Yves Saint Laurent said it best: “Fashions fade, style is eternal.”
Wondering how to develop a sense of personal style that helps you put your best foot forward? It takes time to develop your personal style because it needs to fit into your daily life. Play around with different pieces and outfits until you get a better feel for what works for you. The goal is to cultivate a style that represents you as a whole, and fits into your everyday routine without impeding on it. You should feel confident in your clothing and be able to go about your duties, tasks, and routine with ease. Here are three style tips that fashion experts swear by:
Go with your gut
You can almost always tell if an outfit or a piece of clothing is right for you within the first few seconds of putting it on. “Whenever you feel the need to talk yourself into things, that’s a red flag that you shouldn’t buy them,” says designer Rebecca Minkoff.
If you don’t immediately feel attracted to the item and don’t feel confident about it, you more than likely won’t wear it. No need to spend the money on something you won’t wear. It’s much more beneficial to invest in items that you love and feel confident in. You’ll get more use out of them and will benefit from the confidence boost.
Focus on clothing that makes you feel your best
“Style and confidence require knowing yourself and wearing what you feel best in. That’s powerful for a job interview,” says entrepreneur Ariel Kaye. Looking good translates to feeling confident in yourself, and when you’re confident, you can take on the world. If you’re uncomfortable physically or mentally in your clothing, you won’t have the confidence to accomplish what you want or need to. Figure out what clothing makes you feel confident and go from there.
Maybe a well fitted blazer gives you confidence. If that’s the case, invest in a good basic blazer that you can dress up or down based on the occasion. Instead of buying a few low quality items that you’ll have to replace over and over again, invest in something that fits you correctly and will hold up over time. It will be less expensive in the long run.
Once you develop a signature style, trust what you like
My mom always used to tell me that if you find an item of clothing you like, buy it in a few colors. Designer Nanette Lepore suggests to “Figure out your go-to, foolproof looks,” so you can build your wardrobe based on outfits that work for your signature style.
If you gravitate towards pants, there’s no sense in building a wardrobe full of skirts and dresses. It’s always a good idea to have a few items that push you out of your comfort zone, but having a signature style means trusting your gut and trusting the style that you’ve developed based on your life.
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Having a signature style doesn’t mean that you have to wear the same thing over and over again. It means that you know what you like and you dress in a way that represents who you are. When it comes to three style tips that fashion experts swear by, trust your gut, focus on clothing that makes you feel confident, and go with what you like!