The (never ending) Journey of Finding your Personal Style
It's a toughie...
When I originally started toying with the idea of launching WTF, I asked my Instagram followers what topics they’d want to see me chat about the most. ‘How to find your personal style’ was highly requested and I immediately tried to push it to the back of my list. Until very recently I felt as if I had no idea what my personal style was, so how could I try and help other people find theirs?
In my early teenage years when I first started to become interested in clothes and fashion, I always assumed that when I discovered my personal style it would mean I slotted myself into one specific sub-culture. Such as streetwear, or mod’s, or goths. As if life would actually be like the start of every teenage coming of age film where they describe all the different groups in the cafeteria - I wondered what table I’d finally find myself sitting at.
The past few years in this mindset have been challenging, because I love experimenting with so many different styles and trends that I never felt like I belonged to one of those tables. This left me lacking confidence and always feeling like my outfits weren’t ‘right’. But recently I’ve come to realise that that’s ok, personal style is whatever makes you feel good, and it’s constantly evolving.
This is one of the great things about the internet, you can always find individuals or groups of people with the same interests as you - especially when it comes to fashion! Since using Instagram mostly for stalking peoples styles, I’ve found so many people who love to experiment and mix different styles, so now I always look to them for ideas. Without the internet I don’t think I would have come across a lot of the brands that I now feel really resonate with my personal wardrobe.
So I have put together some tips that will hopefully help you find your personal style, because I think they have helped me…
TOP TIPS TO HELP YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY:
TIP 1: PINTEREST IS YOUR BFF!
Teenage me did not appreciate Pinterest enough, I thought it was boring and way preferred Tumblr - even though it was probably rotting my pre-pubescent brain. However, I don’t think Pinterest was quite as cool as it is now, back then it was mostly weird craft videos and memes your mum would think are funny. Now it’s outfit inspiration heaven and I can’t go a single day without using it! Usually for help trying to choose an outfit, or what to cook for dinner, or just for adding things to my many many boards. I basically have a board for everything at this point - nail art to future business ventures, and cute hairstyles I’ll probably never get round to trying.
The board I use the most is my ‘clothes’ board, where I pin all things style inspo, runway looks, trends or cute styling ideas I want to try out. I’d 100% recommend starting your own ‘clothes/fashion/outfit’s’ board if you’re trying to explore your personal style more, I find mine massively beneficial for a few reasons:
I tend to browse through it most days when I’m feeling a little lost for what to wear, you might come across combinations you hadn’t thought of or just see a certain vibe you want to recreate that day.
Speaking of recreating, when you are pinning images for inspiration, don’t get caught up in not having the exact same clothes as the person in the picture. Try and pinpoint what you like about the outfit, chances are you might already have the same shapes or colours in your wardrobe.
It’s a way healthier alternative to Instagram doom scrolling! When you’re in the mood to just lie in bed and endlessly scroll on your phone, try switching to Pinterest instead of Instagram or Tik Tok. I guarantee you’ll end up feeling a lot more inspired and positive once you eventually get out of your slump.
TIP 1.1 Create ‘sub-boards’ within your boards to categorise your pins into different seasons or events. Such as ‘winter style’ or ‘beach holiday’, that way when it comes to picking out an outfit or packing your suitcase, you know exactly where to look.
Click here to take a look at my own Pinterest style board, but I’ve also included a few of my current favourite images from it below.
TIP 2: BUY MULTIPLES OF STYLES YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE IN
I actually discovered this ‘concept’ through my boyfriend, who rarely struggles to put an outfit together and is one of the best dressed people I know. When I’m stood in our bedroom surrounded by clothes crying that I have “nothing to wear”, he’s already fully dressed. He once told me that when he feels comfortable in something, he just buys multiples in the same style but different colours or patterns. I realised this is something I rarely do as I’m always trying to chase something new or more exciting.
But this is easier said than done - learning what shapes and colours you feel comfortable in is tricky, especially when you’re in your mid 20’s, as your body is still constantly changing. I feel as if I’m only just getting to grips with the fact I look completely different to how I did at 16, or even 21. But I have started to notice myself constantly gravitating towards certain styles, such as baggy trousers, long smock dresses and clogs. So recently I have been buying more of those items instead of things I know I’ll probably never end up wearing out the house! I live in cargos for work days and now have a few different neutral colours, they’ve become a total staple of mine.
If you read the last edition of WTF, you’ll know I find it impossible to buy tops and basically live in plain t-shirts. I much prefer to add fun elements to my outfit with shoes and other accessories. So now I’m making a point of investing in nicer, better quality plain tees that will last me longer and go with all of my outfits.
If you find yourself always wearing the same style of trouser/dress or top over and over because it makes you feel confident and comfortable - look for similar versions to add to your wardrobe and remember that outfit repeating is OK!!
TIP 3: DON’T BE AFRAID TO STICK TO A BRAND YOU <3
This tip stems from a brand I love very very much - Ganni! Now this is no shock to anyone who knows me IRL or just through the internet. I have found myself wearing more and more of the brand the past 2 years or so and began to worry that I wasn’t branching out enough when shopping. But then I realised why I was adding so much Ganni to my wardrobe - because their clothes make me feel great.
As I said in the intro to this newsletter, I’ve always loved mixing different styles and the juxtaposition between traditionally feminine and masculine styles. I feel like as a brand Ganni do this so well, I love all of their styling and take such inspiration from it. I remember once seeing them pair loafers with tracksuits and I just knew this was a brand I’d be wearing and shopping for a long time! I always feel comfortable in the shapes and styles they do, which is huge for me as going out feeling uncomfortable in your outfit is just a recipe for a bad day.
So if you find a brand that makes you feel this way, don’t be afraid to stick to it.
TIP 4: DOCUMENT YOUR FAVOURITE OUTFITS
On those days where you leave the house feeling really good in your outfit, make sure to take a photo of it! In the mirror at home, the mirror at work, a mirror on the street - anywhere. Just document it and keep it in a separate folder on your phone. I try and do this most mornings at work, so when I wake up having one of those days where I feel as if I have no clothes, I know I have something to reference and wear again.
TIP 5: DON’T BE AFRAID TO EXPERIMENT WITH ACCESSORIES
Since finding pieces that I wear all the time and feel super comfortable in, it’s become second nature to reach for them every day. As great as it is to have those pieces that will make you feel good, some days they might feel a little tired or boring. I’ve found experimenting with accessories is key to sprucing up your wardrobe. “Accessories” can mean anything from bags to hats to jewellery, but I also like to think your hairstyles and make up can be accessories too. Adding a sparkly eyeshadow and a few plaits or buns can make a casual outfit work for the evening too.
I used to never invest in accessories as I always wanted more for my money so would always buy bigger, more ‘worthwhile’ items. Then I discovered how easily scrunchies or nice socks would make my daily outfits feel fun again, and overnight I became an accessories person.
TIP 6: DON’T ONLINE IMPULSE BUY - STICK TO YOUR WISHLIST
Recently I started a Wishlist on my notes app where I add links to pieces I want to incorporate into my wardrobe. I check back on this every week or few weeks and usually end up deleting half the things and wondering WTF I was thinking at 2am when I added something crazy to it that I would never have the balls to wear.
I’ve been guilty of over-consuming, haven’t we all? But this is a really great way to find pieces you absolutely love, and have the time to think about if they will work well with the items you already own. I’ve found that since doing this, when I do eventually buy something I’ve been pondering over, it makes it feel so much more exciting. It reminds me of when you were a teenager and you’d finally saved up enough money from your part time job to buy something from Topshop that you’d been desperate for! Then you’d wear it non stop until it fell apart.
Heres a few pieces on my current wish list that I haven’t pulled the trigger on yet -
I hope some of these tips help you figure out what makes you feel like you, and if you have any tips of your own I’d love to read them in the comments.