I was recently asked to describe my personal style in three words. Surprisingly, I struggled to come up with an answer. After racking my brain for a simple way to explain my design aesthetic, I settled on easy, chic, and preppy.
Weeks later, those adjectives still don’t feel completely authentic to me.
Is my style easy? I suppose so, since I tend to shy away from fussy outfits, and my house is not particularly over-styled.
Is my style chic? Maybe. I like my home and wardrobe to be current and fashionable, but I’m not sure either are especially elegant or sophisticated.
Is my style preppy? Not really. I’m hardly the poster child for L.L. Bean, Lilly Pulitzer, or Ralph Lauren, although I do appreciate some classic elements of fashion and design.
Then I randomly stumbled upon a Twitter link to Lonny’s MyStyleFinder Quiz. Curious as to how Lonny would describe my style personality, I took the short quiz over the weekend. According to the design magazine, my style is trad with a twist:
You’ve never met a chevron-striped area rug you didn’t like. A bright turquoise foo dog sits atop the latest issue of Anthology on your nightstand (right next to the iPad edition of Lonny, of course). It wasn’t too long ago that a “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster took pride of place above your bed. You’re a tastemaker with a touch of quirk, inspiring anyone who walks through your doors to take his or her own style to the next level.
Trad with a twist. I can go along with that. “Practical, stylish, and timeless” with “plenty of room for fun” pretty accurately describe my taste in fashion and home decor. And I’d agree that trendiness in small doses seems to work best for me.
The “trad with a twist” living room in the top photo is a bit too stuffy conservative for me, but I do love the bedroom and kitchen above. And that reading nook anchored by a mid-century modern chair is the perfect combination of classic and quirky, I think.
So now I’m curious: If you had to describe your personal style in three words, what would you chose? And if you’ve taken the MyStyleFinder Quiz over on Lonny, I’d love to know your results. Leave a comment below!
(all images via Lonny)
Erica
I went through the quiz super quickly and got “rustic romantic,” which isn’t quite right for me (no chintz drapery in my bedroom…). I actually think trad with a twist is more my speed – I love all the rooms pictured in this post.
I don’t necessarily mind the “rustic” part of rustic romantic — sometimes I wish my style were more modern rustic. I do love the look of exposed beams and the idea of incorporating more natural elements into a room. But I’m with you on the “romantic” part. Chintz drapery, ruffles, and Laura Ashley-esque florals are not quite me either!
Lindsey Walker
I agree with Erica. I took the test 3 times and came up with Rustic Romantic all three times, even though I chose different images on different pages. I, too, liked the Trad with a Twist photos better, and the kitchen I chose in the quiz wasn’t offered in the final overview. It was the gorgeous white one with lots of light and counterspace.
Hmm… If you got the same result three times despite choosing different answers, maybe “rustic romantic” really is your style! Or the quiz is just severely flawed 🙂
Lola
Trad with a twist!
Twinsies!
Ali
That kitchen! I must have it. (I was also traditional with a twist — though the author question really threw me. None of the above?)
Erica
I took it again! This time I switched up a few where I was ambivalent between two responses. Once again, I got rustic romantic. Which leads me to believe that picking “pride and prejudice” as my movie (I can’t help it) dooms me to a life of rustic romanticism….just kidding. I think I agree with you, peej – the rustic part is appealing. just as long as I can also have that all-white kitchen with the kilim on the floor…
Lindsey Walker
I selected Pride and Prejudice, too, on all three tries. Erica, you may have discovered the key.
Emily Peck
Oh gosh, I’m trad with a twist too! I think that fits my style pretty well. I don’t like things too trendy but a little here and there is good to keep it fresh! Practical, Stylish, and Timeless suit me perfectly!