The art of personal style

What is personal style? Simply put, personal style is just an individual’s way of communicating their unique character and aesthetic sense through clothing, accessories, hair and make-up. However, personality and individuality can easily be lost amidst society’s beauty standards and trends. Societal pressure wears down the “personal” in personal style. Instead of asking, “do I like it?” we often ask “will they like it?”

On the other hand, a person with a strong personal style balances two highly personalized questions: “What makes me feel good?” and “What message am I communicating with my clothes?” 

Let us begin with the question: “What makes me feel good?” On the surface, this sounds simple. You know what you like, and what you like makes you feel good! But you also probably know that sinking feeling of seeing a dress on the hanger, loving it, trying it on and then hating how it looks on you. You know what you like when you know what looks good on you. Now, this does not mean chasing after changing beauty standards. It does mean finding the particular silhouettes, colors and designs that uniquely compliment your face and body and make you shine. Gone are the days of thinking – what a pretty dress… on someone else. If you know the specific colors or styles compliment your individual features, you can know – what a pretty dress… for me especially! 

But the question “what makes me feel good?” also has to do with what you like! It can be surprisingly hard, though, to really know what you like versus what the current fashion trends make you think that you like. If you see a style enough times, you start to think you like it, even if it does not suit your real tastes at all. A great way to combat this is to come up with “style words” that express your aesthetic preferences. For example, some of my style words are: academic, girly, cutesy, dressed up, fun, comfortable. If you’re having a hard time coming up with these style words, maybe look back on your favorite outfits that you’ve put together and worn over the past few months. What are some words that you would use to describe them? You can keep your style words in mind whenever you decide to buy (or not!) a new trend, or item. 

As you select your style items, you should also ask how you want others to perceive you. Of course, you cannot live your life trying to please other people. But fashion can be a great way to tell other people something about yourself without saying a word. If you want to come across as professional for an interview, you would wear a pantsuit rather than a sweatshirt. This does not only apply to specific circumstances where you might want to look a certain way, but also to the elements of your personality that you always want to express. For example, I always like to have either a feminine or fun touch to my outfits, to communicate my age and also to express lighthearted parts of my personality. Even if I went to a job interview, I would still totally wear pink, or a ribbon in my hair, because part of what I am bringing to the job (as my style will communicate) is a young woman’s vitality and optimism. 

If this article has stirred up the fashion-loving part of your soul, maybe now is the time to go through your wardrobe or your camera roll. Consider: What clothes have I worn the most? What shirts make me feel pretty? Why do I love this necklace? And what does this say about me?