What is personal style?
What does personal style mean to you?
I would assume that it means something different to all of us but with some common threads… Perhaps it is the clothes you wear? Or a commonality between the clothes you choose to wear that fit into a certain type of style like ‘minimalist’ or ‘boho chic?’ Or perhaps you think it is something more personal - more about feeling - like how you feel when you wear that tutu skirt, or that dress you bought on holidays that always makes you feel light and carefree?
One of my favourite definitions that I found online was on LinkedIn (of all places).
“Personal style is an expression of our individuality and a powerful tool for self-expression. It goes beyond following trends or imitating others; it's about embracing who we are and showcasing it through our fashion choices.”
Full article here.
And while this is a great definition in theory - I think it is harder to execute in real life. Because how many of us know who we truly are?
We each have a lot of outside influences that also impact us - a lot of the time without us even noticing. Culture, our upbringing, societal norms, media - especially social media as well as our peer groups all have sway over us and our choices. I am instantly reminded of that scene in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ where Miranda Priestly is explaining how Andy thinks she chose the cerulean blue jumper when in fact it was actually chosen for her by a group of people at ‘Runway.’ So do we think that we have more choice than we in fact do?
Having grown up in rural Ireland, culture may have impacted me less than other countries but it was still present. There is a whole social media thread about trying to be stylish in Ireland and the abuse people get for trying to do or wear something different! I remember a white furry hat with black spots that I bought at Penny’s (Primark) when I was about 10 which I loved, and wore to school only to be called Cruella DeVille! And like it or not, it is incredibly difficult to continue to love and wear something once you have been likened to Cruella Deville!
As well as that your style most likely evolves over time. The person you are expressing in your mid twenties is definitely not going (or at least unlikely) to be the same individual you are expressing in your late 30s. And while I still enjoy showing off my legs - the skirts I am wearing are definitely longer now than they were 10 years ago! If I am being honest - I was also a lot more body confident in my 20’s, plus I was running around London living the corporate dream… things have changed, and my wardrobe has adapted. Am I dressing any less me now than I was then?
Similarly we are impacted by the trends. It is all well and good if wide leg pants are part of your personal style but if all the shops have are skinny jeans, then eventually you may have to concede or compromise; well unless you have the patience to do a lot of online searching! I anticipate that not all of us think we want to adopt the mobster wife style that is suddenly appearing everywhere online, but eventually some part of it will permeate some part of all of our regular wear.
Starting to feel like I am just asking questions in this post?
But I do have some tips to help you find your personal style!
Let’s go back to that dress you bought on holidays - why does it make you feel so good? Is it just because it reminds you of holidays? Or is it the colour, the shape - the way it makes your body look?
Experiment! Can you find some clothes in similar colours, a top with a similar shape, and see if it evokes the same feeling of amazingness! Experimenting is key if you want to explore your personal style - how do you know that yellow floaty top is actually perfect for you if you don’t ever try!
Do you know what body type you have (in terms of shape)? And then do you know what clothes are best suited for that body?
Do you know which colours suit you better? In general you can wear whatever colours you want on your bottom half but it is good to be mindful of the colours you wear around your face. It is crazy how much of difference you can see in your face when you compare colours that suit you, and colours that don’t. You can genuinely go from glowing to looking like you haven’t slept for 3 days with a change of colour by your face! Try it with a warm tone (try orange or yellow) and a cool tone (like pink or blue), use a mirror while facing the light, and prepare to be amazed.
Explore your mindset! Do you know or understand why you have been sticking to black all these years? Or why you have stuck with the uniform of leggings and baggy jumpers since the pandemic? Without really examining what is going on - changing a few items of clothes is like putting a bandaid on a broken leg, and the change won’t last! That’s why I think coaching is soo key to this process of discovering personal style!
Fashion Feng Shui! This was such a revelation for me! I go into detail on each of the soul essences here in other blog posts - Earth, Fire, Metal, Water and Wood. But we each contain all of these elements - but there is also a dominant element which is your soul essence. Understanding your soul essence is a key part of finding your personal style - this is the difference between clothes looking good - and clothes making you look and feel amazing!!
Ultimately I think it doesn’t matter that each of us probably has a different definition of what personal style means to us - I think what really matters is that we wear clothes that make us feel and look great; that we trust our judgement and wear that confidence on our bodies every time we leave the house!