Determine Your Personal Style
In the past, I’ve given you a few categories or types to choose from to help you determine your personal style. I included personal style types like glam, casual, feminine, classic, edgy, bohemian, etc., and told you to pick 1-2 that really speak to you. Having a “system” can help or make it easier to get dressed everyday for many women and that’s what my goal was in sharing these types with you. It sets up that structure and easy-to-follow framework. And that felt good for a while…
Fast forward a few years and now I don’t really like to put my style in a box or define it by 1-2 words. That doesn’t feel good, exciting, or refreshing…and style should be exciting, refreshing, and FUN! Now, I’m looking at style in a different way and taking a more inside-out approach. If you’re a YouTube subscriber, you’ve probably heard me talk about this a little bit on my channel. Below, I’m sharing my new process to determine my personal style. It’s not a system, it doesn’t involve steps, and it doesn’t put you into just one category.
Personal Style is a Feeling
If you’d like to watch me talk through this topic with more about my personal journey and how this new approach to personal style came about, PLEASE make sure you watch this video first (also linked below). I get even more in-depth about how important this is, share some interesting experiments, and much more here. In the video, I’m talking about personal style as more of a FEELING and less of a category or adjective. I know you’ll find this approach much more exciting as you’re developing your personal style too.
Personal Style Visualization & Journaling Exercise
I highly recommend watching this video in order to get the full effect of this exercise. You can start listening to the guided visualization at around the 6:35 minute mark on the video if you’re interested in skipping right to it…but I recommend watching the first few minutes as well 😉
Visualization
First, grab a notebook and a pen to have by you right after you’re done with the visualization. Now, close your eyes.
Visualize a moment in your life when you looked and felt amazing.
Was it your wedding day? A special party? During a special vacation or trip?
Think about one key moment when you knew that everything looked amazing.
You loved the way your hair looked, you loved the way your makeup looked, and you had on the most wonderful outfit that made you feel like the best version of you.
What did those pieces of clothing look like? Were they a certain color? Were they a certain texture? Did they have a certain silhouette that you love and that flatters your body? Was there a certain style or fit? Was there a certain detail you loved?
How did your hair look? Was it pulled back and elegant? Down and wavy? Was it straight? Was it short or long?
What about your makeup? Did someone do it for you professionally and you felt like a queen? Did you do it yourself?
Journal
Now that you have the picture in your mind of that special occasion, day, trip, or time in your life…and you know exactly what you were wearing, how it felt, how it fit your body, and what your makeup and hair looked like…open your eyes. Get your journal and free flow and write exactly what that looked like. Every aspect including…
- Color
- Texture
- Silhouette
- Makeup
- Hair
- How it made you feel – Did you feel powerful, glamorous, beautiful, elegant, special? Share the details of exactly what that looked like head to toe.
When journaling, don’t worry about whether what you’re writing is perfect, if you’re using the right words, or if it’s even completely accurate. This is meant to be about how you feel based on the visualization.
I did the exercise and shared my journal entry in this YouTube video if you’re interested or want to hear an example.
How Does this Relate to Personal Style?
Now, when you’re reading your journal entry back to yourself, think about how it relates to your personal style. If your visualization included you on your wedding day, you’re obviously not going to be able to wear your wedding dress every day…but you can take details to recreate outfits that make you feel just as amazing as you did on your wedding day. Here are just a few examples to get your mind thinking this way…
- If you loved the lace on your dress…try wearing a lace blouse.
- If you loved the bold lipstick you wore, wear bold lipstick today.
- Does an updo make you feel confident? Try a simple updo today.
- If you liked the dramatic details on your dress, try something with dramatic details like a puff sleeve or ruffles.
- If it was an A-line silhouette that was flattering and made you feel sexy, wear a dress with an A-line silhouette.
You can see that taking the small details you uncovered in the visualization to bring into your personal style can create so much JOY in your style. I share what I uncovered in the video as well…it’s a must-watch!
If you’re not quite ready to take this inside-out approach to style, I recommend watching this video to determine your personal style. It will give you a jumping-off point to pick a few style categories you identify with and get you started. If you haven’t already be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and style resources. If you’re struggling with style or just need a style refresh, don’t forget that our Style Made Simple course is now LIVE!
Thanks for stopping by!
Erin Busbee
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