Benefits of Identifying Your Style Personality
While color is the most powerful impact on your Best Look, I always start my clients Style Over journey with discovering their own style personality.
At the end of this article I have an optional assignment you can do to help you discover your own style personality. It’s the same exercise I give all of my clients who choose a Signature Style Over.
Knowing your ‘style’ personality will help you:
- Mix and match pieces with each other much easier to create more outfits with fewer pieces.
- Save time shopping because you can narrow down the stores and departments you need to shop
- Select accessories like jewelry and shoes and handbag (or backpack) that are harmonious with the rest of your outfit (a key to creating a stylish look)
- Buy fewer accessories because the styles go with all of your wardrobe pieces
- Convey your preference in style to others (“Hey I may be an athlete, but I love ruffles and lace” is spoken through your outfit).
Style Personality Influences
Style Personality will have a bearing on the colors you pull into your closet. Most of my clients who have the Pure Natural style personality prefer all neutrals. They always consider navy blue a color, not a neutral.
The cuts and styles of pieces are also heavily influenced by the style personality. An Athleisure style personality prefers comfort with style, while a Pure Natural would elevate comfort over style any day of the week.
How to Discover Your Style Personality
I have my clients ‘shop’ the style personalities pinned on my Pinterest Style boards, pinning what they like to their own private ‘style board’. This helps both me and the client. For many clients this is the first time they discover what styles reflect their personality and their lifestyle.
Even if you love pencil skirts and high heeled pumps, it’s unlikely to fit into your lifestyle if you are caring for an aging parent, chasing toddlers, or running your own garden speciality shop. The majority of styles in your closet should reflect the majority of your lifestyle.
Search Suggestions
I recommend pinning styles from any of my six style personality boards. I do recommend pinning some new looks that you haven’t worn before, but you might be willing to try.
Then do your own searches for looks you like. Search by celebrity name “outfits like Rachel Green” or “Kate Middleton outfits”. Search by genre “vintage outfits.” Search by store name, brand, or fashion blogger you like.
Self Discovery
After you have loaded up your style board, take a break for a day. The next day review the pins you saved to your board and start editing it down. Remove the pins that won’t fit your lifestyle. The next day you might think to yourself, “what was I thinking when I saved that pin?!”
You may also think, “These are the same old looks. I need to branch out a little more.” Play around with these styles until you love what you see on your board. Then see if you can find patterns like:
- I pinned 5 styles with ruffles – I love ruffles and had no idea
- Color is on all of these pins, or I only pinned neutrals
- I’m all over the board with various styles, I may need to reign it in to save my budget and closet space
- I had no idea how stylish the Athleisure look can be, and comfortable – I want to try that.
Shop According to Style Personality
Once you know what your style personality is, you can save a lot of time by shopping at the places that have a generous offering in that style. Shop with a list of items you need to complete the style personality in your wardrobe.
Resist the temptation to buy items that won’t complete that style personality. Start with the basic pieces. Consider if you already own pieces that can work for multiple style personalities, including the one you are trying to build out.
Make wise choices. Can one pair of boots work for the jeans, trousers, shorts and skirts with that simple boho kimono? Put the extra savings of only needing one pair of ankle boots towards other pieces you need to expand that style personality further.
Get Started
May I invite you to look at my Pinterest boards that start with the name “Style Me: …” followed by 6 different style personality names. I’ll walk you through the exact steps I have my clients go through before our first online meeting.
- Create your own private Pinterest Board and start pinning looks you like from all six of my style boards.
- Then add pins you find yourself.
- Search thinks like “outfits like Kate Middleton” or “fill in the blank” with the names, brands, genres you like.
- Stores often have pinterest boards you can search as well.
- Look at boards of fashion bloggers.
- The goal is simply to help you see a trend, a pattern of looks that you like.
- Then you can go back and begin to sort through the pins you put on your style board for the reality check. Do these fit your lifestyle? Begin to purge or categorize your style pins into groups like ‘work life’, ‘formal events’,
After they have completed this process, I coach them how to wear those styles in light of their body shape, frame size, and coloring.
