Finding your personal style seems to be a topic that everyone is talking about right now. During a time in our world where we have to adapt to some major changes, honing in on your personal style is like another form of therapy. So what’s stopping you?
Are you feeling like your closet doesn’t reflect who you are? Looking for a new way to express yourself? Read this ultimate guide to learn how to find your personal style, in just 7 easy steps.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Assess Your Current Wardrobe
Yay! Super excited that you’re starting this journey to find your style. But, before you start acquiring new pieces, it’s important to evaluate your current wardrobe to see what you have to work with.
For the next 2 weeks, track all the clothes that you find yourself wearing the most. These pieces are going to be the basis for your new style since you know you’re comfortable wearing them. Here are some ways you can track the pieces you wear the most often:
- Move these pieces to the front of your closet.
- Put them on a separate clothing rack.
- Only have 1 clothing rack? Move them to a certain side of the clothing or differentiate between them by turning the hangers the opposite direction.
- If you’re messy, put them in a “special pile” on the floor — LOL.
Make note of what these pieces have in common. Ask yourself the following questions and write down the answers:
- What do they have in common?
- Are they a certain fit?
- What colors are they? (This will help you determine your color palette)
- What fabric are they?
- Amongst the tops, what neckline are they?
- Are they from a certain brand?
Once you finish assessing your current wardrobe, you can move onto step 2!
Step 2: Clean Out Your Closet
Ok, you’ve tracked the clothes you gravitate more to… now what? Clean out your closet!
It’s time to pick out the clothes you haven’t worn in a long time. I’m talking about the items in your wardrobe that you kept thinking you’re going to wear one day.. but you never do. Yeah, those pieces.
I understand what it’s like to have an attachment to a certain clothing item. Maybe it has sentimental value and you just can’t get rid of it. For those pieces, you can remove them from your wardrobe and store them in a safe place.
But, if it’s an item that means nothing to you, then you definitely need to get rid of it. Here’s a good rule of thumb: if it doesn’t have sentimental value and you haven’t worn it in the last 2 months, then it’s time to let it go. You can’t find your style if you’re clinging to pieces that don’t represent you. *Please note, this doesn’t apply to pieces from another season. i.e. summer or winter items*
Step 3: Find Inspiration & Create a Mood Board
So, your closet is clean and you know what pieces you gravitate toward. It’s time to find some inspiration! This is the beginning stages to discovering your person style. Here are some platforms you can pull from:
- Social Media β Instagram
- Go through your favorite instagram accounts, influencers who’s fashion you love, friends that have great style, etc.
- Pro tip: create a new collection on instagram called “New Style” and use it to save outfits that you love.
- At the end of this section, I’ve added a few instagram accounts you can use to find some bomb outfits:
- Pinterest
- Pinterest boards are definitely another good way for you to save the outfits you love. One thing I love about pinterest compared to instagram is the fact that you can search for photos using keywords. This comes in handy once you start to find certain pieces or necklines that you know looks good on you.
- While you’re saving photos, ask yourself some questions like: “What style am I drawn to the most?” or “What are some common pieces in all these photos?”
- Magazines
- You can always find a good outfit in a good fashion magazine. Visit your local Barnes & Noble to find some fashion magazines you can use for inspiration.
- Once you find an outfit you really like, take a picture of it on your phone and save it to a folder dedicated to fashion inspo — no need to spend $60 on these magazines unless you really want to.
- Iconic Movies or TV Shows
- We all know a movie or tv show with some really good outfits. Here are some of my favorite tv shows that I get outfit inspo from: The Nanny, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Friends
- Runway Shows
- Have a favorite fashion designer? Look up some of their recent or even older fashion shows. You can find some really bomb outfit ideas in fashion shows from the 90s and early 2000s.
Step 4: Refine Your Mood Board + Take Measurements
Now that you have a mood board created, it’s time to refine it! But before you do that, let’s take some body measurements. Here are three important areas to take measurements of: bust, waist, and hips. Using these three measurements, you can find out what body shape you have. This is CRUCIAL because it gives you more direction on what styles will work on you and what won’t.
Ok, here’s some questions to ask yourself while you’re refining your mood board:
- Are these clothes something I see myself wearing?
- Can I actually wear this? Does it match my lifestyle?
- Does this reflect my personality? Will I feel like I shine with this on or will I feel like I’m drowning in it?
- Does this match my silhouette?
Once you know your body shape, you can start to refine your wardrobe! Take out the outfits with a certain style you know won’t work for you. If you need to go back to step 2 to save more outfits, then definitely do that.
Remember, in step 1, when you assessed your wardrobe? Now, you can use that information to refine your wardrobe even further and find your true style. Take out the photos with pieces of clothing that you know you’re not going to be comfortable wearing. OR you can keep those pics and just swap out certain pieces later on.
Step 5: Start Shopping
Finally, the fun part…. SHOPPING!
Now that you have a refined mood board, make a list of the pieces that you see are common in multiple outfits. Make sure you get specific when describing each item by including details like the color, neckline, length, hem, fabric, etc. The good thing about having a list is that you won’t be distracted once you start buying your pieces — I know I’m not the only one that went to the mall for one thing and left with a bunch of other items that I never wore.
Next, pick 5 items from the list and head to the mall (or online shopping if that’s your preferred method).
Step 6: Find Some Signature Accessories
Accessories are key to making an outfit pop! This is a hidden step that helps you find your unique style. Here are some accessories you can add to your outfit to make them stand out:
- Gold or Silver Jewelry: necklaces, rings, earrings, anklets, etc.
- Cool Sunglasses
- Totes or Purses
- Hats
- Har Accessories: scarves, clips, barettes, scrunchies, etc.
Step 7: Show the World Your New Look
Congratulations! You’ve found your personal style and can now teach others to find their style.
Now, it’s time to practice putting outfits together.
Remember that picking out outfits is a skill that has to be built up. The only way to do so is to practice, practice, PRACTICE.
Until you build up that skill, look at your mood board and copy the exact outfit you see. Then, the next time you wear that outfit, try swapping one piece for another. Keep doing this until you’ve come up with a completely new item! The good thing about this method is it provides you with an endless amount of possible outfits.
Now, here’s a secret I want to share with you all — the key to creating a unique style is to combine elements from multiple styles into one outfit! This is how you can stunt in that one outfit that nobody else is wearing.
*Before you leave, I want to say, please don’t be afraid of outfit repeating! Clothes are meant to be worn until they physically can’t be worn anymore*