Find Your Personal Style

Adding more clothes to a wardrobe that already feels confusing rarely makes things better. If anything, it usually makes getting dressed even more frustrating. When you’re unsure of your style, it’s so easy to fall into the cycle of buying things because they’re trending, because they looked amazing on someone else, or because you’re convinced they’ll finally be the piece that makes your wardrobe feel complete. But more often than not, they end up hanging next to all the other clothes you’re not quite sure about.

So before you buy anything new, give yourself permission to take a little break from shopping. Not forever, just long enough to figure out what you actually love. Once you have that clarity, shopping becomes so much easier because you’re no longer buying clothes for your fantasy self, you’re buying for the girl who actually wears them.

Start collecting images that make you stop scrolling.

Use pinterest, instagram, magazines, movies, or screenshots from your favorite creators, celebrities, influencers, etc. Don’t overthink it and save anything that catches your eye.

Aim for 50 to 100 images.

Once you have a collection, look for patterns:

• Do you love neutral colors?
• Are you drawn to soft, romantic outfits?
• Do you prefer oversized silhouettes?
• Is everything formal and classic, or relaxed and effortless?

Try to remember that we’re not copying other peoples styles and wardrobes, but using them as inspiration for our own choices.

Choose three to five words that describe your ideal style.

Examples include:

• Elegant
• Feminine
• Relaxed
• Romantic
• Minimal
• Vintage
• Maximalist
• Coastal
• Sporty
• Chic

These words become your filter whenever you’re deciding what to wear or buy.

Yes, everything. Seeing your wardrobe laid out in front of you makes it much easier to spot what you actually wear and what has just been taking up space.

Separate your clothes into three piles:

Love It
These pieces make you feel confident, comfortable, and happy. They’re the items you naturally reach for again and again.

Maybe
Items that fit and are perfectly wearable but don’t really excite you.

No Longer Me
Pieces you never wear or no longer feel connected to. Maybe they suited a different version of you, but they don’t feel right anymore.

Now, pay attention to the “Love It” pile. What do those clothes have in common? Do they share similar colours, fabrics, fits, or silhouettes? Your favourite pieces are often the biggest clues to your personal style.

It’s so easy to build a wardrobe for the person you wish you were, but the clothes you own should make getting dressed for your actual life feel effortless.

Ask yourself:

• Where do I spend most of my time?
• How often do I dress casually?
• Do I need workwear?
• Do I go out often?
• What climate do I live in?

Your wardrobe should support your everyday life, not an imaginary version of it. When your clothes match your lifestyle, you’ll naturally get more wear out of them and getting dressed becomes so much easier.

Notice which colours make your complexion look brighter and, most importantly, make you feel your best. These are the shades you’ll naturally reach for time and time again.

You don’t need to limit yourself to one seasonal colour analysis or completely avoid certain colours. Instead, think about building a colour palette that feels cohesive. When most of your wardrobe sits within a similar colour family, mixing and matching outfits becomes so much easier.

A good place to start is choosing:

• A few neutral colours
• Two or three accent colours
• One or two statement shades

This doesn’t mean every item has to match perfectly, it simply means your wardrobe works together, so getting dressed feels effortless and you can create far more outfits with fewer pieces.

Every stylish person has a few recurring elements that make their outfits instantly recognizable. They’re the little details they come back to time and time again, no matter what they’re wearing.

Your signature pieces might be:

• Gold jewellery
• Ballet flats
• Leather jackets
• White button down shirts
• Wide leg trousers
• Hair bows
• Structured handbags
• Oversized blazers

Of course, your signature pieces don’t have to be on this list. They can be anything that feels uniquely you. Over time, these little details become part of your visual identity. They’re what make your outfits feel personal, and undoubtedly yours, even when your style evolves.

Instead of reinventing an outfit every morning, create a few combinations you know you’ll always feel good in! Think of them as your go to formulas. Once you have a handful of outfits that you know suit you, getting dressed becomes so much quicker and far less overwhelming.

For example:

• Straight leg jeans + fitted top + loafers
• Satin skirt + knit sweater + boots
• Linen trousers + tank top + oversized shirt
• Dress + cardigan + ballet flats

Of course, your formulas will look different depending on your personal style and lifestyle. The idea isn’t to wear the exact same outfit every day, but to have a reliable starting point that you can switch up with different colours, accessories, or layers. Outfit formulas save time while keeping your style feeling consistent and unmistakably you.

Once you’ve figured out what you like, shopping becomes less about buying more and more about buying better. Instead of picking something up simply because it’s trending or on sale, start asking yourself a few simple questions before every purchase.

• Does this match my style words?
• Can I wear it with at least three existing outfits?
• Would I still want this if it wasn’t trending?
• Does it fit my lifestyle?

If the answer to most of these is no, it’s probably not worth buying. It might look beautiful on the hanger or in a tiktok haul, but that doesn’t mean it belongs in your wardrobe. The best wardrobes aren’t built through impulse purchases, but built by one thoughtful purchase at a time.

One of the biggest misconceptions about personal style is that once you’ve found it, you’re never allowed to change it. In reality, your style is supposed to evolve alongside you.

As your interests, career, confidence, and lifestyle change, your wardrobe will naturally change too. The clothes you loved at 18 might not be the clothes you reach for at 25, and that’s completely normal.

Instead of feeling pressured to keep up with every new trend, focus on refining what already feels authentic to you. Add new pieces that genuinely fit your style, let go of the ones that no longer do, and allow your wardrobe to grow with you. That’s how personal style becomes timeless. It’s about staying true to yourself as you change.