Personal style is a reflection of our spirit, our personality. It is also a manifestation of our creativity and our individual sense of being. This is why it is so important that we learn to nurture a meaningful and sincere relationship with fashion so that we can craft our own style that allows us to feel comfortable and confident in whatever we wear.
Personal style can be seemingly hard to define. With time, our tastes and preferences change and evolve, and so does our style. Moreover, we all love and appreciate various styles and aesthetics. So, how do we find that which is truly ‘us’? Here are some ways to do that:
Find inspiration
This is the first step to finding your personal style: gathering inspiration. Is there a style icon you admire or a designer or brand that you love? Inspiration can come from anywhere – magazines, movies, music, fashion shows, and even the streets. Even the latest fads and trends can inspire you, but only as long as you don’t follow them blindly. Make a mood board or a Pinterest board, and you will soon find a pattern of what you like or styles that you gravitate towards.
Define your aesthetic
Once you have your inspirations in front of you, you need to put a label on them. Forget about the brands or the clothing items in them. Focus on the vibe that they exude. You can pick a few words to describe them, whether it is bohemian, street-style, classic, trendy, chic, elegant, or something else.
Identify signature staples
We all have those few staples in our wardrobe that we tend to stock up on. Maybe it is oversized t-shirts or breezy summer dresses – there is a reason we have more of these pieces than we need. You need to remember that you buy a certain type of clothing or footwear again and again because you like wearing them. It makes you happy and helps you feel confident. Lean into those items and make them a part of your everyday wear.
Play to your strengths
Do people compliment you on your shoe game? Or maybe they love the way you dress up a basic clothing item? These are your style strengths, i.e. you have the ability to make yourself look stylish by sticking to what you do best, regardless of whether it is en vogue or not.
Need some help? Image coaching with Lorelei Shellist can provide you with the style of guidance you need. Lorelei is a model and designer who also works as an image consultant in Los Angeles. Get in touch with her at Runway Runaway Collection to know more.