The joy of style lies not in how we look to other people, but in

“The joy of style lies not in how we look to other people, but in how we look to ourselves—and the most memorable and beautiful outfits are simply those that, in some rare moment of joy, we found the courage to share with the world.” — so spoke Simon Van Booy, the philosopher-poet of modern tenderness, whose words shimmer with quiet truth. In this reflection, he reminds us that style is not an art of vanity, but an act of self-revelation. It is not born from imitation, nor crafted to please the gaze of others—it is the brave expression of one’s inner joy, the visible echo of the unseen self. True beauty, he teaches, is not decoration, but authenticity made visible.

Simon Van Booy, though known for his fiction and meditations on love and memory, often writes with the wisdom of the ancients disguised in modern form. His words recall the teachings of the Greek sages who spoke of kalokagathia—the harmony of the outer and inner self. To them, beauty was not a mask, but the natural flowering of virtue. Likewise, Van Booy’s notion of style returns us to that ancient idea: that what we wear, how we adorn ourselves, should not disguise who we are, but celebrate it. For style, at its highest, is not performance—it is truth made visible.

To understand this fully, one must see that style is a mirror for the soul. When we clothe ourselves with sincerity, we honor our spirit. When we dress only for the crowd, we abandon it. The modern world, with its endless mirrors and judgments, tempts us to seek validation through appearance, to measure our worth by admiration. Yet Van Booy turns us away from this hollow pursuit. He tells us that the joy of style arises when we see ourselves and say, “This is me,” not when others nod in approval. It is not the garment that holds beauty, but the courage of the one who wears it without fear.

Consider the tale of Coco Chanel, who in an age of corsets and conformity, dared to clothe women in freedom. Her designs were not born from the desire to please the elite, but from a vision of liberation. She took the simplicity of men’s wear and wove it into grace, saying, “Fashion fades, only style remains.” Her revolution was not in fabric alone—it was in spirit. She looked within, found her joy in simplicity, and shared it with the world. That is what Van Booy means: in the rare moment when we dare to reveal our truth through what we wear, the world witnesses something beautiful, something unforgettable.

But the essence of his teaching is not about fashion—it is about the act of courage that all creation requires. Whether in dress, in speech, or in deed, there is always a moment of hesitation before we reveal our true selves. We fear judgment, rejection, ridicule. Yet Van Booy calls us to that sacred bravery—to share our joy even when the world might not understand it. For style, in its purest form, is the outward sign of inner freedom, and freedom is the rarest, most radiant beauty of all.

The ancients would have likened this to the blooming of the lotus, rising unstained from the mud. Each person’s style is a unique bloom, shaped by experience, emotion, and imagination. When we wear what feels true to us—when we create, speak, or move from our own center—we are like the lotus opening to the sun. Others may see color and form, but the joy belongs to the flower itself, to the act of being fully what it was meant to be. Such is the joy of style—the joy of self-recognition.

Therefore, let this wisdom guide you: seek not to impress, but to express. When you stand before the mirror, do not ask, “Will they like it?” Ask instead, “Does this reflect who I am?” Cultivate the courage to live as you truly are, to show the world the poetry within you. The world may not always understand, but it will always remember the light that is real. For the most beautiful outfits, like the most beautiful lives, are born not of conformity, but of joy—joy made visible through courage.

And so, remember the teaching of Simon Van Booy: that style is the language of the soul, and joy its truest accent. When you dress, when you create, when you speak—let your choices be guided not by fear or fashion, but by the quiet thrill of being yourself. In those moments of self-honesty, shared with the world, you will find not only beauty, but peace. For what is more divine than to stand unmasked before creation, radiant with the courage to simply be?