This is a comment from a member of my Facebook group recently, after I’d been talking about how dressing in colours and styles that suit your physical appearance can improve the way you look, but bringing in your personal style helps you to FEEL more like you – and indeed the best version of you!
We all have our own unique style, but we just don’t always realise it.
So, what is it and how can we introduce it into the way we dress?
Our personal style develops and evolves as we go through our lives and is often influenced by the people around us and experiences in our personal lives, such as relationships, parenthood, health issues, career and much more.
There are a number of specific styles that stand out, such as Classic, Dramatic, Romantic (plus a few more), which probably all bring pictures or an idea to mind of what people with these style personalities look like, but we don’t all belong in just one neat little box. We are often a mix of 2 or maybe 3 different types.
As an example, I would put myself in all three of the types I’ve mentioned above, to different degrees, depending on my mood, what I’m doing etc.
I dressed in a pretty classic style for much of my life, perhaps with just a touch of romantic. It wasn’t really until I did my image training that I started to explore more dramatic styles. I would break down my style roughly as follows:
60% classic – 30% dramatic – 10% romantic
I wear quite a lot of neutrals (a very classic trait), although I do also like colour, so I mix the 2. I love a tailored jacket and a well tied scarf, but also more dramatic proportions of oversized tunics, usually with a hi-low hem, teamed with large accessories – bold necklaces and (more recently) dangly earrings!
Then again, I love fabric with feel appeal, such as cashmere and velvet, as well as some sparkle – very romantic influences.
If I’m feeling expressive, I’ll go for a more dramatic look, but if I’m meeting a new client, I’ll revert to a more classic style, just in case I make her feel uncomfortable.
Here’s a few questions to ask yourself to get you thinking:
- Do you love to wear colours, or prefer neutrals (black, grey, navy, white etc.)?
- Do you have lots of shoes or just a couple of pairs that you wear all the time?
- Are you a fan of jewellery or have no time for such things?
- Do you like prints? Florals / geometrics / large or ditsy prints?
- Do you go for a high maintenance hair style or wash and wear?
If you are able to answer these questions without thinking about them too much, or you know that you are somewhere in between the options I’ve mentioned, it’s a good indication that you have quite a clear personal style.
Once you know what your unique style is, you can start to play around with looks and find what feels right for you.
There are occasions when it would be advisable to tone down the more unusual style choices, for example, if you’ve got an important interview or you’re hoping to win some big corporate business, so do bear that in mind. Other than that, go for it and express yourself!
You’ll find a FREE and fun style personality quiz on my website, which will give you a more accurate idea of where you are in your personal style journey right now. Follow this link to grab a copy and have a go for yourself: www.ulookgreat.net/shop.
I’d love to know what you discover and if you’d like to take things to the next stage and get some help with your ideal colour palette, body shape analysis etc., do get in touch. I’d love to help you with your journey into self-discovery. Just Contact Me with any questions or book a free discovery call in my online diary.