It’s no secret that street style has become just as important a component of fashion weeks worldwide as the runways themselves – all the top influencers, editors, socialites and A-list celebs pull together their best (and boldest) OOTDs to be photographed mostly for all the social media love and recognition from reputable publications. Even when looking well beyond the scope of NYFW (and all the other FWs), this particular ‘off-duty’ aesthetic seemingly defines ‘cool girl style’ on a regular basis. The perhaps frustrating part for everyday girls (even ones who consider themselves fashion-forward) is that the term itself is increasingly ambiguous and may leave you with a lot of lingering questions, like…

What exactly is street style? How do I pull it off with items I already have in my wardrobe? Who’s doing it best that I can look to for inspiration? What are the trends I should be tapping and how do I spot them before it’s too late?

Let me attempt to break it all down for you.

What is street style?

As I sit here trying to type this out, I’m finding it even more difficult to accurately define than I first thought it would be. Though those who excel in street style borrow from the runways and mainstream fashion, they often simultaneously rebel against it. And perhaps just as confusing, its origins are pretty elusive – some believe it stemmed from British fashion, others credit Californian surf and skate culture and others still say Japanese street style sparked the movement.

But, I like to think of street style the same way I think of art – not many truly understand the real meaning or inspiration behind it and the whole point is that it’s completely up for interpretation. Imagine it as a form of self expression with which you can get as creative as you want in order to convey your personality or mood.

Street style doesn’t fall into any one category – in fact it’s a melting pot of juxtaposing aesthetics, trends and cultures all coming together to form one cohesive look that maybe you wouldn’t have originally thought would work, because… ‘rules’.

Basically, it’s cool, authentic everyday outfits that people in-the-know are wearing on the city streets (literally).

How do I pull it off?

Chances are you already own pretty much everything you need to create a cool street style look, especially if your personal style skews a tad eclectic, like mine. Here’s a few steps for creating a well put-together outfit:

1. Don’t let it intimidate you: Now that you have a better sense of what street style is, it’s not so scary, right? You can do this!
2. Forget the rules and think outside the box: The more creative you get, the more style points you earn – I once saw a woman wear a collared shirt flipped around so that the buttons went down her back, and she totally rocked it.
3. Decide on your statement piece: Start with one main attention-grabbing piece and work the rest of your look around it. It’s always easier to build slowly than to try to throw all your favorite styles together at once.
4. Start subtle and think opposites: The only way street style attempts can go wrong is with a heavy hand. When you first start putting these looks together, just think subtle opposites (ie. track pants with strappy sandals). Do too much, and you’ll run the risk of looking like you tried too hard. Once you get the hang of what works, you can graduate to maximalist styling, like mixing patterns, bold colors and multiple statement pieces.
5. Go forth with confidence: All your efforts will be in vain if you don’t own the look 100%.

My look pictured in this post is smart and chic while still maintaining a relaxed, sporty vibe. The thought process behind the outfit was pretty simple. I started out with this amazing checked blazer from Zara and decided to pare it back to a cropped hoodie from H&M to really play with the proportions and create a cool contrast between workweek and weekend appropriate pieces. Then, I reached for my 501s from Levi’s (some of that distressing at the knees was authentically made when I dropped it low on the dance floor), and finished it all off with crisp white accessories to temper the grungy feel of the denim. The key here was mixing the trendy pieces (kitten heels and a checked blazer) with wardrobe staples (hoodie and ripped jeans). The whole combination keeps the blazer looking polished without being overly stuffy.

Who can I turn to for inspiration?

Street style and ‘model-off-duty’ go hand-in-hand, so it’s no surprise that Kendall Jenner, the Hadid sisters and Olivia Culpo successfully champion the trend, but then again, they look good in just about anything. Each of their styles is great to tap for for inspiration, but they also tend to dress in the more aspirational pieces – the sort of head-to-toe designer duds that most people can’t afford.

That’s why I turn to other bloggers to inform my outfits. I actually have an entire ‘collection’ on Instagram dedicated to all the influencers I love and all the outfits they post that I can’t get enough of. The Like2KnowIt app really comes in handy because any influencer associated with the app has the ability to break down where they got each piece in their posts, so it ends up being really easy to emulate. Here’s a round up of my favorite Like2KnowIt bloggers who I think do street style really well.

How do i spot the trends?

Staying on top of street style trends isn’t so simple since lately everything seems to be here today and gone tomorrow . But, the good thing is, it’s generally easy to peg them so long as you keep an eye out, whether that means actually looking up from your phone when you’re out in public or staring back down at it to scroll through photos of bloggers.

The best way to stay in-the-know about trends is to keep up-to-date on pop-culture (ie. films, awards shows, red carpets, runways). If you see something you feel like you can get on board with, take the plunge and make the investment before the masses, so you look like an early adopter. Truth is, we never know how long something is going to stay ‘in’. Who would have guessed statement earrings would still be around today? Don’t be afraid to take the risks if you feel the urge to do so. It will most likely pay off.