Do you wake up in the morning and stare at your closet in frustration because you just don't know what to wear? Does shopping feel like a dreaded chore because you don't know what to buy? Are you frustrated with the way you dress because you don't look the way you want to? You're not alone. More often than not, these problems stem from the fact that you don't know your personal style. When that's the case, you don't know how you want to look, you don't know what to buy, and you especially don't know what to wear! This results in stress, disappointment, and frustration. Let me help you take those problems away by showing you how to find your personal style!
How To Find Your Personal Style
This post is for all those ladies out there that don't like their current personal style and want to change it or for those women that don't even know what it is! Yes, your style can constantly change over time, but it doesn't mean you have to stay frustrated about not getting where you want to be.
Why even bother taking the time and effort to find your personal style in the first place? Here are the top 3 reasons why you should!
1. No more frustration looking in your closet every morning and thinking "I have nothing to wear" even though your closet is jam-packed full of items. Because really, you do have things to wear, but when women use that phrase they're more saying, "I have nothing to wear that speaks to me today."
2. Shopping just got way easier. Instead of trying on a gazillion different things and going to a gazillion different stores you know the places you like to shop, you know what you like to buy, and you know what looks good on you.
3. Once you figure out your style you will get rid of everything in your closet that doesn't work. Not only will it be easier getting dressed in the morning, but you'll feel a sense of calmness after purging knowing that you only have what works. It's like that amazing feeling when you deep clean your house and you end up feeling cleaner and lighter.
So, are you ready to put in the effort? Let's go!
Time to get inspired
1. Get Inspired from Pinterest/Google/Style Icons
My first tip for finding your personal style is to hit the Pinterest boards. Look at your "clothes" or "style" board and see what you've pinned. Chances are your closet might be a mess, but you're only going to pin something to your board if it is something you like. So go ahead and take a look. Here are a couple screenshots of mine:
**If you don't have a Pinterest board grab a magazine and circle everything that catches your eyes. Don't think about what you think you need to like or even try to match what's already in your closet. Just save whatever catches your eye! No Pinterest or magazines handy? Google search "style icons" or "fashion" and save all the pictures you like to a folder on your computer.
Here are some sample style icons to gain inspiration from:
Edgy: Rihanna, Demi Lovato
Bohemian: Vanessa Hudgens
Feminine: Lauren Conrad, Rachel Bilson
Street: Gigi Hadid
Chic: Miranda Kerr, Olivia Palermo
Casual: Selena Gomez
Remember: Sometimes you don't fit in a clothing "box" and that's okay. Style is meant to be fun so mix and match until you find what you're most comfortable in. Maybe you're an edgy bohemian princess? Casual professional? It doesn't mean you can only wear what's on your list. If you find something and you like it, then go ahead and wear it.
So, after looking at your clothing Pinterest boards, what do you see? What are the reoccurring patterns?
After you've taken a look and formulated a mental answer, write down 3-5 words that all of your pins (ideas, images) have in common. It can be color, style, theme, whatever.
For me, I came up with: black, white, brown, chic, neutrals
Try to come up with 1-2 sentences explaining what you see. ___________________
Here's mine: I pin a lot of neutral colors that are either chic or girly. I don't have a lot of color, but the color I do have is a soft pink.
Does thinking of 5 words or a sentence sound like a lot? Then just try to pull one word out of what describes you: bohemian, edgy, hipster, professional, modern, classic...? If you don't think any of them do, just starting searching one and see if you like what pops up.
2. Draw Inspiration from Your Closet
Now, go in your closet and put on the item or outfit that you love the most. It's probably your go-to, the one you always reach for, or the one you feel most comfortable in.
Does this item you're wearing match all the words you picked out in step #1?
Related: Capsule Outfits That Build a Timeless Wardrobe
Review your closet
3. Survey your Closet
This kind of goes along with step #2, but now that you know the outfit you wear the most, look to see if you have an excess amount of one item. For instance, I probably have 6 striped shirts. Do you have a ton of button-downs, band tees, flowy dresses, or something in bright, neon colors?
4. Purge the Closet
Now that you know what you like and what you feel good in, it's time to take out all the pieces in your closet that hinder that. Maybe you'd love to dress more bohemian but your closet is full of buttons downs, or you'd love to embrace your simple side, but your closet is packed with "loud" pieces. So if you're not trying to branch out, get rid of those things that don't match up with your style words you chose for yourself.
5. Shop
Here is the fun part! Now that you know your style (or at least what you want it to be) and purged your closet, it's time to fill it up with good, quality pieces that reflect who you are or who you want to be. Okay, so imagine you won a gift card to shop and put together your dream outfit. Where would you go to do that? Whatever popped into your head right away should be where you start first, seeing as it's probably your favorite place!
Consider this post (as jampacked as it is) the introduction to this topic, because, believe it or not, I have an eBook on building a wardrobe from scratch that dives even more into this topic of finding your personal style, what to clean out of your wardrobe, how to fill it with things you love, endless outfit ideas, and more! A wardrobe you love is just a click away. Click HERE to learn more!
Wow this is so helpful! I'm going to go step by step and do this! I've been trying to figure out my personal style for awhile.
I'm glad it helped! I was thinking of you specifically when I wrote this. Let me know what you come up with!
Wow! Great outfit. I like your pants. If you guys are ever in NYC look up Sam Brown. She’s the queen of #SLAY!
http://samanthabrownstyle.com/
Loved all of these helpful tips! I definitely need to purge my closet soon...out with the old in with the new 🙂
xo Kimmie
Love that saying- out with the old in with the new is right!
What a great post! I love how simply you laid this out. Fantastic tips for someone looking not just for a general personal style but for those entering a new phase of life i.e. the workforce or PTA Hugs, Kait
I didn't even think about someone entering a new phase of life...so glad it works for that too! 🙂
such a complete guide! It took me forever to find my style because I love everything ;-p
Thanks for sharing!
Ha yes, I can relate to it taking a while because there are just so many different things out there!
Interesting stuff here. All of the pieces looks so fabulous! Thanks for sharing this to us!
Thanks for stopping by!
I love this post!! I have learned what I love wearing, but I've never thought to write it down and visualize it like this! Thanks for these tips!
Kileen
cute & little
Happy to hear these tips helped!
These are some great tips for exploring style when you're just starting out! My own personal style has grown to include all of these different types of looks...it just depends on the day 🙂
xo, Cara
Ha good point! Mood can definitely reflect style 🙂
Love all your tips! Great post!
Thanks for stopping by!
I had so much fun reading your post! I totally agree that the outfits you pin most are a good indication of your personal style-- mine are definitely mainly on the classic, feminine side. Loved this post!
A classic, feminine style sounds right up my alley!
These tips were so helpful. From time to time, I get frustrated with my closet. My style is classic for sure.
I'm glad this was helpful for you!
It's a great idea to put some structure into your personal style before you go shopping. Once you figured out your personal style, this will make everything you buy fit together so much better. Love this approach!
That is so true!
Great post! I remember going through a lot of these steps before starting college. (I had a school uniform my entire life prior to that point!)
Erica
whattheclique.com
That sounds like it would have been a great time to really discover what your personal style is!
There are so many beautiful things to see in the post. I really do not know exactly what category my style falls into.
I hope this post will help you find it!
Loved this post! I'm sure it was helpful for those they struggle finding their personal style.
xx,
Amanda || http://www.fortheloveofglitter.com
It's hard to figure out at times!
I need to purge my closet SO badly!!
Lauren
You'll feel great when you do!