How to Discover Your Personal Style in 6 Simple Steps

Would you like to have a look that truly reflects you and enhances your appearance? Do you want to buy clothes that you will actually wear? No more spending hours shopping without really knowing what to buy?

I am here to help you.

As a fashion enthusiast, I believe that personal style is crucial and deserves some time and 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 to make significant savings by purchasing clothes that you will actually wear and appreciate for a long time.

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

To discover your style, you first need to observe your wardrobe and identify the clothing items that you truly love and wear regularly with enthusiasm. Next, try to find common features among these items: this will serve as a starting point 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 this point, you can then sort through your wardrobe, donating or selling the clothes that no longer suit you. Finally, identify the key elements of your style (prints, types of clothing, materials, accessories): this will guide you in your next shopping session!

Would you like more details? Continue 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 closets,
• Effective tips for defining a style that suits you,
• Advice on finding clothing that you will truly love during your shopping trips,
• And finally, more information about the bohemian chic style that embodies the spirit of our site, life of a bohemian, so you can see if it might suit you!

What Does It Mean to Have Style?

To discover your clothing personality, it is essential to first understand what it entails and to break down common misconceptions about what might constitute a style:

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

In the following sections, I will present a simple and effective method to help you discover your style, which means to:

➡️ wear clothes that you love and in which you feel good,

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

Step 1: Analyse Your Wardrobe

To start, you will need to open your wardrobe to take a look at your clothes, accessories, shoes, and so on. Choosing a style is a very visual process, which is why I encourage you to do this in a tangible way, by having all your clothes laid out in front of you.

Some clues that suggest you are 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 quite affordable,
• Because they were on sale and the discount was appealing,
• Because it was what was on the mannequin,
• Because a friend encouraged me to try on this item.

Do you recognise yourself in this? If so, you might need to define your style in order to buy clothes that you’ll wear time and again. By analysing your fashion personality, you will also save money, as you won’t be cluttering your wardrobe with rarely worn, or even brand-new, items!

How to find what truly suits you?

Now that you have identified the clothes that you don't really like, focus on the following items:

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

Once you have identified them, sort them out and arrange them so that they are all visible, for example on your bed. You can then proceed to a little analysis by asking yourself the following question:

➡️ What do these clothes have in common?

To answer this, observe carefully:

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

• The patterns: plain or patterned? Animal prints? Floral designs? Polka dots or checks?
• The cut: loose or fitted? Long skirts or short?
• The fabrics: natural (cotton, linen) or synthetic (polyester)?
• The colours: warm? Cool? Is there a dominant shade?
• The brands: are they all different? Does one stand out in particular?
• The accessories: what type? What material? How do they enhance the rest of your outfit?

From these findings, you can start to see a style that truly reflects your tastes and preferences emerging.

Step 2: Draw Inspiration from Your Role Models

Next, I suggest we take inspiration from some remarkable individuals to help us progress further.

➡️ Among the celebrities and influencers on social media, are there any individuals whose style of dress you admire? Is there anyone you would like to emulate in your daily life?

For example, for me, it particularly involves:

• 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 truly aligns with my tastes.

👉 Sometimes, there are individuals whom we admire and appreciate for their unique style (Diane Keaton, Helena Bonham Carter). However, that doesn't necessarily mean you would like to dress like them. The aim here is to find people whose wardrobe you would like to borrow from, with whom you feel a connection.

Step 3: Visualise Your Style!

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

Create Your Own Mood Board!

Spend some time on social media, particularly Pinterest and Instagram, which allow you to make collections. Then, create a collection titled “personal style” and add your inspirations, the outfits you like, and those you can envision yourself wearing.

Here’s how to proceed:

Afterwards, feel free to revisit and do some sorting. 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 on it. To do this, you can ask yourself the same questions you used when analysing your wardrobe, in order to successfully identify the materials, cuts, types of clothing, or patterns that appear regularly. Don’t hesitate to take notes!

Then use this collection as a guide for shopping. Before purchasing a garment, ask yourself if it will help you achieve the look you're after.

Step 4: Sort It Out!

Once you have completed your collection, you can then use it to sort out 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 many clothes don't fit… this is often the case when you're trying to find your style. However, it's better to get rid of numerous items that don't make you happy and to wear the same favourites more often while you revamp your wardrobe, rather than cluttering your wardrobe with clothes that you never wear.

Step 5: Choose a few “signature” pieces

While reviewing your collection of inspirations, try to identify the recurring elements, which are those that appear multiple times and easily complement the rest. This could be a type of shoes, a style of bag, an accessory (hat, belt), an animal print, or even a simple garment like a plain white t-shirt.

Think of these garments as landmarks for building your wardrobe. They are what will make an outfit feel like you when you wear it. When you go shopping, try them on while you’re trying things out.

Step 6: Use the Rule of Three

Our wardrobes and style often tend to lose their way and become disjointed because we don't always take the time to think about what we're looking for when we go shopping.

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

For example, a t-shirt with a zebra print, suited to 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, not all clothing can be worn in three different ways. However, those that can will help to 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, let me give you an example: the bohemian chic style. This trend is what inspired the creation of our website, Life of Boho.

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’s all about breaking free from the constraints imposed by society, and clothing naturally becomes the instrument of this emancipation.

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

• loose-fitting cuts and lightweight clothing,
• natural and pastel colours (white, cream, pale pink…),
• long dresses and tunics,
• lace inserts 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, thanks to its flattering and harmonious cuts.

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

👉 I also invite you to visit the Boho Via online shop to get a glimpse of our collections. If you fall in love with any of the clothing items, don't forget to add them to your inspiration mood board!

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 genuinely want to wear! 😉

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