5 Questions To Define Your Personal Style

One thing I have always had clear in my life is my personal style. I am always quick to know what I like and I don't when it comes to clothes. Towards the end of secondary school was when my style really started to come in to its own. I have used the pass few years to explore and push the boundaries of this, going out of my comfort zone to challenge what I believe best suits me and my character. In this post I cover the top 5 questions you need to ask yourself to define your style.

HOW DO I WANT TO BE SEEN?

This is the one that got me thinking the most when exploring my style. It started out very 'cute' with too many two-piece sets for one person, skater dresses and ditsy florals. All of which I still like however as I started to creep in to my twenties it started to look a little bit too young, like mistaken for still in school young. Naturally, I switched up my style once more introducing more tailoring, however keeping my palette soft, fresh and fun. I think the keywords of how I want to be seen now are: chic, polished, fashion-forward, sophisticated.

My main goal is to have an effortless look, which is casual in a not so casual way. I always try to remain smart by pairing tailoring with more lounge pieces to balance the look but also for this one piece to elevate the look. This can be anything from a wide leg trouser to a blazer or a killer pair of court shoes but it can make such a difference. I like to make a statement with one piece whether that be a quirky accessories, beautiful print design or interesting details that make you look twice. This injects the fun side to my personality whilst keeping my overall appearance formal.

What relates to you the most - preppy, grunge, edgy, casual, sexy, vintage, bohemian, artsy, simple, tomboy, rocker, elegant, trendy, vibrant, bold, glamorous, feminine, romantic, traditional, androgynous, sporty, minimalistic...

DO I LOVE EVERY ITEM IN MY WARDROBE?

Your wardrobe is a work in progress. As much as I live by the Sarah Knight quote of "does it bring you joy" when having a spring clean, it may not but it can be essential. For example the plain white tee doesn't exactly make me over the moon but it is probably one of the most worn items in most peoples wardrobes therefore I would advise using this with a pinch of salt. I think it is more about those items you pull out time and time again and convince yourself you will wear it - just let it go.

This also applies to adding new items in to your wardrobe. Impulse buys are the ones which usual come back to haunt you and do the damage when it comes to the clear out. We all have those moments where it seemed like a good idea at the time until you saw it in bad picture or the trend has passed and you no longer understood why you got it in the first place. I think once you know what works and what you love, cutting out and adding garments because a much smoother process and way more thought out.

DO MY CLOTHES MATCH MY LIFESTYLE?

Before emptying your wardrobe of everything you own, remember not to get rid of things you need i.e things that are work appropriate, for the gym or specialist activities. Although you may want your style to be a certain way you need to adapt it to fit in to your day to day. If you think about it logically fully embodying one thing won't work and you'll be in the same position of having a wardrobe full of clothes with no where to wear them. It is best to maybe think of pairing it with something from your style or opting for a slightly different fit to nod towards your sense of style.

Take a classic black pair of trousers and a blouse for a work look. Say your style is bohemian - you could get the black trouser in a flare cut, the blouse in a flowy material and style half tucked then accessorise with a skinny scarf or double necklace complete with effortless waves to finish the look. It's still smart for work but still shows exactly who you are.

WHAT COLOURS DO I LIKE TO WEAR?

Having a specific colour palette may sound silly but it makes getting ready 10x easier. For me my main colours are black, white, grey, blush pink, baby blue and browny/nude tones. Of course occasionally I buy items outside of this colour palette and I am not restricted to it. However it does help me when shopping to have a clearer vision of what is going to fit in with what I already have at home. I think your options for ways to wear things also becomes so much broader, as you have more ability to mix and match and styling becomes endless. Many of my friends have praised me for the fact they have never really seen me in the same outfit twice and although my wardrobe is extensive its more because I wear things differently every time I wear it. Sometimes its just layering pieces over the top like making a dress in to a skirt or having multiple uses like wearing a shirt open as a jacket. Think outside of the box and what you have will go much further than you think, time to get creative.

WHAT INSPIRES ME?

Inspiration can come from a number of places. It can be something more fashion related like magazines, blogs, OOTD's/OOTN's from Instagram, Pinterest or Tumblr or something more abstract like art, architecture, textures, interiors etc. Some people like to refer to people that have the style they would like to portray. For me I don't think there isn't anyone in particular, however I often like outfits from celebrities such as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley or maybe if it was a blogger/influencer Josie from Fashion Mumblr. Whatever I see I like I collect it all on a pinterest board here, for whenever I feel out of inspiration. Just scrolling through lets me know exactly what I'm missing or jogs my memory of something I already own.

Shop The Look:

At the end of the day fashion is filled with different styles and trends to choose from. It is full of possibilities to explore your style and bring it out for people to see and find out who your really are and what your personality is.