A signature style can be the cornerstone of your personal brand. It tells people who you are at a glance and can even help shape the course of your career and love life! Style creates a visual narrative that tells the story of you, a thread that runs through everything from your clothing to your home decor.
But what if you don’t have a style? It’s not as hard–or as expensive–as you might think to get started.
Get Inspired
First, you need to figure out what kind of style appeals to you. It helps to think of famous people and places that spark a note of kinship with you. For me, my greatest goal in life is to somehow live inside the movie Practical Magic. I’ve drawn inspiration from other sources, such as the “mori girl” Japanese fashion culture as well as the luxurious interiors of Victorian England.
Depending on how you like to organize your thoughts, you could journal, make a collage from fashion magazines, or create a Pinterest board.
Think beyond just the aesthetics. If you are a busy parent, for example, then an elaborate style that needs lots of time to get just right probably aren’t for you. If you live in jeans and Birkenstocks, are you really going to dress like a vintage pin-up?
You should also consider what you want to tell the world with your look. Are you fun-loving or serious? Quirky or traditional? It can help to brainstorm a list of your values along with the visual styles that inspire you.
Quality Is Timeless
As you begin putting together a more authentic wardrobe and home decorating style, keep in mind that quality is always better than fast fashion and mass-produced items designed to break. Unfortunately, quality pieces also cost more.
One solution is to buy less. Most of us have far more clothing than we need, so it’s not as much of a hardship as you might think to cut back on spending. Fast fashion and cheap consumer goods are disastrous for the environment and human rights, anyway.
You can also buy used clothing, accessories, and furnishings for a fraction of the price. My massive leather sofa cost over $3500 retail, but I paid $225 at my local Habitat for Humanity thrift store. Second-hand stores, estate sales, and resell sites like Poshmark are good sources of high-end goods at bargain prices.
Your Style Is Never Set in Stone
One more thing to remember: Your style changes over time. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve moved away from my all-black angsty teenage roots into something a little more mellow, although no less witchy. My closet and my living space both favor more jewel tones, leather accents, and natural materials these days. I’ll still throw on a band t-shirt and leggings if I’m going for a walk or doing chores, but as I’ve evolved over the years, my style has, too.
It’s okay if you change your mind over time. Your needs may evolve as you move to a new place, get a new job, start a family, get married or divorced, or go through any number of major milestones. The style that made sense at one point in your life probably won’t serve you forever. However, the principles of investing in quality pieces when you can, avoiding trends in favor of following your own instincts, and weeding out clutter and pieces that no longer work will help your style continue to evolve along with you.
