Identifying your personal style can be both rewarding and transformative. It’s all about understanding who you are and reflecting it through your fashion choices. This blog post uncovers the steps to discovering your personal style, offering insights on observation, exploration, and practical tips. From spending a day window shopping to cleaning out your closet, or creating mood boards and beyond, each step unveils a method to get closer to a distinct personal style that resonates with your true self. If you’re looking to refine your wardrobe and feel more confident in your fashion choices, read on for a step-by-step breakdown.

Understanding Your Personal Style

What is personal style?

Personal style is a unique expression of oneself through clothing, accessories, and overall appearance. It goes beyond mere fashion trends, as it encapsulates your personality, lifestyle, and individuality. Unlike fashion, which is fleeting, personal style is anchored in what makes you comfortable and reflects who you are at your core.

Recognizing your personal style involves introspection and exploration. It’s about discerning your preferences, identifying what makes you feel confident, and knowing how to express your identity through attire. Understanding this foundational concept is the first step to truly owning your fashion sense.

1. Spend a day looking at clothes—but don’t buy anything yet

Spending a day purely browsing through clothes without purchasing allows you to explore styles, patterns, and cuts that catch your eye. Make it a point to visit various stores, both high-end and thrift, to get a feel for what’s available and what resonates with you. Take mental notes of the pieces that seem to speak to you.

This exercise is valuable for understanding what naturally draws your attention and what you find appealing in fashion. It’s like window shopping for inspiration. Remember, the goal is not to buy, but to collect ideas and identify recurring themes in your preferences.

2. Use Pinterest as a mood board

Pinterest is an excellent resource for gathering fashion inspiration and creating a visual representation of your style. Start by creating a board dedicated to outfits, colors, and styles you admire. As you pin items, patterns will emerge in terms of color palettes, silhouettes, and styling cues, which can guide your fashion choices.

Mood boards help in visualizing the cohesiveness of your style ideas and can serve as a reference when updating your wardrobe. Regularly updating your board will help you track the evolution of your preferences and inspire you to experiment with new looks.

3. Step outside of your comfort zone

To truly discover your style, it’s vital to venture beyond what you know and feel comfortable with. Experimenting with different styles, colors, or trends can be eye-opening and often leads to discovering new facets of your taste. Try on outfits you wouldn’t typically wear and see how they make you feel.

The goal is to stretch your boundaries and incorporate unexpected elements into your style repertoire. You might find yourself drawn to styles or combinations you initially thought wouldn’t suit you. Taking such risks can lead to exciting discoveries about your style preferences.

4. Evaluate the clothes you wear on a daily basis

Examine your daily attire with a critical eye—what do you wear most frequently, and why? These pieces often hold the key to understanding your innate style because they reflect what you feel most comfortable and confident wearing.

See if there are common elements such as colors, textures, or silhouettes that dominate your wardrobe. Identifying these can help highlight your natural inclinations and preferences that define your style.

5. Mimic the looks of people whose fashion you adore

Inspiration can be drawn from individuals whose style you admire. This does not mean copying their every look, but rather using their fashion as a guideline to develop your own style. Analyze their outfits to understand what appeals to you, be it the layering techniques, accessory choices, or color schemes.

By selectively incorporating elements from styles you admire, you can craft a style that feels both unique and aligned with your taste. It’s an excellent way to refine your style by learning from those who do it well.

6. Clean out your closet regularly

A regular closet cleanse is a practical way to shed what no longer aligns with your style and make space for new, more fitting pieces. Start by removing items you haven’t worn in the past year, and assess whether they still represent your current taste.

Decluttering not only makes room for fashion that better suits your style, but it also gives you a clearer view of what you possess and what you need. This process of elimination can significantly aid in refining your personal style.

7. Keep a clothing rack of pieces you want to style

Designate a small clothing rack or a section of your wardrobe for pieces that intrigue you but you haven’t figured out how to incorporate yet. This keeps them in sight and allows you to experiment with different pairings until you find one that works.

This hands-on approach encourages creativity in styling and helps you to slowly integrate new trends or styles into your personal wardrobe, resulting in a beautifully curated collection that feels authentically yours.

8. Use a tailor when needed

Even the most stylish outfits can fall flat if they don’t fit well. A tailor can transform an ill-fitting item into a neatly tailored masterpiece that works for your specific body type. Sometimes a small alteration can make a big difference in how an outfit looks and feels on you.

Investing in tailoring is an investment in your style, ensuring that your clothes flatter you perfectly, which in turn boosts your confidence. Tailored pieces also add an element of sophistication and attention to detail to your wardrobe.

9. Utilize the three-word method

Define your style in just three words. This exercise compels you to distill the essence of your fashion sense into a focused concept. For example, your words might be “vintage,” “bohemian,” and “eclectic.” Use these words as a guiding principle when selecting pieces or putting together an outfit.

This method serves as a quick reference to ensure that your purchases and styling choices align with your overall fashion identity. It is a simple, yet effective tool for maintaining consistency within your wardrobe.

10. Curate a wishlist to curb impulse purchases

Maintaining a wishlist helps keep track of items you truly desire and prevents impulsive buying decisions that don’t contribute to your overall style. Consider the versatility and cohesion of each potential purchase with your existing wardrobe.

Over time, this list will help you save money and make more thoughtful buying decisions, ensuring that every piece you add enhances your personal style. A wishlist also allows you to prioritize purchases and gradually build a wardrobe you love.

Embracing Your Personal Style

Developing your personal style is a process that involves self-discovery, experimentation, and discernment. By following these steps, you can navigate through the overwhelming world of fashion to find a style that truly resonates with you. Embrace the journey of defining your personal style as an ongoing exploration rather than a destination—your style is meant to evolve with you.

Remember, personal style isn’t about adhering to the norms or fitting into a particular category; it’s about authentically expressing yourself through the medium of fashion. Enjoy the freedom to be who you are through your style choices and let them speak for your unique personality.