A Practical Approach to Finding and Defining Your Personal Style

Fashion is ever-changing, and the fact that trends tend to go through cycles can confuse women who are just starting on their journey to find the styles that best suit them. Many of the people who are still new to fashion may confuse being stylish with following current trends, but it’s more than that. Finding your style is a form of expressing yourself, and it’s often done by being more mindful of your choice of clothes, accessories, shoes, and hairstyle.

Apart from being a medium of expression, one’s style can be an effective communication tool. Through your outfits, you get to show your personality and make an impression at first glance. More importantly, developing your personal style is a way to strengthen your sense of self. Your aesthetic is connected to how you perceive yourself and the kind of experience you want to impart to the people you encounter every day. If wearing a white button-down shirt and black cotton leggings makes you feel more like yourself at work, then you’ll exude a competent and confident image despite the seeming simplicity of your work outfit. The same can’t be said if you wear a tight suit that you’re not completely comfortable with, for example. Also, taking care of how you look is an act of self-care. Putting together an outfit that looks good on you and boosts your confidence level is a chance to show appreciation towards yourself.

How do you find a style that suits you? Although you won’t be able to find your personal style overnight, you can try different approaches to defining your aesthetic. These include:

Begin with the Basics

Before you start collecting statement pieces, you want to have a good foundation with timeless and versatile clothing items. You can get started by selecting a great-fitting pair of jeans, an everyday jacket or blazer, tapered pants, T-shirts and dressy tops that can be easily paired with the bottoms in your wardrobe. You don’t have to make all these choices alone, especially if you’re still trying to gauge what works for you. Ask for assistance from someone who understands proper fitting, such as a trusted friend, a sales associate, or a personal stylist. This person can let you know whether your items can be fixed by a tailor or if you will benefit more from getting items of a particular cut.

Get Rid of Clothes You No Longer Wear

Having too many options can be a bit paralyzing, especially when you’re forced to make clothing decisions in a short amount of time. If you often find that you have a full closet and nothing to wear, then it’s time to get rid of clothes that no longer suit your personal style. This will help you free up space in your closet as well as make choosing clothes a much easier and less stressful process in the mornings.

Start by taking out every piece of clothing you have at once, including pieces that are stuck in the nooks and crannies of your closet. Then, put the clothes that no longer fit or you don’t see yourself wearing in one pile. Prepare a box for stained pieces and clothes that are damaged beyond repair as well. After removing the clothes that fit these categories from your list of options, put the remaining pieces back into your closet in an organized manner. The latter group should have all your everyday essentials and clothes that you love to wear regularly. If you find clothes that need to be washed or mended immediately, then schedule these tasks right away. Don’t store these pieces away thinking you can take care of them later, because you will probably forget about them soon enough.

Look for Fashion Inspiration

A helpful way to define your personal style is by taking cues from your style inspirations. These people can be your favorite celebrities or fashion icons, but they can also include individuals whose style you admire such as friends, coworkers, or relatives. You can also get outfit ideas from apps like Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.

When searching for fashionable individuals online, remember to explore people of different backgrounds, body types, and budgets. This way, you won’t be limited to styles that only certain individuals can achieve. Then, save the images you like and you’ll eventually notice the styles you are commonly drawn to. Throughout this process, make sure to pick words that would best describe the vibe of the overall looks in your collection. For example, are they modern, bohemian, trendy, or classic? Doing this will help you describe your ideal pieces and styles when you go shopping in a physical store or when narrowing down your options on an online shop.

Feel Free to Experiment

You can also define your personal style by experimenting until you find the look you feel most confident and comfortable in. You don’t have to buy a mishmash of clothes if you haven’t set your mind on a particular style just yet; you can simply rent styles you want to try out from clothing rental shops and services. If you want a fancier look, why not try wearing a dress instead of your customary slacks or white shirt and dark denim pants for work? Make the effort to dress up and see which styles help you feel good and complement your body. From here, you can get an idea of the looks you will want to keep going back to and the pieces you enjoy wearing.

Finding your personal style means learning about who you are and what you truly like. Don’t let fashion trends tell you what you should or shouldn’t wear. If your preferred outfit allows you to express yourself, then don’t hesitate to make that call and let your character shine through your choice of clothes.