Putting a grasp on your personal style may be a bit hard, especially with so many different styles and trends popping up all the time. However, having a style that defines you is essential in exhibiting your individuality to its fullest. When we think about certain people with radiating personalities, their style is a key aspect in forming their image. My mom always told me that it doesn’t matter what you wear- it’s what’s inside that’s more important, but I see it as what’s inside can be expressed and revealed through your style. In this article, I’ll be giving you some tips on how we can ultimately discover our personal style. Think of it like steps to reaching fashion nirvana.
A big first step is to find inspiration, which is something so fun, as well as very helpful. When you look through moodboards and visual images of different textures, nature, colors, etc. you are bound to deviate towards the style and mood you are most attracted by. For example, if you find yourself having heart eyes at a lot of flowery, romantic, soft images, then perhaps you would enjoy wearing flowy pieces with textures such as chiffon, silk, etc. However, something even more direct and easier would be finding inspiration from other people. Regardless of whether or not they are celebrities, what you see on other people can help you decide if you want to see that on yourself. Some platforms that I’ve noticed are very helpful for inspiration are tumblr and Pinterest. For me Pinterest is the easiest, as I can organize my pins into different boards, which are basically a folder of images – such as my board called My Style. In this board, I have pins that I stumbled upon of different girls wearing pieces such as velvet black chokers, v-neck slips, mom jeans, silk button up tops, etc. When I scroll through my board, I see many similarities in the different pieces that seem to all cohere into a similar style. After building up the board, it became easier for me to target and point out pieces that best fit this style, since I had a visual representation. I recommend that you guys start a board like this too, for a better understanding of your style.
Analyzing your closet is next, because we are not trying to do a massive overhaul of your closet (you can if you want), but rather we are trying to decide what pieces already in your closet fit your curated style the best. Lay your pieces out in order of what you wear the most to least. When you do this, you probably will find a similarity that bonds the pieces that you wear often and a similarity between the pieces you don’t wear much at all. Whether it is comfortability, the color palette, the look, etc. this helps you further realize what you feel comfortable in and also what style you have been already going towards. Ask yourself questions about the pieces- Is there a silhouette you like to wear vs. don’t like to wear? Why are there 10 stripped black and white shirts? What are some pieces I’d like to add? These answers will help you personalize your Pinterest curated style, because you may have created a board of visuals, but that doesn’t mean you necessarily need to copy another style exactly. Take that board and integrate it in your own personal collection of clothes. Also, analyzing your closet is very helpful in future shopping trips, so you know what mistakes not to repeat.
Confidence is key. Sometimes things might look good on others and even on the rack, but when you try it on it may not have the same effect that you wanted. Don’t force yourself in something that you don’t like. Confidence is essential to every style, because confidence is your secret weapon. It helps seal your style together, it is the accentuation of your style. So never wear something if you are constantly thinking about others judging you or if you are self-conscious in it. And likewise, never not wear something because of others. If something makes you feel good, then the opinions of onlookers should be disregarded.
Personality is another crucial source in discovering your style. Many times your personality is manifested in your style, because style is a visual representation of intangible emotions and moods. Think of your style as a visual personality. There are edgier styles and more feminine styles and most likely the person wearing the feminine style is girlier and gentle, while the edgier girl has more of an attitude and spice. Although you can’t assume definitely ones personality from what they wear, you can use it as your own measurement of what you think fits your personality. Because ultimately, when someone looks at your outfit and says, “Oh, that is so you!” then you know you are doing something right.
I hope that we all can reach this fashion nirvana and discover our true fashion selves. Good luck! Feel free to comment down below if you have any questions or opinions.
