Is your personal style top of mind, or is it something that has totally fallen by the wayside during quarantine? If you’re like most people, ‘style’ is something you may not have even considered for months. After all, you may be thinking, “why, Paul? I'm at home all the time and I’m wearing comfy clothes. Why should I worry about what's in my closet?" But contrary to what you may think, right now is the best time to discover your personal style.
Why? For a few reasons:
You’re working from home. Which means that you’re not worrying about fitting in at the office. You’re not struggling to align your personal style with your company culture and norms. You’re not seeing clients or coworkers or your boss on a regular basis (outside of shoulders up on Zoom).
You’re not worried about what other people think about what you’re wearing. Since you’re seeing fewer people in a week than you usually saw in a day, you’re probably less concerned with what your sister/cousin/friend/parent might say about your outfit.
You’re less distracted by other people’s opinions. So, you can listen to the little voice inside your head about what you really like to wear.
One thing that you may have realized with your time at home is how much you actually get dressed for other people. When you’re heading out of the house on a regular basis, of course you’re going to dress appropriately for what’s going on during any given day – work meetings, school events with your kids, dinner with friends, weekly errands, etc. But outside of being appropriate, you may also be very aware of how others perceive you, based on your clothes. And that’s not a bad thing – actually, it’s something to be intentionally aware of when you want to make a certain impression or work toward a specific goal. But there’s also the notion of getting dressed and loving what you see in the mirror. And now, when you may not be going anywhere on certain days, that can be your main motivation.
Which is why right now is the best time to work on your style. And by ‘work on your style’, I mean taking the time to get a crystal clear idea of what you like and your overall style vibe. You can focus on which colors make you feel great and that you’re excited to wear (do you love a pop of yellow, or does navy make you feel more pulled together?). You can discover which shapes you feel good wearing (are you more comfortable in structured separates, or is a floaty dress your favorite?). You can play with details that express your personality (do studs show your edgy style, or do ruffles show your romantic side?).
Prepping for a styling session with a client.
So, how can you narrow down to your true personal style? Here are a few ideas:
Take note of what you’re gravitating toward in your closet - colors, prints, fabrics, silhouettes, details, etc. Yes, we’re all wearing more of our comfy clothes – but within the realm of ‘comfy clothes’, you’re still making decisions on what to wear on a daily basis.
Take a moment to deliberately think through what you’re wearing for you, and what you’re wearing to meet other people’s expectations. There will always be a time and place when you’re dressing more based on your outward image than your personal preference (like job interviews or big presentations), but gaining specific knowledge of this distinction can be super helpful.
Take the time to get inspired. Especially if thinking about your style in specific terms is new to you, it will be worth the effort to seek out style inspiration through social media, bloggers, magazines, etc. (click here for a quick exercise I recommend to clients).
And once you have a clear perspective on your style – not only what you like, but specific preferences, buzzwords, even photos that demonstrate the vibe you love – it helps in a bunch of ways:
It’s a filter on what should (and shouldn’t) be in your closet.
It helps to determine priorities when you shop and narrow your focus.
It cuts through the noise when you’re making decisions on what to wear.
One of about a dozen style archetype mood boards I use when I’m working with clients.
So, will you take some time to discover your personal style this week?
If you love the idea of gaining clarity on your personal style, but you’d like a partner in the process, then check out my newest virtual service, Style Portfolio. Style Portfolio is a jumpstart to evolving your style, that gives you the tools to create the style you’ve always wanted. After some initial prework a 1 hour Zoom call, you’ll receive your custom Style Portfolio, which includes:
Details on your personal style – using style archetypes that I’ve created based on work with hundreds of clients. You’ll discover your main style archetypes and undercurrent archetypes that influence your style.
A custom personal style mood board – your unique style, illustrated with outfits and street style photos.
Tips on incorporating your unique style into your lifestyle – specifics on how to express the different aspects of your style at work, on weekends and in your social life.
Body shape guides – that demonstrate how to dress your individual body type.
A custom list of wardrobe essentials – items that will help you to express your personal style (that you may already own!).
Here’s what one client had to say after receiving her Style Portfolio:
“The Style Portfolio is great! I love the style mood board and all the tips make me super excited to start putting outfits together…I'm really glad to have gone through the process of Style Portfolio with you..Now I know I already had a framework of style to work with and you helped me find the words to articulate it.”
Contact me to schedule a free 20 minute discovery call to chat about Style Portfolio and read this for a little more information.