Personal style is like a thumbprint – no two people ever will end up having the same exact one. However, the digital age has made it more difficult to listen to our inner voice when it comes to distinguishing what genuinely feels true to us vs. what we think should feel true to us because our favorite influencer endorses it. Because of this, it’s important now more than ever to strive towards embracing our own truth when it comes to how we show up in the world, and clothing is a powerful vessel to achieve just that. Here are all of the guardrails and observations I’ve implemented into my everyday mentality that have made me more confident in expressing my own personal style, and hope can do the same for you.

1. Stop texting people to help you decide what to wear.

For freedom of expression to take the front seat and for your true style to shine, you’re going to have to start tuning out any outside noise. Ceasing to send different outfit options for your friend to parse through and determine which one they like best is one of the easiest places to start. It helps build trust with yourself, since you give yourself the permission to choose the option that feels best for YOU, regardless of how you think it may be perceived by others. There’s nothing wrong with asking others what they plan on wearing as long as it’s to help provide inspiration on the level of dressiness, warmth, etc., as long as you don’t let it tarnish the vision you had in mind. And when in doubt, it’s always better to be overdressed than under.

2. Follow the rules of threes when mixing colors and defining your own style.

There are two rules of threes I swear by when picking out an outfit. 1. Don’t wear more than three colors at a time, and 2. stick to the three words I’ve chosen to define my personal style. These rules have time and time again helped save me time picking out an outfit and money buying something I won’t wear.

3. Find your signature in color, silhouette, and clothing items.

Speaking of saving time picking out an outfit and money from unnecessary shopping, another impactful way to do so is by finding your signature look, which could also help build your personal brand.

4. Prioritize accessories over buying new clothes.

You can make the items of clothing you’ve had in your closet look brand new by styling them differently, and accessories are the most cost-effective and unique way to jumpstart that.

5. Observe what body parts you like to show off the most and which ones you’d rather cover up.

Determining your boundaries with clothing helps make getting dressed more efficient and is also a surprising confidence booster since you get to deliberately emphasize the parts of yourself that you love the most. When shopping for clothes or coming up with an outfit, the standard you set for how you want your garments to compliment your figure gives you the space to create outfit formulas that can transcend seasons, trends, and levels of dressiness. For example, I have long legs and a shorter torso, so I love showing off my legs but don’t feel as comfortable showing off my entire midriff for the sake of proportions. Because of this, I tend to gravitate towards silhouettes that elongate my legs while not wearing tops that are cropped above my waist. These looks have included wearing knee-high boots and a mini-skirt when going out, or wearing long tube socks and a tennis skirt when running errands. Once you master the game of mixing and matching different clothing items under the lens of a formula designed to play on the areas you’re most proud to show off, you’ll find yourself feeling both less self-conscious when out in public and more excited to get dressed in the morning.

6. Remember that you have to flop before you slay.

Before you get an outfit that you’ll think about for ages, just know you’re going to wear some looks that you will also regret. It’s the duality of man.

7. How your style comes across and how far you decide to take it is all up to your own beliefs.

Like many areas of life, fashion and finding your personal style comes down to the mentality you hold. If you think you can pull something off, you can. But the same goes for the other side of the coin – if you don’t think you can pull something off, you can’t. Remember that nobody questions confidence, so wear what makes you happy.

💘 Hanna