How to find your personal style in 6 simple steps

You are not what you wear, but you can say a lot about who you are with the clothes you choose to put on.

Style is built over time and it evolves, it might change slightly or a lot depending on your personal circumstances, but it’s always there.

In the same way that owning a surfboard doesn’t make you a surfer, having lots of trendy clothes is not going to magically make you stylish. Owning many items may only confuse you. As the great Yves Saint Laurent said “Fashion fades, style is eternal.”

So how can you understand your personal style and dress for it? Here are six ways I often use with my clients to help them discover more about their personal style.

How to find your style: analyse your wardrobe

Set aside the pieces in your wardrobe that you wear the most, that reflect who you are right now, and that you are always looking forward to wearing because they make you feel amazing, comfortable and yourself!

Can you describe these pieces in simple terms like ‘relaxed’, ‘feminine’, ‘fun’, ‘colourful’, etc? Write all of these words down.

Matching your personality

What do you like most about your personality? Your key positive traits should be visible for everyone to see, so try to show those qualities through what you wear.

For example, if friends often tell you that you are fun and energetic, you might want to reflect this more by experimenting with colours and textures, adding fun prints to your everyday looks, or finding amazing accessories to match your energy. Add these words to your list.

Your lifestyle

What you do every day has a massive impact on what you wear. So you need to be realistic and think about how you can wear appropriate clothes for the activities you do during your week.

This doesn’t mean that they have to be boring, it’s about finding a balance. For example, you might love a ‘quiet luxury’ aesthetic or beige everything, but if you have kids or a dog you have to walk every day, some of these clothes might not be the most suitable for your lifestyle.

Rather than trying to force a specific style, think about how you can introduce a vibe of your chosen style while still dressing appropriately for the lifestyle you have.

Style icons

A style icon can be anyone; it doesn’t have to be a celebrity, model or influencer. It could be someone in your family or a friend. It can even just be an aesthetic that you aspire to.

Now think of a word to describe your style icon or that aesthetic you like, but remember this is not about copy-pasting an entire look, it’s about using it as inspiration to find your own voice.

How to find your style: finding inspiration

Take all of the words in your list and type them into a Pinterest search. You can do one search with all of the words or separate them across multiple searches. There are no rules, just mix it all up – we’re looking for inspiration! You can also add more words to give the search more context, like ‘spring/summer’ or ‘outfits’. I like to write ‘street style’ as you get a lot of great looks from some of the most stylish women out there.

Then create your own Pinterest board with the pictures from your searches that inspire you the most. Expand your board with pictures of yourself wearing outfits you love or items in your wardrobe that you need to find ways to style. Add anything that inspires you – even pieces of art, magazine editorials, interior design, whatever tickles your fancy!

It’s important to keep updating your inspiration regularly. It’s a really good exercise to help you see more clearly what your style is and this will help you create outfits you’ll love, and avoid shopping for things you won’t wear.

Detox your social media accounts

It can feel very difficult to be ourselves when we’re surrounded by external inputs every single second. We all follow too many accounts that, let’s be honest, might not be doing anything good for our mental health.

So just as we clear out our wardrobes every season, occasionally stop to detox your socials.

Stop following those accounts that encourage you to overindulge in buying new things all the time – sadly those ‘hauls’ really aren’t good for your wallet, the planet or your self-esteem!

Follow people who truly inspire you, lift you up, give you healthy doses of inspiration and positive vibes, and ultimately have a style of their own.

And that’s it! In just a few easy steps you’ve brought your inner style to the surface and given it room to breathe. Now you can refer back to your Pinterest board to give you outfit inspiration and a little lift when you need it most.

Want more tips and guidance on how to find and dress for your personal style? Or even make the most of the clothes you already have? Let’s have a chat!