I wish we all could have a personal stylist that could tell us what to wear everyday. That’s me–every day I feel too lazy to figure out what to wear and end up staring at a mountain of clothes on the bed.
As much as we all feel this way, some more than others, the truth is: YOU are the best stylist for you.You know what looks best on you and reach for those styles over and over right? The best combination is something you feel good in (which only you can decide), feel comfortable wearing (which only you can decide), and is aesthetically pleasing (which mostly…only you can decide).
The biggest obstacle is learning how to replicate those looks that make you feel your best over and over again and letting go of the clothes that don’t. Big hint: start by getting rid of any clothes that have holes in them or stains or don’t fit.
Here are my best tips for leveling up your style:
Better than a style quiz, promise!
1. Find 3 outfits you always gravitate towards in your closet that are your go-to.
Analyze why you love them! Why do you feel your best self? Are they wearable everywhere? Do they show if you look best more dressed up or casual? What shape are they?
These are your current signature pieces. Do they represent you in a way you like?
2. Know your colors and how to combine them.
There’s a great website here that you can use to upload a photo. Game. Changer. This is super helpful because it’ll solidify for you whether you are a warm, cool, etc. It’s so easy to get lost in the world of tones and still not be sure, so do yourself a favor and use this awesome website: https://colorwise.me
Once you know your colors, make sure to try out this color palette when you’re shopping and see if these colors give your face and skin that glow. I like this website for verifying since she explains the nuances a little more clearly (scroll down to the bottom of the page to see all the season options). If they do, stick to them!
You can do this by using a color wheel made especially for your colors. I like using this website, because she figured out the color wheel colors per season, but you can also get a real life wheel with brights and pastels.
Remember that figuring out your colors can take a minute, so don’t rush the process and try on the colors and see how you look in them. I originally thought I was a deep/dark winter (feel free to chime in here color experts!), but every time I went to use the color palette, only about half the colors matched me. Needless to say, my wardrobe is still evolving.
So I went back to square one and noticed that every time I tried to capture my eyes in the Colorwise photo, I wasn’t capturing the honeyed amber highlights in my eyes, which actually means that I have some golden amber (eyes)/cool (hair)/and neutral-cool (skin) qualities to my coloring, whereas I wasn’t capturing those highlights before.
Once I looked at the palette for the bright winter (think Katy Perry and Teri Hatcher) palette, suddenly I was wowed with all the typical colors. I still can wear some colors for the other seasons (our coloring looks a little different based on hair dye, summer tans, etc.), but the most consistent coloring for me is clear bright winter. That’s what we’re going for: consistency.
Feel free to keep your accessories in colors outside of your palette. Also, even if you decide to just stick with a neutral palette (like the ones on my Canva moodboard), you still should know if you are warm or cool so you pick the right neutral tones for your pretty face.
3. Know your body shape.
You can go about learning you best silhouette options a couple ways: You can look up body types, i.e. mesomorph or pear, or my personal infatuation lately is the Kibbe style test (based off of this original 80’s book by David Kibbe, Metamorphosis). Just remember that these tests are very helpful for learning your lines, but are not meant to be rigid rules.
Style rules are always meant to be broken, but you shouldn’t break them until you know them. For example, an hourglass should stick with those a-line and waist-cinching silhouettes, but that doesn’t mean a muumuu can’t be in your wardrobe. It just means you need to find the right one or know it’s going to look like a house dress on you and not sleek like it would on Rachel Zoe or Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. Knowledge is power.
4. Know your style icons.
This can be really helpful because it’ll help you see what you gravitate towards on the repeat. For example, I love the way Victoria Beckham dresses, however, she has a gamine body (much like Audrey Hepburn), whereas I am a dramatic and much taller than she is. Therefore, our silhouettes will be different, but I can still look at the clothes and accessories I love and take style notes on how to pair elements together.
Studying Victoria Beckham’s style taught me I love color blocking, collared shirts, neutrals, and generally more formal attire with a masculine contrast. I also love the clothes in New Girl—especially Jess’s clothing. This is also a lot of color blocking, collared shirts, Peter Pan collars, and romantic preppy silhouettes.
With a little more research I can narrow down where to shop for these styles and which designers match my favorite aesthetics and how to pair garments and accessories together. Kate Spade/Rag & Bone/Vince/Alice + Olivia/GRLFRND/Amanda Uprichard are brands that are consistent winners for me in color and body type.
5. Create a mood board on Pinterest.
I have an entire board on Pinterest where I just put all the outfit ideas that I love into the board, and then I narrow it into a board that I would personally wear. Then I have a “quintessential style” board that only includes my colors (which I narrowed down twice: First within my color palette, and then to colors that go together so my outfits always work) and my shape. It’s my work-in-progress board that evolves with me.
Once this part is done it’s much easier to go through your closet and eliminate or change the purpose of all the clothes that don’t develop your personal style. This isn’t about minimalism. This is just the best way to make sure that all your clothes go together with ease–making getting ready in the morning fast and easy. Pinterest boards help make things just a little easier when you can see visually the common themes for what you like, i.e. I keep picking outfits with stripes, denim, flats, etc.
6. Choose some adjectives and even some fabrics/textures that describe your style.
Knowing the fashion decades you gravitate towards can also be helpful in finding your unique style. I love denim, 60’s (Sophia Loren style) whimsical, menswear, polka dots, and natural fabrics. It’s easier to find the answers to these questions by doing the mood board (Pinterest) first so you can see what you naturally pick out. Review that board and see what the outfits in your board have in common.
7. Stop being ruled by trends.
If you’re missing a piece of clothing in your wardrobe to build the outfits you love, that’s ok! There’s a great side effect to your wallet when you know your colors and shape–it will stop you from shopping just because you want to look current and start giving you a timeless look you invest in, then add in some seasonal trends that work (trends are where fast fashion can be good).
The one trend I would still consider an investment piece is how to wear jeans from year to year. This is because waistline heights change with the runways and so will what you can buy at a store. Buying quality jeans that fit well will last a very long time–even when your favorite jean cut isn’t the trend.
Once you have these guidelines, it’ll help you be a better shopper for yourself and even help you clean out your closet.
What steps did you take to figure out your signature style? Tell me below.
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