With these past few years being life-altering as they have been, many of us have had little to no care at all about our clothing styles. I confess I’ve been pretty absentminded and inattentive to my own fashion style. Living in loungewear was fantastic. But as we are heading towards normalcy (somewhat) and many of us will be going on vacations, having get-togethers, etc. we’re in need of a fashion style change. When I was younger being from the City I had an urban fashion style. When I worked in a corporate restaurant-café it changed to a corporate-casual fashion style. Now, that I work from home my fashion style has been undefined. No doubt about it. I’m ready for a change and if you are too I’m going to share how you can find your own fashion style!
How To Find Your Style
You’ve probably been searching the web for answers and asking yourself how can I find my style? how can I know my style? After all, to find your style you must first know your style and have some idea of what is of interest. That said, we are inspired by many icons and influencers sometimes what we perceive as our own fashion style is intertwined with one who we admire. Here are some tips on how to find your own fashion style.
Do A Closet Audit
Starting with your closet and doing an audit before going out and purchasing new items to find your fashion style can be very helpful. Look at the items you’ve purchased and see if there’s anything there that will fit your current fashion style or the fashion style you are wanting to achieve. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What was it about this specific item that said ‘purchase me’?
- Does this fashion item fit my personality and who I am?
- Did I wear this more than once? If so, roughly how many wears did this get?
- Is this trendy or timeless?
- Will it fit the fashion style and aesthetic that I’d like to achieve?
See, doing an audit and asking ourselves these questions can be very beneficial to building our wardrobe into one that we will love. For me, many of my clothing items were clothing purchased for those one-night fun outings (ah, the good times!) and mostly work clothes. Many brought back memories that were amazing but needed to be let go. However, this helped me determine what items I liked and would like to have similar in my new wardrobe. Suffice it to say items that were work-related have all been decluttered from my closet.
When changing your fashion style keep what is most important to you front and center. Is it keeping up with all of the fashion trends? Or having a closet filled with timeless pieces? Is it an aesthetic you’re looking to achieve? Whatever is most important to you that’s what you want to keep your focus on! Having your fashion goal front and center will keep you aware when making future purchases.
Declutter, Declutter, Declutter!
OK, once you do an audit, have a look at things you NEVER wore, wore only once, or plan to sometimes wear but you know deeply that you never will! Anything that has been purchased and still has tickets on them. Or clothes that don’t bring you joy. Can I be honest? Most of my closet was filled with clothes that I thought I’d wear but the day just never came for me to wear them. Either that or I really had no interest in wanting to wear such an item.
Decluttering items that you no longer have use or care for is so helpful and makes it easier, of course, to create space (mentally and emotionally) for new loved items.
When decluttering your items take note of why you decluttered. Was it because at one point you loved a cheetah-print top and now you’re thinking what was I thinking? Lastly, during your closet audit and decluttering do not try anything on! You’ll be tempted to but don’t. Trying on the clothing (especially ones you’re contemplating getting rid of) will make it difficult in your decision to do so. You’ll be right back in that “well maybe one day I’ll find myself wearing it. It’s cute.” Don’t do it!
If you need places to donate your gently used or new items here are a few:
Goodwill
Goodwill is well-known here in the States and they accept everything from clothing, shoes, accessories, and more!
ThredUp
ThredUP is one of the largest online thrift stores. They offer a clean-out service where you can send your gently used items via FedEx or USPS.
For Days
For Days offer a Take Back bag where they accept your old clothing (any brand and condition) and will recycle it to give it new life! Unlike ThredUp, the bag is $20.00 which you are then reimbursed for For Days cash towards your next For Days purchase!
UpWest
Similar to For Days take-back bag, UpWest has partnered with Give Back Box and will accept any lightly used clothing and accessories. You can learn more about it here.
If you’re looking to resell options are limitless with apps like Depop, The RealReal, Poshmark, Mercari, and many more.
Get Creative with Loved Items
So you have some loved items and maybe the issue is you’ve lost sight of how to style a piece. Or frankly, you’re bored of the way you style a clothing item and are in a rut. It’s time to find ways to creatively style beloved items to make them feel fresh! For sure it will spark a creative light on how you go about styling new pieces! For me, I’m learning how to style my new satin scarves as tops! And I’m loving it!
What Is Fashion? What Is Style? What’s The Difference Between Fashion & Style?
As Coco Chanel famously said, “Fashion changes, but style endures.” Fashion and style are so often thought of as being one and the same. We often combine the two but we should understand that fashion is timely, trendy, cultural, and a collective of trends. Style is timeless and your way of putting together your aesthetics. Your personal style. Finding your personal style is finding yourself. Take fashion and make it your style.
How To Find Your Personal Style
Whether you’re inspired by a timeless look or the trendsetting influencer, finding your personal style is what will make you create a pleasing wardrobe that you will love and become obsessed with. Instead of duping what you see, find how you can make certain pieces work for you and your individual style.
The number of clothing purchases I made because something looked good on my favorite fashion influencer, only to find I didn’t like how it looked on me – or worse I actually hated the style on myself. This is why it’s important to find your personal style – less waste both in your wallet and in your closet.
Find Your Fashion Inspiration
Growing up I always loved and admired Jennifer Aniston – for a multitude of reasons, but who doesn’t love Ms. Aniston? Her personal fashion style is laid back and chill which often includes white tees and denim. Another favorite is the character Alexis Rose (Schitt’s Creek fan anyone?). Whenever you notice a celebrity or influencer that you admire ask what is it about their style that inspires you. Are there any similarities in their styles or a beautiful juxtaposition that you can make work for you?
Browse Pinterest
If you haven’t done so already, browse Pinterest and save your favorite style inspirations and aesthetics. See what your saved pins have in common. Are they trendy and a little edgy? Is it minimal with bold statement pieces? I’ve found I prefer a minimal aesthetic with layered accessories.
Trendy or Timeless
Honestly speaking (ahem writing), I personally prefer timeless pieces as trends come and go. And let’s be honest here, not all trends should make a comeback (*ahem* low-rise jeans!). But as you browse Pinterest, and analyze your favorite celebrities and influencers, what are you noticing about your likings? With my top inspirations, they are classy and timeless, and layer on the layers!
Want To Change Style But Don’t Know How?
Do you want to change your style but don’t know how? No worries, I’ve got you! I’ve changed my style a few times as I’ve myself changed. As we mature and become wiser it’s only natural we’d want our personal fashion style to reflect our personalities. As mentioned my style before was very urban and then corporate-casual (emphasis on casual). Maybe you’re in a similar situation or just tired of what’s in your closet. Or perhaps, you feel you don’t have style and never knew what your style was. That’s OK! Let’s work on that! Here are a couple of tips (coupled with the above) that will help you find your personal style!
Find Your Aesthetic
Finding your aesthetic doesn’t have to be difficult. It’s about knowing who you are. So first ask yourself who am I? After you’ve assessed who you are and you’ve determined whether you gravitate towards trendy or timeless (or heck, both!) look at your influences. What style aesthetic are you loving? What is honest to you? Most importantly, what makes you feel confident?
Find Your Colors
The role colors play is more important than we realize. I once bought a sweater in a color I knew I didn’t like on me. However, since I wanted to branch out I ended up highly disliking it. Find colors that speak directly to you, what looks good on you? Personally, I love creams, white, mustard yellow, olive green, and sage green to name a few. Earthy tones and neutrals speak to me. Those are colors I feel confident in and I know look good on me. With colors you want them to bring out your best features.
Create A Fashion Vision Board
You’ve browsed Pinterest and created your fashion boards. Now I’m a visual person and if you’re like me then creating a fashion vision board (which I love doing in Canva) will keep you aligned to your personal style and aesthetics. Because let’s be honest, it’s so easy to get inspired and make the same mistakes as before. Buy something on impulse for a moment or because it looks good only to not wear it but only once or never.
Create A Capsule Wardrobe
You may have heard of the term capsule wardrobe. If you’re unfamiliar and asking what is a capsule wardrobe? Simply, having items that are interchangeable to maximize your outfits. For me, cropped sweaters are part of my capsule wardrobe! This blog post from Sustainably Chic does an excellent job of explaining how to start one. Once you’ve found what works best for you, you’ll find having a capsule wardrobe to be beneficial and a bit stress-free. Remember the important rule of first being honest with yourself and having pieces that you love and make you feel like your best self!
Try A Rental Service Before Committing
Online fashion rentals are quickly growing and becoming ever-so-popular! They’re a great sustainable option – especially for those occasional events! What’s great about renting is you can try your ideal fashion style and see if it’s truly a direction you’d like to go in. Are you feeling confident in denim and an oversized blazer? If you don’t like it it’s not taking space in your closet for the unforeseeable future, you can send it back in exchange for new items. Some popular rental services include Rent The Runway (great for designer wear and special events), Nuuly (lovers of Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Levi’s, etc.), and Fashion Pass (great for keeping on-trend), etc. There’s a rental service for everyone!
How to know your personal style is by finding yourself.
Remember, your personal style is exactly that – your personal style. It’s not for others it’s for you. Trust your intuition and wear it in confidence. Finding your personal style will take time and you’ll have some hits and misses. It can be an overwhelming process depending on where you are in your fashion style journey, but once you’ve found your personal style that is honest with who you are, you’ll have a wardrobe that you’ll love!
Another thing to remember, finding your fashion style should be fun! Don’t take it too seriously. Instead, have fun in the moment find your style, and enjoy the process!
Featured photo: by Tyler Nix
