Your Unique Personal Style
Finding (and refining) your personal style can be a struggle. There’s nothing more frustrating than opening your wardrobe in the morning, prior to an important engagement, and not knowing what to put on. Maybe it’s because you’re bored with everything hanging there, and you’re desperate to rock a new look. Maybe your old favourites are no longer serving you – generally, what you wore in your twenties just isn’t going to work in your forties, let’s face it! You might not follow every new fashion and trend, but you also realise that pulling on the same tired old jeans and Nirvana t-shirt just isn’t showing you at your best anymore. So what should you do? All it takes is a little practice, and here at Edith Chan Image Consulting, we have some fantastic tips to help you save time, feel confident and feel in control of your style choices. So let’s take a deep dive into some key areas of styling.
1) Understanding the power of colour and style
Colour plays a vital role in your lives, and when you wear the right colour, it affects how you feel every day; why certain colours make you feel good, and why others don’t; when creating a personal style to wear clothes, YOU should be the focus rather than the clothes, highlighting your beauty and creating harmony with your appearance; when the colour and style is right, it really gives you power. So why not use this to your advantage and choose colours each day based on: a) what flatters you and makes you the focus, looking brighter, more vibrant, energetic and alive and b) who you are communicating with? What is the reaction you want? Do you need to exude power or gain consensus?
2) Wardrobe Clear-Out
You need to let your clothes breathe – and an ordered, organised wardrobe will be an absolute pleasure to wake up to every morning, and you will feel calm and mood-boosting – rather than a jammed-packed mess of things you’ve hardly worn or which no longer fit you. Take 10 minutes a day to select five items of clothing from your wardrobe or drawers. You can group them into categories (jeans, t-shirts, jumpers, etc.) and then colour because it does make it easier to search for a specific item when you’re getting dressed in a hurry.
Are they in good condition? Do you even like wearing them?
Do they still fit (there’s no point hanging onto things in the hope of losing several kilos in the future). Donate items that are of no use or, if you’re not sure, put them in a bin bag at the bottom of your wardrobe – if you haven’t needed them in the next six months, you’ll know that it’s time to donate them! Once you’ve liberated your wardrobe of extraneous items, it’s time to get organising trousers together and dresses and tops separately. This is a great way to rebuild and refine your wardrobe with a personal style that truly reflects where you are in your life and career.
3) Hitting The Shops
Now you know a) what you’re missing from your wardrobe and b) what fabrics, colours you’re naturally drawn to, you are less likely to make mistakes when purchasing new clothes. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t experiment with new tones and styles! If you’re itching to try a new colour but are worried that it won’t suit your skin tone, then try buying accessories such as shoes or bags in that colour – or buy a scarf and tie it around your handbag. It’s a quick and easy way of updating your style, while remaining on-trend. Make a list of the items you don’t already have, and take it with you (or just keep it next to your computer while shopping online). Stick to your list so you won’t be tempted to stray and pick up another impulse buy. If you only purchase to fill the holes in your wardrobe, you’ll build a great selection of clothes much faster.
4) Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
Now for the scary part. It’s so easy to always head to Zara or H&M and pick the usual kind of clothes. Instead, it’s worth trying a new shop, a place you’ve never been in before. And not only that, select a few items that you wouldn’t normally choose and go and try them on in the changing rooms. You might be surprised. A smart, tailored jacket in a colour you wouldn’t normally choose could go a long way to upping your personal style game. And you’ll feel so much more confident if it’s in something other than grey or black!
5) Observe, Observe, Observe!
Another great personal style tip is to keep an eye on what other people are wearing and figure out why you like their style. Take mental notes of what it is about the hat, dress or trousers that they are wearing that catches your attention so much. Then think about how you could make a similar look work for you. Copying their look head-to-toe probably isn’t going to work! But draw inspiration from aspects of their style and see if you can incorporate new items into your wardrobe.
6) Trust Your Instincts
And finally, something that makes you feel confident and beautiful is never out of style. The single most important thing when developing your style is to be true to yourself. Don’t focus on the size or the designer label (this will only hinder your creativity!). Continue to experiment with different patterns, textures, accessories, and shoes. It all boils down to feeling good in your own skin — your style should reflect and celebrate your life, your individuality, and personality. Own your style, be proud of it, and embrace fashion as a way to express who you are and who you want to be. I remember being told that I “dressed for the job I wanted, not for the job I had”. Trust your gut, because something that makes you feel confident and beautiful never goes out of style.
At the end of the day, you should never feel pressurised into wearing something you’re not comfortable with, which is why we offer a personalised service and a 15 minute obligation-free consultation call.