Style is an evolution, and personal style has its own DNA.
I was looking at a photograph of myself recently and noticed something familiar.
The beret.
I had just worn one with an outfit a few days earlier, and it reminded me of a photograph of myself at about two years old — also wearing a beret.
Apparently, some things stick.
Whitney Jennings wearing felt beret, sweatsuit & sneakers, age 2.
My style was being written before I knew what personal style was. My father gave me a beret. My mother gave me my first set of hoops. Those seemingly small choices began a visual vocabulary that I would return to throughout my life: headwear, metallic accessories, and coordinating footwear.
The pieces evolved. The woman wearing them certainly did.
But the DNA remained.
Whitney Jennings wearing faux leather beret, Oxknit top, Cookman pants, Naturalizer shoes.
And Then There's the Tall Part
I'm 5'9".
I'm tall for a woman, but interestingly, I don't walk around thinking of myself as particularly tall. Most of the time, I'm simply...me.
Until I go shopping.
Then I try on a pair of pants and discover that they weren't designed for my 35-inch inseam. Or I put on a blazer and realize the sleeves aren't quite reaching where they're supposed to. Or a dress hits at a completely different place on my body than it did on the model.
And suddenly, I'm a Tall Girl again.
That's something I've learned about personal style: your proportions are part of your style DNA, too.
Being tall doesn't dictate what you can or cannot wear. But it absolutely affects how mass-market clothing interacts with your body.
And height alone doesn't tell the whole story.
Two women can both be 5'9" and need completely different clothes. One may carry more of her height in her legs. Another may have a longer torso. One may need extra sleeve length while another doesn't.
That's why one of the first things I encourage women to understand isn't a trend or even a body "type."
It's their measurements.
Know your numbers.
Your inseam. Your arm length. Your torso. Your proportions.
Because the number on the tag doesn't tell you nearly as much about how a garment will fit as those numbers do.
Style Is Discovered, Not Prescribed
I've spent a lifetime discovering what works — and what doesn't — for my proportions, my skin tone, my lifestyle, and my aesthetic.
I've experimented. I've made mistakes. I've followed trends I loved and learned that loving something doesn't necessarily mean loving it on me.
That distinction is powerful.
It changes the question from:
What's fashionable?
to:
Does this belong in my wardrobe?
For tall women, that question can carry an additional layer. We're often already shopping within constraints: Is it long enough? Are the sleeves long enough? Does the waist actually hit my waist? Does this brand even make a tall option?
But finding something that technically fits isn't enough.
We deserve clothes that express our style, too.
Whitney Jennings wearing Gigi Pip hat, Whitney Allysyn suit and blouse & Vince Camuto boots
Your Wardrobe Should Know Who You Are
I've challenged myself to value quality over quantity.
A great wardrobe doesn't need to be enormous. It needs to work.
Before adding something to mine, I've learned to ask:
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Does this work with my proportions?
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Is it actually long enough — or am I convincing myself that it is?
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Does the color complement my skin tone?
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Does the fabric work for my lifestyle?
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Can I wear it with pieces I already own?
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Is the quality worth the investment?
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And most importantly: does it feel like me?
That's the difference between accumulating clothes and building a wardrobe.
And for tall women, intentional shopping becomes especially important. Sometimes finding the right inseam, sleeve length or torso length requires more searching, more online shopping, tailoring, or knowing which brands actually understand our proportions.
Style Is an Evolution
The goal isn't to build the perfect wardrobe overnight. It's to understand yourself well enough to recognize what belongs in it.
Personal style changes as we change. Our bodies change. Our lifestyles change. Our tastes become more refined. But if you pay attention, there are usually threads that remain — the colors, silhouettes, accessories and details that have always made you feel most like yourself.
For me, apparently, one of those threads is a beret.
Seeing those two photographs side by side reminded me that I didn't suddenly find my personal style. I've been developing it my entire life.
And I'm still developing it.
Being tall is part of that story. My proportions are part of that story. So are my skin tone, my lifestyle, my experiences, and the things I simply love.
That's your style DNA.
So take a look at your own photographs. Pay attention to what keeps showing up. Think about the pieces you've loved enough to wear over and over again — and the ones that never quite felt like you.
You may discover that your personal style has been leaving you clues all along.