How To Find Your Style And Know What To Wear

How to find your personal style

10 June, 2021

We have put together a complete guide for you on how to find your own clothing style. Ask yourself the following questions, and you will hopefully find a section that will inspire you to get dressed and get outside!

Before talking style, let’s talk about you

Do you tend to open your wardrobe in the morning and have no idea what to wear? Sorry to disappoint you… But you are far most definitely not the only one! In order to be able to solve this little morning problem, ask yourself:

  • Is it just a one-off lack of inspiration or is my daily lifestyle hard to get dressed for?
  • Have I recently experienced a major change in my life (became a mum, changed jobs, or moved house)?
  • Am I uninspired by the new trends (I can’t keep up with them or I feel out of touch)?
  • Has my body changed (weight loss or gain, hair colour change, physical change…)?
personal style
personal style

All these factors – and many more – obviously influence our perception of ourselves. It is more difficult to find ourselves when we are going through a turbulent moment, but sometimes it is enough to be aware of the reason for our momentary lack of inspiration in order to solve it!

Moreover, starting to identify your clothing style will give you a new key to expressing yourself. Ready?

What do we mean by fashion style?

In fact, at Lookiero we include much more than your look when we talk about style. Your personal style is a reflection of your personality, your desires and your needs at any one time; it depends on your lifestyle, your life moment, your image. Your style evolves with you, and it is not your style that defines you but you who control it, in your own way.

fashion personal style
fashion personal style

What stages are there in the search for your personal style?

Identify your preferences

  • Everyone likes different things. Open your wardrobe, what colours are there in it? What cuts and materials do you use the most? Your accessories, your bags, your coats, scarves and shoes all tell you something about yourself.
  • Do a little survey amongst your loved ones: do your friends, family and colleagues always think you look good when you wear maxi dresses, or is it maybe skinny jeans…?
  • Ask yourself that same question, but this time try to ignore the opinions of others. This is actually the most difficult thing to do, since clothing is, at least partially, a social tool: do we dress for ourselves, or do we dress for others? Close your eyes and think: what clothing makes you feel more like yourself?
  • Make a note of your favourites. Whenever something catches your eye (on social networks, films, in the street…) note what inspires you, those looks that make you turn your head. This way, you’ll be able to build up references that will also tell you a lot about your personal taste.

Identify your strong points

Each of us is made up of different elements. Even though we might classify ourselves as having a certain shape or features, certain skin tone or hair colour, remember: you are unique and we don’t expect anyone to fit into any box. These categories are only there to help you make some choices and try different things.

what is my body type

Your skin tone, eye colour, skin tone, height, the shape of your hips and the shape of your chin, the length of your feet and how you stand, the width of your jaw and the roundness of your cheeks, the length of your neck and the angle of your shoulders… The list is almost endless, and all these things make you who you are.

Take the time to look at yourself in a mirror. Without judgement, try to analyse your physical characteristics, your strong points. This list will help you with your clothing choices.

If you need a hand, here are some of the guides we at Lookiero have put together to help you identify your strongest features:

  • What’s my body shape?
  • What colours suit me best?

Identify your lifestyle

Whether you are an art student in York or a nurse in the outskirts of London, your lifestyle is very different. Think about your character and your social circles.

Take the time, once more, to think about your lifestyle. Are you a student or a worker, face-to-face or always on email? Do you live in a small town, in the suburbs, in the countryside? Do you live in the South or in the North, what’s the weather like? Do you use public transport, do you cycle, drive or ride a motorbike?

Also ask yourself how much time you spend each day and week on different activities: work/study, social time, family time, leisure, time for yourself (do you have any?). Try to think about it as percentages: “I spend 5% of my time each week on… “.

Do you live alone or in a shared house, as a couple, with your family, with your parents or grandparents?

Once you have answered these questions, you will be able to better identify your needs, desires and drivers.

Identify your budget

And now, let’s talk about clothes and budget. Here again, we offer you a series of questions that will help you to understand your taste in clothes:

  • Do I tend to buy a lot of clothes that are inexpensive?
  • Do I prefer to buy less but invest in quality choices that will last me a long time?
  • In general, do I buy a lot of clothes every month?
  • Do I mostly buy clothes when the seasons change?
  • Do I make spontaneous purchases, or do I look for a piece that will complete an outfit I already have at home?
  • Or am I a mixture of all the above?

Did you answer all these questions honestly? Well done! You have just completed your factual self-portrait. This means that you know yourself more objectively and can now start to identify what constitutes your personal style.

How to recognise your personal style

Here are the four steps to sorting your wardrobe and identifying your personal style.

Trust the basics

Your basics or wardrobe staples are those timeless pieces that are never far from your wardrobe or suitcase, those ones you often end up buying twice without realising it. These are the clothes that will form the basis of your style.

Choosing your basics well will allow you to structure your wardrobe and develop a personalised style. If you asked the team at Lookiero, our top five are: a pair of well-fitting dark jeans, a quality jumper or Breton top, a wrap dress or shirt-dress, a loose cotton t-shirt and a black or white blouse.

Declutter

Don’t be afraid to go all Marie Kondo on your wardrobe. We already talked about the benefits of decluttering your wardrobe and all the benefits it can bring. Follow our tips and, who knows, you might even find that you’re surprised with what you like and don’t like any more!

Organise

Try to organise your clothes differently inside your wardrobe. Sometimes, even just not seeing the same clothes every morning, helps to lift that feeling of “having nothing to wear”.

Why not try to organise by colour? You’ll be able to see what you wear the most and it might push you into new colour territories. It could also help you to try different colour combinations that you’ve never tried before. Who knows? This could be a creative solution to your style rut!

Test a new trend

Have you written any notes or ideas of looks you’ve spotted while walking around? Did you spot any original pieces that you loved? Maybe even some crazy items that you’d never dare to wear?

Now’s the time to try.

An original print, a crazy collar, an asymmetrical cut, a low neckline, a shorter hemline… be daring and give it a try!

That’s the motto of our Personal Shoppers: gently take you out of your comfort zone. Because when you see yourself in a different light, you change the way you look at yourself. This goes beyond aesthetics; it’s a big step in self-confidence.

fashion personal style
fashion personal style

How to put together your personal style choices

The moment of truth is here! We have put together some advice to help you refine your personal style choices.

“Fashions fade, style is eternal”

Live by this quote by Ives Saint Laurent, and don’t get too hung up on every single seasonal trend.

We all have our preferences when it comes to fashion trends. Some years you feel that the colour of the season is made for you! And the following season, all you can think is “no way”: maybe you hate stripes, and they’re all over the high street. Maybe that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give things a little try…

Your taste and style evolve at their own pace, and it doesn’t matter if they fit with the latest fashion trends or not. Live by your style… but don’t close yourself to unexpected suggestions. You may be surprised!

Remember your accessories

A dress worn with a long necklace or with a men’s watch will speak volumes about your personality. You can express yourself by adding accessories to your clothing.

Scarves, jewellery, bags, belts, worn in the usual places or, why not, in your own way: experiment at home and let your imagination run wild. Once again, listen to yourself: you are the best (and only) judge you should care about!

Not without your favourites

Like many of us, you may have your favourites. Your grandmother’s jumper, even if it’s a little worn out; a scarf given to you by an old friend that always makes you feel good; a jacket you bought on a trip in 1995 that you love, even though it’s not trendy at all anymore…

These favourites are part of your personality and the story of your life. They must have their place in your style and your life.

From head to toe

We’ve already said that your image is not just your clothes: your hair cut and colour, polished or unpolished nails, tattoos, piercings (or lack of)… they all say a lot about you.

As with your clothing choices, it’s not always easy to know what you want. In times of transition as uncertain as those we have been living in the last couple of years, it can be difficult to see yourself clearly.

Don’t hesitate to seek professional advice. Your hairdresser, your friends, your Personal Shopper… Sometimes, you need someone to take a look from the outside in order to see yourself more clearly.

fashion personal style

More ideas and inspiration to find your personal style

At Lookiero, we are always trying to help you find your personal style. Why not read some of our articles on…

  • Preppy style, a classic twist on the style inspired by students in American campus
  • Minimal style, since the end of the 90s, this is more than a choice for a basic look: it is a sober style that breaks with the times
  • Athleisure or comfy style, the big winner of the last couple of years: a style that gives the sportswear wardrobe its credentials by integrating it into our city looks
  • Street-urban style,which stands out for its irreverence and its rebellious mixtures
  • 90s fashion, reminiscent of our fashion icons of the past, from Ally McBeal to Sex & The City
  • Rock style, worn by different generations with the same passion and rebellious spirit
  • Casual wear, which adds a elegance and flair to comfy style, and remains the ideal style for mixing several moods in one day without having to change your clothes
  • Ladylike style, think Grace Kelly and Old Hollywood glamour
  • And don’t forget the biggest source of personalised style inspiration: your Personal Shopper!

    Read more
    What is classic style?

    What is classic style?

    Comments
    Tanya Storey;
    1 August, 2021
    Please tell me if I’m sending you too much information and your overwhelmed as I’m hooked ! I would shop daily with you if I could afford it 😆. As a nurse Iv reached 55 and about to go part time . Yippee! More time to style and as an ex model . It’s in my blood . Thank you all
    Lorna Duncan;
    25 August, 2021
    I am a nurse about to turn 59, I love colourful clothes but with style , not fussy or to patterned. Have blue eyes, blonde hair natural colour was brown. Complexion is fair with freckles can have high coloured cheeks .
    Lookiero Team;
    25 August, 2021
    Hi Lorna, Many thanks for your comment. We have forwarded it also to your stylist so she can gain more inspiration for your next box.
    Mary Favill;
    11 November, 2021
    How do I amend my personal style profile, I have lost weight
    Lookiero Team;
    11 November, 2021
    Hi Mary, To update your Style Profile, please access your Lookiero account and click on the main menu on the top right corner. Then select the option “Style profile” from the list. Once you access your Style Profile, you can update/change your style and preferences.

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