How to find your style

12 Best Tips To Find Your Personal Style

No need to follow fashion trends blindly; find your style and flaunt it proudly with these tips.

After working in Marketing and Business Development for a few years, Pratima Ati jumped ship to pursue two things she loved – fashion and writing. She’s now a full-time Fashion & Lifestyle wri. more

If you are trying to learn how to find your personal style, then you are definitely on the right page because we are here to help you. Today, in this article, we will tell you how to go about it. Finding your unique style can sometimes be tedious, but with some prior exercise, you will undoubtedly ace it. Well, honestly, everybody has a personal style; it just needs to be identified and shed some light on it, so it reflects on you in the best way possible. You need to know your likes and dislikes and find out all the underlying aspects you might usually consider unimportant. Based on the insights you gain, you can give your personal twist to your looks. So, scroll down and find out how to do it.

Tips To Find Your Personal Style

1. Know Your Body Type

Knowing your body type is probably where everything starts. No, not because a body type dictates what you should wear, but because you know what kind of clothes would look naturally good on you. It’s more like identifying your strengths and building on them.

10 Ways to Find Your Personal Style

by Dr. Christopher Lee

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Websites including The Gentleman’s Gazette possess an encyclopedic amount of content on how to dress well, while thousands of images of iGents, dandies and influencers dance across Instagram feeds every day. Faced with all the content online, how do you know what suits you?

Those who are new to the game of classic men’s style can quickly become overwhelmed when trying to determine what they might like to wear. Even men who have been into classic style for years can fall into a rut. So, how do you go about discovering your personal style in the face of all the advice and information out there? Here are our top 10 tips.

Madder Silk Tie in Blue with Buff and Red Paisley – Fort Belvedere

1. Put Your Style into Words

If you’re reading this article, it’s established that you like to dress in a certain way, so you already have some sense of what you like and don’t like. Take out your favorite fountain pen and try writing it on paper (or just use your computer). Describe your style in a sentence or even a few words:

2. Gather Inspiring Images

To help you describe your style, you can save images of styles, outfits, and pieces that you like. Pinterest is one of the largest social media sites in the world, behind only Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and is the easiest way to do thisLinkedIn and is the easiest way to do this.

A set of Pinterest boards used to collect classic menswear images. Although it has a reputation for photos of craft projects and recipes, it is an easy way to capture and store images that you like related to classic men’s style.

If you have the Pinterest app on your phone, you can grab any image from any site and put it in your digital scrapbook or board. Looking at your pins will then not only help you remember clothes you want to buy but, viewed collectively, will give you a holistic sense of what your style is like. Of course, as you gather images, you may do so from other people’s Pinterest boards, which brings us to item 3.

3. Find Style Role Models (Plural) to Follow

As you go through social media, you’ll encounter numerous well-dressed gents whether on the number one source of online style inspiration–Instagram–on Tumblr microblogs or Pinterest boards. It’s important to realize though that even though you may like the personal style of someone with 15,000 Instagram followers, what he wears may not necessarily work on you.

The same goes for well-dressed men outside of social media whether Cary Grant to David Beckham or Idris Elba. You may be older or younger and have a different body type or skin tone, to name just a few things that can influence what looks best on a specific individual. However, with so many people posting to social media, odds are you will find somebody on Instagram with a body type or general appearance similar to yours.

Everyone’s style is really an amalgam of their influences, from family members to friends to celebrities and random strangers online. Along the same lines, the best approach with style icons is to take note of specific things you like from different people. It’s important not to imitate just one person because you risk coming across as a mere copy.

If you wear your watch over your sleeve cuffs, it’s obvious you are just copying Agnelli. You can admire the way Sven Raphael Schneider wears accessories like cufflinks, boutonnieres and pocket squares while also liking the contemporary urban edge of Dan Trepanier. You can love how Mark Cho effortlessly combines colors but realize the fuller cuts of his jackets is not for you. Pick and choose from the smorgasbord of influences with the understanding that you don’t need to be loyal to any one style guru.

4. Be True to Yourself

Even when you follow multiple influences, aim to be authentic. Do what’s true to you, not what’s popular. There are popular sprezzatura style choices seen everywhere online like keeping your button-down shirt collar unbuttoned or wearing the back blade of your necktie longer than the front and below your waistline. These are trendy, fashionable approaches that are more about uniformity than originality.

Beware imitating what’s popular online, such as the Pitti Peacocks

It can be tempting to buy tight suits, wear a suit jacket with sweatpants, or have your pants hemmed above your ankles because “everyone” is doing it in Suitsupply ads or photos from Pitti Uomo (and getting 2000 “likes”).

Madder Print Silk Tie in Red with Buff Micropattern Medium Size – Fort Belvedere

Edelweiss Boutonniere Buttonhole Flower Fort Belvedere

Unless this really makes you happy and is how you see your personal style, be cautious of following the crowd. The key is to be comfortable–both physically in the clothes you choose and the way you look. Dress for yourself, not for others.

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment

To get to your personal style, there’s really no substitute for hands-on experimentation. If you see someone who wears an olive green linen jacket, you may want to try it yourself.

You can look at pictures all you want, but you won’t know whether you like pleated pants until you put them on. Though in theory, your rounded face shape would look better with a point collar shirt, you won’t know for sure until you wear one and compare it with a spread collar.

I tried point collars, cutaways, spreads, long points and button downs for shirt collars before settling on which I liked best. The first few years of my interest in menswear, I bought almost the full range of colors in sport coats, but since then I’ve boiled my favorites down to blues, browns, and beiges.

If possible, you can try things in boutiques and stores to see how you look at them. Alternatively, for pieces you aren’t too sure of, you can buy thrift or used. Yes, you will make mistakes and buy something experimental that you won’t like, but that’s what return policies are for.

If it takes you longer to figure out something is not for you, there’s always reseller markets like eBay or Grailed. Even if you sell at a loss, try not to look at it as wasted money. Instead, think of the journey as part of the reward. It’s like ordering a new kind of sushi or visiting a city you’ve never been to before. You’re in it for the experience, and there should be no regrets. It’s all part of the learning process.

6. Understand Your Physical Characteristics

One the reason we’re not into trends is that they rarely suit everyone. The skinny fit of suits today, for example, only works well for certain body types. If you want to capture your “own” style, it’s better to work with what you have rather than trying to conform to trends. Start by considering your body – your physique, your age, and your skin tone, for instance.

If you have pale skin, a dark navy shirt will wash you out. If you have brown skin, you can pull off more vibrant or hotter colors. If you’re over fifty, maybe slim fit trousers and a loafer without socks wouldn’t look best on you.

A mistake is trying to impose a style on yourself that doesn’t work for you just because you saw someone else do it online. The desire to wear anything you want is strong but not always possible. It’s a sign of stylistic maturity to realize that just because you admire how someone wore an item, it doesn’t mean you can or should wear it yourself.

7. Understand Your Environment

As you form your style, realize that it will be influenced by where you are situated. The way men dress on the internet often has very little to do with real life. What someone wears at Pitti Uomo or to sell a product is designed first to get attention in a medium full of so many competing images. Something may be photographed such a way to make it desirable, but ask yourself whether your personal environment would suit the style.

If you live in Manhattan, you may be able to wear suits most of the time if you want to, but if you’re in rural Kentucky, this stylistic choice will make you stick out like a sore thumb. If you’re in Italy, you can wear bright, fitted jackets that are at home there, but in London, they’ll look out of place. Realistically, part of your personal style–what you wear–is dictated by your environment.

Magenta, Pink, Grey Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie Silk Fort Belvedere

Beige Brown Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie Silk Fort Belvedere

Light Blue Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie Silk Fort Belvedere

Orange Red Mottled Knit Tie Cri De La Soie Silk Fort Belvedere

This can be as basic as not wearing an elaborate pocket square because you are dressing for a conservative workplace or wearing sports coats and knit ties instead of suits and printed silk ties because you are never in a formal setting.

This may seem like it’s forcing you to compromise, but unless you want to march entirely to the beat of your own drum, you will have to fit your style to your milieu. Even within these limitations, you’ll still have a lot of possibilities.

8. Realize That You Can Have Multiple Styles

A further consolation is that you’re never really bound to a single authoritative “look”; the reality is that you’ll have multiple styles, and it would be rigid to assume that you need to wear the same sort of thing no matter where you go.

You can wear suits for work but sport coats without ties on the weekend. You don’t need to be Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother and suit up all the time.

When you visit the countryside, you might wear sweaters and tattersall shirts with a Barbour jacket. When you’re taking a beach holiday, perhaps you’ll put on a linen shirt and espadrilles. You may still have certain common threads through all your looks–like always wearing a bit of blue–but odds are your style will really be multiple styles.

9. Assess Your Closet

Once you have accumulated a decent wardrobe, you can get to your core style by auditing and managing your wardrobe. If you have a social media presence or just for yourself, take a selfie when you wear something you think looks particularly good on you or that you get compliments on. When you have a bunch of photos, review them to see which pieces repeat the most often; these are the foundation of your personal style.

If we break it down, finding your style really comes in two major parts. The first is casting a wide net and trying a lot of things. The second is culling things you don’t ‘wear to get to a core wardrobe.

Culling

Besides looking at photos, look at your closet itself and get rid of things you haven’t worn for a long time, whether a certain number of months or a year max. If you don’t pick them, it’s a sign that they’re not your style. When you first start out, you’re enthusiastic and want to have more outfits, but eventually, you’ll reduce your choices and settle on a sort of uniform that represents you. For me, it’s sports coats and ties with interesting woven textures.

The more you try, the less you continue to experiment because you learn what does and doesn’t work for you and settle into “your style.” This can change depending on factors like age or weight, but for the most part, you engage in less trial and error.

This doesn’t mean that you have to stop adding to your wardrobe, though. If you find you like wearing navy wool trousers, you’ll soon want navy cotton pants, wool flannel, pleated and flat front, high rise and medium rise. The fact is if you’re serious about style, you’ll never want to stop working at it. The difference is that, after a time, you’ll buy from a more limited range of things because you know you look best in blue, that you prefer a spread collar shirt, and that you like an unlined tie.

As your eye develops, you can know at a glance whether an item you see is suitable for you. You’ll be more discerning and purge things from your closet that you no longer wear because they don’t fit your core style.

What you’re left with will include signature pieces that define you. I don’t mean something like Karl Lagerfield’s sunglasses and stiff collars or Pharell Williams’ hat–these are more celebrity costume than classic style–but your signature look may be a penchant for pocket squares, odd vests (meaning not part of a matching suit) or colorful shoelaces. Think of it as your brand in terms of style–an aspect that is recognizably and consistently you.

Madder Silk Tie in Dark Ruby Red Macclesfield Neats Blue Orange Pattern – Fort Belvedere

Wine Red, Yellow,Blue, Green, Orange Silk Wool Medallion Pocket Square – Fort Belvedere

Burgundy Silk Pocket Square with little Paisley Motifs – Fort Belvedere

Red Shoelaces Flat Waxed Cotton – Luxury Dress Shoe Laces by Fort Belvedere

Red Shoelaces Round – Waxed Cotton Dress Shoe Laces Luxury by Fort Belvedere

10. Know that it’s a Continuous Journey

Once you go down the rabbit-hole of traditional men’s style, you have a lifetime to enjoy the fruits of the hobby (obsession?), and even when you have a good sense of your style, things will not get stale.

If you relocate, change the sort of job you do, gain or lose weight or simply get older, your style will change in some way. When you reach a certain age, you may wear more comfortable or less showy clothes, probably of higher quality, but then again, you may always like a good Prince of Wales check.

A given is still that your style won’t (and shouldn’t) ever be static. I’ve shared some of the aspects of the journey you are likely to encounter but can tell you that there’s no substitute for experiencing it firsthand yourself. There will be errors and missteps, but this is part of the learning and the fun.

How to find your style in 10 steps

In my article How to Define Style, I made an attempt at defining what style is. In this article let’s take a look at some of the things you can do to find your own personal style. If you’re thinking about how to find your style, below you will find 10 steps you can take.

What determines style?

‘Style’ is hard to define and I’ve made an attempt here, but I think we all know it when we see it. Jackie O is one example that stands out.

She developed her own unique style which was often clearly recognizable by her signature sunglasses.

One of the quotes that has defined style the best for me is this one from Gore Vidal: “Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.”

Style is as much about knowing about yourself as well as knowing what you want to portray. If you are assured of this knowledge, other people’s opinions don’t really matter.

Have you found your own quotes that sum up style for you?

How to find that confidence in yourself and your style

Now that you’re thinking about style and what it means for you, let’s take a look at how you can really fine your own unique style.

1. Understand your body

Knowledge is power. So the first thing you need to understand is what kind of body you have and what works for you. If you have a good understanding of your body shape and your strengths and weaknesses, you can buy the right clothes to either accentuate or camouflage them. At 40plusstyle.com we work with 5 horizontal body types:

You can identify your body type by going to this page and then follow the guidelines for your specific body type.

You may also like to identify your vertical body type.

Once you have discovered your body type, you can start thinking about the desired silhouette you want to create and create a balanced outfit.

Above I am wearing a sweater from MANGO. Check out this similar pants (another option here) and lace-up boots.

2. Understand your personality to find your style

Write down some words that describe your personality. How would you currently describe it? Do you feel that your style reflects your personality?

Have a look at various different styles. Which do appeal to you most?

If you still aren’t sure, you could take this fun style personality quiz and see your result.

3. Which colors inspire you?

Colours can also have a huge effect on your style and how you feel. Understand how certain colors make you feel. You may like to read my article on the psychology of color.

If you don’t use much color in your current style, you may start to experiment a bit by adding bits of colors through accessories and see how these make you feel.

Recreate her outfit with this similar floral dress, pumps and hat.

If you don’t want to add a color to your clothes, you could, for example, simply add a bright colored bag to your everyday outfits, such as the Ted Baker London bag below.

Or, a brightly colored scarf like the cashmere option (below).

4. Be critical of your current wardrobe

Be honest. Which garments in your closet do you REALLY like? How many of the garments have you not worn for a long time. How many were ‘mistakes’. Again, write down what didn’t work. Which clothes make you HAPPY?

Then donate or swap any items that you know don’t really work for you. They may be great pieces, but if they don’t suit YOU or your body type or create the silhouette you are after, you will not look stylish in them. Have a look at my wardrobe editing series and create a wardrobe that you love!

5. Keep a scrapbook or pin the styles that inspire you

Whenever you see others wearing clothes you admire or like, try to get a picture and paste it in a note or scrapbook or pin it on Pinterest.

After a while, you will see a pattern developing of the kind of styles that you like. Take note of that and remind yourself about this style before going for the latest fashionable trend.

6. Make sure that every item you buy FITS you

I’m sure this happened to you. You see an absolutely wonderful piece of clothing at a rock bottom price. It fits your body, style personality and creates a silhouette you like.

You try it on, but it’s just a little bit too short or too tight. You buy it anyway because the piece is so lovely and it’s cheap.

This is a big mistake. Any clothing that does not fit you properly will never look good on you.

So please be beware of sales and only buy new clothes when you really adore them and they fit you properly (or that you can easily alter to fit you).

Rita @ritapalazzi above (read her style interview here) turns up her jeans so she can show off her ankles.

7. Keep a note book or diary of your outfits or take pictures

You may already pin images or make a scrapbook of clothes that inspire you, but when thinking about how to find your style, you should also try to really understand which clothes you actually wear make you feel GREAT!

If you felt wonderful on any particular day wearing a certain outfit, write it down. Or better even, take a picture.

I have found that taking pictures of myself is a great help in recognising which outfits worked and looked good and which ones didn’t. This will help you identify your style and prevent you from making buying mistakes.

To make the process easier, you could try a tripod so you don’t have to rely on others to take your photos for you.

8. Try to identify the components of your style and only follow the latest trends when they fit your style

True style defies fashion trends.

Although it is nice to add some trendy pieces each season, you should only go for the trends that suit you. Try to wait for a trend that suits you and then buy several pieces. You can check the latest trends here.

9. Make sure your wardrobe contains all the necessary basics for your style

If through all of the above you got a clearer sense of what you like and what suits you, you need to determine if you have the basic essentials necessary for your particular style.

These basics will be different for all of you. Go through your inspiration book and determine the absolutely necessary essentials for your style. Here is also what some style experts have to say about your wardrobe essentials.

Also, take a look at my own ultimate checklist of 33 wardrobe essentials and see if you agree or whether you think I’ve missed anything.

10. Make your style extra special with the right statement pieces and accessories

Once you have covered the basics of your style, look for some wonderful statement pieces that are truly unique for you. Try to be creative and mix both high and low end brands together. Create something unique!

Accessories are easier to change and it’s also easier to be very creative with them. Invest in a good pair of shoes and choose the perfect hand bag for your style.

If you understand your style well, it may not be necessary at all to have many shoes or handbags.

Rather, you could focus on getting the perfect ones. One of these accessories may become part of your signature style. Something that uniquely defines you.

For example, if you like comfort but you still want to stand out from the crowd, you could choose a pair of patterned or textured sneakers.

Kim @kimair above (read her style interview here) chooses a neutral outfit and adds impact with her pink shoes.

Or, you could update your outfit with an on-trend bag.

Want to know more? Most of these steps are explained in great detail in our style course: 21 Steps to a More Stylish You. Learn how to create your unique signature style and know exactly what to shop for. Get more info here.

More ideas to hone your own style

You already have 10 ideas to refine and elevate your style. Now, let’s take a look at a few more ways you can find inspiration and develop your own sense of style.

1. Choose your favorite pieces – and build your outfit around them

If you really aren’t sure where to start, then you can take out your favorite item from your closet and build the rest of your outfit around it. Susanne @textelle above (read her style interview here) matches her shoes to her earrings.

Here is a sheer topper (another option here) that you can wear with a similar tank top, pants, sneakers and hoop earrings.

2. Take inspiration from celebrities

While you won’t want to copy anyone else, as this is all about developing your own individual style, you can definitely take inspiration from other stylish women.

Have a look at the style icons we have featured on the site.

If you love an outfit one of your favorite celebrities is wearing, why not take a look in your closet and see if you can emulate it in your own way.

3. Follow other stylish 40+ women

One problem when it comes to developing your style is imagining what a certain outfit will look like on you rather than on the 20-something model walking down the catwalk. Look at what other stylish 40+ women are wearing and how that might fit in with your own style. Take a look at @40plusstyle on Instagram, and the 40+Style Community on Facebook or check out the most stylish women over 40 on instagram.

4. Consider how you want to present yourself to the world

If you aren’t sure how to define your style, why don’t you think about it from another perspective. Rather than thinking about what to wear, think about how you want people to think about you. For example, do you want to look friendly? confident? interesting? How can you say that with your clothes?

5. Trust your instincts

Finally, trust your gut. If you’ve put together an outfit and it feels right and gives you confidence, you’ve hit upon a success!

Let me know if these tips on how to find your style work you for you! Do you think you’ve found your style yet? Or is it still a work in progress for you?

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14 Comments

I’ve read some other articles about this topic. but your article gave me better reasons and feel a nice sense of it.

Great steps on how to find my style. I had no idea that things like understanding my personality and knowing which colors inspire me will help me determine what my style of clothing is. I would think that having feedback from your peers would also be a good indicator of what looks good and what doesn’t. If you aren’t sure, you could just wear something and see if you get any compliments.

I think another important thing to look for in buying clothes is finding something that is comfortable. I have made the mistake of buying items that don’t feel good on. I end up never wearing them and end up just wasting money. You can still find plenty of pieces that are comfortable and stylish!

I have been following your tips and I couldn’t believe it when recently on holiday another lady came up to me and said that she and her husband loved my style and the way I dressed. I was so flattered. I wonder if this happens often to other women of our age?
Thank you so much.
Caroline
X

Wonderful to hear. I think other people can appreciate great style at any age!

Hello Sylvia. I am an older woman, but my fashion sense seems to go back to the 1970. (not hippy styles 🙂 Do you think is is all right for a woman of my age to wear long shirts and dresses? I love jeans and unusual shirts with sandals. I’d even wear sandals with my long skirts. This is the style I have loved for years. Am I too old for this. Thank you for listening.

No I don’t think so. I think it’s important to stay true to your style. The most important thing is to OWN the look and wear it with confidence!

Thank you for such a lovely blog. All the tips you’ve shared on finding your own style are particularly helpful – you’ve spurred me into action!

Have a lovely day
From Durban, South Africa.

Excellent. Good luck Muriel!

I know this is a long ago post, but I’m having fun flipping through the archives.

I found style after I learned to paint. I started to understand color theory and suddenly I could mix and match my wardrobe, where before I could never understand how to do it. It’s a way of being a little bit artistic every morning. One of the most important things I do is I arrange my clothes by color so my (very small) closet is a rainbow. It helps me mix and match and also to know where I have a lot of clothes of a color (um, no more orange) or nothing in a color.

Great that you are browsing old articles Lisa. It’s good that they are not forgotten!
Yes, I do the same thing. As you say, it’s a great way to know which colors are still lacking!

Thank you so much for these tips. I just got a new job after being a stay at home mom and I have been stressing about what to wear. You have taken the edge off of my prep and I am so thankful. I realized I have a few things that work, so I don’t have to start over, and now I know what I need. Thank you!

Great to hear that these tips were helpful to you Darien. Wishing you good luck with your new job and hope to connect with you again on the site!

Very useful post! Its great you’ve decided to give tips how to create personal style!

How To Find Your Personal Style

Figuring out your personal style is the first step in creating a functional wardrobe you love.

When you can clearly define your personal style, getting dressed becomes easier and fun and you’ll save a ton of money.

Discovering your personal style seems easy enough, but start to dive into it, and you’ll quickly realize it can be confusing and overwhelming.

Have you ever sat down and thought about what kind of clothes and outfits you like?

Probably not, because as busy women, who has the time?

For many, myself included, there comes the point in life when we end up with less of a style and more a closet full of clothes we accumulated over the years.

How to Find Your Personal Style

The decades after I graduated from college were a series of personal style trial and error.

I fully embraced late nineties style with my low-rise jeans and mid-drift tops, not so much a personal style as a required uniform for frat parties and college life.

After graduating, I remember trying to look like a “grown-up” or my version of one. Thankfully, that was a quick phase, and I spent most of my twenties and early thirties experimenting with different styles, all while having babies and building a business.

While I’ve always understood the fundamentals of dressing, like proportion and fit, navigating it personally is very different.

As we age and watch our bodies change, it took me a minute to understand that what worked in my 20’s and 30’s doesn’t work on my body at 40 after three pregnancies – no matter how much I work out.

At my core, regardless of my age or size, I’ve always loved classic American style. As a young girl, I worshiped Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrara. I dreamed of growing up to exude their effortless elegance.

But it wasn’t until my late 30s and now at 40 when I felt like who I am as a woman and my personal style match. Like they are finally meeting at the same point.

Because for years, I was convinced what I liked was boring. So I bought things because:

Today, we’ll talk about how to find your personal style based on what worked for me and the strategies we used to help clients over the years so you can feel confident showing up as who you are in the world.

How to Find Your Personal Style in 6 Easy Steps

What Styles Do you Want to Live In?

When I worked with clients, the first step in our process was to figure out her style.

I created a client questionnaire, which included a section that asked them to think about women with a style they admire. It could be anyone, from a celebrity to someone they worked with.

It was an easy first step to get a sense of what the client liked.

To start this process, ask yourself, who do I think always looks great?

This is like a brain dump; it can be anyone with any kind of style. THEN, take that list and narrow it down to those styles you want to try to recreate.

For example, I adore Diane Keaton and Helena Bonham Carter. I appreciate their bold, wild, and unique style.

But do I want to dress like them?

It’s a lot like when you’re in the process of decorating your home. You can enjoy all kinds of styles, but what do you want to live in?

Can you like more than one style? Sure!

And that’s what makes your style unique. It’s how you combine those elements in your unique way.

I narrowed my list down to three:

What do they have in common? They all share a classic American style with some modern elements that feel relaxed and casual.

Who’s on your list?

Create a Personal Style Vision Board

Of course, we don’t have the resources (budget, stylist, make-up artist, etc.) to dress like a celebrity. So we want to create a visual to help guide us.

This step is by far my best, most well-received tip. We go through this process in detail in our Free Wardrobe Challenge.

It’s the most effective way to break down the difference between styles you appreciate and how you want to dress every day.

AND it helps you build a wardrobe you love quickly and easily.

You may have pinned all different styles. But remember, there is a difference between appreciating a style and wanting to live in it. So the pins you keep should only be the ones you want to live in.

After you gather a few dozen pictures, look for cohesive elements.

You’ll quickly discover there is a thread of commonality within the looks you keep.

Having clarity around your preferences is the first step in understanding your style and making better choices in the future.

Once your board is together, use it as a guide while shopping. Before you purchase, ask yourself if that piece will help you create the look you are going for.

Edit out the Clothes that No Longer Serve You

Armed with your Pinterest board, do a quick edit of everything in your current wardrobe that doesn’t get you to your ultimate style goal.

Quite literally , stand in your closet with your Pinterest board open and see if your current wardrobe reflects what you like.

Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t. That’s generally the takeaway.

Be ruthless. You’ll feel lighter when you get rid of items you don’t like, need, or use

Figure out Your Signature Pieces

As you look at your favorite styles, try to determine the pieces that keep showing up.

For me, my signature pieces ended up being dark skinny jeans, an animal print flat or bag, a crisp button-down, white tee shirts, a tan boot, and better jewelry and, for work, sleek dresses and neutral-to-me pumps.

These pieces work as an anchor for your style. They are the items you can always count on to ensure your outfit “looks like you.”

Wear it Three Ways

Our wardrobes and style go off the rails because we don’t put the proper time and strategy into shopping. We need to be intentional about what we bring into our closets.

A simple tip to follow when building your wardrobe is only to buy something you can wear three different ways.

The pieces that meet this criterion are what should be your core wardrobe pieces. These will help define your personal style and make it easier to get dressed.

Of course, you’ll buy items that you can’t wear three ways, but they should be few and far between.

Trust Your Style Instincts

As you move through discovering your style, you’ll start to feel more confident in your choices. It’s essential to trust your instincts.

Don’t talk yourself into a purchase you’re not thrilled to make.

Stop wear something because someone told you to.

Avoid buying something just because it’s on sale.

The process of building a wardrobe and curating your personal style takes time.

Try not to feel overwhelmed by everything you might need. Write a list of what you could use to pull some outfits together and only purchase from that list.

52 Outfits in 2022!

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How To Find Your Personal Style 7 Tips & Tricks

Here are going to be 7 tips for how to find your personal style. Finding your personal style can be important because when you walk out into the world people are going to see you, they are going to see how you dress, how you look, and even though it may not be right they will more than likely judge you based on how you step out of the house. Personal style can determine if you look homely, if you take care of yourself, and if you care about what you look like.

Someone who has no personal style who is mismatched or who is coming out of the house looking any kind of way; may give the impression that they do not care about their appearance or how they step out of the house. For example, someone who dresses very modestly may give off the perception that they are more conservative in nature and someone who dresses too sexy may be telling the world that this is all they have to offer. I did not say the perception was right, I am just keeping it real with you that this is what people when they look at how you dress.

That is why I am here to help with your own personal style. One that you can be proud of, and one that you would be happy for the world to see. Before we get into it, you can check out my video down below for more on how to find your personal style by learning to add accessories to an outfit.

You ready? Let’s go.

Finding your personal style

#1 What do you want to say to the world.

The first step to finding your own personal style is you have to ask yourself what you want to say to the world. Do you want the world to think that you are a professional, do you want the world to think that you are fashionable, do you want the world to think that you worship the devil (I hope you don’t want this but I have seen some people that make me wonder). In any case, whatever perception you want to put out into the world is what you need to dress like.

Remember, when people see you they judge you. And so if you want people to think that you are a sophisticated woman over 30 that has an amazingly professional job, then you need to gear your wardrobe to that fit that persona.

How To Find Your Personal Style Case in point:

My personal style examples and what I want to project.

It just so happens that I am a professional woman over 30. I am educated and I have a great job. I am also a blogger that includes fashion, beauty, and hair on her blog. Therefore, that is the perception I need to give out. Can you imagine if I was pitching to a beauty brand about working with them and my hair was matted, my makeup was all over the place, and I just threw on some pajamas? Do you think they would want to work with me? Probably not. And the reason is that what they perceive needs to match what I put out. If I am saying I am a blogger that talks about lifestyle issues including fashion and beauty. I need to look the part. Therefore, I want you to look at the outfit below. Doesn’t it say all the things that I just mentioned?

That is what I mean when I say that you need to look like what you want to put out into the world. Look like the woman that you want other people to think you are.

Finding your personal style

#2 Find Style Inspirations

The way you can find your style inspiration is by using Pinterest and starting a board with all of the fashions and styles that you admire. If you want to see my Pinterest board about the fashion that I admire then you can click here. Once you start your board you can begin to try to imitate their style or you can mix and match two styles that you admire and you get your own unique look.

How To Find Your Personal Style Case in Point

How I Implemented Pinterest Style Inspirations

I pinned two imagines on my Pinterest board that I really liked. In the first picture I really liked the shirt in this picture. I like the playful look of the printed sweatshirt. And the second picture, I like how she paired the red boots with the jeans and I was also feeling the white trench coat as well. (source).

How To Find Your Personal Style & Personal Style Example

Option #1 Imitate

Now if you look at this picture below my outfit is really close to the second picture with the exception that I have on a red shirt (click here to buy) instead of a white one. But everything else is pretty much a match and guess what? I did not even have to go out and buy these things, I just paired clothes that were already in my closet. When you are trying to do your own personal style, sometimes it is just a matter of knowing what in your wardrobe goes with what. Looking at style inspirations can give you ideas on pairing items that you already own.

How To Find Your Personal Style & Personal style example Option #2 You can Mix and Match

To get an idea of how you can buy pieces to mix and match you can watch my video down below. See how a simple mix and match can change up the style altogether.

The point is to find some style inspirations that you really like. You do not have to buy exactly what they have on but you can choose to mix and match things from your own personal closet or you can choose to buy things that are similar.

Finding your personal style

#3 Find Your Style Icon

Finding a style icon means looking at a celebrity that you really admire and trying to dress like them. Now, remember this is about finding your own personal style so you do not want to be their clone. Just gather inspiration from them and then change it up a bit to go with your unique looks.
You can also choose a style icon that has your skin color, your shape, or features that are similar to yours. Because if it looks good on them then chances are it can look good on you. It will give you an idea on how to dress for your specific features.

How To Find Your Personal Style Case in Point: My Style Icon Jennifer Hudson

Although I am a professional woman, I do not always want to go out in work clothes. Therefore, I tend to look for casual style inspiration in which I came by Jenner Hudson whom I love. If you check out some of her pictures below you can check out her street style and see how she wears blacks, greys, and a trench coat. That is what I loved about her casual style and what I sought to imitate.

Now, look at my look below. Notice it is not exact but enough inspiration was gathered from her to imitate her casual style but still make the look my own.

Finding your personal style

If you are one of those people who do not like trends, do not know the trends are, or just want to have a wardrobe that you can keep over time. The remember to just go timeless. Now timeless can be different depending on what era you are looking at and what style you want to imitate. But a timeless fashion will be in now and forever, and you can determine how to make it your own by choosing different colors and patterns.

How To Find Your Personal Style Case in Point

How To Make Timeless Fashion Your own.

I decided to gather inspiration from Pinterest by finding these timeless photos. One to illustrate the scarf and the other to imitate the cape.

Now notice my picture, it combines the cape and the faux fur scarf. But it is still my fashion based on the colors that I chose and that is a way to make it my own personal style.

Finding your personal style

#5 Go With An Already Established Style

There are so many personal styles and trends that are coming up each and every day. Like for example, if you look out my outfit below I really wanted to try this hobo chic look. Which is a real thing by the way. It is basically where you look like a hobo. What can I say? I was cold outside and I wanted to try something new.

My point is NOT that you have to try the hobo chic look, my point is that there are tons of other personal styles that you can try. Here are just 10 from the website Stylewe that you can check out.

What I recommend you do, is to pick a personal style, learn everything that there is to learn about that style then just imitate it.

Finding your personal style

#6 Get Clothes From Unique Places

Anyone who knows me knows that I love going thrift store shopping. Not only because it is affordable but also it makes you develop your own style. When you go to a large department store you can almost bet that everyone is buying the same exact thing, buying what is in season, and you are going to look like everyone else. Which is the opposite of personal style?

Some places that I like to go is the thrift store, vintage shops, and even the beauty supply store. Because they just have really unique things that you cannot find anywhere else. This would work if you want to stand out and develop your own personal style that is not like anyone else’s. Also, check out my blog on how to shop at the thrift store.

How To Find Your Personal Style Case in point

Personal style examples

If you look at this outfit below, this jacket looks amazingly unique, doesn’t it? Not very warm but really unique. I actually went into the beauty supply store and picked up this jacket. It is really cute and I have not seen anyone else that has it. Which gives me a personal style that is all my own that is unlike anyone else because I choose to shop places that other people don’t.

Finding your personal style

#7 Remember Do What You Love

As you can see I give many tips from getting style inspiration from other people. But even in those cases I still make the style my own. At the end of the day wear something that you like to wear and what you think is going to look nice. You can choose to do DIY (click here to see my ideas on that) to spice of what you already have or just pick out pieces that you like and put them together. Either way, you can develop your own personal style by just being you.

Now as a disclaimer some of you may not have good fashion sense. So when you do what you love then you can gauge on if your fashion sense is on or if it is off by getting the reactions from other people. For example, if other people tell you:

You will know you have done a good job by defining your personal style based on the people’s reactions toward you.

But if you get a bad reaction from people such as:

These are all the 7 tips that I have for you for how to develop your own personal style. If you know someone that needs help with their own personal style then don’t forget to share this post with them.

For all of my fashion and beauty oriented fashionistas then I have something free that you are going to FREAKIN LOVE. YES LOVE. It is my 100% free ebook, the Sophie-sticated Mom Stylish, Chic, & Modern Christian Women’s Year-Round Capsule Wardrobe Plan. That’s right your forever wardrobe. No more being the frumpy, bumpy, boring modest wardrobe, just because you are a Christian. Be Godly, frugal, relatively modest, chic, stylish, on a budget and look good doing it. Outfits for all seasons (spring, winter, fall, and summer) and most occasions work, casual, dates, gym, chilling or whatever and you will still be fashionable. Just click here or the picture below.