Style

/staɪl/ noun

Definition

Style is a distinctive way of doing something, especially in clothing, art, writing, or behavior, that makes it recognizable or personal.

Etymology

From Latin 'stilus', a pointed tool used for writing on wax tablets, which came to mean 'manner of writing'. Over time it broadened to include artistic and personal ways of expression.

Kelly Says

Originally, style was literally about how you pressed a writing stick into wax; now it’s about the fingerprint of your choices in almost anything. Your style is the pattern other people can recognize even when you’re not trying.

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

Discussions of style, especially in fashion and writing, have often been gendered, with women's style scrutinized more heavily and treated as less serious. Stereotypes have associated style and aesthetics with femininity and triviality, while coding certain styles as appropriately masculine or feminine.

Inclusive Usage

Avoid assuming that interest in style is gender-specific, and do not use style preferences as shorthand for gender identity or competence.

Empowerment Note

Acknowledge women whose stylistic innovations in art, fashion, and writing have shaped cultural norms, even when their work was dismissed as merely decorative or feminine.

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