How to Discover Your Personal Style in 6 Easy Steps

Do you want a look that reflects who you are and showcases your style? Are you looking to buy clothes that you'll actually wear? No more spending hours shopping without a clear idea of what to get?

I'll help you.

As a fashion enthusiast, I believe the choice of clothing style is vital and deserves some attention.

Indeed, finding your own style isn’t just about being comfortable in what you wear; it’s also a way to gain self-confidence, to feel beautiful, and to save significant amounts of money by purchasing clothes that you will actually wear and enjoy for a long time.

Today, I’m bringing you a straightforward guide that will help you, with some practical tips, to determine your personal style and find clothes that you’ll genuinely love to wear.

To discover your style, start by taking a good look at your wardrobe to identify the clothes you genuinely love and wear enthusiastically on a regular basis. Next, try to find the common threads among these items: this will serve as a foundation for your search for inspiration. You can do this by exploring the style of someone you admire and creating collections of your favourite looks on Pinterest and Instagram. From there, you can sort through your wardrobe by donating or selling pieces that no longer resonate with you. Finally, identify the key elements of your style (prints, types of clothing, fabrics, accessories): these will guide you in your next shopping adventure!

Want more details? Keep reading to find out:

• How to define a style and what it means in fashion,
• An easy method to analyse your wardrobe and declutter your closets,
• Effective tips for establishing a style that suits you,
• Advice on finding clothes that you will genuinely love during your shopping trips,
• And lastly, more information about the bohemian chic style that embodies the essence of our site, Life of Bohemian, to see if it might be a good fit for you!

What does it mean to have a style?

To discover your clothing personality, it's essential to first understand what it entails and to break down common misconceptions about what does or doesn't constitute a style:

• It's a way to express who we are, whether through our clothing, writing, or the way we decorate our homes. Your style reflects your personality and tastes: it is unique.
• In the fashion world, it's a means for an individual to reveal who they are through their aesthetic choices in clothing, accessories, hairstyles, and especially in how they select and combine the elements that make up their outfits.
• A style is timeless. Someone with style doesn’t necessarily follow the latest trends, but their way of dressing is always consistent and adheres to a particular aesthetic. Having a personal style means being able to choose clothing that aligns with one's character and preferences, rather than following fashion blindly.

In the following lines, I’ll share a simple and effective method to help you discover your style, which means to:

➡️ wear clothes that you love and that you feel comfortable in,

➡️ know in advance which outfits you can wear time and again without ever getting tired of them.

Step 1: Assess Your Wardrobe

To start off, you'll need to open your wardrobe and have a look at your clothes, accessories, shoes, and so on. Choosing a style is very visual, which is why I encourage you to do this practically, by laying out all your clothes in front of you.

Some signs that suggest you're still searching for your style...

First, sort through and take note of the clothes you have hardly worn or haven't worn at all. Sometimes we buy clothes for the wrong reasons:

• Because it’s really affordable,
• Because they were on sale and the discount was quite appealing,
• Because that’s what was on the mannequin,
• Because a friend encouraged me to grab this item.

Do you recognise yourself? If so, it might be time to define your style so you can finally buy clothes that you’ll wear time and time again. By examining your fashion personality, you’ll also save money, as you won’t clutter your wardrobe with rarely worn, or even brand new, clothes!

How to find what truly suits you?

Now that you've identified the clothes you're not too keen on, focus on the ones you do like:

• that you have worn many times,
• in which you always feel great,
• that boost your confidence when you wear them,
• which you can easily match.

Once you’ve identified them, sort them out and arrange them so they’re all visible, like on your bed for example. You can then proceed with a little analysis by asking yourself the following question:

➡️ What do these clothes have in common?

To answer that, take a good look:

• The types of clothing: pants or skirts? Shirts or t-shirts?

• The patterns: plain or printed? Animal prints? Floral? Spots or checkered?
• The fit: loose or fitted? Long or short skirts?
• The materials: natural (cotton, linen) or synthetic (polyester)?
• The colours: warm? Cool? A dominant shade?
• The brands: all different? Is one brand standing out in particular?
• The accessories: what type? What material? How do they complement the rest of your outfit?

From these findings, you can already start to see a style that truly reflects your tastes and what you enjoy.

Step 2: Draw Inspiration from Your Role Models

Next, I suggest we take inspiration from some remarkable individuals to help us move forward.

➡️ Among the celebrities and influencers on social media, are there any individuals whose style you admire? Is there anyone whose wardrobe you’d like to replicate in your everyday life?

For me, it includes the following:

• Vanessa Hudgens
• Vanessa Paradis
• Kate Moss

Vanessa Hudgens / Vanessa Paradis / Kate Moss

Once I managed to identify them, all I had to do was ask myself what they had in common to realise that they actually had a boho-chic style, which really aligns with my tastes.

👉 Sometimes there are people you admire and appreciate for their unique style (like Diane Keaton and Helena Bonham Carter). However, that doesn't necessarily mean you want to dress like them. The idea here is to find people whose wardrobe you’d love to borrow, whose style resonates with you.

Step 3: Visualise Your Style!

The technique discussed in the following paragraphs is truly worth your attention. It draws inspiration from the methods used in interior design for your home and applies them to fashion. In just two simple steps, you'll be able to create a genuine shopping guide that will help you choose clothes that suit you.

Create Your Own Moodboard!

Spend some time on social media, especially Pinterest and Instagram, which allow you to create collections. Then, create a collection titled “personal style” and add your inspirations, as well as outfits that you like and can see yourself wearing.

Here’s how to go about it:

Feel free to come back and sort through your wardrobe later. Keep only the clothes that you truly love.

Analyse the Results

Once your collection starts to grow a bit, it’s time to start reflecting. To do this, you can ask yourself the same questions you did when analysing your wardrobe, in order to successfully identify the materials, cuts, types of clothing, and prints that frequently appear. Don’t hesitate to take notes!

Use this collection as a guide for your shopping. Before purchasing an item of clothing, ask yourself if it will help you achieve the look you’re going for.

Step 4: Sort it out!

Once you've created your collection, you can use it to sort through your wardrobe or closet.

Donate or sell an item of clothing if it doesn't fit the style you've defined.

Don't be discouraged if many of your clothes don't fit… it's often the case when you're figuring out your style. However, it's better to get rid of the clothes that don't make you happy and wear the same few outfits while you rebuild your wardrobe, rather than cluttering your closet with clothes you never wear.

Step 5: Choose a few “signature” pieces

While you’re reviewing your collection of inspirations, try to identify the recurring elements, meaning those that appear multiple times and easily match the rest. This could be a type of footwear, a bag style, an accessory (like a hat or belt), an animal print, or even a simple item like a plain white t-shirt.

Think of these clothes as landmarks for building your wardrobe. They are what will make an outfit feel like you and match your style when you wear it. When you go shopping, wear them while trying things on.

Step 6: Use the Rule of Three

Our wardrobes and personal style often become muddled and frayed because we don't always take the time to consider what we're looking for when we're shopping.

A simple tip when you're buying something is to always choose something that you can wear in at least three different outfits.

For instance, a t-shirt featuring a zebra print, for someone with a more rock and roll style, could be worn:

• With a leather jacket and black jeans,
• With a short leather skirt,
• With a long tulle skirt,

Of course, some clothes can't always be worn in three different outfits. But those that can will help define your style and become the key pieces in your wardrobe.

Spotlight on ... Bohemian Chic Style

To help you better understand what a style is, let me give you an example: the bohemian chic style. This trend inspired the creation of our website, Bohème Life.

The boho chic style (also known as hippie chic) has its roots in the 1970s, during the cultural and social revolution driven by the hippie movements. It’s all about breaking free from the constraints imposed by society, and clothing naturally becomes a tool for this emancipation.

The legacy of this trend today is a very feminine style, characterised by:

• loose fittings and lightweight clothing,
• natural and pastel colours (white, cream, light pink…),
• long dresses and tunics,
• lace trim and embroidery,
• floral and botanical prints…

Bohemian fashion is incredibly versatile and can be tailored to suit your tastes and personality. It flatters most body shapes with its flattering and harmonious cuts.

👉 If you'd like more details, I recommend reading this article, which will explain in detail the secrets of bohemian chic style. 😉

👉 I also invite you to check out the online store of Boho Via to get a glimpse of our collections. If you find some clothes you love, don’t forget to add them to your inspiration moodboard!

Bohemian Long Dress

I hope this article has helped you to define your style and understand your tastes and personality. Whatever happens, trust your instincts and only buy clothes that you genuinely want to wear! 😉

To learn more, check out our fashion tips on our bohemian blog!