1. Determine Your Colors
I know this tip may remind you of women in the ’70s asking each other, “I’m an autumn, what are you?”, but I’ve noticed that having a personal color scheme is a hallmark of all truly stylish women.
To determine your colors, you need to assess your hair, skin and eye color as well as what colors you feel you look the best in. Determining your “season” can introduce you to a whole new palette of colors! The point of doing this is to use these colors as a guide while shopping so that you can select the pieces that will look best on you. I’m a summer, what are you?
2. Choose a Style Trademark
A style trademark is something that you either wear every day (like Blair Waldorf‘s “B” necklace) or simply an aesthetic that you are known for. It’s that piece that your friend texts you about and says, “I was wearing _____ today and I felt just like you!”
Usually, a signature item or style chooses you, because it’s just something that you love so much you have to wear it all the time. But it helps to think about what you value, what you find aesthetically pleasing, and what you love to wear most. Personally, my signatures are bold nautical stripes and Sperry Topsiders. What’s your signature?
3. Embrace Your Shape
Although we’re big proponents of wearing what you want regardless of your body shape, learning to dress for your body type can be a good jumping off point when developing your style. Knowing how to highlight your best features can save you time and take your look from average to amazing.
The most important thing you can do when studying your shape is to stay positive. Dressing well is all about having an underlying layer of confidence, and if you are overly critical of your body, you undermine that. Don’t tell yourself that you have a pudgy stomach – instead, remind yourself that you have a tiny waist, or beautiful legs, or a shapely chest, or amazing arms – you get the idea. Highlight your assets and embrace your body as it is!
4. Create a Personal “Look Book” or Inspiration Folder
A great aid for honing in your style, and also a really fun project, is creating a personal look book of your favorite past outfits. By documenting your style on a daily basis, whether by starting a style blog or just saving photos on your computer, you start to get a sense for which outfits you like best, and which pieces look best on you. It’s a fantastic way to document your look as it evolves.
5. Mix it Up: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed
Dressing like a mannequin from Abercrombie & Fitch is so high school! To personalize your wardrobe and move away from cookie-cutter clothing, try mixing up your wardrobe with vintage items or pieces that have been passed down from your mom or grandma (something old), add in some well thought-out designer pieces and trends (something new), and finish with thrifted pieces or even borrow from your friend’s wardrobe (something borrowed). Finding a balance between these three things can make your look uniquely yours!!
