If you look at Instagram and magazines and think that everybody is starting to look pretty similar, you’re not alone. Many people just want to look like their favorite reality TV star or Kardashian, rather than actually working on honing their own personal style.
Working on nailing your own unique look can be one of the most satisfying things that you do. You know what they say: fashion trends come and go, but true style lasts forever! Not everybody is born with a sense of style, even if they look like it to you. Most people have had years of practice figuring out what works for them, experimenting, and even making mistakes. One day you’ll probably want to be able to look at your wardrobe and know that you have a totally unique look that you’ve cultivated yourself, if so, then read on. You won’t regret it!
1. Assess Past Outfit Choices
Start by assessing your past outfit choices. Use pictures if you have them, but your memory and current wardrobe is fine. Ask yourself why you loved certain outfits, or why you didn’t like them. Asking yourself the right questions can help you to put the right outfits together in the future. For example:
- Why did I buy this item and never wear it?
- Why did I only wear this item/outfit once?
- What is it I like/don’t like about this outfit? Color/material/fit etc?
You should get a better idea of what to avoid and what you should try wearing more of this way. Ideally, you’ll end up with a wardrobe full of clothes that you love. The items should mix and match well together, and they should get a lot of wear, too. This should be the ultimate end goal! You don’t want to have any reason to utter the words ‘I have nothing to wear.’
If you’re buying items and not wearing them, it’s probably because you haven’t taken your lifestyle into consideration, or because you haven’t thought about what to wear the item with – which we’ll go into later.
2. Get Rid Of Anything You No Longer Wear
Go through your wardrobe and get rid of items that you no longer wear. Get rid of things that you haven’t worn for 6-12 months, items that don’t go with anything you own and things you no longer like for whatever reason. You can give them to a good cause, sell them on, or whatever you see fit. You don’t want these items clogging up your wardrobe – you want to make space for new, better clothes that are more ‘you’.
It can be tough to get rid of your clothes if you spent a lot of money on them, or even if they were gifted to you – but if you aren’t wearing them, they’re doing nothing for your style. The only thing you can do is vow to learn more about your style and what you like to wear so you don’t make the same mistakes in future.
It’s also worth mentioning that your style can evolve over time. Just because you loved wearing something a few years ago, doesn’t mean you have to keep it. It might feel nostalgic to you, but if you know you’re not going to wear it anymore, you should still get rid of it. Be vigilant!
3. Come Up With A Few Words To Describe Your Style
By coming up with a few words to describe your style, you can keep them in mind next time you go shopping or get dressed. Think of up to three that can help you. Some people might say they are, ‘modern, chic, and sleek’ and some might say they are ‘colorful, fun, and eclectic.’ Once you have the right words that you feel describe you perfectly, you should keep them in mind whenever you get dressed, and especially when you shop.
If something doesn’t match up with how you have described your style, chances are, you won’t wear it enough. You can like something on the hanger without it being a good piece for you. You don’t have to buy everything that you like!
4. See if You Can Find Interesting Ways To Perk Up Your Outfits
Perhaps you can work towards nailing a look that’s all yours by finding interesting ways to perk up your outfits. For example, some people like to layer things up to make them look cooler and more weather appropriate. Some like to cut the sleeves off old t-shirts, or crop them. Others even like to use heat transfer vinyl to personalize their items in a way that shows off their character perfectly.
5. Take Pictures
Take pictures of yourself when you really like your outfits and feel good about yourself. You can then look back at these pictures and use them as inspiration for future events. You should be wearing your clothes regularly so that you get your money’s worth. People feel so under pressure not to wear an outfit more than once because of social media, but this is rubbish! Anyway, if you’re buying clothes you really love, then you won’t be able to resist wearing them again and again.
6. Pay Attention To When You Feel Most Like You
Pay attention to the outfits that make you feel like the best version of yourself. Wear clothes like this regularly!
7. Find People That Inspire You
You should never, ever copy another person’s style. If you want to nail a look that’s yours and yours alone, this is a no go! However, you can find people that inspire you and take a tip or two from them. Many people like to mix up the styles of multiple people that they admire.
8. Get Familiar With The ‘Rules’ – But Don’t Be Afraid To Break Them
There are certain rules that can make dressing easier. However, rules are made to broken! Ignore anybody that says you can’t clash prints. Stripes and leopard print were made for each other.
9. Avoid Fast Fashion And Buy Quality Instead
Fast fashion brands usually sell knock off versions of what the celebrities are wearing. These items are cheap and not made to last. Most of these items end up on a landfill within a few months – it’s becoming more known now that fast fashion is bad for the environment. It’s bad for your wardrobe, too. Wearing fast fashion means you’re pretty much wearing what everybody else is wearing.
Try out some lesser known brands and handmade items. Second hand items and vintage items are great, too. You’ll feel better when you have a wardrobe full of high quality items, rather than items that fall apart after a few wears. It’s always worth spending a little more initially, because then you can spend less in the long run.
10. Get Your Clothes Tailored
Tailoring your clothes can have an awesome effect on your look. Don’t be afraid to find an amazing tailor for things like trousers, blazers, and shirts.
11. Consider Your Lifestyle
Your outfits should suit your lifestyle. There’s no point in owning 5 swanky suits if you’ll never have a place to wear them.
12. Try A Personal Styling Session
A personal styling session can reveal a lot about the colors and shapes that suit you – although you don’t have to pay attention to this advice if you don’t want to.
13. Whatever You Wear, Wear It With Confidence
It doesn’t matter what you wear; hold your head high with your shoulders back. Smile. This makes the world of difference to how your outfits look!
Featured Photo by Godisable Jacob from Pexels
