How to Find Your Personal Style: A Practical Guide

It is possible to be authentic with what already exists in your wardrobe and innovate without fear of judgment

In an age of social media, when everyone is looking to stand out amidst a feed full of information, having your own style is essential. Is it possible to continue purchasing discount women's clothing on famous websites and apps of the moment, but making more assertive choices that add to your style, instead of leaving you the same as everyone else.

Many people still believe that it is necessary to hire a professional specialist or spend a lot of money when improving their style. The truth is that a few changes in habit, and a certain amount of time to look at yourself, are enough to reflect an improvement in personal style, even without renewing your wardrobe.

Self-knowledge influences your style

The first step to finding a style that suits your personality is to ask yourself why you are looking for it. It is common for there to be phases in which we get sick of our everyday clothes, our hair color and our own personality. Some situations can influence a more drastic change in appearance, such as ending a relationship, moving to another city and growing up.

We are not talking about seeking psychoanalysis (although it is a valid recommendation for everyone looking for greater self-knowledge), but rather, observing how your style reflects who you are. Some people end up overlapping with their work routine, for example, and this reflects when it comes to dressing for other occasions.

Steps to Building a Personal Style

No matter your age, it is always possible to upgrade your personal style, and some steps can help you go through this process in a more organized way. With the enormous amount of information on the internet, nowadays it is much easier to look for reports from those who understand the relationship between personality and style, and be inspired by these people.

Find patterns in your wardrobe

Before completely recycling your clothing or listening to opinions from others, you need to identify what your current style is like. The tip is to put together three different looks: one that you would wear for work, one that you would wear for a moment of leisure and another that is more elaborate, for a party, for example.

This helps you identify patterns when dressing, such as the presence of basic pieces, accessories that are repeated, the modeling of pieces, etc. You can repeat this exercise with all the pieces in your closet, separating those that work on several occasions, that is, more versatile, and those that you consider less wearable.

Try trends that really speak to your personality

At this point, you probably already have an idea whether your style is more focused on basic, comfortable pieces, or whether you have a more exuberant look based on unique pieces. The ideal is not to be held hostage by fashion trends, but to identify which ones suit what you like to wear and which can add to your style.

It's important to remember that trends, especially with the internet, are fleeting, and not always jumping on the bandwagon of an aesthetic will be favorable for your style. It's better to stick to the classic jeans-and-t-shirt than to wear flashy prints from head to toe, which will highlight your discomfort instead of making you look cool.

Make a habit of searching for references

Go beyond social media and use apps like Pinterest to collect references. Here, the suggestion is to broaden your view, saving images of looks that you wouldn't always wear, but that have some element that catches your attention. Over time, it's natural for you to make a filter when it comes to dressing and add your own styling touch instead of copying other people's compositions.

Have fun in the process

Fashion is about personal expression, experimentation and knowing how to have fun in the middle of it all. Don't look for a personal style just to be noticed by other people, but rather so that you feel confident and know how to communicate your personality in different ways.

The search for personal style can be quick or take longer than expected, and this process is a direct reflection of how each person deals with different issues, from self-esteem to the energy to be productive on a daily basis. Laughing at looks you've already worn that no longer match your personality and understanding this naturally is fundamental to a well-defined personal style.