I Forgot That Personal Style is a Journey, Not a Destination
Have you heard the saying “the cobbler’s children have no shoes?” Well in my case it’s “the personal stylist has no clothes”. Okay, that’s not true. I do have clothes. I just don’t like most of them anymore.
Like all of you, the past couple of years have been an exhausting journey of ups and downs. And yes, that’s life. But I think we can all agree the these past couple have been a real SOB.
As it came time to start going back out into the world I suddenly found myself a little lost when it came to what I wanted to wear. I kept thinking that I needed to “get back” to myself, to my personal style. To get over the fact that I’m a size larger than I was at the start of Covid and just buy new clothes. But I found myself struggling. This is literally what I do for other people all the time. Why was it so damn hard?? Just because of my weight increase??
But as I was working with a client recently I uttered the phrase, “personal style is a journey, not a destination. Yours should evolve with you.” And the preverbal light went off. Maybe I should take my own damn advice! I don’t need to RECONNECT with my style. I need to DISCOVER what my style is NOW. For who I am now, not 2 years ago and 10 lbs ago. Because I haven’t just been aging for the last 2 years (eye roll), I’ve also been, changing.
EVOLVING.
And my style has too. I’ve done some work recently clarifying who I am on the inside and it feels great. Now I’m ready to show up as my authentic self on the outside too.
These are the steps I’m going to take and if you find yourself in a similar position, whether it’s been 2, 5 or 10 years since you last loved what you wore, I hope you’ll try it too.
Step 1: Your Three Words
Choose at least 3 adjectives you would want to use to describe your style. I say “would want to to use” because I’m not asking how you would describe your style now. But rather, how you want to be described going forward. Here are just a few terms to get you thinking. I could fill an entire blog with just words to describe one’s personal style.
Sporty
Sexy
Vintage
Grunge
Trendy
Ethnic
Edgy
Artsy
Trend-conscious
Eclectic
BOHO
Rock ‘n' Roll
Classic Americana
British
French
Feminine
Masculine
Androgynous
Chic
Elegant
Step 2: Get Inspired
“A goal without a plan is just a wish” I love that saying! Putting together an inspiration board is a great way to be inspired and to hone in on your personal style. You can use Pinterest, a physical bulletin board or whatever method feels right to you. You’ll likely start to see a pattern in the pictures and words that you choose and this is the beginning of defining your style. The key is to just choose things you LOVE. Not what you think you can pull off.
To see my ever-evolving inspiration board click here.
Step 3: Acquisition
Armed with your 3 words and inspiration it’s time to go forth and conquer! As you purchase new pieces remember to ask yourself these questions:
Do I love it?
What will I wear it with?
Where am I wearing it to?
For more on this, visit my IG post about these questions here.
Step 4: Check in with yourself
Lastly, as you get dressed ask yourself…
Is this ME?
If the answer is “no” then try to hone in on what’s missing. Reference the words you chose and your inspo.
I’ll be taking these exact same steps and posting along the way on IG. I hope you’ll choose to follow me.
I want to LOVE what I wear. I want them same for you. So if you would like some expert help, I’m here for you. I can be reached by phone, email or DM.