Finding Your Personal Style

With summer in full swing there are a plethora of adorable sun dresses, shorts and tanks floating around. Sometimes it can be overwhelming between all of the options shown in-store and on blog land. How do you define, and then stay true to your own personal style?  

Knowing how to choose a piece that you will love for more than a season is a difficult task, but developing that skill is one of the key steps to building a wardrobe of interchangeable staples that can easily adapt to different trends.

One of the first and perhaps hardest steps to finding your own style is to stop looking at others. Too often we compare ourselves with others. It’s a lifestyle that is encouraged by social media, tabloids, and our own insecurities. It does us no good to copy the styles of others if while we are wearing it we feel out of place and self-conscious. Ladies it’s time to step up and be yourself! No more apologizing for style, your shapely calves or anything else! You are beautiful just the way you are and its time you start believing it.

So our first step is to stop comparing ourselves to others, and to start figuring out what you like, what looks good on you, and what you feel good wearing. Next, why don’t you take a week or a few days and go through your closet. Try and pick out those pieces that you absolutely love. The pieces that make you feel great. Try and notice any brands or designers that seem to be mainstays. While you’re going through your closet why don’t you pick up a few things from around the rest of your home, a favorite pillow, that lamp that just has you written all over it, or even a mug that makes you smile every time you use it. Style isn’t limited to your wardrobe after all!

Your third mission now that you hopefully have a little bit of self-confidence built up log back into your Pinterest account or break out a few of your favorite magazines, but only look at what you have pinned, or dog eared in the past. Try and take note of any trends, colors, styles, and overall tone of the pictures.

Now that you have done a good bit of self-research try and compile it, you could start a notebook, another pin-board (physical or on Pinterest), a file, or anything you would like. Have you heard of Polyvore? For the technically savvy it can be a great program, and its free! The point is to compile all of the information that you worked so hard to gather so that down the road if you are feeling uninspired again you can simply look back through your personal style guide and have a place to start afresh.

Want a little more help? I have a degree in fashion merchandising and design and one of my passions is to help woman feel confident in their own skin. I would love to help you find your style and build a wardrobe or home that shows that off. If you are interested in getting a fresh perspective on your wardrobe or need some help with deciding on what to add to your wardrobe feel to email me at doublegracedesigns@gmail.com with what you would like or check out my shop for a personal style portfolio.