Creating your own personal style can be tricky at times. You aren’t exactly sure what you like and dislike, and you don’t know how to wear and style every item in your wardrobe, or you simply don’t know where to start at all.
If you are unsure how to start, here are a few tips you can use to transform everything from your work attire to wedding and bridesmaid dresses and everything in between.
Know What Doesn’t Work
The first thing you should do is figure out what doesn’t work for you. There will be a lot of different garments, cuts, and materials that just don’t suit your body or taste. This is perfectly ok and applies to everyone, but knowing what doesn’t work allows you to focus on what does work.
Stock up on Basics
When it comes to creating outfits, you can’t make anything worthwhile without the basics. Items like a white t-shirt or blue jeans are the building blocks for creating super-stylish outfits; therefore, you need them in your wardrobe.
Stock up on basics in different styles and colors, and then use more expensive items to accentuate and change your look.
Choose a Few Investment Pieces
Splurge some cash on a few pieces you know you will wear for years. Whether it is a coat, a blazer, or an expensive pair of shoes, spend your money wisely and buy a few expensive items. These items are the ones that you are going to use to create looks around.
Research Fashion
The best way to understand something is to study it. Researching fashion allows you to learn from experts and see everything that is out there, as well as give you inspiration for creating your own looks and wardrobe.
Reading fashion magazines and blogs, watching fashion shows, or finding a few fashion-focussed social media pages to follow will give you valuable insight that you can use when creating your own style.
Ignore Trends
Following trends is the opposite of creating your own style. While there are some trends that are fun and stylish, if you end up looking like everyone else, then you aren’t reaching your goal of finding your own style.
The best thing you can do is to look at trends and then adapt them to your own taste and style. This means you are almost “trend adjacent,” allowing you to still explore with your own fashion and not conform to what everyone else is wearing.
Try New Styles
There is a very good chance there is a style of clothing that suits you perfectly, but you don’t know about it because you haven’t tried it. Many of us will subconsciously commit to a style and then never deviate; this will often lead to missed opportunities.
Having a personal style isn’t about sticking within one type of niche, such as goth or beach casual; therefore, there is nothing stopping you from mixing and matching from all these different style groups.
Shop Second-Hand
Second-hand and charity stores can be a gold mine for fashion lovers, especially those who are looking to rebuild their wardrobes. Not only is a lot of the clothing usually in good condition, but you can also find high-fashion labels and clothing at a fraction of the price.
If you are considering rebuilding your wardrobe, second-hand stores are also one of the best places to find quality clothing but without breaking the bank.
Push your Limits
While staying in your comfort zone is also recommended, there is nothing wrong with pushing the boat out and trying a few items or outfits that you may think are a bit “out there.” Fashion is all about experimenting, and you never know what you may create simply by buying something you would usually pass over without a second thought.
The “Uniform”
An essential addition and every style and wardrobe is the “uniform.” The uniform is a particular outfit you tend to wear all the time to work, on a night out, etc. However, this outfit does not need to be the exact same clothing every time.
A uniform can be anything you want, and you mix it up simply by changing the individual aspects of it. If you are a Summer dress and heels type of person, you would just own multiple Summer dresses.
This idea allows you to create a look that is unique to you, but it also ensures you have room to change and experiment.
Accessories
The final piece of the puzzle is accessories. They are widely regarded as the one thing everyone needs to complete an outfit, as they act like the cherry on top. However, there are a few things to remember when it comes to accessories.
Have a range of bags, hats, sunglasses, etc.; these are the items that you can and should wear with almost every outfit, but having a range of them allows you to pick and choose the correct item for the look.
Regarding jewelry, have a small collection of statement pieces that you wear. Jewelry is about having one main piece and then using smaller, more simple pieces to accentuate it and help it stand out more.
