How to Define Your Unique Personal Style

Happy Friday lovelies! Today, I want to talk to you about something I've been thinking about for a while now. We all know that looking good can make us feel good about ourselves and give us the confidence boost we need to take on our day. However, looking and feeling good aren't necessarily achieved by following the latest fashion trends. The key to looking and feeling beautiful is staying true to YOUR unique personal style and reflecting your personality through what you wear. But what if you aren't sure what your style is? How do you define it and then choose outfits that represent it? Let's discuss some practical tips for defining your personal style. 

First and foremost, being stylish isn't the same as being trendy. Trends come and go, but style is timeless. Style refers to the way we express ourselves, whether that be through fashion, through writing, through music, through design, etc. Personal style in fashion simply means developing and embracing an aesthetic that is unique to you. So with that in mind, here are 6 steps to easily establish your unique sense of style. 

We all have favorites in our closet. Tops that flatter us just right, dresses that make us feel beautiful, bottoms that check all the boxes. One of the easiest ways to figure out your style is to pull your favorite articles and think about the things you love about them. What about these pieces makes you feel good about yourself? Take note of what these pieces have in common. Do they have a similar fit, design, neckline, or sleeve? When you identify the consistencies between the pieces, you can look for more pieces like these because they are "your style"! Soon enough, you'll have a wardrobe that you love! 

Start with those in your circle of influence. This could be any family members or friends whose style you admire. Observe how they dress and what you like about their style. You can do the same thing on social media by following celebrities or fashion influencers, taking note of how the dress from casual to work to play. Blogs are full of fashion inspiration, so finding fashion bloggers (like us!) whose tips you find helpful or whose style suggestions resonate with you is another great way to define your personal style. Lastly, fashion magazines are a great source. By reading them, you can learn about different style types and discover which ones most align with your preferences. 

Mood board are a fantastic way to compile your fashion inspiration into one easy-to-access place. Pinterest is a great platform to create fashion inspiration boards on. The algorithm will continue to show you content that is similar to what you pin to your boards so you have a continuous influx of new content in your feed that is tailored to your preferences and style. You can also follow other users, designers, clothing brands, or fashion influences on Pinterest to see what they put together. If you're interested in receiving style inspiration from us, check out our Pinterest here! We post a ton of outfit ideas and new arrivals on a weekly basis there so definitely check us out! Be sure not to overcrowd your mood board. Keep a handful of pins in it that match the overarching aesthetic you're going for so you can easily reference them when you're out shopping. 

A capsule wardrobe is a collection of basics that are both complementary and interchangeable and that maximize your wardrobe by making outfits easy to put together. Essentially, a capsule wardrobe is made of the go-to pieces that you love and that fit your lifestyle. Capsule wardrobes typically consist of 15 to 25 pieces. When creating a capsule wardrobe, consider the items you reach for the most and that you can count on to look good no matter how you style them. This could be a neutral blouse, a jean jacket, a basic white tee, your favorite pair of jeans, a little black dress, etc. These pieces can be mixed and matched with other pieces in the wardrobe to effortlessly create multiple looks. Having a capsule wardrobe helps you spend less time stressing over what to wear and more time loving the way you look and feel! 

Once you've created your capsule wardrobe, you can slowly introduce more unique and bold pieces that are a reflection of your unique personality. This may involve a "discovery" period where you try different styles to find what suits you best. Give yourself the time and the grace to figure it out. It's perfectly okay to try new things and change your mind or preferences. There is no limit on fashion! Besides, personal style is all about you! If bold prints and unique designs sound daunting to you, start small and slowly work your way up to those things. Start by introducing pops of color and statement jewelry into your looks, then work your way to statement shoes, until finally you feel comfortable wearing bold clothing that suits your taste. 

When you create a look that captures your personality and style, take a picture! You can save the picture to a photo album on your phone so that you have a reference when you want to create that outfit or a similar outfit again in the future. Essentially, you can become your own mood board! Saving your outfits in one place helps you keep track of what you've worn and what you liked about each outfit. It also helps you see what looks best on you and find commonalities between the outfits you love so that you can really cement your unique personal style. 

Just like life, personal style is a journey. As you grow, you change as a person, and so do your preferences and style choices. It is my hope that these tips will help you to feel comfortable and beautiful through every season of life. May you always be confident in the way you present yourself to the world, and may you always create looks that make you feel like YOU! 

Blessings, 

Madilyn at Fruit of the Vine