Five pounds, 3 ounces, and dressed from head to toe in Dior…

It is impossible to say that most kids don’t come out of the womb wearing designer clothes. But there are a lot of people out there for whom style comes naturally to them.

Fashion can be some people’s biggest challenge or the best part of their day. I am definitely the person who finds herself planning her outfits while trying to fall asleep. For me, it gives me a sense of calm and, honestly, a way to wake up in the morning. That is something I can have control over the next day, which will be full of chaos.

It does make me question, when I approach an outfit, do these instincts come from my parents? Or is this purely me?

Trends come and go, and it is super easy to get yourself wrapped up in the skinny and the high-waisted of it all. For someone who has built her identity around fashion her whole life, it can feel consuming.

Fashion wasn’t always something I excelled at in my life. Especially when you enter your teenage years, you can certainly lose yourself, especially when looking back. In that test of time, I always envied the people around me who broke through the noise of annoying teenage antics and wore what made them feel most comfortable.

Would you text your friend growing up if she was wearing a skirt the next day? When, in reality, no one would even care if you were wearing your underwear on your head to school. I guess that sense of individuality comes with age, and with letting the need to care what other people think fade away.

Certainly, there is no scientific evidence for whether your style comes from your parents or from external influences.

Yet, I do think it can stem from a number of factors, such as the environment you are in, or, certainly, the one you grew up in. People all over the world find themselves absorbing the culture they’re in and expressing themselves through the clothing they wear. From European to Western styles, you can find yourself embracing the culture that makes you, you, or finding yourself in someone else’s.

Of course, another reason is to embrace the people who came before you and to use generational fashion to honor where you’ve come from. I have found myself rummaging through my parents’, grandparents’, and even my brother’s closet to spice up a piece or try something new.

Another reason personal style develops? Pure delusion — in the best way possible. Sometimes we don’t dress for who we are; we dress for who we’ve decided we are that week.

One Monday, you’re a minimalist who “only wears neutrals.” By Thursday, you’re layering belts and convincing yourself you could survive in New York Fashion Week. Fashion lets you cosplay the version of yourself you’re aspiring to be. It’s manifestation, but with better shoes.

Clothing can also be emotional support. There are outfits you wear when you need confidence, and there are outfits you wear when you need to disappear. An oversized sweatshirt can feel like invisibility. A great pair of boots can make you walk like you own the sidewalk. Half the time, we’re not dressing for the world — we’re dressing to trick our own brains into feeling slightly more put together than we actually are.

And honestly? Sometimes style is born out of stubbornness. The moment someone says, “Are you really wearing that?” you suddenly are absolutely wearing it. Maybe even tomorrow, too.

Yes, your sense of style can come from your parents, your hometown, social media — literally anywhere. Let it inspire you, not suppress you. Because in reality, everyone is just trying to figure out their own version of their original style.