girl-ish
Tips for Discovering Your Personal Style By Cassandra Ernst We are all on a serious quest in this world. The quest to discover your perfect style. Whether we’re at home, work, or out with friends, we want a look that transcends the department store and makes us look effortlessly put together and uniquely ourselves. It may seem like a struggle, but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. To find the perfect, effortless style, you just need to do a little self-reflection and a little window shopping. 1. Go Shop! My two favorite words! But for this particular exercise I have a bit of a catch. Put away the credit card! At least for now. It’s easy to walk into a store and start buying clothes without thought. You will need a little self-control in order to truly figure out your personal style. Use that self-control to pick three of your favorite clothing stores in the following categories: Thrift Shop, Department Store (I prefer Kohl’s or Nordstrom/Nordstrom Rack), Designer Store (I shop at the Michael Kors Outlet). Take a day to spend one to two hours at each of these stores and be prepared to take pictures and notes. An honest friend is optional. Personally, I believe that you often know what looks and feels best for you. But if you feel as if you need a second opinion, feel free to invite a friend along. Or invite two or three and make it a personal style discovery day! First, take note of the items that you are most drawn to. What section of the store do you walk towards first? What style of clothing stick out? For me, this has always been the dresses. Additionally, I love lace, intricate beading, and soft and silky material. On the other hand, I love trying on things that make me feel like a rock star. Certain colors catch my eye as well, but I’ll delve more into colors later. These pink Ann Taylor dress pants ($5 at the thift store) combined with this Rock and Republic top ($12 at Kohl’s) makes me feel like a professional rock star. Second, try on clothes and take note of the cuts and styles and how they fit you. I don’t look good in collared shirts. I look even worse in a turtleneck. There are a few exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, I don’t even bother trying them on because I know I’d just be disappointed. On the other hand, I know exactly which dresses and tops best flatter me. 2. Check Out Your Closet! Take note of which articles of clothing are your go-to outfits and which ones you haven’t worn in months. Compare these outfits with the notes you took when you went shopping. More than likely, there are many similarities across the board. You have probably been shopping in your style for years without even noticing. However, impulse shopping—especially when you find a great bargain—can result in dozens of clothes that don’t fit your personality or the look you’re trying to present to the world. That’s not to say that just because you haven’t worn an outfit for a couple months you should throw it out. Sometimes seasons matter—your style may change with the weather—once the summer months hit, you won’t see me in a pair of dress pants. You’d be hard-pressed to find me wearing jeans, even on casual Friday. I have a love relationship with my legs and I like to share them with the world for as long as I am able. On the other end, when winter comes around, although I still love dressing girly, I like to pair that style with edgy looks. A little toughness goes a long way and I love dresses and blazers that have a hint of leather. As a result I find myself dressing in darker colors – especially black – in the winter months, while I prefer to wear bright-colored outfits during the Spring and Summer. This Michael Kors Dress that I snagged for $35 dollars at an outlet store gives me just the right amount of edginess. 3. Know Your Colors! Recently, a friend tried to get me to buy a royal blue top. Objectively, I should probably look good in that color. Although I self-identify as a deep autumn, I never truly figured out the Seasons thing. But personally, I think what’s important is which colors make us smile when we look in the mirror. Which colors make us feel good when we walk out the door? For me, blue isn’t one of them. However, purple is. This purple dress is BCS and I bought it for under $10 at a thrift shop. The blazer is Roz & Ali, which I got for $15 at Dress Barn.
I also have an obsession with: White, for which I blame Olivia Pope. Most shades of pink, especially when I mix a few shades together. Black, whether it’s in leather or it’s in lace. Stand out colors in deep green, bright yellow, and powerful red. When you know what colors you’re looking for before you walk into the store, it helps to narrow down your choices while shopping. 4. Create a style mantra! Use it when you're shopping for clothes for any occasion. My style mantra is: feminine with an edgy twist Sometimes I may err on the side of more feminine—especially when I’m going to work or out on a first date. Other times, I may be a bit more edgy, such as when I’m going to a bar or out dancing. But no matter what, I shop for clothes that fit within the parameters of the style mantra I own. What’s your style mantra?
1 Comment
Kiley
1/28/2015 05:00:37 am
Wow, Cass! I really like these tips and am going to put the 3-store method into practice next time I'm due for some new threads :)
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