Fashion Fundamentals: A Beginners Guide For Women Who Want To Improve Their Personal Style
Has your closet kept you feeling stuck in a style rut?
Yet, you still long to feel put-together and more confident in outfits that reflect your own unique sense of style?
You can improve your style forever and quickly - we guarantee it! Read on to learn the why, what, and how.
from An online stylist who knows what she’s talking about
After nearly 15 years of being a personal stylist and completing personal shopping for thousands of people, I’ve seen how a woman can advance her career, confidence, and destiny with the right personal image and style.
With that in mind, I’m sharing the best steps for getting your style unstuck so you feel even more like the confident, gorgeous, powerhouse woman you already are.
1. Finding Your Personal Style
The next time you admire a person’s personal image or fashion sense (or feel jealous she looks so good) ask yourself “Why do I like her?” "What's in her vibe that I wish I felt like?"
Is it the streetwear sportiness of it?
How glam she looks?
Is it her overall cool-girl factor?
Is it how comfortable yet perfectly pulled together she looks?
Does her powerful presence catch your eye?
Replicate the personal style you love by being an anthropologist
Examine rather than judge to borrow vibes from another person's image.
This builds on the complexity of putting entire looks together because rather than simply appreciating one thing or detail, you're capturing the feeling of an overall aesthetic.
Let's imagine you'd love to feel more (insert adjective) and (other feelings). You often see women who reflect that in the way they dress and you admire it.
These women catch your eye because they do it most authentically. For them, it is an internal feeling they exude through their clothing choices. They dress to express that part of themselves.
For example: in the images above there are examples of sexy and feminine interpreted differently.
The sexiness of Kim Kardashian's (bottom right) cleavage is one woman's take on sexy, while Meghan Markle's (middle left) jeans and sharp black stiletto heels are another.
Another take is the combat boot or Margot Robbie's leopard print dress.
What elements make up each version?
Apply it: Create your own Pinterest board of your personal style inspiration. There are various examples of personal style to steal ideas from.
With this example, what kind of sexy/feminine vibe do you connect with most?
How can you create more of that in your style?
If sexy and feminine isn’t the kind of fashion you like, that’s ok! This is an example of a certain style, but you can use this method to figure out how to start dressing how you want.
Now go create your vision board for your style inspiration!
2. Know why you like clothes, to wear clothes you like with confidence
People with incredible personal style are attuned to their tastes and effortlessly build a wardrobe out of them.
They easily build a wardrobe because they understand what feels right and natural to their lifestyle.
By refining your understanding of why you like an item you'll have more success choosing the pieces that make you feel pulled together.
Ever hear yourself saying:
“Ohh, that is a pretty shirt.”
“Those pants are cool.”
“That shirt is weird.”
“I want that shoe.”
The next time you like or don’t like an item of clothing (your own, a colleague’s, in a store, etc) take note of why.
When we are attracted to or repelled by an item, some details make you go yay or nay.
Regardless if it is the color, the pleats, the fabric, or the way it moves, it's your job to understand why you kinda love it or hate it.
As you start paying attention to why you like something you'll notice patterns in your style preferences.
These patterns are valuable information for dressing yourself smarter.
Our awareness of why we are attracted to something is a tool for creating more of that in our lives.
Apply it: With your preference(s) noted, go to a store or shop online and scan it until you find pieces that reflect your favorite detail(s). Try those!
3. Clean and Edit your Closet like a Styling Professional
Let's be honest, you have so much shit you never wear yet refuse to get rid of.
Forget Marie Kondo (at least for your clothing closet) to know what clothes to get rid of.
Follow my Wear It Once styling system to help clear the closet clutter quickly, without spending more money or extra time trying to decide what to remove from your closet.
Here’s how you do it: if you don’t know what to do with your items, wear that piece of clothing at least once.
Wearing every piece of clothing gives you one of two things: a new vigor for it or a clear feeling that the item needs to go.
If you are torn about whether to toss something, you'll have clarity by the day's end whether or not you want to keep it.
Learning how to edit your closet throughout the year will help you create a cohesive wardrobe long-term
Apply it: Every day wear something you've yet to wear in that day's outfit. Do this, in constant rotation, until you have worn everything at least once
4. Learn the expert skills to style yourself
“Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist.
”
Like when learning to cook, personal style develops best when creativity meets competency. One has to learn knife yielding before one can advance into culinary arts. Sometimes this can come naturally, but most often it's a culmination of effort and self-expression over the years. Refine your rough edges and you'll find more freedom to play.
Follow masters who share their expertise. Follow us for more tips!
Educate yourself on the science of fashion and apply the teachings
Follow the steps in this blog post
Create more outfits easily with this FREE Guide!
Apply it: Hire an expert. Take a class. Take action on what you know.
5. Embrace and figure out your body’s shape
Your body is fashion's ultimate accessory and you are your canvas.
When we struggle to understand how to dress our shapes, it can hinder creativity and/or highlight our insecurities, making us feel frustrated and with limited options.
Understanding your body shape is not:
About making it wrong.
Finding fault in it.
Dressing it to hide it.
Working yourself into a pretzel to look like someone else's ideal body.
Understanding your body shape is:
Learning your proportions correctly
Understanding how your figure translates to clothing design.
Understanding how to shop and dress it smartly. Check out this blog post breaking it down!
An integral step in making smarter purchases and ending frustrating shopping experiences.
Your body is the way that it is and will continue to change as you age. Learning to work with and love what you’ve got is one of your greatest resources. Women who know what works for their bodies understand how to dress it.
we can help you learn how to style yourself like an expert!
6. Girl, do your hair more
When grooming becomes an afterthought, it diminishes the self-image we seek.
Think of when a well-dressed man doesn't groom his facial hair or brush his teeth before a date or imagine a celebrity with post-workout hair on the red carpet.
They are still their fabulous self, but an off-centered, false representation of that version.
This isn't to say you need to be coiffed perfectly every day, but a ponytail can either be “I just woke up mess” or “sleek and chic”.
The only difference is the extra effort we make in creating one or the other.
To be clear, unrealistic beauty standards are not welcome here at Let's Get You, but it's your choice which direction you consistently want your look to lean.
Apply it: Figure out a few ways to support having a polished head of hair and do it more often than not. You are sure to find a go-to that says "I pulled it together" and less "I ran out of time".
7. Add a new neutral
For most, neutrals mean black or white, gray or navy, and only wear colors that look like this:
If brighter colors intimidate you and/or you're bored with your style, consider incorporating alternative neutrals. There are are browns, burgundy, greens, creams, blushes and camels that can be worn as neutrals too.
Also, there’s agreement amongst fashion people that leopard prints are most definitely, always neutral!
Apply it: The next time you consider buying something in your regular go-to neutral, try one you normally aren't drawn too. Like leopard!
8. Wear things that feel a little “too much”
When personal shopping for new clients (even the most stylish ones) I often hear:
"I don't know how to get away with wearing that."
"I can't pull that off.
It’s going to make me look like I am trying too hard.”
"I love it, but people are going to think I look (insert extreme adjective)."
style clothes without trying too hard
It's frightening to go outside our comfort zone, but I want you to know it is okay to be noticed. Instead of desperately trying to blend into the wall, remember some people are going to judge. You may as well feel good about yourself because you’ll never please everyone.
Try anything new that you would never usually wear.
A few ways to expand outside your typical type: a new color lipstick! An odd-looking shoe! A color!
Client Example
The harem shape of these pants, along with their glitter gold embellishment, was very eye-catching. The black pairings calm down the bohemian style and make them more easy to wear everyday.
The more you go outside your personal style box, those risky I-can't-wear-that feelings will shrink and shrink.
In tandem, your style will expand in more fulfilling, new ways.
Apply it: Wear things you're a little scared of and try it over and over and over again. Before you know it you'll be rocking tutus in Times Square.
9. Complete Your Outfits to Have Better Style
One of my favorite styling tips is to add a 3rd piece.
This piece is an additional item that incorporates a new element into your outfit.
It supports tip #3 because it helps you rotate your wardrobe to keep you wearing only what you love while trying all the things you rarely wear.
Let me explain:
Imagine your look is full of clothes (fav shirt, fav jeans, or fav shoes, etc.) that you're confident in, but you’re on the fence about that one item (those other shoes, a headband, new bra, whatever), invite it into your outfit and try it for the night/day.
Client Example
Two clutches!
A simple black one on the left, and a large floral one on the right. The two are good choices, but the right is a '3rd piece' that adds depth and visual character to the outfit. It's less simple, and more interesting for her outfit.
This is one of safest places to experiment because the rest of the outfit is a confident choice for you.
Apply it: Wear any piece of clothing you're not sure about in an otherwise safe outfit. You’ll either learn you love it or you’ll be eager to get rid of it. Win-win.
10. Use color to stop feeling bored in your outfits
Incorporating color is often a challenge for anyone who has stuck to wearing neutrals and feels bored.
(Which, by the way, is the majority of NYC.)
Experimenting with colors in your accessories is a simple way to wear more color and find what you love. You can do this with just about anything: a bright bag, shoe, or earrings. It could be a scarf or a hair clip.
It works because almost all colors pair back to a neutral effortlessly, removing any skepticism of how to match.
Apply it: All neutral outfits + bold accessories = colorful style.
11. Take action
The most successful people in this world take action until they have their desired results.
Do new things until it no longer feels like trying.
I wasn't always fashion-savvy and sophisticated. You can see my transformation here!
I always had an appreciation for aesthetics and design, but I didn't know how to dress myself or enhance my beauty in the ways I do now.
Over time, I transformed my appearance into me, only better.
And you can transform too!
