Anyone can dress themselves, but there is more to personal style than simply knowing which outfit suits you best. If you are completely clueless as to which piece you should pair or you don’t know how to distinguish certain styles, don’t be discouraged. With time and practice, you can find, develop, and improve your personal style. Following are some guidelines that will help start your transformation.
Avoid Trends
When it comes to personal style, it’s all about wearing something that is chosen by you. While being fashionable does come from looking to others and following trends, e.g. other people in street, models in magazine, etc., don’t start wearing, say, blazer and a bow tie, just because your friends are, particularly if you don’t like this style. A great outfit will never be truly stylish if you are not confident about your choice of wearing it.
Discover Who Inspires You
Finding your personal style is a process that should involve gathering sources of inspiration. This can come from anywhere you like, e.g. brands, celebrities, friends, etc. Don’t worry about evaluating or organizing your choices yet, simply focus on discovering who or what inspires you and provides you fashion ideas that you lean towards. If you are often online, then it is recommended that you try following Pinterest and Instagram accounts that showcase styles that you prefer. You will soon begin to notice some themes in what you collect. Pay attention to patterns in your choices.
Consider Your Lifestyle
Your social and professional lifestyle is another personal style cornerstone. For instance, bankers have different personal style needs (with leather lace-up, traditional suits, a huge collection of silk ties), as opposed to the agency creatives who can rock sockless brogues, a button shirt, and tailored denim jeans to a work meeting. Then there’s the geographic factor. British for example, will look to woolen trousers and tweed jackets in winter while Australian suit wearers should look to light wools and cotton and need to invest in a few basic tees and tailored chino shorts for summer weekends. Basically, you first need to make sure that your personal style is practical and then you can have some fun.
Start with Basic, Versatile Items
This is the era of capsule closet so choosing versatile basics is very important and well-known. Start with basic, versatile items. You should also allow impulse buys to help define your personal style. For instance, when you browse online or walk into a physical store, you might find yourself drawn to one or two certain items. If the attraction is strong enough and you can pay for it, make the decision to buy that item. Keep in mind that your personal style is not rational, instead it is mostly intuitive. So, allow you intuition to speak. Understanding what you are attracted to can help strengthen your sense of style.
Finding your personal style is certainly not an easy feat. It requires a lot of patience and time to get everything right. So, take your time finding your personal style and once you find it, embrace every opportunity to improve it. Keep in mind that personal style is a journey. So, make sure to evolve with time, reflecting your experiences and growth along the way.
Photos by: Ksenia Chernaya, Lum3n, Julia M Cameron, Ivan Samkov, Alexandra Gorn