With social media and new fashion trends, it seems like everyone already has their own personal style down. They know which shops they will buy from and what aesthetic they affiliate with. Whether it be Cottagecore, or E-girl/E-boy or Vintage, there is a large spectrum in fashion. But sometimes you are just stuck not knowing what style you gravitate more towards. Maybe you never really had a solid basis to call your own style.
Personally, for me, through highschool it was a struggle to find what aesthetic I belonged to. My mom always had to co-sign my outfits which didn’t leave much room for me to freely try out stuff. And with me being on the chubbier side, my fashion was limited to what actually fit me. So, I stuck with the skinny jeans, leggings, and JCPenny tacky t-shirts. Ya know the one’s I’m talking about. They have really cringey wording on them. When it came to dresses, it was always girly and pink. Which I despised deep down. Finding my own personal style didn’t start till my senior year of highschool. By the time I was in college , I had my own money to go out and by the clothes I wanted. I discovered thrifting and everything just started to easily fall in to place.
Why is finding your personal style so important?
Personal style and finding that aesthetic you know you belong with is so important to who you are as a person. It’s like fitting that last puzzle in your set. It just bring your personality and your identity all together. You get to be expressive through something that isn’t your words.
Having that personal style can also be a statement piece to society. Showing that you are a unique individual who maybe doesn’t have to conform to stereotypes. As a African-American woman, I know people already were assuming how I should dress. Judging me either silently or vocally about my clothes. Even some Nigerians would use my fashion as a way to decide how wealthy I was. (I know, that’s kind of fucked up, right?) My own personal style is considered grunge/streetwear and gender neutral ,so definitely not what the stereotypical African-American woman would wear. Even then, stereotypes are just a box society puts us in. Personal Style is about stepping out of that box and being free with yourself.
Personal style is about stepping out of that box and being free with yourself
So, then how do I find my personal style/aesthetic?
Create a fashion mood board
The best place to go make a fashion mood board is Pinterest. Up above is a screen recording of my own fashion mood board which I call “Style Inspiration”. There I have categories of the styles I am in to and pictures to give me inspiration. Now if you wanna be crafty , then by all means go out to your nearest art store and buy an actual board. Find some cool pics online or from magazines you see and just pin them up. With a fashion mood board it becomes easier to navigate and store what you like. Yes, you can also store what you don’t like ,but the best way to hone in on your personal style to find what you like. Once you do that it’ll be easier to find what you gravitate more towards. Also see it as a motivation. You have an end goal and the pictures will help give you that boost.
Look through your closet for what makes you happy
Now, sometimes there are cases where people just start from scratch and ditch their entire wardrobe. I almost did that ,but instead I just went through to find the gems I already had. From the clothes you have, find which ones make you happy or the ones that you are more inclined to wear all the time. Maybe that one jacket is your favorite and think it fits with who you are very well. And you have some jeans that you think is stylish in your eyes. Keep those clothes and declutter the rest. I actually recently did a post on how to declutter your wardrobe. The link is below, I say go check it out if you are in need of refreshing your closet.
Experiment with unique style choices
Don’t corner yourself with what feels familiar. Something I like to do, so that I don’t get bored with my style is to try new things. Recently, I’ve been trying to add more dresses and color in to my wardrobe. But I keep it within my style ,so that it is comfortable for me to wear as a person. Maybe you’re in to the Dark Academia aesthetic ,but you don’t like turtlenecks. Try it out and see how you can style with it. Or try a nice plaid pantsuit and see how you feel with it. Finding your personal style is suppose to be fun and exciting. The whole cool part is trying new things and finding what works. Not everything is going to be a home run ,but hey, you gave it a shot.
Finding those unique pieces are also a sure way to show off your personality. These are called “Statement Pieces”. What is a statement piece you ask. Well in simple terms it is:
usually an interesting, attractive or relatively eye-catching piece of your outfit. It’s not necessarily bright, colorful or oversized but it is normally bold and unique.
These are usually the first thing someone notices about your outfit. Maybe it’s a cool chain, or a nice fuzzy bucket hat, or your heels that you decided to wear. When you have that statement piece, you will want to dress around it. That way everything will be more cohesive.
Take a Style Quiz!
Style quizzes are sure and fun way to figure out what your style is. If you’re struggling with honing in on a name then this is a great tool. There are many personal shoppers and fashion bloggers out there who have created quizzes to help people who are confused. Remember, this whole experience is suppose to be fun.
See who your fashion/aesthetic inspirations are
If you are on social media or not, think about the influencers, Tik Tokers, Celebrities, etc. that you know. Who’s style do you like the most? Which one of them do you find yourself gravitating more towards. For example, for me the people that I find their fashion to be so cool are Courtney Miller from Smosh, a tik toker by the name of Jazmine, Amanda Stenberg, and a fashion blogger named Nicole Alyse on Instagram. If you don’t already follow these people on social media, it’d be a smart thing to follow them.
Now, remember they are just there for inspiration. Don’t start to compare yourself to them and see them as better since they have their style down. Everyone’s journey with their style is different and who’s to say that a year ago they were in the same spot as you. As well as the budget for their clothes. Some of them probably have the funds to get the high end trendy clothes from the trendy stores. It’s okay if you don’t have the budget. Your personal style isn’t dictated by your wallet. Yes, it’s okay to want to splurge every now and then. But don’t become discouraged because you can’t buy the new Jordans or have 20 pairs of Doc Martens. Stay within your means. Trust me, you can still look how you want to with a $50 budget.
Lastly, the most important tip to finding your personal style is…..
Courtney Miller 
Nicole Alyse 
Jazmine 
Amanda Stenberg 
Be confident in yourself!
You can have a closet full of the clothing that you love and want. But what’s the purpose of having all that & not wearing it? I know it at first it may seem intimidating. Trust me, I was a bit off put at first about wearing the chain wallet joggers, the crop tops, and the fishnet tights. It just felt like I was over my head. As if people would judge me and make fun of me. Newsflash! People will judge either way. But that’s not your headache. If they’re judging , it’s because they’re jealous at the confidence that you are holding. It takes a lot of self-confidence to go out and wear what you want. Giving no fucks at all.
I know that it is all easier said than done. You run your aesthetic, it doesn’t run you. Don’t make excuses because your fear is in the way. I would tell myself that since I’m African-American, it’s not cool for me to be dressing like this. That maybe people will call me an Oreo again or say I’m acting “too white”. And ya know what, some people did ,but I couldn’t let that stop me from what made me happy. From what made me feel more like myself. It took awhile to get to where I am today. Don’t worry, you’ll get there soon as well. It takes time and effort and a lot of self-love talk. There will be days where you might feel down on yourself. Just reel yourself back in and remember this one thing. You’re doing this for you and nobody else.
THANK YOU FOR READING!!
I hope you enjoyed this week’s post. Today is June 1st, which means it’s Pride Month!! I’m pretty excited about this month. I have some cool posts planned for this month which I think everyone will enjoy reading. If you enjoyed this week’s post, there are many more for you to check out.
Don’t forget to share the blog around with your friends and family. Follow me on all my socials to know when I post a new blog. Also, follow my Facebook page! I’m trying to connect with my community better through there. It makes it easier to try and get to know you guys. Welp, until next time 😉
