Finding Your Personal Style
Finding your personal style is a challenging task. I am sure you have been subjected to seeing an old photo of yourself on your mom’s Facebook and the first thing you thought was, “OMG why did I think that was ok to wear out of the house??” Trust me, I have been there. The personal style journey is long and complicated, but I am going to give you a few tips to make the trip a little smoother. You may be wondering what my credentials are… I have had some of the worst stylistic choices known to humankind and have somehow managed to find my style and what works best for me.
Tip #1: Pinterest!
Pinterest is my digital best friend. I turn to her for everything. Whether it is room design choices, phone backgrounds, renovation ideas, you name it …Pinterest has a million inspo pictures for what you're looking for. When it comes to finding your personal style, making a Pinterest board is step number one. I recommend making one for every season and adding outfit inspiration photos to each board. Once this step is done, you can go through all the pictures and see which aspects of the outfits seem to repeat. For example, if you notice that all the photos you added tend to have lots of neutral colors and minimal jewelry, you now have an idea that you prefer minimalistic neutrals and you can begin to work from there and add your own twist to the outfits in your boards. When I created my boards, I realized that I tend to like edgy, neutral, outfits with pops of color and cool accessories! While I do not always wear outfits like that, it gave me a general idea of the style of clothing I enjoy wearing.
P.S. It is also perfect for when you need an outfit and do not know what to wear! If I am ever struggling, I open Pinterest and try my best to recreate an outfit, and it makes the getting ready process a lot smoother.
Tip #2: Follow People You Like!
One of the best things you can do to find inspiration is to follow creators who have style that you want to emulate. Think of this as the next level after Tip #1. First, you find the photos, then you find the videos. Following fashion creators is helpful because not only do they post photos, but they also post videos and often create content that explains where they get their clothes and accessories from or how they put together outfits. Watching content like this is so helpful because you can learn more about the types of stores that sell the clothes you want and how your style inspirations put together their daily outfits. A few of the fashion creators I follow are: @yazghotb, @cclaramos, @cocochinelo, @monicamarra, @felicitasmariaa, and @sierracannon. They all have a relatively minimal style, but they elevate their looks with unique accessories, pops of color, and fun hairstyles!
Tip #3: Buy Basics!
The biggest mistake that I made for an embarrassing amount of years was not purchasing basics. I fell victim to buying the trending patterns and styles for most of college. It was not until recently that I prioritized buying basics and building outfits from those. Do not get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a funky pattern or a unique piece, but it is hard when that is your whole closet.
I think the best approach is to create a capsule wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe is a wardrobe that has all of the basics in it that you need to create almost any outfit you want. An example of this for December in Boston would be: basic crew neck long sleeves, a solid knee-length coat, a pair of leather boots, scarves, a few pairs of nice jeans, etc. These items are all simple but can be used to create a fun outfit.
Once you have a few basics, the fun begins. In winter, I usually start with a nice sweater or long-sleeved top and jeans. Then I can either add a pair of boots or sneakers. Once the base layer is on, I start playing around with accessories. If I want a colorful look I can throw on a chunky colored scarf, colorful jewelry, and a patterned jacket. If I want a more edgy look, I can start with the same base layer, and add a bold leather jacket, Doc Martens, silver-rimmed sunnies, and layered jewelry.
Having lots of basics makes finding an outfit so simple. Everything can be matched easily and then depending on your mood, you can add whichever accessories you desire to bring the outfit together.
Tip #4: Dont Rush!
Last but not least, finding your personal style takes time and it involves a lot of trial and error! It took me years to find a style that I have been consistently happy and comfortable with :)
Happy Holidays!
