How to Find Your Personal Style in 6 Simple Steps

Would you like to have a look that suits you and highlights your best features? Buy clothes that you will actually wear? No more spending hours shopping without knowing exactly what to buy?

I will help you.

As a fashion enthusiast, I believe that personal style is incredibly important and deserves some attention.

Indeed, discovering your own style isn’t just about feeling comfortable in your clothes; it’s also a way to gain self-confidence, to feel beautiful, and even to save a lot of money by purchasing clothing that you’ll truly wear and enjoy for a long time.

Today, I’m offering you a simple guide that will help you, with practical tips, to determine your personal style and find clothes that you will truly enjoy wearing.

To find your personal style, start by observing your wardrobe to identify the clothes you truly love and wear regularly with enthusiasm. Next, try to find common features among these pieces: this will serve as a foundation for your search for inspiration. You can analyze the style of a personality you admire and create collections of your favorite looks on Pinterest and Instagram. From there, you can declutter your closet by donating or selling the clothes that no longer suit you. Finally, pinpoint the key elements of your style (prints, types of clothing, fabrics, accessories): these will guide you during your next shopping trip!

Want more details? Keep reading to find out:

• How to define a style and what it means in fashion,
• An easy method to analyze your wardrobe and declutter your closets,
• Effective tips for defining a style that suits you,
• Advice on finding clothes that you’ll truly love when you go shopping,
• And finally, more information about the boho chic style that embodies the spirit of our site, Bohemian Life, so you can see if it might be right for you!

What Does It Mean to Have a Style?

To discover your personal style, it’s essential to first understand what it truly means and to break down common misconceptions about what does or doesn’t constitute a style:

• Your personal style is a way to express who you are, whether it’s through the way you dress, write, or decorate your home. Your style reflects your personality and preferences: it is unique.
• In the fashion world, it’s a way for an individual to reveal who they are through their aesthetic choices in clothing, accessories, hairstyles, and especially 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 the same aesthetic. Having a personal style means being able to choose clothing based on your character and preferences, instead of blindly following fashion.

In the following lines, I will present you with a simple and effective method to help you find your style, that is to say:

➡️ Wear clothes that you love and that make you feel good,

➡️ know in advance which clothes you can wear multiple times without ever getting tired of them.

Step 1: Analyze Your Wardrobe

To get started, you need to open your closet and take a look at your clothes, accessories, shoes, and more. Choosing a style is very visual, which is why I encourage you to actually do this by laying out all your clothing in front of you.

Here are some signs that suggest you might still be searching for your style…

First, sort through and take a look at the clothes you have worn very little or not at all. Sometimes we buy clothes for the wrong reasons:

• Because it’s really inexpensive,
• Because they were on sale and the discount was appealing,
• Because that was what was on the mannequin,
• Because a friend encouraged me to try on this outfit.

Do you see yourself in this description? If so, you might need to define your style so you can finally buy clothes that you’ll wear repeatedly. By examining your clothing personality, you’ll also save money, as you won’t clutter your closet with rarely worn clothes, or even brand new items!

How to Find What Truly Resonates with You?

Now that you’ve identified the clothes you don’t really like, focus on the ones that you do:

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

Once you’ve identified them, sort them and lay them out so they’re all visible, perhaps on your bed. 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 close look:

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

• Patterns: solid colors or printed? Animal prints? Floral designs? Polka dots or plaid?
• Fit: loose or fitted? Long skirts or short skirts?
• Fabrics: natural (cotton, linen) or synthetic (polyester)?
• Colors: warm? Cool? A dominant shade?
• Brands: all different? Is there one that stands out in particular?
• Accessories: what type? What material? How do they enhance the rest of your outfit?

Based on these insights, you can begin to see a style that truly reflects your tastes and what you enjoy.

Step 2: Draw Inspiration from Your Role Models

Next, I suggest looking at inspiring people to go further.

➡️ Among the celebrities and influencers on social media, are there anyone whose style you admire? Is there someone you would like to emulate in your everyday outfits?

For example, for me, this includes:

• Vanessa Hudgens
• Vanessa Paradis
• Kate Moss

Vanessa Hudgens / Vanessa Paradis / Kate Moss

Once I was able to identify them, all I had to do was ask myself what they had in common to realize that they actually shared a bohemian chic style, which truly matches my tastes.

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

Step 3: Visualize Your Style!

The technique discussed in the following paragraphs truly deserves your attention. It draws inspiration from the methods used for interior design in 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 reflect your personal style.

Create Your Own Mood Board!

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, outfits you like, and those you can see yourself wearing.

Here’s how to proceed:

Later on, feel free to revisit and sort through your clothes. Keep only the pieces that you truly love.

Analyze the Results

Once your collection starts to grow a bit, it will be time to reflect. To do this, you can ask yourself the same questions you used when analyzing your wardrobe, so you can successfully identify the materials, cuts, types of clothes, or patterns that appear regularly. Don’t hesitate to take notes!

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

Step 4: Sort It Out!

Once you’ve completed your collection, you can use it to organize your closet or wardrobe.

Donate or sell a piece of clothing if it doesn’t fit the style you’ve established.

Don’t be discouraged if many of your clothes don’t fit… this is often the case when you’re trying to find your style. It’s better to get rid of a lot of clothes that don’t make you happy and wear the same pieces more often while you refresh your wardrobe than to fill your closet with clothes that you never wear.

Step 5: Select Some “Signature” Pieces

As you continue analyzing your collection of inspirations, try to identify the recurring elements. These are the items that appear multiple times and pair easily with the rest of your collection. This could be a type of shoe, a specific bag style, an accessory (like a hat or a belt), an animal print, or even a simple piece of clothing such as a solid white t-shirt.

Think of these clothes as landmarks for building your wardrobe. They are the pieces that will make an outfit feel like you and suit your style. When you go shopping, wear them during fittings.

Step 6: Use the Rule of Three

Our wardrobes and style often get lost and fall apart because we don’t always take the time to think about what we’re looking for when we go shopping.

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

For example, a zebra-printed t-shirt could be worn by someone with a rock and roll style:

• 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 provide you with an example: the bohemian chic style. This trend inspired the creation of our website, Life of Bohemia.

The bohemian chic style (also known as hippie chic or boho chic) originated in the 1970s during the cultural and social revolution led by the hippie movements. It was all about breaking free from the constraints imposed by society, and clothing naturally became a tool for this liberation.

The legacy of this trend is now a very feminine style, characterized by:

• loose-fitting cuts and lightweight clothing,
• natural and pastel colors (white, cream, light pink…),
• long dresses and tunic tops,
• lace trim and embroidery,
• floral and botanical prints…

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

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

👉 I also invite you to visit the Boho Via online store to check out our collections. If you fall in love with any of the clothing, 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. No matter what, trust your instincts and only buy clothes that you genuinely want to wear! 😉

For more, check out our fashion tips on our bohemian blog!