How to Find Your Personal Style: 5 Tips to Get Started

According to Business Insider we only use 20% of the clothes in our closet. Isn’t that crazy? So don’t feel bad. You aren’t the only one screaming into your closet “I have nothing to wear”. One way to avoid having a closet full of items you don’t wear is to identify your personal style. Reduce those wrong style choices and save money in the process. It is important to buy only items that you love and that fit your lifestyle. Fill your closet with items that make you feel like the best version of yourself and make you the most self-confident. Read more to learn How to Find Your Personal Style: 5 Tips to Get Started.

Once you find your personal style it’s important to stick with it. Start building your wardrobe with your personal style in mind. This will give you the power to shop smarter. Just because it looks good on a hanger doesn’t mean it fits in with your lifestyle and or the style you are trying to create. Make sure you take time to think about your purchases in advance and resist the impulse purchase. Really invest the time in this process to think about what you need. If you really want to save money, reduce the items you don’t wear, and create a style for yourself, you need to set aside the time necessary to reflect. Your personal style is a reflection of who you are and deserves your attention. Read on to find out what tips to use to find your personal style.

5 TIPS TO FIND YOUR PERSONAL STYLE

• Reflect on Your Lifestyle – Where do you spend most of your time and break it down into percentages. The items in your closet should reflect those percentages. 35% work, 40% Family, 15% friends, 10% Special Events, etc. This will help you examine your closet and find out where you have holes. These are the places where you need to focus on building more go-to pieces. For instance, did you have any occasions recently that you had nothing appropriate to wear? You want those go-to pieces to fit your lifestyle and make you feel most confident and comfortable. You will want to find ways to incorporate your style into items you will wear on a daily basis.
• Get Style Inspiration – Look through Magazines (my fav), Pinterest, Instagram. What are your favorite outfits? Who do you admire style-wise? If you had all the money in the world how would you dress? As you pick out your favorite outfits and styles you will start to see patterns emerge. Once you see that pattern, begin to write down the key staple pieces and signature items you need in your wardrobe to make those looks happen. For example “Moto Jacket, Pencil Skirt, Floral Blouse, Statement Bag, Chandelier Earrings, etc.” This is a great way to shop smart and build your wardrobe with a style in mind. No more wasting money on items that don’t fit your style.
• Put Your Favorite Looks into Personalities or Adjectives– I like to work in these buckets: Classic, Feminine, Edgy, Minimalist, Sultry, and Boho. Which category or categories do you gravitate towards most? This exercise will help you cement your style personality in your mind. As you become more aware of the styles you are drawn to try to only buy items that fill those buckets. There are so many choices out there it’s best to go in armed and knowing who you are and what will best fit the image you want to create. The temptation to stray is real, be strong and stick to your buckets.
• Pick 10 outfits you LOVE from your Closet – and analyze them. What do you wear to work every day? Why do you always pick a particular item for cocktails with friends? Is there an item you constantly grab from your closet on a weekly basis. These are the items you want to purchase more of. Really knowing the items you love will make it easier for you to curate a closet that works best for your style. Look at the brands to see if there is a trend. Do you gravitate to solids or prints? Are there color patterns you like and look best on you? Color is so important in discovering your personal style, once you find your best colors stick to purchasing those color palettes, it is obviously working for you!
• Pick 10 outfits you never wear from you Closet – and analyze them. Think about the times you felt uncomfortable in these items and why? Too short, too loud, not loud enough, too boring? Do colors emerge that you seem to avoid? Maybe you avoid a color because it’s a color that doesn’t work with your skin tone. You will want to avoid buying that color. Does it make you feel frumpy? Avoid those items. Not comfortable, too many embellishments, too sexy, etc. This exercise will help you realize the type of items you should avoid while shopping. You are building the tools to help you remember that what looks good on the hanger may not necessarily be the best fit for you.

Alright, ladies, these tips should get you started thinking about your style profile. I want to inspire you to purchase items that match your style. The goal is to reduce the 80% percent of items in your closet that you never wear. No more wasting money on items you don’t wear. Start curating a closet that is practical and purposeful. Set aside time for yourself to proactively think about your lifestyle and what you need to be your most stylish and confident self. At Current Boutique, we specifically wanted to create a curated section for ladies to shop by their style to help with those buying decisions. Make sure you check out our “Shop By Look” section of our website. Please share tips on what has worked for you in identifying your personal style. I’d love to hear about it!