How to Define Your Personal Style
Personal style; Is YOU, individuality, the perfect way to express yourself, being confident and feeling comfortable in what you wear. Developing a sense of style ties in with creating something that best fits your personality and lifestyle. Right now I would say I have definitely defined my style, but I'm more so in the process of fine tuning it.
Your style will continue to evolve for as long as you live - change can be minimal or a complete flip
of the coin. Looking back at my archives, my style was more adventurous, I was definitely more into playing around with colours and patterns than I am now. Now I prefer more neutral tones and I like to keep things minimal most of the time, with a touch of edginess.
I'm sure there are plenty of people who don't think they have a style, but I can assure you that it's hidden somewhere. You just don't know it yet. You don't even need to be someone who is completely obsessed with fashion in order to define your personal style.
If you are someone who is confident with their style, this post may not be for you, but feel free to have a read anyway! Now, I'm not trying to portray myself as a personal stylist or style consultant, but these are just a few points that have helped me define my own style.
Collage created with various images sourced from Pinterest
Inspiration plays a key part in the art of creating your own sense of style. You have access to it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You may stumble across a particular look you've never crossed paths with, and instantly love it.
Find inspiration from observing people on the street, (not encouraging you to stalk anyone here, as that probably won't end too well), rip out fashion editorial spreads from a magazine, check out outfit collages created on Polyvore, read fashion blogs, check out the latest from street style blogs, scroll through fashion related Pinterest boards, or Tumblr posts, the list could go on, and on.
Create a folder on your computer where you can collate and save images of cool looks/outfits that appeal to you. or better yet, create some fashion boards on Pinterest to pin to. Here you'll probably start to get the gist of what type of style you may be gearing towards. Above is typically what my inspiration folder consists of. From this, you can tell my kind of vibe is laid back, minimal, classic, neutral in colour, and quite understated. I find that doing this also helps me out when I'm feeling uninspired - I can always look back at my saved images for a booster!
2. BRAINSTORM
Identify what it is you like. What appeals to you most?
Looking through all those images you have saved and thinking about outfits you've seen and loved. What words would you use to describe the style of the outfits that you like - minimal, eccentric, bohemian, preppy? What part of the look makes you like it so much? Is it the clean cut button down shirt, the skinny trousers, the cute pleated skater skirt, the fitted dress, or the bright statement bag? Make a note (or list) of particular items that you like the look of, whether you saw it on a random person across the street, or whilst scrolling through Pinterest boards.
Now start to think about materials, lengths, and colours. Are you into different textures, bright colours, neutral colours, bold patterns? What kind of silhouettes do you prefer? Baggy and loose, quite fitted, or just in between?
Let's also talk assets, what are the favourite parts of your body? I have a thing for my arms so I do like wearing t-shirts and or even rolling up the sleeves of my jackets or shirts. I'm not the biggest fan of showing my legs, so you usually find that I wear trousers a lot. I prefer midi styles to mini, if I do buy a dress or skirt however. Figuring out your best assets definitely helps in the development of your personal style.
3. WARDROBE CHECK
Take a look at at your wardrobe, and pick out your favourite pieces - the items that you subconsciously find yourself wearing all the time. The items you pick can be the perfect base for starting to define your style - your key pieces. Starting to define your style doesn't effectively mean that you must immediately head to the nearest store to splash some cash on new gear. It is so easy to forget what's in your wardrobe at times (for me, all the time), there's no knowing what you'll find buried in there.
4. TRIAL & ERROR
Not too sure what you like just yet? Go out and experiment.
You may be someone who just doesn't know what they particularly like. Head to a bunch of your current favourite clothing stores or new stores you've never entered. Here you can expose yourself to different aesthetics, and figure out what you like and dislike. Pick out a variety of clothes in different silhouettes, colours, patterns, and styles to try on. It's just you, the clothes, and that changing room mirror. Eventually you will find something you think looks good on, and can be styled to your liking.
5. DON'T FOCUS TOO MUCH ON FAST FASHION TRENDS
I tend to take in fashion trends at arms length. It's so easy for someone to lose their sense of style when it comes to the arrival of new trends. Educate yourself every new season, but absorb what suits you and your aesthetic, would you feel comfortable rocking this latest trend? By all means, never be afraid to try something new, as experimenting is how you come to define your style at the end of the day.
6. BE YOURSELF
Less caring about what people think and more of that expressing yourself business - it will do you good in the long run. Wear what makes you feel happy, satisfied and comfortable. Whether it be rocking all the colours of the rainbow, giving the grim reaper a run for his money with your all black wardrobe, or keeping it strictly normcore. Inspiration is key in this process, but at the same time you don't want to completely imitate people in every way possible, that's a no go! Confidence is key too, it's almost like an accessory. If you feel confident in what you wear it shows, and it makes you feel good!
Defining your style can be such a fun and creative process.
I hope this guide was of help to someone reading this!
Follow Hands of Style
Follow Hands of Style