Is it essential to have a personal style? And if it is, then why?
“You gotta have style. It helps you get down the stairs. It helps you get up in the morning. It’s a way of life.
Without it, you’re nobody.” – Diana Vreeland.
What is A Personal Style?
Personal style is made of many factors.
- Personality
There is no Personal style without a Personality.
Our personal style is an expression of our personality and values. How we speak, move, and carry ourselves is part of our personal style. Whether bold and adventurous or prefer classic and understated looks, your fashion choices reflect aspects of your character and temperament. Perhaps there are 2 main characteristics that you portray at work and home in your casual, everyday life.
- Physical Characteristics
Your face and body play a significant part in understanding, creating, and developing your personal style as well as your personality.
Let’s see how so:
- Body Shape: Understanding your body shape can help you choose clothing that flatters your figure and enhances your best features and proportions. For example, if you have an hourglass shape, you might opt for styles highlighting the waist to accentuate your curves.
- Skin Tone: Your skin tone can influence the colours that look best on you. Certain colours may complement your complexion and make you appear more vibrant, while others may wash you out or clash with your undertones. By identifying your skin tone—warm, cool, or neutral—you can choose clothing and accessories in colours that enhance your natural beauty.
- Hair Style and Hair Quality: Your hairstyle is often influenced by its texture and thickness—whether it’s straight, curly, thin, or thick. How you wear your hair can also impact the neckline, which best complements your features and guides your selection of jewellery and accessories.
- Height: Height can affect how certain clothing items fit and proportionate your body, creating a balanced and harmonious look. For example, taller individuals may be able to pull off longer hemlines and oversized silhouettes. In contrast, petite individuals might opt for more tailored and proportionate pieces to avoid overwhelming their frame.
- Personal Comfort: Physical characteristics can also influence your comfort and clothing preferences. For example, someone with sensitive skin may prefer softer fabrics, while others may prioritize practicality and functionality in their wardrobe choices. Considering your physical comfort can help you select clothing that looks good and feels good.
- Confidence
“The most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence.” – Blake Lively.
Confidence is key to defining and owning our personal style. Feeling comfortable and confident in what we wear enhances our overall style and presence, allowing us to exude authenticity and charisma.
- Lifestyle
Your lifestyle influences your fashion choices and helps you determine your style, wardrobe preferences, and needs. Whether you lead a casual, active lifestyle or have a more formal and structured routine, your personal style should be practical and suited to your daily activities.
- Preferences
Your preferences shape your personal style. The colours, patterns, fabrics, and silhouettes you gravitate towards reflect your individual taste and aesthetic sensibilities.
- Inspiration
We all have someone who inspires us to improve in everything we do, including our personal style. In some cases, we aspire to be more like our muse. Inspiration from various sources, such as movies, fashion magazines, social media influencers, celebrities, and cultural movements, can influence our personal style. These influences shape our perception of trends and help us develop our own unique interpretation of fashion.
- Experimentation
Once we have established our core values and preferences in style, being creative with it by adding some of the trendier pieces may give it that special something that will make us stand out to others. Personal style evolves through experimentation and exploration. Trying out new trends, mixing and matching different pieces, and stepping out of your comfort zone allows you to discover what works best for you and refine your style over time.
How To Find Your Personal Style?
Finding your personal style is a journey of self-discovery and experimentation. It may be a bit scary, but the minute you start figuring out your personal style and analysing it, you will see how exciting it is to rediscover yourself. Here are some steps to help you identify and develop your unique style:
- Self-Reflection: What do your clothes say about you right now? What would you like it to say? How would you like to be portrayed? What is your current living situation? What purpose your style should have? Are you in the process of pivoting your career? Or maybe pivoting your life altogether? These are some of the questions you should consider when working on your style. Reflect on your lifestyle, personality, and interests. Reflect on how you would like to feel in a certain look or a piece of clothing you decide to wear. How would you like people to perceive you in that look? Is that what you want them to think about? Consider what makes you feel comfortable, confident, and authentic. Think about your favourite colours, patterns, silhouettes, and style icons or influences that resonate with you and why.
- Physical Characteristics: As I mentioned above, your height, hair quality, its style and colour, facial features, body type, and specific body features help you decide which silhouettes would look best on you, what fabric density would complement your body structure, including suitable colour combinations, and print combinations.
- Inspiration Gathering: Collect inspiration from various sources, such as Instagram and Pinterest, fashion magazines, and street stylers. Save images of outfits, accessories, and looks that appeal to you and use them as a starting point for defining your personal style. Look at what those looks have in common, e.g. Is it a print, a colour combination, or a silhouette?
- Signature Elements: What are your signature elements? In other words, what does your style uniform look like? Which look do you feel more comfortable in? Which one is recurring? Is it an oversized top and straight-fit skirt, pants, or vice versa? Pay attention to recurring themes or elements in your wardrobe that resonate with you. It could also be a specific colour palette, a favourite accessory, or a preferred silhouette; these signature elements can help you create your style uniform looks and, therefore, your personal style.
- Closet Assessment: Take inventory of your current wardrobe and assess what you already own. Identify your favourite pieces and items that no longer align with your style or make you feel good when wearing them. Consider decluttering and donating or selling items that no longer serve you.
- Experimentation: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different styles, trends, and combinations, mixing them with your chosen “basic” wardrobe items. Try new colours, patterns, fabrics, and accessories to see what feels right. Mix and match pieces from your “basics” wardrobe with those with character. Step out of your comfort zone to discover what works best.
- Adaptability: Personal style is not static; it evolves over time and adapts to changing preferences, trends, and experiences. Stay open-minded and flexible as you refine and develop your style, allowing yourself to explore new looks and possibilities.
- Trust Your Instincts: When defining your personal style, trust your instincts and intuition. Listen to what feels right for you, and don’t be swayed by external opinions or expectations. Embrace the journey of self-discovery and enjoy expressing yourself through your unique style.
The personal style reflects who you are—a dynamic and multifaceted expression of your identity, influenced by your preferences, lifestyle, personality, and experiences.
Having a keen sense of style lets you leave stronger impressions and determine how others perceive you. At its core, it allows you to outwardly reflect your inner essence, simultaneously aligning with your aspirations in the tangible realm.
