Column: On the topic of street style

I’ve written extensively about Fashion Week, and it isn’t quite finished.

But I have to backpedal a bit.

Truth: The runways of Chanel, YSL and other fashion giants are the original sources of inspiration when it comes to style. For those who can afford multi-thousand-dollar looks, shopping the latest trends is as easy as going directly to the designer. The rest of us are happy to pull ideas from the runways and adapt them to our own lives.

That’s what I love about designer runways. Show me peach trousers at Chloé or a brocade coat at Marc Jacobs, and I’ll find chic, budget-friendly alternatives. I love seeing how Isabel Marant updates the Western style with pastels and slouchy shapes, and I always take note of Jenni Kayne’s sleek textures (this season it was neon + tweed).

But the fashion gods are no longer the only source for personal style. In fact, sometimes they’re put on the back burner.

Instead, “street style” — the everyday style of men and women about town — is taking the cake for fashion inspiration. Bloggers such as the Sartorialist and Jak & Jil have been documenting street style for years, showing us exactly what it means to have your own unique style.

It isn’t about the name on your label but how you put yourself together. Correction: throw yourself together. That “effortless” look is kind of all the rage right now. It’s about mixing high-end designer bag with thrift store finds; Céline tempered with ripped jeans, a polka-dot shirt and red sunglasses. Things that shouldn’t work but miraculously do.

This is the exact philosophy that guides the best street style subjects. Bloggers such as Leandra Medine have re-popularized “past” trends and generally left us wondering how they do it. How does Blair Eadie make pink look so perfectly non-Valentine’s Day? Or manage not to look ridiculous when she matches her lipstick to her nails?

Street style has truly redefined fashion. It’s no longer a cut and dry, wear-this-not-that philosophy. Who’s to say what’s “in” or “out” anymore? Break the rules. Wear white jeans in winter. Mix navy and black. Wear Converse with sequins. Pair stripes with florals.

This new take on fashion — hyper-individualized, creative and personal — feels closer to becoming the antithesis of fashion. An immaculate Chanel suit is great, but it isn’t yours until you mix it with your best colorful heels or a particularly bold stack of bracelets.

­— emfarra@indiana.edu