Investing in Yourself: Style (1)

These past days I’ve been thinking about how I can bring the most value to you through my posts. Because we all know time is precious and can only be spared for things that actually matter. So I’d like to start a new series today, named Investing in Yourself. And I chose this subject because I believe we truly are our own greatest resource.

Nothing compares to being and feeling healthy, strong (both physically and mentally), capable, cultured and well groomed. You don’t have to be the most attractive or the smartest person to take over the world, but you can strive to be at the peak of your form- whatever that means for you personally. So I thought I’d pick a topic each month that we can debate together and share tips on. Every time, going around the theme of investing in yourself so you can become the best version of yourself.

And since first editions are always special, today I want to speak about something very dear to my heart: personal style. Now if you’ve read my other posts and my About section, you know that in my eyes, style is not just some flimsy, superficial concept. And it’s definitely not another term for “fashion”.

I see style as something that’s uniquely yours, a complex mix that represents the external result of your internal world. Your style speaks to others about who you are, what your preferences are, what you value, even before you’ve said one word. And I guess you can always class this as a shallow concept, because we shouldn’t judge a book by its covers. But the truth is that when your style is in agreement with your personality, it can help you express yourself and it will leave you feeling more content and confident! You just need to learn a few good notions, and employ them to your advantage.

So how do you find and develop your personal style?

Think about what clothes make you happiest.

Is it a sleek and polished outfit, is it a plain white tee with jeans and sneakers, or an uber-girly and frilly ensemble? If you look at the outfits you love most and tend to repeat, some similarities will emerge. Whether it’s the fact that they’re comfortable, or they make you stand out, or feel like you can take over the world. Your style choices can give you cues as to what your true self is, and how you reflect that into your clothes. They will help you discover what you value most. And if you dig a little deeper, you will also find out why!

Experiment, experiment, experiment.

I can’t stress this enough! You will never find your true style if you don’t try out every possible make-up look, hairstyle or outfit that you think you might like. Sure, you might end up hating the end result, but you might also absolutely love it- and find your unique look along the way. And if you hate your outfit one day, no biggie! You can always laugh it off and try a new one out tomorrow. Nobody gets everything right the first time, and in the end these are only clothes. The point is to have fun, not to be scared to experiment and branch out.

Get inspired!

Like I showed you in a previous post, the world is your oyster when it comes to finding inspiration sources. And with the internet at your fingertips, it’s easier now than ever to access them. Look through magazines, blog posts, Youtube videos, Instagram, Pinterest or Polyvore- the options are endless. It helps a great deal to save the pictures that catch your eye in a folder or a Pinterest board. And then sift through them to see why you felt attracted by each of them in particular.

Maybe you appreciate the monochromatic outfit of one image. Or the amazing make-up of another, or the carefree, low-maintenance hairstyle of a third image. All key elements that will suddenly seem a lot easier to integrate into your own style. It’s not about copying a look head to toe, but about finding and adopting those specific parts that suit you.

Which brings me to my next point:

Learn what suits you.

You may like the daring platinum blonde bob of your favorite actress. But if it doesn’t look right with your facial features, if it doesn’t fit your lifestyle (you’d be going to the hairdresser every 4 weeks max for touch-ups), or simply doesn’t scream “you”, then it’s best to bypass it. It’s great to find inspiration in others around you, but not to copy them. Since they will most likely have a different silhouette, different proportions and symmetries, and a different style, the end result will not look the same on you.

Which is why it helps to recognize your type of silhouette, your vertical and horizontal proportions and your skin tone. Having this knowledge will help you pick out clothes, hairstyles, accessories and make-up that work in harmony with your features.

Change things up.

Once you find your style, don’t be afraid to let it change with time. Sure, you may start off as a boho romantic gal. But don’t close yourself off to the possibility of one day falling in love with a beaten up denim jacket or a pair of leather pants. The beauty of style is that it evolves with you! So don’t be scared of one day realizing that your old one doesn’t suit you anymore.

You probably won’t have the same preferences or needs at 20, 30, 40 or 50. So don’t try to make your style conform to what you once thought or knew about yourself. As you grow and change, so will your style, and that is perfectly natural.

Lovelies, I hope I’ve convinced you of the importance of finding your style, and I hope I also gave you some useful tips to help you along your journey. Please let me know in the comments what your tips are for finding your unique style, what your style is if you’ve found it already and how finding it has helped you learn more about yourselves. Until next time, have an amazing week!

P.S.: If you haven’t by now, make sure you join The Style Club to receive your free personal style printables and get the most stylish updates directly in your Inbox!