How to Find Your Personal Style

Blogging has been a serious journey. Before I started Blondes & Bagels I thought I knew exactly who I was and what I stood for. In a lot of respects I still feel that way.

Except having a blog really challenged how I thought of my personal style.

Fashion blogging is a new industry, but it’s pretty saturated. There are lots of us bloggers out there doing our thing. When I started blogging I remember looking around at all the other bloggers and thinking….well shit.

I’m not like them.

I’ve never been a girly girl with my clothes. I’m a hardcore makeup addict. I’m a total beauty junky. I love to talk about fashion and keep up with trends. But I’m not a trendy dresser.

I look back at posts like this one and this one from when I first started getting into outfit posts and shake my head. Those outfits so aren’t me. In fact I don’t even really dress in “outfits.”

I grab classic pieces every day in classic colors and silhouettes. I believe in great pairs of pants. I believe in collared shirts and boyfriend tees. I spent so much time trying to keep up with all of the other fashion bloggers out there with their perfectly paired outfits – I forgot who I was.

So I’m done with that. I’m going back to my roots as a small town tomboy who loves to mix classic silhouettes, edgy accents, and a feminine touch of blush.

I’m slowly starting to come out of my personal style identity crisis. There’s about to be a lotttt more all black outfits up in here guys. Prepare yourselves.

So let’s get down to business and talk about defining your personal style – and staying true to it!

Come up with some key words to define your style.

Grab that pen and paper people. It’s time to write down some key words that define who you are and how you dress.

Are you…

  • preppy
  • classic
  • colorful
  • vintage
  • chic
  • edgy
  • simple
  • utilitarian

There are so many key words that can describe you and your style. Try to write down at least five and reference back to these as you curate your wardrobe and pick out your outfits. These key words will help you stay true to your personal style.

Find some inspirational images.

Pinterest is seriously my best fashion friend (and you can follow me here). I actually created an entire board called “Personal Style” filled with images that represent my clothing aesthetic.

And you should do the same.

Having a group of images you can constantly refer back to helps to keep you on brand and inspired.

Pick a palette.

You’re now armed with some key words and a whole board filled with inspirational images. Scan through your pictures and see if you can identify some common colors. Having a color palette you can fall back on will make picking pieces out every day that much easier.

 

Clean up your closet.

I spent last weekend doing a major closet clean out. Once I came to my senses and realized I was trying to dress like someone I’m not – I realized I had been buying a ton of clothes and silhouettes in colors I don’t even enjoy wearing.

I struggle to create outfits with colors – I’m a neutrals girl at heart. So I spent the weekend scrutinizing every piece and ended up with a wardrobe of white, grey, black, and various other neutral colors.

Now instead of spending twenty minutes trying to outfit colorful pieces in the morning, I grab a neutral colored piece I love and pair it with a good pair of distressed jeans. Nailed it.

Curate key pieces.

You’ve cleaned out your closet – now it’s time to shop!

Whether you’re a neutrals woman or all about color, curating a wardrobe filled with key pieces will make getting dressed in the morning easy. And seriously we’re all too busy being rockstars at what we do to spend ages picking out clothes.

My key pieces are distressed denim, black tops, printed/textured flats, and structured outerwear!

Be yourself.

If I’ve learned anything from this entire experience it’s that it’s a ton of work pretending to be someone you’re not. It’s actually exhausting.

There’s nothing more beautiful than being 100% wholesomely you. Your personal style makes you unique. It’s okay to love the trends, but not follow them.

It’s actually cool to be you.

So if you love that weird t-shirt you totally stole from your dad – wear it. If you’re into winged eyeliner a la Amy Winehouse – own it.

Do you, boo boo.

Please tell me I’m not the only one who’s gone through an identity crisis. Lolz.

Tell me about your personal style journey in the comments below!