How To Know You're On The Right Track With Personal Style
Sometimes when I am trying new things, it can be hard to tell if I am heading down the right path because it's new and I can feel like I don't know what I'm doing, but these are some of the signs I've noticed that mean I am on the right track, especially when it comes to personal style.
Here are my 6 things that let me know I'm on the right track with personal style, that you can start to look out for too!
1. You feel better / more like yourself
This is probably the most clear sign that you're on the right track. Where it wasn't sometimes was when I would second guess those feelings or not acknowledge them.
So when you notice yourself feeling good about yourself, your clothes, or your style take a moment to let that feeling sink in and enjoy it. It's not a fluke, it's a sign you are becoming more aligned with what you truly want.
This is one of my favourites because you can simply use the guidance of your emotions to assist you. You don't have to know what's in or what's out, or what other people will think. That positive feeling or resonance you are having with yourself and your clothes is all you need to know.
2. You feel different - this is especially true when you are having firsts and new experiences with your style. It might be uncomfortable/unfamiliar but that's because you are experiencing something you haven't before or for a long time.
If you've been wanting your style to change, or you've been feeling stuck in a style rut, this can be a great sign that you are on your way out of it too.
I remember when I first started trying different styles of jeans that weren't skinny jeans I was unsure, but it didn't feel bad or good, I just felt different, like I was becoming somewhat of a new person, a woman who wears flare jeans, or straight leg jeans. At first that felt a little weird, "like am I the kind of woman that wears these?" There was a lot of questioning.
I didn't let that stop me from wearing them and getting a full experience of them though, I took it as a sign to investigate because I could tell my feeling of discomfort was coming from a place of it being an entirely new experience. I let myself follow that unfamiliar feeling until I could decide if I was feeling good about it or not.
Feeling different is a good sign you're on the right track because it means you are making changes and trying new things which is the only way you can let go of the things you don't want when it comes to your personal style.
3. You're less drawn to old "go-to" pieces and outfits
Once you've been trying new things you might start to notice that you don't have to rely on old faithful to feel half way decent about your outfit for the day.
We all have them, when I was working retail it got to the point where my go to was an outfit I didn't even personally like all that much (leggings, sneakers which were a must where I worked, and a sweater I wasn't worried about wrecking), it was just an easy comfort I could rely on, and wouldn't be upset if it got a hole or stain in it from moving things around the store.
The moment I started feeling less drawn to this outfit and more drawn to other clothes was a really good sign for me that I was intentionally choosing to get dressed again, and wanting to wear clothes I liked instead of just what was easy.
If you notice you are becoming interested in clothes that are different from your go to's or you've stopped wearing your go to's that's a good sign you are on the right track with your personal style because you are truly considering what you want to really wear and acknowledging that you've got options.
4. You're starting to be more willing to try new things or things you swore off
This one is one of my favourites and if you read the blog post about outgrowing your style I explained what happened with me and bows. I personally hated bows for so long, and now I am in love with them, and would consider wearing them in pretty much any fashion.
Letting yourself be open to fashion and open to try new things or things you or even someone else told you you couldn't/shouldn't wear feels incredibly freeing and empowering.
I have had many things that I have been unwilling to wear because I thought they would look bad, or I didn't feel I could pull them off. What's funny about this, and how I learned to stop judging a piece of clothing by the mannequin, was because my mom would buy me clothes that I would never buy myself. Sometimes they wouldn't work out (I just wasn't feeling them), but other times to my complete shock I loved them. I was trying on things I normally never would because my mom was giving me a gift and I wanted to show my appreciation by at least trying it on.
Sometimes we can only see how things are shown, and think that is the only right way to wear it, but just because it is offered that way doesn't mean it has to be worn like that. Other times we think we need to look like the mannequin for something to look nice on us, when we cannot know if something will look good or not if we never put it on.
If you notice yourself feeling curious, and giving yourself the permission only you can give yourself to try on anything you want to at anytime that's a really good sign you're on the right track because you're letting yourself experience the limitlessness that is personal style. Whether that is wearing the sleeveless dress, the short shorts, the high heels, the feminine clothes, the masculine clothes, whatever it might be. Being curious, adventurous, and playful with clothes is a really good indicator that you are creating your own amazing personal style.
5. You aren't seeking external validation as much or at all. You don't feel like you have to people please or follow trends because you are developing your own knowing of what you actually like to wear and what feels good to you.
This one is amazing because it links back to feeling better about yourself and your clothes.
When I started trying to figure out my personal style I felt very lost. So I stuck to "the rules of fashion": styling for your body type, following trends, trying to be stylish in the eyes of others, etc.
I was valuing the opinion of others more than my own. I told myself I didn't know what I actually really liked or how to figure that out, and so I let others tell me what I should be wearing and was trying to be what others considered stylish. Even if it didn't always feel quite right, I just didn't want to "look bad" and I wanted people to think I looked put together.
Doing this made personal style feel like an unfulfilling job, and it even had me feeling resentful towards clothes because I believed I had to dress a certain way in order to please other people and would basically be stuck on this hamster wheel.
That all changed when I decided to start believing in myself, trusting myself, and valuing the little voice inside me that was trying to show me what my personal tastes really were. It changed when I stopped focusing so much on keeping up with what was outside of me hoping people would appreciate me for that, and decided to focus inward on my genuine desires when it came to clothes and personal style.
NOW, I have so much fun with my clothes, because I let myself discover what actually feels good and stylish to me intrinsically.
Noticing that you're losing interest in external validation is a really good sign you're on the right track!
6. Your closet stops feeling like a place you'd rather avoid and you stop dreading picking out what to wear. You might even be excited and looking forward to it.
This one is one you can actually kind of create ahead of time by adding things to it that don't necessarily have to do with the clothes. I've mentioned it before but listening to music while you get ready lighting a candle, decorating your closet with art or your vision board or anything that inspires you can make the space feel more inviting.
The other thing you can do too is set an intention before you go to your closet. "I'm going to wear something that makes me feel joyful today" or "I'm going to notice everything that I'm grateful for in my closet today" or "I'm going to make picking out an outfit fun today" etc.
My closet always felt like something I wanted to avoid when I didn't want to acknowledge that I felt like I didn't have a sense of style, or when I couldn't find anything about it to love on or appreciate.
When I started being intentional about getting ready, and about the clothes I was buying, and started choosing to see my closet as a space where I could take care of myself by picking out clothes that supported me or aligned with what I really wanted from myself I stopped avoiding what felt like a trigger, and started feeling excited to play around.
It feels like when you are a kid going through the random chest of dress up clothes and you can pick anything you want and be anyone you want. When your closet feels like this you are definitely on the right track.
If you're noticing any of these things in your life definitely let yourself celebrate the fact that you are here and that an older version of you was dreaming of being where you are right now.
If you want to start experiencing these things for yourself sign up for a free consult call and we can get started on creating your personal style.
Love & Trust Yourself