The Personal Style Formula: Unlocking Your Inner Fashion Icon
Or, How To Find Your Personal Style
In a world saturated with social media and fleeting trends, it can feel overwhelming to define your own personal style. TikTok feeds scroll with a dizzying array of microtrends, each fleeting and fleeting, leaving many feeling lost and unsure of what truly resonates with them. This constant bombardment of trends can actually hinder the development of a truly authentic and individual style.
Over the years as a stylist, I've witnessed countless clients struggle to define their own unique aesthetic. They've fallen prey to the allure of "must-have" items, only to find themselves with closets overflowing with clothes they rarely wear. This constant chase after the latest trend can be incredibly frustrating and ultimately a waste of time and money.
Finding your personal style is a journey of self-discovery. It's about understanding your body, your lifestyle, and most importantly, your own unique preferences. It's about cultivating a wardrobe that makes you feel confident, comfortable, and authentically you.
Here are a few key steps to help you on your journey of self-discovery:
1. Look Within:
Reflect on your past: Think about the clothes you've always felt most confident in. What do they have in common? Are there any recurring colors, patterns, or silhouettes?
Identify your lifestyle: Consider your daily activities. Do you work from home, have a demanding job, or spend a lot of time outdoors? Your wardrobe should reflect your lifestyle. If you live somewhere colder, it's only natural for you to invest in both basic and statement outerwear pieces. If your job requires you to wear business casual most days, invest in good coats, pencil skirts, and trousers. Your style should be a byproduct of your life.
Determine your body shape: Understanding your body shape can help you choose clothes that flatter your figure and make you feel your best.
Read our blog post ‘Embracing Your Silhouette: A Guide to Dressing for Your Body Shape’.
2. Explore and Experiment:
Create a mood board: Collect images of outfits, colors, and styles that inspire you. This could include images from magazines, Pinterest, Instagram, or even from your own travels.
Try new things: Step outside your comfort zone and experiment with different styles, colors, and textures. You might be surprised at what you discover.
Pro-tip: Window shopping is your new best friend. Look around and get a good feel for what you like. Bring them to the fitting room to see how it looks on you. Take note of what you feel when you look at yourself in the mirror. Photograph your reflection to look back on later. Then go home with your wallet never having left your purse. Look back at the photos, analyze the clothes, and then make a list of all your favorites and what you like about them. After a few days or so, you can go back and purchase the pieces you actually like.
Don't be afraid to take risks: Fashion is about self-expression. Try something new and unexpected – you might just discover a new favorite look.
3. Cultivate Your Own Style:
Focus on quality over quantity: Invest in timeless pieces that will last for years to come.
Pro-tip: Compute a clothing item’s cost per wear. Estimate how often you would wear that button-down top in your favorite color per year. Divide that number by the price. From there you can determine if it's worth adding to your wardrobe.
Build a capsule wardrobe: Create a core collection of versatile pieces that can be mixed and matched to create countless outfits.
Embrace your individuality: Don't be afraid to break the rules and create a style that is uniquely yours.
4. Social Media Influence: Let It Inspire But Never Dictate
While social media can be a great source of inspiration, it's important to be mindful of its influence. Don't let fleeting trends dictate your style. Instead, focus on developing a personal aesthetic that reflects your own unique personality and values.
Finding your personal style is an ongoing journey. It's about discovering what makes you feel confident and comfortable in your own skin. Embrace the process, experiment, and most importantly, have fun!
5. Finding Your Personal Style: Let Us Help
Discovering your unique style can be a rewarding yet challenging journey. If you're feeling overwhelmed or simply need a little guidance, The Parisian Touch is here to help. Our team of expert stylists can work with you to:
Uncover your personal style preferences: We'll explore your lifestyle, body shape, and fashion aspirations to define your unique aesthetic.
Build a capsule wardrobe: We'll help you create a versatile collection of clothing that can be mixed and matched to create countless stylish outfits.
Shop with confidence: We'll provide personalized shopping recommendations and guide you through the process of building a wardrobe you love.