How to Discover Your Personal Style

A feel-good 10-step guide to kickstarting your style journey.

Do you feel like your wardrobe isn't YOU? You’re feeling uninspired, and outfits don’t leave you feeling confident. This article is here to help you connect with your personal style.

I’m Meg, a sustainable fashion stylist and the owner of Bristol-based styling business Clothemod. I take an empowering approach to styling: I’m not here to tell you what to wear. I’m here to help you figure out what YOU want to wear. Styling, to me, is about translating personality into wardrobe.

Style comes from the artistic vision of the wearer and how they wish to represent themselves. Style is timeless and owes nothing to trend. Style is powerful and can manifest your dreams simply through stepping into an outfit that manifests the person, the dimension, the character you want to be. It’s about wearing clothes that feel like they belong to you; clothes that support who you are and where you’re going.

Ok, I’ll chill out on the philosophical talk and give you 10 steps towards the wardrobe of your dreams:

1. Start with what you already like

If you’re feeling stuck, don’t start by buying things. Instead, start by noticing what you’re drawn to.

Think about the films you love, the characters whose outfits you remember, the musicians whose style you admire. Notice the colours you naturally gravitate towards in art, in interiors, even in nature.

Pinterest is a great tool for this. Just save anything that catches your eye to your new style board. You don’t need a plan. After a while, you’ll start to see patterns forming, and that’s when you can start to visualise your style.

2. Research

Once you’ve collected some visuals, take a closer look at them.

Are certain brands, designers, or eras showing up again and again? Below the images, you’ll often see where the images are from which makes it easy to explore further. This is a great chance to discover brands and eras that feel more aligned with you and your values.

Read “About” pages. Look local. Look further afield. Treat it like curiosity, not homework.

3. Check in with your wardrobe

Now it’s time to look at what you already own.

Try things on and ask yourself simple questions:

• Do I feel comfortable in this?

• Do I feel confident wearing it?

• Would I choose this again today?

  
  

If the answer is no, it’s okay to let it go. Creating space in your wardrobe makes room for clothes you actually enjoy wearing, rather than things that just take up hangers. 

Remember to let go of your clothing consciously too; take wearable clothing to your local charity shop, go to a clothes swap or recycle unwearable clothing at scrap stores. You can also repair your favourite pieces at the tailors and alter clothing that’s not quite right too!

4. Shop!

Immersing yourself around clothing is where you can turn all your previous research and exploration into reality! Don’t be afraid to try stuff on, this is very important, because you’ll start to get a feel for different types of fits and colours that make you feel good! 

Fit, fabric, and colour can feel completely different once something is on your body. And don’t get too hung up on size labels; they’re inconsistent and honestly not that helpful.

If you like something but aren’t sure how you’d wear it yet, that’s okay. Style often comes together through experimenting, not instant certainty.

5. Play!

Once you’ve got some pieces you like, experiment!

Wear things in different ways. Add accessories. Mix colours. Small changes can completely change how an outfit feels.

If you’re nervous about a new colour or style, introduce it gradually through accessories first; socks, a bag, or jewellery, for example. Then see how it feels to wear it out for the day. This is a good way to allow your eyes to adjust to wearing this new colour. Style isn’t just about how something looks in the mirror; it’s about how it feels once you’re living in it.

6. Build your outfits 

It can help to think of outfits in simple layers. There are some key components to allow you to walk around society (without being accused of nudity or simply getting some weird looks); clothing and shoes! This can be a good place to start when putting your outfit together. Matching colours can help too. Zoom in on patterns; what colours can you see?

1. Base clothing (tops, trousers, skirts, dresses)

2. Shoes

3. Outerwear

4. Accessories

5. Jewellery

Start with the basics, then build up. This approach makes getting dressed feel less overwhelming and gives you a clear place to start each day. 

Alternatively, if you’re like me and love a statement piece, then this is where you could start instead. Pick your statement, this could be a cool pair of shoes or a patterned bag for example, then build the outfit around the colours within that statement piece. Remember, it’s your style playground! Explore your style in the way that feels good to you

7. Keep track of what works

We all live busy lives, and if you asked me what I wore two days ago… I’d have to think! So, I suggest keeping a style album on your phone for you to refer back to. Photograph the outfits you are proud of and then you can refer back to them for inspiration. This is also helpful if you’re in a rush in the morning and need a quick outfit idea! 

8. Look after the clothes you love

Now you’ve started building your dream wardrobe; it's about looking after it so you can wear it to your hearts content! Learn about different fabrics and how you can preserve your new favourite pieces of clothing. Look at the wash labels. Get a de-bobbler (fabric shaver) which will keep your knits looking fresh after wearing them. Get yourself a little emergency sewing kit so you can repair a button popping off. 

Also, befriend your local tailor and dry cleaner! If you’re unsure about anything; YouTube, Google and TikTok are great tools. The clothing is also there to serve you; if it doesn't fit perfectly, it could be tailored to you!

9. Let your style change

Style evolves as you do as a person. Your needs change for your wardrobe. So many variables can affect your wardrobe. Life changes, bodies change, routines change. When your wardrobe stops feeling right, it’s usually a sign that something else has shifted too. Check in with yourself and ask what you need now, rather than trying to force old clothes to fit a new phase of life. When you get the feeling that you’re not resonating with your wardrobe; check in with yourself. What do you need? 

Remember, you can always come back to this process again.

10. Enjoy it!

Exploring your style is exciting! I see it all the time with my clients; once people feel more confident in their clothes, it affects how they move through the world. I always say that you can do anything in the right outfit! Doors will open, and you’ll find out more about yourself in the process. 

You are a blank canvas and your outfits are your artwork! Get creative!

If you’d like support, you can book an in-person Fashion Styling Session with me or try my remote styling service, Style Parcels, where outfits are sent straight to your door. You can also follow @clothemod for more styling tips and inspiration.

Meg x