As promised I’m sharing my words and visuals from the latest workbook that helped me define my personal style and whittle it down to just 5 words! Judging briefly by the comments and messages I’ve received this is a tough step for a lot of us. It definitely was for me! But what has helped me is to remember that basic boundaries can be awesome and nothing is set in stone! So here goes:
1. Who are your style icons?
- Audrey Hepburn for her classic elegance and ladylike vibe.
- Jenna Lyons for her modern take on menswear inspired style and her always amazing glasses.
- Caroline de Maigret for making comfort look so damn chic.
- Alexa Chung for her quirky details, great hair and collars (I love a good collar!).
- French women have generally awesome and effortless style.
I also love the way these bloggers put looks together; Mija of Creators of Desire // Sara of Harper and Harley // Kaitlyn of Modern Legacy // Courtney of Always Judging // Madelynn of Wide Eyed Legless and the ever amazing Julie of Sincerely Jules.
A theme throughout all these ‘icons’ is simplicity, playing with proportion and genius details.
2. How do you feel when you’re wearing your favourite outfit?
- Elegant
- Chic
- Attractive
- Slim
- Comfortable
- Sophisticated
- Confident
- Sultry
3. How do you feel when you’re wearing something that’s not right?
- Self-conscious
- Frumpy
- Uneasy
- Fussy
- Distracted
- Awkward
4. What are some styles you like but aren’t necessarily you?
- Bohemian
- Colourful
- Feminine
- Bold
- Sexy
- Glamorous
5. List the top five lifestyle activities you dress for.
- Studio Work
- Meetings
- Weekend Trips
- Dinner Dates
- Early morning dog walks
6. Write down 15+ words that you associate with your style story.
- Simple
- Quality
- Unique
- Details
- Fit
- Texture
- Purpose
- Classic
- Put-together
- Chic
- Casual
- Warm
- Comfort
- Natural
- Denim
- Sleek
- Versatile
- Silhouette
- Minimal
- Light
- Effortless
- Timeless
- Practical
7. Collect 20+ images that represent the words, feelings and elements you’ve listed so far.
I started by going to my Pinterest boards and pulled all my favourite images to find I had well over 60 photos scattered on my desktop. From there I eliminated any that were too similar and those that didn’t feel 100% like me. Then I tried to get a good mix of spring, summer, fall, winter, footwear and interior style. These photos are of the 20 images I was finally left with.
8. Distill all the descriptions, feelings and visuals into 5 words or less.
I thought this would be the hardest part but the words just sort of fell into place.
- Simple
- Chic
- Timeless
- Quality
- Comfort
So there you have it. My personal style defined! This exercise was a huge help and a step that seems to be under valued in many of the closet missions out there. I feel a lot more confident moving forward now that I have a better sense of what my style really, truly is and not just what I think it might be or wish it was.
So tell me, how did your style defining go? What did you discover and what are your words? I’d love to know!
Next up we’re talking shape, fit and feel. Then it’s onto colour palettes and adding pattern. If you’re even 1/2 as excited as I am then you’re pretty damn pumped!
*All images via Pinterest.
I really enjoyed this exploration. Defining style is always the first tenet of the simple wardrobe movement, but somewhere in between those two words there always seemed to be a bit of magic or other worldliness that I never thought I’d be able to grasp. You have removed that mystique, which really was a huge hurdle for me, and I’m well on my way to closet satisfaction.
That’s really great to hear Denise! I know what you mean about the elusiveness of ‘defining style’, I could never quite put my finger on it before. Thrilled to see this approach is working. Thanks for joining me! xo
I’ve done something similar to this from the blog Unfancy, and I feel like I have a great idea of my style by now. There was a whole lotta denim/chambray, blue, and pops of red and leopard in my pics, ha ha. My words are Cool, Confident, Classic, Effortless, and Tomboy.
Hi Jenna, That’s awesome and great words! It’s amazing how colours really start to surface too. The Un-Fancy workbook definitely has lots of great exercises in it. xo
I love this exercise–when you break it down like that, it really doesn’t seem so scary to try and define your style! I will definitely give this a try myself. Thank you for posting. 🙂
Thanks so much Trang! Please let me know how it goes! xo
Great word choices Lee! Ours are very similar!
My words were: 1.simple 2. Classic 3. Comfortable 4. Chic 5. Neutral
Do you have any blog recommendations that don’t wear super expensive clothes? Or even a high low mix? Thanks.
Hope you’re staying warm. These wind chill temperatures are brutal!
Hey Jodie! Yes, so similar! Not surprisingly though 😉 Those are sort of my go-to blogs for inspiration but Un-Fancy has some great low-budget looks. The Fresh Exchange is awesome and has lots of other lifestyle inspo too. Kendi Everyday is great too and I love her writing and personality. Must admit I’ve had a hard time finding chic budget bloggers. xo