If you are reading this, you are likely wondering what you can do to create your ‘personal style’. Well, it is not a straightforward process – and it will likely be more frustrating than you may think. After all, what is personal style? How do you even know whether the clothes you wear fit a style anyway? How do you even select clothes that match it? What are the considerations to make?
there are many times you look into your wardrobe and see a mass of clothes stacked there with no clear theme, or you are in the midst of a major transition like graduating from college, settling into working life , or getting married and raising kids. Throughout all these major transitions, it is important to cultivate your own style to carry you through the changes in your life.
Why is it even important anyway? Believe it or not, you will feel more confident and beautiful in what you wear when you have a style to call your own. You don’t have to go with the flow when it comes to fashion. Stand out in wearing retro t-shirts even when modern crop tops are what’s trending. Choose what makes you comfortable because that’s when you’ll be able to carry out yourself confidently. It comes with understanding quite a number of things, so here are some useful pointers to help you create a style wardrobe.
Identify your style icons
Starting to create your own personal style on your own is difficult, but you can ease it by having style icons to look up to. Jot down all their names and use the internet to find some inspiration from their looks. The more style icons you have, the more you can figure out the things you like and dislike – you can even enlist the help of family or friends to figure out what your potential style could be.
At the end of the day, you need to use this as a guide to know what you will wear when you step in front of the mirror.
Pick common themes from what you see and write them down
It is impossible to stick to one style only, as seasons and times will change and will dictate what you wear. However, there are common themes you will notice in the style icons you admire – for instance, mixing vintage with punk styles.
Study all the icons you have to know what you gravitate to the most, and know the elements they share in common. The elements you notice the most are likely the ones you are drawn to, but you never knew it – at least on a subconscious level. This will be the vibe you are going for and helps you know what you will like wearing.
After this, select words to describe these elements. For instance, is the vibe you are seeing an edgy one, bohemian type, classic, edgy, or any other description? When you write this down, you will be able to tell the pieces that fit in with your look when you head out shopping, and you will pick clothes easier that way.
Clean your closet
Cleaning out closets is such a challenge, especially when you are modifying and setting your own personal style for the first time – but it is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to maintain a streamlined look when you have outlier pieces in your closet.
For all the clothes that do not fit your own personal style, clean them all out – that even goes for clothes you are only brave enough to wear after a blue moon. This will reduce the temptation to mix and match pieces that do not fit your desired style.
Select a palette
When defining your own personal style to be reflected in your wardrobe, it is also important to consider the colors you are going for – these also play a role in your final presentation. For instance, do you like warm, summer-vibe colors? Neutral tones? Prints? Various shades? This will make it easier for you to mix and match different clothes and look good while doing it.
One tip is to choose a certain color palette, for example, cool spring colors, and then buy clothes that are within the same color family or spectrum. This will create unity in your wardrobe.
Find out the reasons why you like certain palettes and clothes
Even if you are in the midst of overhauling your closet, your favorite items can hold clues to your own personal style. For example, having a favorite shirt or dress can tell you why it is your top pick – maybe it is edgy, maybe it is a sign of comfort, beauty or makes you feel cool or outgoing.
Along with this, try to figure out the aspects of it that you like, and this can help you find other pieces that flow well with the same vibe.
Feel free to experiment, but have your wallet in mind
In case you want to try a trend (although trends are generally not the best), you can do it without spending too much money on the go – especially when you are unsure if it will look good on you. For instance, trying on patterned suits, but buying them at a cheap fashion store so that it does not become a ‘high risk, low satisfaction’ kind of situation.
That way, if it fails to work, you can discard it quickly and move on to something else, while only spending good money on the items that will look good on you.
Know your best body features, and choose clothes that bring them out
We all have different bodies, and what looks good on someone else may not look good on you. Regardless of the body type you have, there are good features it is blessed with, so get to know what these features are and choose clothes that bring these features to the forefront.
for instance, apple bodied women have very nice legs, so they will look stunning in dresses or skirts that show off this feature and pair them with comfortable shoes like platform sandals. For tall women, the choice may be a jumpsuit that highlights their tall, slender frame, and pair it with shoes like heels.
Final thoughts
Settling on one style for your wardrobe is a daunting task, but it rewards you with a sense of identity and fashion-forward sensibilities that help you stay confident in how you look. This will make the entire process so much easier on your end.
