(via pinterest)
Yves Saint Laurent knew exactly what he was talking about when he said the quote above, Fashion trends are always changing and fashion will always be subjective. However, your personal style will last forever because it reflects your personality. The question is how do you find your personal style? Not too long ago, I was on the journey of figuring out what my personal style was. Now, I’m just finessing it. I’m going to share with you some tips on how to figure out your personal style and where to start when you have no clue!
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Find Inspiration: Inspiration is literally everywhere. You can find it in a magazine, on a blog, on the TV, from a celebrity, from a family member, from a friend, etc. You can stumble upon it anywhere! When you find your inspiration, come up with a few words to why you’re inspired. My inspiration was found via 4 sources: the blog Vanilla Extract (Nichole Ciotti), Adrienne Bailon, Zoe Saldana, and Jennifer Lopez. These 4 women give me outfit envy 98% of the time. Adrienne Bailon and Jennifer Lopez give me classic, glam bombshell. Zoe Saldana and Nichole Ciotti give me classic, casual chic. Ultimately, I would describe my hybrid style as classic, bombshell chic.
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Take a Look in Your Closet: Try to figure if there are any patterns. Do you find a lot of bold colors? Do you find bold patterns and textures? Are there more neutral toned colors? Are your clothes more minimalistic or glam? The questions can go on and on. I figured out pretty early in my high school years that I detest bright shades of pink. I also don’t wear pastels unless it’s peach toned. I’ve literally worn the color mint ONCE and that’s only because my mom bought me a mint top (bleh). I also realize that I only wear bold colors if they’re paired with an earthy, neutral color. You won’t ever find me in orange and yellow together, without some neutral tone in there. Orange and beige? Sure. Yellow and white? Why not? Almost everything in my closet are shades of black, grey, white, red, brown, and blue. I’m not fond of crazy patterns either – they have to be subtle.
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Find Your Fit: Do you like clothes that hug and accentuate your figure? Would you prefer flowy, baggy clothing? Remember sometimes this can change depending on circumstance but for the most part it’s consistent. When’s the last time the Olsen twins wore something that hugs their body? Exactly. When’s the last time Nicki Minaj wore something oversized or baggy? You get my point. Personally, I need something that accentuates my pear shaped figure. You’ll find plenty of pencil skirts, high waisted jeans, low cut tops, button down shirts, midi dresses, and jumpsuits in my wardrobe. However, I do own 3 oversized shirts because they are highly comfortable and I love the way they look with boyfriend jeans 🙂
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Figure Out Your Go-To Stores: What is the first store you go when you’re at the mall? What are the first 5 stores? Those stores are obviously your go-to stores when it comes to your style. What sector of style do they fall into? Glam? Chic? Vintage? Boho? Preppy? Every store has a theme. You won’t find the same clothes that you find at Zara at Free People – those are clearly opposites. My go-to chain stores are H&M, Forever 21, Zara, Bebe, and Express. Your favorite stores are usually related to each other style wise. However, you can dibble dabble in a few different themes. For instance, while 95% of my closet sticks to my “classic, bombshell chic” style personality, I do have a few boho and urban pieces.
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Confidence & Comfort: Whatever style niche you fall into, make sure you’re 100% confident and comfortable in what you’re wearing. If Ariana Grande is wearing a skin tight dress but those aren’t your thing, then DON’T WEAR IT. If 5 inch heels make you wanna rip your feet off, then stick to 3 inch heels. Just because you admire someone doesn’t mean that what suits them suits you. Hence, why I said that 98% of the time my style icons give me outfit envy. There is that 2% where I may not like what they’re wearing. Heck, J.Lo and Zoe Saldana have both been on my worst dressed list before. It happens, but it’s not a huge deal. Inspiration doesn’t mean imitation. You don’t have to wear exactly what you’re style icon wears. They’re just meant to inspire. Put your own personal touches and spins on your outfits.
Always, always, always remember that fashion is subjective! What may work for you may not work for your best friend, your mom, your brother, your neighbor, etc. Just do you boo boo and feel confident doing it! That’s really all that matters.
fashenty 