How to Cultivate Your Personal Style in 9 Easy Steps
Heavy is the head that wears the crown. The virtual crown of fame donned by celebrity icons brings with it certain responsibilities. And one of these innocuously added responsibilities is to create and embolden their own personal style. Many of us would identify it as their “Signature Style”; a strong phrase that I feel is often used insouciantly. In my opinion, a real fashionista is one who cultivates a look that is timeless and creates an impact that intensely defines her persona ~ rather than heedlessly mirror the looks of Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, or Priyanka Chopra with the least regard to her personality.
From the successful businesswoman working in a home office who is planning her wardrobe for the season, to the “Zoom Socialite” who has been looming over the idea of bringing a change to her wardrobe ~ I have put together some tips and tricks on how to cultivate your personal style in 9 easy steps and give your wardrobe a nifty overhaul ~ one that will bring on a smile every time you open your closet.
Let’s get started with the nine steps that will help you foster a sense of personal style and ensure your wardrobe reflects your personality.
First, begin with a close evaluation of your body shape and then figure out how you would like to see yourself in the mirror. Then, identify the style that makes you feel confident about yourself because that is the one you will need when you want to virtually step out and look poised.
1. Be Aware of your Body Shape
There is no doubt that you already know how you look, but have you paid close attention to the shape of your body and made an effort to understand the silhouettes that are flattering on you? My advice would be to work with honest friends and family members and identify the hero pieces in your wardrobe. Clicking photographs of yourself as well as looking in the mirror without holding your breath or tucking your tummy in, will help you appreciate the styles that work best on you. And by paying close attention to style icons with a similar body shape to yours, you will be able to recognise silhouettes that work for them and then customise those styles to work for you.
2. Emboss your Style with Signature Pieces
The sultry divas that the fashion world looks up to have signature looks which makes them noticeably different from the rest of us. From accessories to unique prints and colours, or even a beauty trick; anything can work as your signature. For Aishwarya Rai, it is her unmovable scarlet lipstick, while Kareena Kapoor is known for her glossy blowouts. Alia Bhatt’s sunglasses have become a style statement for the diva, while Sonam Kapoor’s dramatic silhouettes make her personal style remarkably unique. Figure out what yours is.
3. Invest in Timeless Pieces that you Will Re-wear
A successful signature style is created by investing in pieces that you love and will wear frequently; hence your focus should lie on items with which people will identify your look. A personal wardrobe-editing hack that has helped me in developing my personal style is to add a rail to my wardrobe where I place everything I want to wear for that month. This helps me identify the “building blocks of my wardrobe” ~ i.e. the styles that I am most comfortable with, and in which I feel the most confidence. For example, if denim is your thing, then go with it; Jacqueline Fernandez is known to own 60 pairs of jeans and wears them on rotation.
4. Design a Mood Board
An easy trick to creating your signature style is to create a comprehensive mood board with all the looks that you love. Ditch the glue and scissors and go digital on this one. Use Pinterest to instantly and effortlessly create mood boards of the looks that catch your fancy or even use Instagram {the bookmark tag} so you can continually add new looks you’d like to recreate.
5. Identify the Items you Don’t Like
Many a time it’s the pieces that don’t make you feel good, rather than those that you love, that need your attention when editing your wardrobe. If you feel that an accessory or a piece of clothing has been taking up space in your closet just because it’s trendy, then it’s time for you to reconsider. It goes without saying that just because every blogger you can think of is sporting a Chanel bag doesn’t mean you should too, especially if the ‘teeny-tiny mini bags’ just don’t make your heart sing.
6. Pick Colours that Radiate your Aura
If silhouettes are the heart of your style statement then colours are its soul. The internet is brimming with expert tips on colours that suit various skin tones. Read up to find out what will look good on you. You may have to test diverse hues to find those that don’t impale your looks. And remember, a bold lipstick will go a long way in making so many shades seem easier to wear.
7. Look Past the Usual Style Icons
There is no doubt that most celebrities have a great sense of style, but when it comes to your own personal style, look for people beyond the shining light of celebdom and you will find that you can connect your style more easily with people around you. Like a chic boss or a new blogger with a particular aesthetic sense. Twinkle Khanna looks to her mum for style inspiration, while Malaika Arora’s ultimate fashion icon is her stylist Maneka Harisinghani.
8. Put your Wardrobe Through the Litmus Test
This is the key to nailing your signature look ~ a systematic, well-organised wardrobe. Here’s the best piece of advice I’ve ever received: aim for 50 pieces or less when creating a capsule wardrobe. No idea where to start? Try de-cluttering by deciding what to keep and what to toss, thereby ensuring that your closet emulates your true sense of style.
9. Have you Created your Uniform Yet?
The term “uniform” may sound terribly uninteresting, but what you may not know is that many of the most stylish women have one. They have a uniform that they deviously weave into their wardrobes; whether that’s for weekends, work, or daily wear. Katrina Kaif loves to be seen in gorgeous dresses; Deepika Padukone’s casual dress code is often jeans and a T-shirt, while Aditi Rao Hyadri is usually spotted in beautiful Anarkalis.
And just because you have a formula that really works for you, doesn’t mean that it always has to look the same. A uniform is all about innovatively pairing items that bring variation without disassociating you with your signature style.
To conclude: I’d like to say that style is about beauty, comfort, and confidence ~ with the right combination of clothes and accessories. You may not get it right every time, but when you carefully regard the items that really work for you, then you will find yourself developing a signature style without having to put a lot of effort into doing so.
Use these tips and tricks on how to cultivate your personal style in 9 easy steps, to associate yourself with an aesthetic that people will identify you with. And when you wear your signature style, you will find that there will be a confidence and appeal that will instinctively come with it.
If you have already formed your signature style, then tell me how it works for you in the comments below!