My Guide On How To Discover Your Signature Style

Discovering your signature style is deeper than just clothes, it's exploring what makes you feel like you! Owning a wardrobe of clothes that make you feel a certain, positive emotion is a sign of knowing your style.

So how do you know what your signature style is? Ask yourself what words would you like to use to describe your ideal style? Classy, timeless, cool, trendy, sexy, expensive, vintage, creative, fun…

I recommend jotting down those words, creating a direction as to what style appeals most to you. You may find that some words may change day-to-day or throughout the seasons, depending on your mood, the weather or what you may be up to. However, some words may stay throughout all looks, for example you may want all your outfits to be considered “elegant” or “flamboyant”. This is an indication of your dominant style personality- your signature style!

An example of a Style Personality mood board created for a male client looking for a classic and timeless style for the Summer. Check out the Style Personality & Body-shape Analysis service for your own bespoke guide!

Next, create a mood board. This can either be a physical one you can hang up on your wardrobe, a PDF or a Pinterest board that you can add to and edit as you grow your style confidence. By using images that match the keywords you identified, you’ll be able to search for outfit inspiration and build up your mood board. Make sure you include a range of outfits for special occasions, casual days in, accessories and any other element you have going on in your life. You may wish to create a few mood boards based on your lifestyle, for example, a work wardrobe, party wardrobe, holiday wardrobe etc. 

Now you have a grasp on what your signature style is- go test it out! Try to recreate the outfits on your mood board using garments in your wardrobe or pop to a shopping centre/department store. Don’t worry, you won’t need to buy anything- you’ll just be practising building the outfits and trying them on to see how they make you feel, does that feeling match up to the original keywords you listed earlier when creating your mood board? Ensure you document the outfits whilst trying them on by taking a photo for future reference. I recommend having a folder in your phone's photo gallery specifically for outfits for you to refer back to when you next go fashion shopping.

When trying on a new look, be patient and allow your brain to adjust to what it's seeing. It’s like getting your hair dyed the first time! You need to allow yourself to adjust. Step back from the mirror, if there is a larger mirror in the fitting room area, use that too. If you’re not 100% happy with the outfit, critique it by noting what it is you like about it and then what you would like to change about the garments/accessories used. This is how you learn from each outfit you create and enhance your outfit building skills.

Remember, there is only one you- if you are not happy with an outfit then change the clothes, not yourself! Too many times have I heard someone say they’ll lose weight to fit into something or it’s nice but if they tan then it’ll look better… buy for now and not the future, otherwise you might as well just throw your money in the bin! Anyway, I hope this has helped to create a more personal approach to identifying your signature style. As you evolve as a person, your style will evolve with you so I recommend continuing to add and takeaway images to ensure your mood boards keeps up with you, thus ensuring your wardrobe does too and preventing it from going stagnant. 

If you would like additional help, I recommend checking out The Identity Package for a deep discovery into your style personality, how to dress for your body shape and explore the best season of colours that suit you!