How to Discover Your Personal Style

I was not a fashionista my entire life. The process truly started in college. Yes, it took me that long to come to understand my own aesthetic. Partially, this is due to getting my first job, which means having some cash on hand to be able to shop, experiment, rinse, and repeat. Over the years, this has been quite a process for me, but I am finally at the top of my game. This is getting me thinking. You, my reader, may need some help on how to discover your personal style. Sure, you read my outfit the day posts and get inspired by my outfits, but style runs much deeper than that. I have created a five step list that is simple to understand. By the end of this post you can jump up from your computer, phone, or tablet and immediately start the process.

How to Discover Your Personal Style

1) Analyze Your Closet

The first step on how to discover your personal style is to go right into your closet and assess what you have right now. Do you see a lot of the same color? Or, the same pattern? Maybe you find that you favor oversized pieces, cropped pieces, or ribbed textures. Whatever you are seeing the most indicates what you really love and what makes you tick. These are the pieces that define your style, and you can use them as the basis for making outfits and shopping in the future.

2) What Makes You Feel Confident?

Now that you have looked in your closet, think about how you feel when you actually wear your clothes. Maybe you feel like a badass anytime you wear leopard print. Maybe any shoe with a heel, no matter how short, gives you a major confidence boost. Perhaps denim just plain makes you happy. At this point, you can probably declutter your closet and get rid of those pieces that are no longer serving you, or do not fit into your style narrative that you discovered in step one. You know, that shirt that never looks right on you and you pull and tug on it all day when you wear it? Donate it. Do not let it squash your vibe.

3) Mood Boards

Another great way on how to discover your personal style is to get inspired by the outfits of others. You can go old school with this and start clipping pictures from magazines and printing them from the internet to make a mood board. Although, now a days most of us go about doing the same thing virtually with pin boards such as Pinterest. I encourage you to look at plenty of fashion pins on Pinterest and pin outfits, or individual items, that catch your eye. When you look back over your collections, you are sure to find common themes. Those themes are styles that speak to you, and ultimately define you. I have definitely created outfits after seeing inspirational pictures online. It really works!

4) Staple Pieces

We now have enough information in our arsenals about ourselves that we can start the actual shopping. To begin building a closet, or a wardrobe, it is all about the staple pieces. I like to call these wardrobe essentials, aka the pieces that are the backbone to any and every outfit that you can mix or match to your heart’s content. I already have a post on wardrobe essentials, but I want to take this a step further. Most bloggers now talk about capsule wardrobes, which means buying staple pieces that you can make endless outfits with.

Do not forget to sprinkle your own fashion twist into all of your capsule pieces. Buy a few of your favorite prints as well as solids. Think about all four seasons and the weather, as well as the need to dress down versus dress up. If you need some help, I have some great pieces that you can shop below. To me, a capsule wardrobe provides you with some t-shirts, denim, blouses, skirts, and more. After you have your staple pieces is when you should branch out. Go ahead and buy that sequin dress or that graphic tee that might only be in style this season. This is about being you.

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Related Post: Wardrobe Essentials – 22 Ways to Build Outfits

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Featured | High-Rise Skinny Jeans + Organza Oversized Puff Sleeve T-shirt + Short Sleeve V-neck Shirt + Run It’s Course Lace-up Sneakers + Dress Pumps + Jean Jacket + Shopper Tote + Satin Twist Front Cami + Button Down Midi Skirt + Denim Turn-cuff Shorts + Ribbed Turtleneck Sweater + Hooded Trench Coat + Fashion Boot + High-waisted Fitted Pants + Long Sleeve Button Down Poplin

5) Accessorize!

Accessories are an amazing way on how to discover your personal style! They enable you to sprinkle your touch all over your look, as well as jazz up your staple pieces. Rachel Zoe lives by the concept of the more the merrier. The perfect outfit to her is when you throw on a bunch of bracelets, cover your fingers with rings, and add a necklace on for size. My philosophy is making sure every outfit has one dedicated piece of jewelry, but it is always the cherry on top. For example, I may wear one necklace. If I am going to wear multiple pieces or a matching set, it is probably a special outfit or occasion wear.

You can accessorize in the most subtle of ways. A belt with a fun buckle can add a pop of metallic glam. A hat is a bit more bold, as it makes quite the statement. Scarves can go with most outfits. You can wear a watch every day and for any reason. I have ideas that you can shop below to get your creative juices flowing.

Featured | Pashmina Scarf + Round Sunglasses + Double O-ring Belts + Retro Style Wide Brim Hat + Polished Gold Tone Hoop Earrings + Tri-tone Set of Three Stretch Bracelets + Pendant Necklace + All-Around Band Stacking Ring Set + Genuine Diamond Dial Watch

Conclusion

We are at the end of my steps on how to discover your personal style. The process starts with looking your own closet over, which reveals the items that you are the most attracted to. Next, we think about what pieces make us feel the best when we wear them- we want more of those! After this, we can look for inspirational outfits to create mood, or Pinterest, boards. At this point, we have a good idea of what makes us tick, so we can start shopping for staple clothing and accessories to match. It takes time to find yourself and settle into a style. Never try to rush the natural process. Until next time, continue to let your true beauty shine.

What is an element that defines your iconic style?