To those who know me, it is no surprise that I’ve been fascinated with art, color, texture and fashion since I was young. When it comes to style, it’s definitely taken me longer than a quick look at Vogue or a scroll on Pinterest to figure it out. Many people seek to find their style through trends, videos or pictures that inspire them.

While these are all good ways to find inspiration for your wardrobe, finding a style that suits your body, skin tone and most importantly personality can be more difficult.

Building a style that suits me has taken years but it’s worth it. Standing at a whopping 6’1, I sometimes think it would be easier for me to find clothes for a lamppost than to find a pair of pants that fits just right. My fashion journey has taken me from store to store and piece to piece finding what worked just right for me.

Recently, a friend of mine experienced frustration over her clothes and asked for my help, saying she had a lot of clothes but no style. Plus, she had body image concerns that made her self-conscious whenever she got dressed.

When I went to her house it was clear she had great style. Her home looked like an ad for Anthropologie or Free People. Everything was put together in an eclectic but modern way with a touch of bohemian.

Impressed, I pointed it out to her. She said, “Oh that’s easy, clothes are hard.” But after two hours of going through her closet teaching her how to find her style, she was creating outfits she loved and was as stylish fashion-wise as her house was decorated. Not only that, she felt good about herself. I just taught her what I had learned for myself.

How to find your style:

Step #1:

To start, I first had to think about my lifestyle – what my everyday life consists of, how comfortable I need to be, how often I leave the house, work out, etc. Pinpointing these factors can lead to a style that suits your look and your life.

I feel much more organized throughout the day when I’m wearing something comfortable and confident. After thinking through my lifestyle, I have a much clearer picture of what my wardrobe should look like.

Step #2:

The next thing I did was look around me. What type of style was I drawn to? Looking around my room I noticed neutrals, pops

of color and interesting or funky pieces I’d found at estate sales. In my friend’s case, she had great style but didn’t know she could “wear” it.

For example, she wouldn’t have been happy wearing all neutral clothes because her whole house was filled with colors that made her happy. Every corner of her house had unique elements that translated to adding an unusual accessory to every outfit.

The environment you have created around you can be a great indication of your style. Looking through magazines and Pinterest while keeping a file of outfits can also be helpful. Soon you’ll begin to notice common themes in every picture.

Step #3:

With this figured out, I decided to begin by streamlining and building basics. Streamlining means creating a form that increases ease of movement and efficiency. It’s instrumental especially when putting together good outfits. Without basics, an outfit looks messy and hardly put together.

An issue I dealt with while building my style was an excess of accent pieces – or more unique pieces that should be the focal point of an outfit. This could be a patterned shirt or vibrant pants.

Pieces like these should be accentuated with basics, which is why a closet of basics is so important. As I mentioned earlier, your closet should be convenient for you. It shouldn’t be difficult to put something together that you love.

A basic is essentially just a foundation or starting point. This might include neutral tees and tanks, button-down shirts, a few great denim pieces, white and black sneakers and a good leather jacket. These will help you build a great ‘fit without overdoing it. When I help people, sometimes they feel fine just wearing the basics – which is great!

Step #4:

Don’t be afraid of change: Style is something that grows as you grow. You may love a certain look at the moment, or be obsessed

with that one item you own, then one day grow out of it. Change is practically guaranteed overall in both life and the closet, so it’s important to find the things that don’t change about you.

Find what colors you like, fits, and trends. Maybe you prefer brighter colors in your clothing, or just black and white. You might prefer button-downs loose, or more tight fitting, or not at all. Just a plain tee shirt might do. When you find what you enjoy wearing, no matter what phases you go through, those are the pieces that make your style your own.

Step #5:

Confidence is key. I’ve heard it said that you aren’t meant to fit into clothes, they are meant to fit onto you. My friend tossed out many jeans and pants that she had been keeping, hoping to fit into them “one day.” But instead, they just made her feel bad. When she wore comfortable clothes that fit, she gained confidence and just felt better!

Of course, it’s okay to have that one super uncomfortable piece that makes you love your look, but those items usually aren’t for every day. Dress to impress for sure, but it’s always important to be comfortable while doing it.

Join me next time to learn how to elevate your look, covering accessorizing, building a cohesive fit and when and how to use out-of-the-box pieces.

To read more from The Feather see Downtown Fresno art installations deserve to be preserved and Impact of Student Action Teams.

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