Today, we are talking about personal style! If this is something that has tripped you up, you’re not alone. I think I’ve struggled with defining my personal style ever since I was a teenager. It would morph along with, number one, the trends and number two, what my friends were wearing. I never really dove in to figure out what my own personal style was or got to know myself enough to really figure that out. I think that this is an area that a lot of us, as women get tripped up on. We’re not exactly sure how to define our personal style. Plus, it changes so much over the years with whatever lifestyle stage we are at. Sometimes we adapt, or we abandon it altogether. That’s why I’m going to talk today about how to define your personal style in three easy steps! For more details check out my Coffee Chat below!
The three steps, these are foolproof, I promise you. I know there are a ton of resources out there but I love this method that I came up with because I use it myself and I like to be as authentic as possible with everything I do. This is something that really worked well for me to help define my own personal style. It’s going to give you powerful insights into what you like without being influenced by anything else. That being said, we also don’t need to be so strictly locked into just one category. There’s a lot of room in there for trying out the trends and adding in some fun new pieces and just really getting out of your comfort zone. I don’t want anybody to get so locked into a personal style that they think they can’t try something else. It’s always okay to step out of our comfort zones once and a while, that’s how our personal style can evolve. Now, let’s dive into the three-step process.
1. Gather Some Intel
You’re going to become a style detective. This is a concept that home decor blogger Myquilln Smith from thenester.com suggests doing when you’re trying to come up with your home decor but it works like a charm with personal style as well. For this step, I recommend going on Pinterest because it’s easier to organize your images, but you’re going to search images of outfits. You can do this search by seasonal outfits or casual outfits, or whatever you want your search to be, but you’ll want to keep the category broad. So gather intel by pinning or saving at least 25-50 outfits that speak to you. Do not qualify these outfits, don’t overthink it, if you love it, pin it.
After you do this I want you to go to a friend and ask them if they would do a Pinterest reading for you. See if there are any commonalities in the styles that you chose, the colors and the patterns. Are they minimally accessorized? Or do you have a lot of accessories in them? Are they minimalist or are they trendy? Are they classic? Do they employ similar colors, brights? Neutrals? What about patterns? Do you tend to steer clear of patterns or do you prefer lots of details and interests? Pay attention to shoes and accessories, too. And again, aim for at least 25 to 50 different outfit ideas. You can get a much clearer picture of what appears to you and what patterns are going to start to emerge from there. You can maybe even do this yourself if you’re pretty aware of being able to identify those patterns, but I think it works better to have a friend do this because they’re going to be completely objective with you. These commonalities are what’s going to give you some style clues going forward.
2. Determine Your Lifestyle
The next step in this process is you’ve got to determine your lifestyle because personal style is not going to work for anyone unless you take lifestyle into consideration first. For instance, you might love pencil skirts and high heels like I do but that’s not practical for my daily life. I work from home. I’m in my office all day. I maybe go to Target once in a while when we’re not under quarantine but that’s about it. I do have some pencil skirts and blouses and high heels in my closet because when I do get to get a little bit gussied up and go to a conference or something a little bit dressier, then those are going to be my go-tos for events like that.
Most of the time, however, you’re going to find me in my t-shirt and jeans. I’m a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl and I usually wear them every day then add some little detail for some extra interest. It important for me to look put together but also comfortable working from home. Honestly, my uniform is usually a half-tuck, slouchy t-shirt, the latest denim trend, topped with a cardigan, denim or moto jacket and finished off with comfy shoes, usually mules or slip-on sneakers and minimal accessories, which are usually my gold hoops and a short necklace. This is a uniform that works for me almost every day of the year. It’s foolproof and it just feels like me. So determine your lifestyle and what will work in it.
3. Curating Confidently
If you’ve been around Get Your Pretty On for a while or if you’ve done the Outfit Formulas program then you know that one of the things that I preach over and over again is that we are closet curators, not caught up consumers. That means that we slowly and deliberately build our wardrobes. You want to find pieces that you love, that you’re going to feel confident in every time you put them on. If it’s not a heck, yes, it’s a no! Don’t run out just to fill in a blank in your wardrobe. Make sure it’s something that you love and when in doubt, do the selfie test. A selfie never lies either in the fitting room or at home. Snap a quick mirror photo of your outfit or the item that you’re trying on. If the piece doesn’t work for you, the selfie is not going to whisper lies into your ears. At the end of the day, your outfit needs not only to be a representation of who you are but most importantly, I want you to feel confident and beautiful and everything that you wear.
Your Turn
Now it’s your turn! Today I want you go online and play around with this as we head into summer. Gather that intel, look for clues, maybe there are pieces you already have in your closet that will give you those clues. I would love for you to go and start pinning some outfits or creating a folder, Googling some images and finding some pieces that really speak to you and noticing what those commonalities are. Maybe you and a friend have a Zoom call and tell her about this. It can be your version of a girl’s night out that the two of you can do and you can figure out each other’s style personalities. Maybe you going to find yours is all over the place and again, that’s okay. You do not have to fit into just one category. Have fun exploring and then enjoy building a closet of clothes that are a heck yes!
