Right from childhood we all have been groomed to dress differently for different events or occasions which later helps us determine our personal style to a certain extent. During childhood days the closet or your wardrobe will have different types of dresses:
- for school,
- for sleeping,
- when at home,
- for outdoor games, or
- to meet a friend, and
- dresses for specific occasions such as –
- attending a marriage or
- visiting an event or going to a party etc.
Personal style is something that we usually misinterpret with Fashion.
What I want to say is we as human beings try to dress for an occasion. It has been observed that people in professional white-collar jobs usually, wear formal and avoid wearing trendy dresses or avoid personal style.
It has been observed that 62% of companies allow informal dress once a week as compared to 36% that allow it every day.
The Notion:
- Dressing up makes sense: Especially where the focus is required or presentable i.e. being neat and curated look is required to represent being responsible and looking mature, whereas informal reflects care carefree attitude.
- Cloths affect how we are treated: It does, as you can see the perceived value of a person in the above point.
Coming back to our topic of defining our style.
Fashion is a multifaceted aspect of our lives, influencing how we present ourselves to the world. It’s not just about clothing; it’s a form of self-expression, a means of communication, and a reflection of our personality. Despite this, many of us often find ourselves conforming to societal norms, suppressing our individual preferences i.e. their personal styles in favor of blending in with the crowd.
As we grow older and enter the professional world, there’s a tendency to adopt more conservative and conventional attire, steering away from our personal styles or trendy outfits that might express our unique tastes and personalities.
We underestimate the power of fashion with respect to personal style. And we usually do it because we have dug ourselves into such a style rut that it’s easier to chalk it up to fashion being frivolous, or just not having the time.
This tendency to conform is often subconscious. We gravitate towards certain attires, not necessarily because we love them, but because they align with the broader perception of acceptability within our social or professional circles. The desire to fit in often overshadows our true personal style, leading us to dress similarly to others even when it might not resonate with our genuine preferences.
What we do not realize is that we as humans behave as per our nature but still dress like others even if we do not like it. This is the hard reality. What we fail is to recognize ourselves as different people and we all have our personal style which we need to understand and do to be ourselves.
Moreover, there’s a prevalent underestimation of the influence and importance of fashion in our lives. We might find ourselves stuck in a habitual style, chalking it up to fashion being frivolous or neglecting its significance due to our busy schedules. This dismissive attitude towards fashion might hinder us from exploring and developing our unique personal style.
However, it’s essential to recognize that personal style is a powerful means of self-expression. It’s not merely about the clothes we wear; it’s an extension of our personality, creativity, and individuality. Our style choices make an impactful first impression, serving as a non-verbal voice that speaks volumes about who we are, our interests, and our values.
So, what exactly is personal style?
It goes beyond trends or societal norms. It’s a reflection of our inner selves, our interests, our creative processes, and our lifestyles. Developing a personal style involves curating a wardrobe that resonates with our authentic selves and how we want to be perceived by the world. It’s about creating a unique image that communicates who we are without the need for words.
Understanding defining and developing our unique personal style, and the way we look can significantly impact how others perceive us and is one of the most effective communication tools.. It’s a tool for creating connections, finding like-minded individuals, and advancing in both personal and professional spheres. Our clothes speak for us before we even say a word, influencing first impressions and forming initial judgments. When we dress in a way that aligns with our true selves, we attract people who resonate with our values and interests, fostering meaningful connections. It’s an expression of creativity, an impactful first impression, and a voice that speaks about you without words.
It’s a common misconception to disregard the importance of fashion in our lives. Fashion is not just about the latest trends or the price tag on our clothes; it’s a tool for self-empowerment, a means to assert our individuality and unique identity. Taking the time to explore and cultivate our style can be immensely rewarding. It allows us to express our creativity, build confidence, and ultimately feel more comfortable and authentic in our skin.
The impact of personal style goes beyond aesthetics. It has the power to influence our self-perception, affecting our confidence and how we carry ourselves. When we dress in a way that aligns with our true selves, we feel more at ease and confident, which significantly affects our interactions and overall demeanor.
In essence, the journey to discovering and defining our style is a transformative process. It’s not just about clothes; it’s about self-discovery, self-expression, and self-confidence. Embracing our style enables us to celebrate our uniqueness and connect with others who appreciate and resonate with our authenticity. It’s a journey that leads us to a more confident, self-assured, and authentic version of ourselves.
Your style should be reflective of your interests, creative process, and lifestyle. When you develop a personal style you are organising a unique image and wardrobe that helps you to express yourself and embody the person you want to be.
Not only can it vastly impact peoples’ impressions and judgments of you, but it can also be a tool to advance you in the world and help you find your people
Your style is a unique combination of different fashion categories that sums up what you do, who you are, and what you like.
While your style might have influences from many fashion categories, believe me, you will have one dominant fashion style related to one category or a mix of multiple categories. To be honest with you, you should have a style in which you feel comfortable to be a reflection of what you are. For me, it’s a mix of the traditional and Western mix for example –Jeans with a Kurta or a half shirt + Jeans + Bundi Jacket.
So, if you have not yet started to develop your personal style, or you do not even know where to begin- then this is the place to start.
Let us understand how we define our personal style.
Table of Contents
8 Steps – How to Define Your Personal Style
1. Find Your Style Inspiration
Check out for people whose dress sense you like and also look for people whose dressings you do not like because your true style inspiration will not be one person. It’s largely a mix of style influences from a few different people. It’s a simple case of your visualization of how you would like to present yourself to others as per the occasion. So start looking for celebrities, models, style icons, or anyone else you’d like to get some style inspiration from.
It is important here to understand and you need to keep in mind what style you like or you are fascinated by versus what the style you actually want to look like.
For instance, I admire unorthodox dressing for any public appearance as I like myself to be represented as a person who is apart from the crowd and people talk about you and your dress, keeping in mind my complexion, height, and body structure. At the same time, it does not mean that I want to wear leather bras, lame shorts, or moody full dresses. These two styles would never combine easily.
So before you jump into haphazardly searching styles you like, go through various styles and make up your mind about how you would like to look yourself or how people to interpret you. Another best way is to do window shopping at various fashion retail stores and check what attracts you the most. Try it out on yourself. Do you get a positive vibe while you wear the outfit? If yes, I think you have found what you want to wear. This is where you get your broad fashion style preference and from there you can dive into picking some style icons.
For instance, if you end up with a trendy fashion style you might be looking at model street style references. And from there you might search for celebrity style icons whom you would like to copy or find your style mixing multiple fashion styles.
But, pay attention to your search results and decide if it is a style you want to wear or just a style you like on other people.
If you’re confused or hit a snag, you need to ask yourself these questions:
- Do I have any of the pieces she/he is wearing in my closet already? (if yes, that’s a good sign)
- Would I style myself like this?
- Does this fit into my primary fashion style?
- Why am I drawn to this look? It could be because you find the subject attractive, or they might have a quality you like, and that is shading your opinion of the outfit
2. Defining your style further
So now you should have some images and style icons in mind, in addition to your dominant fashion style that you found through the personal trail style you just tried.
Next, evaluate what other influences are present in addition to your fashion category and create a unique recipe for your style.
For instance- my style category is trendy and retro influences. This means I love to try new trends, but I tend simple accessories and love vintage pieces to mix into my outfits. This is a unique, personal style.
To figure out your unique personal style you should fill in the blanks:
My dominant fashion category is _________
For jewelry, I like __________.
For shoes I like ____________
Other accessories that I wear would fall into __________ category
A secondary style category that I like and prefer is _________
So your personal style prescription becomes (tweak as needed)
Define your fashion statement by writing down, My fashion style is __ dominant category__, I like __favorite fashion jewelry/shoes/accessory___ to be ___style___, and I prefer to integrate with some __secondary style category___.
This should also give you an idea of what your main fashion style is which you can call as your dominant style. You could end up with a classic style for all of those answers, therefore your style becomes very defined. Or you might end up like mine which speaks to a combination of styles with trendiness being the glue that holds it together.
3. Check your Closet:
Your wardrobe is the foundation of your particular style. And if you don’t feel like your wardrobe works with your style bournes, check out Start Going through your Closet and see what pieces work for your life (work, family, fun, etc) AND that also work for your style alleviation. still, read this, If you need some help drawing out your closet.
4. Put it into practice:
Now that you have an idea of the styles you like and a wardrobe that supports your unique style preference, what you need is to start trying your own performances of these outfit ideas. You shouldn’t be directly copying the outfits, but rather taking particulars from your style alleviation and making them your own. This could mean that you keep the main outfit the same and at the same time keep adding different layering pieces or switching the proportions to look better and fits your body shape.
5. Snap the winners:
Find an outfit you love, and take a quick snap of it so that you can relate back to it latterly. You’ll be basically creating a style alleviation brochure of your own winning outfits. This can be used as a reference when you feel you have nothing to wear, or for alleviation to further push your style boundaries. produce spin-off outfits from there. For case, you might find you love a stretch shirt/ blouse outfit with jeans, but that it can look inversely good and more evening-applicable with leather pants.
6. Find a handpiece:
Further, you develop your particular style brochure, and the more outfits you successfully try- some trends will most likely launch to develop. You’ll find yourself reaching for one or two particulars with enough for every outfit. It could be you always wear fosse fleeces, or you always have a brace of gold loops on, and ultimately, you’ll find your handpiece. Having a handpiece helps tie your style together and helps define yourself to the world. It doesn’t have to be a commodity quirky or out there, just a commodity that defines you. For me, it’s that I love to integrate gaudy published pieces into my outfits.
7. Put your stylish means forward:
What’s the one thing people always congratulate you on? Once you have your style sluggishly defined you can start to really punctuate your stylish features. perhaps people are always telling you what long legs you have, so you start investing in some great straight pants to punctuate that perpendicular line. Or maybe everyone respects your sandglass frame, so you should start adding some belts and fitted covers to punctuate that shape. When we play to our strengths, our confidence will shine. This will help you use your style to reflect the kind of person you are and navigate across the crowd with grace.
8. Do not forget the details:
Just like a birthday cutlet is not a birthday cutlet without the frosting and decorations, your outfit is not complete without the details. Pay attention to your haircut, your beauty look, nail color, and accessories as well. No matter which fashion order you fall into, those details will remain crucial to achieving a true particular style. Each of those details is a way to make your look unique and particular. This is also a great way to integrate your handpiece and/ or develop a hand-beauty look or haircut.
Conclusion:
Your fashion should be an asset that reinforces your confidence, makes you catchy rather unforgettable, and tells the world exactly who you are.
That may seem like a lot to ask of your clothes, but if you start taking control of your personal style you will start to see the magic that comes from it.
Now, go find strength through style.
If you’re still feeling a bit lost. Your fashion should be an asset that bolsters your confidence, makes you memorable, and tells the world exactly who you are. That may feel like a lot to ask of your clothes, but if you start taking control of your particular style you’ll start to see the magic that comes from it. Now, go find strength through style.
Still, if you have any style questions, do feel free to join my Facebook and ask there. It’s an easy way to get feedback or opinions from me.