How to Find Your Personal Style in 6 Easy Steps

Would you like to have a look that truly represents you and showcases your best features? Want to buy clothes that you'll actually wear? No more hours spent shopping not knowing what to buy?

I'll help you.

As a fashion enthusiast, the topic of personal style is crucial to me and deserves some attention.

In fact, finding your own style isn’t just about being comfortable in your clothes; it’s also a way to gain self-confidence, to feel beautiful, and it can help you save a lot of money by buying clothes that you'll truly wear and appreciate for a long time.

Today, I’m sharing a simple guide that will help you, with practical tips, to identify your personal style and find clothes that you’ll truly love to wear.

To discover your style, start by taking a good look at your wardrobe to identify the clothes you really love and wear often with enthusiasm. Then, try to find common themes among these items: this will serve as a foundation for your search for inspiration. You can do this by analysing the style of a personality you admire and creating collections of your favourite looks on Pinterest and Instagram. From there, you can begin to declutter your wardrobe by donating or selling the clothes that no longer suit you. Finally, identify the key elements of your style (prints, types of clothing, fabrics, accessories): these will guide you in your next shopping spree!

Want to know more details? Keep reading to find out:

• How to define a style and what it means in terms of fashion,
• An easy method to analyse your wardrobe and declutter your cupboards,
• Effective tips for establishing a style that suits you,
• Advice on finding clothes that you will genuinely love during your shopping trips,
• And finally, more information on the bohemian chic style that embodies the spirit of our site, Bohemian Life, so you can see if it resonates with you!

What does it mean to have style?

To discover your clothing personality, it's essential to first understand what it really means and to challenge the common beliefs about what does or doesn't constitute a style:

• Your style is a way to express who you are, whether it's through your clothing, writing, or how you decorate your home. 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 how they select and combine 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 your own personal style means you can choose your clothes based on your character and preferences, rather than blindly following fashion trends.

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 feel comfortable in,

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

Step 1: Analyse Your Wardrobe

To start, you’ll need to open your wardrobe and take a good look at your clothes, accessories, and shoes…. Choosing a style is very visual, which is why I encourage you to do this practically, with all your clothes laid out in front of you.

A few signs that suggest you’re still searching for your style...

First, sort through and take a look at the clothes you’ve 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 appealing,
• Because that’s what was on the mannequin,
• Because a friend encouraged me to get this clothing item.

Do you recognise yourself in this? If so, you might need to identify your style so you can finally buy clothes that you’ll wear time and time again. By analysing your fashion personality, you’ll also save money, as you won’t clutter your wardrobe with seldom-worn or even brand-new clothes!

How to find what truly suits you?

Now that you've identified the clothes you don't really like, focus on those:

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

Once you’ve identified them, sort them out and lay them out so that 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 this, take a close look:

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

• Patterns: solid or printed? Animal prints? Floral? Polka dots or checks?
• Cut: loose or fitted? Long skirts or short?
• Fabrics: natural (cotton, linen) or synthetic (polyester)?
• Colours: 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?

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

Step 2: Take Inspiration from Your Role Models

Moving forward, I suggest we take inspiration from some remarkable individuals to help us go further.

➡️ Among the celebrities and influencers on social media, are there any individuals whose style you admire? Is there someone whose fashion you would like to copy in your daily life?

For example, for me, it includes:

• 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 shared a chic bohemian style, which really aligns with my tastes.

👉 There are sometimes people we admire and appreciate for their unique style (Diane Keaton, Helena Bonham Carter). However, that doesn't necessarily mean you want to dress like them. The idea here is to find individuals whose wardrobes you’d love to borrow from, and whom you feel a connection with.

Step 3: Visualise Your Style!

The technique discussed in the upcoming paragraphs truly deserves your attention. It draws inspiration from the methods used for designing the interior of 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 perfectly.

Create Your Own Moodboard!

Spend some time on social media, particularly Pinterest and Instagram, which allow you to create collections. Then, set up a collection called "personal style" and add your inspirations, outfits you love, and those you can see yourself wearing.

Here’s how to go about it:

Afterwards, feel free to revisit and sort through your wardrobe. Keep only the clothes that you truly love.

Analyse the Results

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

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

Step 4: Sort It Out!

Once you've put together your collection, you can use it to help organise your wardrobe or dressing room.

Give away or sell a piece of clothing if it doesn't fit the style you've defined.

Don't be discouraged if a lot of clothes don't fit… this is often the case when you’re figuring out your style. It's better to let go of many items that don't bring you joy and wear your favourites more often while revamping your wardrobe than to fill your closet with clothes you never wear.

Step 5: Choose a Few “Signature” Pieces

As you continue to explore your collection of inspirations, try to identify the recurring elements, meaning those that appear multiple times and easily match with the rest of your wardrobe. This could be a certain type of shoe, a handbag style, an accessory (such as a hat or belt), an animal print, or even a basic item like a plain white t-shirt.

Think of these clothes as cornerstones for building your wardrobe. They are what will make an outfit feel like you and suit your style when you wear it. When you're out shopping, make sure to try them on to see how they fit with your look.

Step 6: Use the Rule of Three

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

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

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

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

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

Spotlight on… Bohemian Chic Style

To help you better understand what a style is, here’s an example: the bohemian chic style. This trend is what inspired the creation of our website, Life of Boheme.

The bohemian chic style (also known as hippie chic or boho chic) has its roots in the 1970s, during the cultural and social revolution led by the hippie movements. It is all about breaking free from the constraints imposed by society, and clothing naturally becomes the instrument of this liberation.

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

• loose fitting garments and lightweight clothing,
• natural and pastel colours (white, cream, soft pink…),
• long dresses and tunics,
• lace inserts and embroidery,
• floral and botanical prints…

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

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

👉 I also invite you to visit the online store of Boho Via to get a glimpse of our collections. If you fall in love with some clothing, don’t forget to add them to your inspiration moodboard!

Long Bohemian 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 truly want to wear! 😉

To explore further, check out our fashion tips on our bohemian blog!