Style

Style refers to the distinctive manner in which something is expressed or crafted. It encompasses choices of form, technique, materials, and organization that give a work or person a recognizable character. Styles operate at multiple scales—from the overall ethos of an artist or writer to the specific patterns of a sentence, a building, or a garment. They arise from culture, training, intention, and available technology, and can be deliberate or unconscious.

In literature and rhetoric, style covers diction, syntax, figurative devices, rhythm, and voice. Writers cultivate a recognizable style through balance of simplicity or density, formality, and imagery. Stylistic analysis examines how these choices shape meaning and effect, often in relation to historical movements or schools.

In the visual arts, design, and architecture, style describes a shared formal vocabulary—line, color, proportion, ornament, and space. Architectural styles range from Gothic and Baroque to Modernist; graphic and product design adopt consistent typographic and shaping cues; fashion styles reflect cultural mood and identity.

In typography, style denotes characteristics such as weight, width, and slant, which influence tone as well as legibility.

Style is distinct from technique—the means of making—and from genre—the subject matter. It evolves with changing tastes, technologies, and social contexts, and is a major subject of criticism and historical study as both personal signature and cultural expression.