I’m going to get a little English major on you and throw out a literary term: Motif, which is a recurring
theme or detail. People usually talk about motifs within the context of books, movies, and art, but I like
to think about motifs when it comes to fashion.
A fashion motif is a detail, color, or design that you often incorporate into outfits. Your motif could
be anything: florals, gold details, nautical pieces, or even something quirky like owls!
I’ve spent a few years building up my own fashion motif of bows. My collection of bow accessories
and fabrics started about five years ago. At first I didn’t intentionally seek out bow-themed pieces, but
my love for bows has turned into somewhat of a collection! Most days, I have one bow piece on me.
Here are some of my favorite pieces:
Dress from Modcloth, bow headband from Ban.do, hair clips and pins from Forever21, brass bow bracelet
from Urban Outfitters, silver bow bracelet from Cherry Bomb, gold necklace gift, bow cocktail ring from
Forever21, and small bow ring gift from Etsy.
It’s fun having a fashion motif because it gives you something to hunt for and collect. Plus, people always
know what to get me for gifts!
Author bio: Sarah Beckman is a writer and editor who combines her nerdy English background and
love for fashion at her job at Affordable Scarves. She likes to write on topics like how to achieve the
perfect bow with a silk scarf (a la Oscar Wilde and Olivia Palermo — when else can you use them in the
same sentence?). During her free time, Sarah’s busy planning her October wedding!
