How to Discover & Define Your Signature Style
Own Your Personality
Seek Inspiration
Assess Your Wardrobe
Describe Your Style (or Ideal Style)
Curate It
Refine and Define It
What is a Signature Style?
A signature style in fashion defines your taste and style that uniquely represents you. Possessing a signature style is like having a style stamp, consisting of that unique thing you do with your outfit, which creates a connection to who you are.
Think of Erykah Badu; her signature style is bold and eccentric, often consisting of large headwraps, hats, and hairstyles. Her signature style reflects her taste and inner-soul essence as seen through her personality and music. When you hone in on your signature style, you are choosing to present your authentic self to the world around you, all while capturing the perception of others.
Possessing a signature style is a form of self-expression as well as visual communication of your personal brand. It can be beneficial to have a signature style as it builds confidence and can make shopping for clothing easier as you know what you love.
Erykah Badu Eccentric Personal Style | Getty Images
6 Simple Steps to Discover & Define Your Signature Style
1. Own Your Personality
Our personal style usually has a direct correlation to our personality. The first step to discovering your signature style is to understand who you are and how you would like to be perceived by others. At this step, you want to take the time to explore your personality, personal values, likes, and even dislikes to hone in on your authentic self. This is important as it allows you to discover your personal taste, which goes hand in hand with your style choices.
2. Seek Inspiration
We often tend to admire and see parts of ourselves in others. A fun way to discover your signature style is to seek inspiration from others as well as magazines and style blogs. For instance, think about those around you, even celebrities and influencers whose style you love. Identify at least five style icons or individuals whose style you admire then take some time to think about why you admire each individual’s style. As you complete this step you should have a list of keywords that describe each individual's style and what about it that captivates you.
Tip: Pinterest is a great resource/tool that enables you to seek style inspiration and build mood boards.
3. Assess Your Wardrobe
Another important step in discovering your signature style is assessing your wardrobe. You may already own pieces that complement the style you want or pieces that do not. Assessing your wardrobe allows you to identify a particular style and the elements you’re naturally drawn to as well as the ones you no longer love. For instance, you may find that the majority of your closet consists of prints, bold colours, or even pieces that reflect a specific period in time.
Tip: Perform a wardrobe audit to assess your current wardrobe state and needs.
4. Describe It
Now that you have considered your style icons, and personality and have assessed your wardrobe, it's time to describe your ideal style. There are a variety of style descriptors used to identify one's personal style which usually reflects specific personality characteristics. Based on the information you have gathered, consider words that describe your personality, taste, and how you want to be seen. For instance, if you think of yourself as creative or want to be seen as such by others, your style descriptors may be creative, refined, and bold.
5. Curate It!
Great! Now that you have an idea of how you want to express yourself, it's time to curate your ideal style. A super fun and effective thing to do at this point is to create a vision board. A vision board serves as a visual representation of the ideal style you want. Your vision board should consider key design elements like cut, colour, fabrics, and other details that reflect your ideal style. There are many different ways to create a vision board; however, I recommend Pinterest as it is the easiest way to find and organize inspirational images for your digital board.
6. Continue to Refine & Redefine
The great thing about style is that it is your own. Having a signature style doesn't happen overnight, but keep in mind it is something that should come naturally to you. As a form of self-expression, your signature or ideal style reflects who you are as a person and how you want to be seen by the world around you.
Remember, you don't have to be one thing or have one style. Don't limit yourself! As you grow as a person, so does your style
