How I Found My Personal Style

For as long as I can remember, I've always loved clothes and fashion, and I've always had a very strong vision of what I like to wear. However, that's not to say that my style has stayed the same, in fact it has changed quite a bit especially in the past year. I think that is mainly down to the fact that I 1. have started to feel more like an adult than I ever have before and 2. because I have started to consume more and more fashion content. I thought today I'd share a few tips on what I found most helpful to hone my style.

Do a Thorough Wardrobe Clear-Out ~ When I really got an itch to revamp my wardrobe I started out by clearing out everything in my closet, and by everything I mean everything. When I had everything laid out I realized how much stuff I had in my closet that hadn't been worn in years. I had shirts that I had not worn since high school and so many other things that just would not fit my aesthetic at all now. I would recommend taking everything physically out of your wardrobe/closet/drawers just so that you can see everything and consider every piece to either keep or get rid of. It has also helped me to do pretty consistent clear-outs on a smaller scale if I don't find myself wearing certain pieces or if I want to replace something that already exists in my closet with a newer or better version.

Take Inspiration from Everywhere ~ I think taking inspiration from everywhere has really helped me hone in my personal style, because at the end of the day I think that what you wear is a direct reflection of your personality and interests. I personally take a lot of my inspiration from the music I listen to and my parents. I am a big fan of rock music, especially 60s and 70s rock like The Beatles, the Stones, Bob Dylan, The Doors, The Ramones, and the list just goes on and on. I love the toughness of rock music and emulating that in my style and combining it with slightly more feminine pieces has made me really be able to express what I like beyond just fashion. My parents also are big influences on my fashion. A few months ago I found an amazing picture of my dad in the late 70s wearing the most amazing white Levi 501s. I've loved Levis for as long as I've been wearing jeans but that picture really made me love 501s that much more, especially since 70s fashion is back in style. My mom's philosophy of buying classic tailored pieces(oh and not to mention her intense love of black boots) has also been a massive influence on my style. I don't buy much trend-driven clothing, but rather interesting and well-made basics that are versatile and can be dressed up or down.

Devour Fashion Content ~ As I mentioned before, I've been consuming even more fashion content than I did before. I've taken more interest in it and found it so much more entertaining than I ever have in the past. I watched a video with Camille Rowe and British Vogue where she goes through her closet and explains her fashion philosophy, which is very much in-line with mine, where she prioritizes comfort over everything and likes to elevate the most basic outfit like jeans and a t-shirt, with fun vintage tees and amazing-fitting jeans. I also love Lizzy Hadfield, for really interesting takes on rather minimalistic outfits. Lizzy's instagram is absolutely incredible, her blog is incredibly well-written, and her YouTube videos on testing fashion basics are amazing and so well-thought out. Anna fromThe Anna Edit also has great taste and really focuses on basic, classic pieces that look really smart and minimalist. I've found that consuming a lot of fashion content has re-inspired me to be experimental with my wardrobe, while allowing me to really pick out styles I do like and styles that I don't think would be best suited on me.

Play Dress-Up ~ After I did my full wardrobe clear-out and found new ideas for outfits, I took it upon myself to try on as many outfit combinations as possible. I also made a concerted effort to use the inspiration I had found on the fashion bloggers and accounts that I had seen to put together pieces that I had never put together before and see if they worked. I found this really helpful for cutting down on feeling the urge to fill holes in my wardrobe because sometimes pairing a piece with a piece you wouldn't normally pair it with is enough to see the piece in a totally different light. For me, this was the most crucial part in honing in my style because it allowed me to use the clothes I already own and experiment with them so I'm not getting stuck in a fashion rut.