5 Ways to Find Your Personal Fashion Style

Punk. Preppy. Grunge. Rocker. Tomboy. Boho. Gothic. Girly. Classic. Sporty. Casual.

Am I missing any? Sure hope not. Because for someone who lives in one of the world’s fashion capitals (NYC), I’m as committed to fashion as I am a root canal.  So trust me. I get it. Finding a signature fashion style can be a doozy. 

College making it that much easier to glide under the radar with avant-garde looks that consisted of messy buns, black leggings, white t-shirts and all things with a college logo (go Tar Heels)!

It wasn’t until a couple of Pinterest boards, magazine clippings, and online orders later, that I realized just how much my style game was lacking and that most of what I liked was a blend of a couple of styles. A little casual, a dash of chic, sprinkle on some girly, top it off with athleisure wear, and there I am. 

Granted that right now we’re not doing the social thing, save for running into people when getting essentials, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get our style in order for when we do get to strut our stuff again – right?

So, whether finding your fashion niche has you going around in circles or jumping from one style to another, keep reading for ways to discover your personal style.

COLORS

Picking colors you’re drawn to is a great way to begin defining your personal style. With colors, you can choose ones that complement your skin tone and make you glow, or go with ones that bring you joy and make you feel confident.

So if wearing bold colors have you singing ‘I’m Every Woman” then stock up on brighter tones—think primary shades on a color chart and their compliments. If warmer/softer colors are your things maybe try middle tones from a color chart—so instead of a bright yellow maybe a softer hue like pale yellow.

Seeing what colors you like can be just the jolt you need to figure out if your style leans more toward fun & playful or something romantic & so

PATTERNS

Similar to colors, patterns are another great way to add a little oomph to your wardrobe. For example, if you’re drawn to stripes, you may be more into classics versus a retro pattern that may be more nostalgic.

Once you discover what color and patterns you’re drawn to, it’s so much easier to determine your type of fashion style. Banking off that, it should now be easy-peasy to start accessorizing to complement what you’ve identified as you!

INSPIRATION

If you need some outfit inspo (and what girl doesn’t) then try checking out what some of your fave beauty influencers, bloggers, Instagram models, or celebs are wearing. Take a screenshot of the look that caught your attention then create a style board. This should help organize your looks, and make it easier for you to create a version of it that works for you!

Still stuck? Take a look through the fashion section of Pinterest and save what you like. After about a day, go back and look at what you saved. Delete what you’re not feeling anymore and keep what still floats your boat. 

The stuff you keep will probably, 9 times out of 10, be very cohesive and give you a sense of an overarching style.  Don’t be surprised if there are one or two outliers. Those will be the pieces that give your wardrobe a little more variety.

FAVORITE PIECES 

We all have one. That certain outfit that boosts your confidence from a 1  to 10 in no time? If your answer is “yes”, then define your style based on the types of clothes you look your best in. 

One tip is to be sure you take a picture of yourself in your favs.  Not only is it a great reference for shopping but also a fab way to plan future looks that make you feel your best.   

PURGE YOUR CLOTHES

We all know we need to do it, but boy is it tougher than it sounds.  All of a sudden that sweater you never wear starts looking too cute to toss or those too-tight jeans suddenly become the motivation to get more fit.  While that’s a nice try, so is donating any clothes you’re seriously no longer into.  

Afterwhich, take a good hard look at what’s left in your closet. If you notice that you got rid of a lot of formal, girly, or dressy clothes and you’re left with jeans, t-shirts, bomber jackets—then perhaps this means that your personal style leans more toward urban casual. 

Easy right? Well, it’s hands-down the simplest way to identify your style. Honing in or categorizing what you have in your closet, especially if you start to notice a certain vibe from your pieces, can really help identify your personal style. 

If like most people, your closet is more of a reflection of what you can afford as opposed to your dream collection, bear in mind the Pinterest board, the photos you took, the pieces left after you did some donating. Try expanding the style you want to create by adding things piece by piece.  Once the “homestay” is listed, thrift and consignment shops can land you great finds. And a face-time party with friends is a great way to virtually swap wardrobe pieces! 

Incorporating expressive scarves, hats, belts, or jewelry finds that are more like the fashion look you want but need a bit more time and money to perfect can also be a great way to still pull off confidence.

What’s your fashion style?