A GUIDE TO REFINING YOUR PERSONAL STYLE

disclaimer: this is not an overnight process, and your style is going to constantly change overtime through different phases of your life. this resource provides suggestions on what you can do to start refining your personal style today in order to create habits for continuing to refine your style down the road!

step one : closet clean out

it’s time to purge! eliminate the things in your wardrobe that you don’t wear and really evaluate the things you do! follow our step-by-step guide - CLOSET CLEAN OUT : A GUIDE TO CAPSULIZING YOUR CLOSET - and answer some questions about your style you may not have even realized you had.

step two : inspiration board

begin an inspiration board or album; we recommend using pinterest, but you could create a “saved” collection on instagram or an album on your phone or computer… whatever works for you! search and save inspirational, yet also realistic styles and outfits that you could and would wear on just about any day for anything. once you’ve saved about 20 different images, take a look at your collection as a whole and note reoccurring items and styles… what colors are you seeing repeated, is there a lot of denim or dresses, etc…

here’s how we did it…

• using pinterest, create a new board

• search for outfits you would typically wear on a daily basis (leave special occasion styles off of this board)

• save 10 to 20 pins with outfits and styles for all seasons; you need enough different images to recognize reoccurring items and styles

• evaluate the board as a whole and create a few lists:

  • theme words (ie: feminine, dark, simple, etc…)

  • repeated styles (ie: white tee, jeans, sandals, dresses, etc…)

  • common colors and patterns (ie: tan, black, white + blue stripes, colorful florals)

step three : documentation

from here on out, until you feel comfortable and confident with your personal style, document your daily outfits. this can be as simple as recording it in a notebook or taking a quick mirror selfie and saving it to an album on your phone. you can also share and save your OOTD’s on instagram (this is a surprisingly good way to hold yourself accountable and also grow your following).

bonus tip : try a capsule wardrobe challenge like the 10x10 wardrobe challenge or our #cocapsules14 challenge.

step four : buy slowly and intentionally

please don’t skip out and try to fill in the gaps you find in your wardrobe the second after you complete the steps above! let the pieces you have, your new knowledge about them, and the direction of your personal style really settle in. keep reviewing your inspiration board and wear what you have, to really figure out what you may be missing. focus on aspirational things and when you find something that will elevate your wardrobe, get it!

step five : evaluate regularly

keep track of the pieces you love, wear, and have had for a long time; let go of the things you put on and take off before leaving the house - turnover in your wardrobe is okay! what’s not okay is holding onto pieces you don’t love, there’s just no need. your life is constantly changing, it is totally normal for your wardrobe and personal style to change along with it.

continue adding to your inspiration board and documenting your outfits - have fun with it and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. style is ever-changing!

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if you have any specific questions about this topic or would like us to dive into it more thoroughly, don’t hesitate to reach out. we’d love nothing more than to help you personally!