Developing a Personal Style that Feels Authentic to You
Do you ever feel like your wardrobe doesn't quite reflect who you are? Do you want to express your personality through the clothes you wear? It's time to dress for your personality! Everyone has a unique personality, and we should all strive to express it through the way we dress. By understanding our personal style essence and how to dress for our personality, we can feel more confident in our daily lives and enhance our personal brand statement that explains who we are.
The Benefits of Dressing for Your Personality
Dressing with your personality style highlights who you are and helps you look good and feel great. There are several key benefits of dressing for your personality:
Improved Confidence: When you choose clothes that reflect who you really are, you will find that your confidence increases significantly. Not only will people know what kind of person you are, but they will also be able to appreciate your uniqueness and individuality.
Expanded Self-expression: By exploring different types of clothing styles, you can express yourself in ways that may have been impossible before without worrying about others' opinions or judgments. You will be able to show off the real "you"!
Enhanced Creativity: Once you understand which style best suits your personality, it is easier to combine fashion elements in new ways and create inventive and original looks. Stretch the boundaries and get creative with fashion!
Personalized Style: Everyone is different - so why should we all dress the same? With dress-your-personality style, it is possible to create a wardrobe full of clothes that cater specifically to your individual needs and tastes. Create an outfit that fits perfectly with every occasion - whether it's casual or formal, day or night!
Dressing according to your personality style offers an exciting opportunity for self-discovery, growth, and improved recognition from those around us!
The 7 Personality Styles
To dress for your personality, it's important to understand the different personality styles and identify which one resonates with you. Here are the 7 personality styles:
Casual Sporty
Graceful Elegant
Charming Romantic
Uniquely Creative
Alluring Sensual
Voguish Minimalist
Worldly Sophisticated
Take some time to reflect on these styles and determine which one aligns with your personality the most. This will serve as a foundation for building your personal style.
Tips for Dressing Your Personality Style
Now that you have an idea of your personality style, here are some tips to help you dress accordingly:
Style Tip 1: Understand Your Personality Style
The first step to dressing your personality style is understanding who you are. Take a moment to think about your likes, dislikes, interests, and hobbies. This will give you an idea of what your personality style is. For example, if you love vintage clothing and are passionate about all things retro, you might have a vintage personality style.
Style Tip 2: Look for Inspiration
Once you understand your personality style better, start looking for inspiration. Look online for blogs, Instagram accounts, and Pinterest boards that showcase your style. Pay attention to the colors, patterns, and styles that are popular in your style.
Style Tip 3: Build a Wardrobe that Reflects Your Style
Once you have a better idea of your style, start building a wardrobe that reflects it. Look for clothing that fits your personality style and makes you feel confident and comfortable. Don't be afraid to mix and match different patterns and colors to create your unique look.
Style Tip 4: Accessorize
Accessories are a great way to add personality to your outfit. Look for unique jewelry, hats, scarves, and shoes that complement your style. You can also experiment with different textures and fabrics to add depth and interest to your outfit.
Style Tip 5: Be Confident
The most important thing when dressing for your personality style is confidence. Wear what makes you feel good, and don't worry about what others think. Your style is a reflection of who you are, and you should be proud of that.
Developing Your Unique Personal Style
Developing an image that feels both authentic to who you are and representative of the message you want to convey is instrumental to the success of your career. If you want to command authority, be viewed as a leader in your field, or take on clients with bigger portfolios and larger responsibilities, carrying yourself at a higher level is imperative. Just as you wouldn't leave your negotiating or leadership skills to chance, so too should you not leave your image.
The Importance of Personal Style
The clothing we wear doesn't define who we are, what we want, or what we're capable of – but it most certainly influences how we feel and how we're perceived. Even if you're not working with a Stylist, crafting your personal brand is something that's completely within our control!
Acknowledge What Hasn't Been Working
In order to figure out what you want to achieve, it's important to start with an honest assessment. Developing your personal style is all about generating confidence, so it's critical to look at the relationship between the clothing you wear and how it impacts your state of being. Reflect on times when you've felt disempowered. What were you wearing and did you struggle to put that outfit together? Look further to see if there are patterns in these experiences. When you give presentations, for example, are you consistently aware of your appearance and the way your coworkers see you? Does date night leave you struggling to find clothing that makes you feel like the best version of yourself? Your wardrobe should act as a natural extension of who you are, showcasing your features and personality. Acknowledging when it's not serving its purpose lets you know which areas to pay most attention to.
Determine How You Want to Show Up in the World
Ask yourself how you'd like to be perceived by your clients, spouse, community, and anyone else you interact with. Establishing a description of how you want to show up in the world provides the foundation for your unique personal style. Choose words that paint a vivid mental picture of the way you want to be seen. These will become your 'style descriptors'. Adjectives like powerful, compassionate, sophisticated, and intelligent provide a measurement to assess your image against. It's important to keep in mind that you're always driving your personal narrative, whether you're conscious of it or not. What do you want your style to say?
Identify Your Inspiration
Studying the work of those who've already mastered a skill is a useful place to start when learning something new. As you begin to determine the framework for your sense of style, it's helpful to draw inspiration from people who fit your mold. Whether it's celebrities, politicians, TV characters, or co-workers, make a list of individuals you view as consistently well-dressed. Getting clear on who you look up to helps you better identify what your preferences are as you build a unique personal style of your own. This exercise can often feel difficult. As creatures of habit, it's challenging to envision ourselves wearing something other than what we're familiar with. For the time being, ignore the natural hesitation to step outside your comfort zone and instead focus on what appeals to you.
Build a Visual Style Guide
Create a collection of images that reflect your desired sense of style – search for outfits you'd like to try, icons who embody your aesthetic, and anything else you can use as a reference to help build your personal brand. Pinterest is a great platform for compiling ideas. Their algorithm is quick to learn your preferences and make personalized recommendations. Alternatively, you can save images into a designated folder on your phone or cut out pictures from magazines and build a physical mood board. Collecting photos allows you to see what your preferences look like as a whole and easily identify patterns in your taste. This visual framework serves as your style guide while you begin to put outfits together and decide what you're going to wear.
Assess What You Own and Let Go of What Doesn't Align
Getting clear on the image you're creating for yourself will help you assess what's in your closet with honesty and objectivity. Chances are you've been wearing the same thing for years, not because you chose it strategically but because it was familiar. It's time to be more methodical about what you're wearing. Review your current wardrobe piece by piece to determine if each item fits with the style you plan to achieve. Commit to letting go of anything that doesn't align. Holding on to clothing out of sentimental attachment will only guarantee you repeat old patterns. Keep the items that match your goals and part with the rest. A closet that serves you well doesn't have to be one with endless options. Your ultimate goal is a capsule, comprehensive wardrobe where everything works together interchangeably and creates a style that's uniquely you.
Embrace Exploration & Discovery
When you initially built your Pinterest board, you may have included photos of your favorite aspirational celebrities. After all, they're very fashionable! But as it turns out, your lifestyle is different than theirs and those red-carpet ensembles don't exactly translate to your 9-to-5. That's ok, it's all part of the process! Building your image doesn't happen instantaneously, so give yourself permission to play around and explore. Creating a sense of style is a trial and error process designed to help you discover what makes you feel like the best version of yourself. Use what's in your closet to experiment with new outfit combinations. Go to the store and try on silhouettes you've never seen your body in. When you step outside your comfort zone, you discover new possibilities for yourself and are able to create an image that's authentically you.
Commit to Strategic Shopping
To shop effectively, you'll need to have a plan in place; otherwise, you're destined to repeat similar buying habits you've formed up to this point. Make a list of specific items you're missing in your current wardrobe so you're clear on what you're looking for when you get to the mall. It helps to break up your shopping and focus on a few items each trip. Our minds havea tendency to get overloaded when we have too much to consider. If blazers and pants are on your list, save blouses and sweaters for another day. You're much more likely to find what you need when you're not clouded by decision fatigue. Commit to buying only the clothing that makes you feel like the best version of yourself. If you try something on and don't immediately experience excitement, don't buy it. If all the options feel just 'okay', and you have to convince yourself one is a winner, look elsewhere. Purchases like these almost never end up getting worn. Save your money for the styles you love, and don't settle for something in between.
Get Excited to Get Dressed
When you're clear on your unique sense of personal style and have built a wardrobe that reflects your message, getting dressed no longer feels overwhelming. It's one step in your morning routine that sets you up to operate from a place of empowerment. Wearing clothing that makes you feel good ignites your self-confidence and drives you to perform at a higher level. When you feel your best, not only do you command more authority from others, but you have greater trust within yourself. You take more risks, assert more attention, ask for what you want, and push yourself to be better. Style is so much more than nice clothing and designer trends. It's one of many tools at our disposal that we can use to help us show up in the world as the best version of ourselves.
Conclusion
Creating a wardrobe that reflects your personality and developing a personal style that feels authentic to you is a journey of self-discovery and self-expression. By understanding your personality style, seeking inspiration, building a wardrobe that reflects your style, and embracing exploration, you can confidently dress in a way that showcases who you are. Remember to be true to yourself, let go of what doesn't align with your style, and commit to strategic shopping. Ultimately, your personal style is a powerful tool that can enhance your confidence, empower you, and help you make a lasting impression. So embrace your unique style and unleash your true potential!
