Know What You Want

Knowing what you want is the corner stone/foundation to having amazing personal style.

Knowing what you want is how you create your own personal style.

It is something you can do alone, but you don't have to. I help you figure it out, and it’s also why personal style coaching sets you up to be successful on your own after we are done working together.

So how do you figure out what you want?

By spending time figuring it out. This looks like you scheduling that 'me time' where you are going to sit down and try some of the things I am about to share. (Coaching helps in this sense because there is a sense of more accountability, especially if you struggle with following your schedule).

Ultimately you have to be willing to spend some time on this in order to figure it out, every one does. These are the easiest ways to get a sense of and know what you want when it comes to clothes.

1. Write About It

Answer questions like these in your journal:

"What do I want my personal style to look and be like?" (Think colours, materials, themes, vibes. What speaks to you that you want to try and share with others?)

"What is/are non-negotiable(s) for me when it comes to my clothes?" (Examples of this could be you are not willing to wear stilettos, or maybe the reverse you are not willing to wear loungewear during the day)

"What do I not like about my personal style currently?"

"What do I like about my personal style currently?"

"Who do I want to be in 5-10 years and how does she dress?"

"What is important to me / what do I value and how can I reflect that with my clothes?"

You can write whatever you want, but it is amazing to be able to get it out of your head and actually see what you seem to really like about clothes all in one place.

You would be surprised at how few people will do this one thing that takes only a half an hour of your time but could give you back a half an hour of frustration when you are digging through a bunch of clothes you can't stand wearing having to pick the least worst option.

Doing this one simple thing will put you miles ahead of where you already are because now you can actually see what is important to you and what is not when it comes to personal style, you can also get an idea of who you want to become and how your highest self would dress.

It also leads to you being able to set a style goal for yourself which is essentially what your very own personal style is.

2. Set Your Style Goal (The First Part)

After you have spent some time writing about what is important to you and what isn't when it comes to clothes you can set a goal that concisely reflects that. My own personal style goal is that "I only wear and purchase clothes that I love, fit me, and my style vision." I have awareness of all the other little things that are important to me, but these three things are the most important to me.

Yours might look similar but it could be anything you want it to be and might start where it is more important for you to - if you're someone who has a lot of casual wear but you want to start dressing up more your goal would look more like "I only wear loungewear in the evening" or "I am eliminating all of my loungewear by the end of the week" or "I love chic clothes so I get dressed up and aligned with my style vision every day."

Maybe your current situation is focused on clothes that don't fit, your goal might be more like "I only wear clothes that fit me well."

You could be someone that simply wants to create your personal style for the first time - "I am creating my very own personal style, I wear clothes that align with my style vision."

My best advice with your style goal is to keep it simple so that you can remember it every time you go to get dressed or go shopping. It will be like a little voice in the back of your head nudging you in the direction of what you truly want.

3. Create Your Style Vision (The Second Part)

You might be wondering what this is if you haven't heard me talk about it before. It is part of creating your style goal. I go in depth about what this is in The Closet Cleanse Course and in 1:1 coaching.

If you want to know what you want when it comes to creating your personal style this step is just as necessary as your written goal because the visual aid will help you see what is possible for you to create for yourself, and go beyond what you've done in your past.

So, get on Pinterest. (If you don’t have or don’t know how to use Pinterest now is the time to learn (you can use my boards at first)).

Make a board titled "My Style Vision" or anything you'd like to call it. Once you have the board start pinning. This is why it is important to write about what's important to you and what you like about your current style, what you don't, and what you want to start wearing. It makes deciding what to pin much easier, and it makes it so you can just start searching for things. If you want tips on how to use Pinterest for this go here.

You can just start with a vision board and pin everything you see that you like, but having a deep understanding of why you like it and what motivates you to want to wear those things, will make your vision board 100x more impactful.

BONUS: I make mine a widget on my phone so I can see it every day and don't even have to open Pinterest. It has me always feeling inspired to create from my higher self. You can also print it off and hang it in your closet.

4. Everyday Inspiration

Lastly, I want you to think about the characters you like in movies, shows, and books, even celebrities and influencers if they have a positive influence on you. If you like them it's probably because you feel like you relate to them in one way or another. Look them or their character up on google or Pinterest (usually better) + how do they dress. Pay attention to their outfits and personal style.

The idea of this is not for you to copy and follow to a tee what they wear likes it's halloween. It is to show you what peaks your interest and it's an easy starting place for visuals, that will give you direction so that you can create with what you have and what you like. It will let you see what you are naturally drawn to especially if you aren't feeling anything in your current wardrobe. It may even show you how to wear something you own differently.

Ex: Your favourite character is Rachel Green from Friends maybe you love her casual style but not her dressed up style, or maybe you just don't want to wear mini skirts like her character does. You can still use the rest of her style to inspire you. Hop into your closet and start asking yourself if you have some similar pieces or if you are willing to find something similar that works for your life and body. Don’t forget about your style goal!

Outside of characters there is inspiration all around us. Think about your favourite seasons of the year, start wearing colours that align with that. What kind of art are you drawn to? What landscapes? what flowers? what interiors? what music?

You don't have to know your exact personal style and be able to define it in exact terms like my style is boho-chic all within an afternoon. Your style may very well be boho-chic but there is a good chance there are a lot of other things that speak to you and it is about creating a wardrobe that speaks to all of you and works well together, not putting yourself in a tiny box. These are 4 simple steps to help you get started in discovering what you already know deep inside of you.

You just need to know what your goal is (what's important to you), the vision that accompanies that (what feels most like you), and be willing to see inspiration that you can pull from all around you.

Creating is the next step that will help you further your knowing. (There will be a post about this coming soon).

If you want to know what your very own personal style is book a consult call and we will get started!