How to find your sense of style?

Being a fashion stylist and a fashion enthusiast, the question that I am most frequently asked is, “how does one find their sense of style?” Everyone belongs to a certain category of style; it could be one or a combination of two. To begin with, one should look at the style type that they prefer and move forward on those lines. The next step is to unravel what is appropriate and what isn’t, keeping factors such as body type, location, weather, fitting and choice in mind.

I’ve had my share of fashion disasters and I’m proud of the drastic changes I’ve experienced over the years by experimenting with different trends. Through this feature, I’ll share a few tips and tricks on how to find your style and feel comfortable and confident in the clothing that you sport. From putting an outfit together to flaunting that looks nonchalant throughout the day, here are five pointers that will work as a style guide.

Access your wardrobe
Begin the process by going through the clothing pieces that you already own. Creating a whole new wardrobe from scratch can be intimidating as well as requires an investment of time and money. Look at the clothes that are mostly worn or make you feel comfortable. The wardrobe can then be sorted as per the garments that are used often. This in return, helps in understanding one’s style sense better.

List down the clothing that you actually wear for two weeks. Differentiate between clothes worn and clothes that kept going back without being used much. Once you have an idea of what clothes are worn on a daily basis, look out for the commonalities between them. A certain fit? A particular colour scheme? A certain brand? Comfort level of the clothing? A certain fabric? Be honest with yourself and try finding answers to these as the process will help you identify what style you gravitate towards naturally.

Be inspired
Scroll through social media platforms, old movies, fashion shows, magazines and runways, and be inspired during your research. This can prove beneficial as you’ll be able to relate to the designs/patterns that highlight your personality. Think critically about the images you liked and also about the images that you didn’t. What is it about a particular image that attracted you? The flattering fit? The colour scheme? Or the model? Asking such questions will lead you in the right direction. Save these images and create a mood board – cut out pictures and looks and create a scrapbook so that you can keep coming back for inspiration and experimentation.

After this step, some of you must have found your calling. It could be Natural/Relaxed, Classic/Traditional, Artistic/Creative, Dramatic/Edgy, Romantic/Feminine, Alluring/Sexy, Modern/Chic. Consider yourself lucky if you have! If not, there’s more digging to be done. It also means that you’re a combination of two or three styles. What’s noteworthy is that combining two or more styles creates the best style and at times, gives you a unique outlook. For the same, ask yourselves a few more questions: What suits your personality best? What do you see yourself wearing? What fits best with your lifestyle?

Shop till you drop
This is undoubtedly my favourite step – going shopping! But before you step out, sit down with your mood boards and the selected images and shortlist five pieces of clothing that appear the most often and are most vital to your style. Find these items, swipe your card, get them home, and for the next few months, you can start pairing them along with the other outfits from your wardrobe to see what fits best. Don’t stop working on your mood board. Keep improvising it with the changing trends and comfort. A couple of months down the line, you can head out to shop again in the same manner and keep adding to your wardrobe which now boasts of your unique sense of style.

Practice makes perfect
Fashion and styling sense isn’t something that one is born with. It comes with practice.  Give yourself 10 20 minutes every morning and pair the outfits as per your mood. Putting together an outfit is a process, a therapeutic one if I must say, and it is the only way one can figure out what looks good on them after a series of trial and error. To be honest, it’s an ongoing and never-ending process because style and trends keep evolving. You need to continue practising this exercise and visually examine what suits you best. Show your outfits to your friends or post your experiments on social media to see the reactions. You can check out my personal style on Instagram @asmitaanandofficial.

Confidence is the key
We have the outfits in our minds that we think would look great on us and we’d be able to carry them. But often, we lack the courage in actually doing so. Wearing an outfit that makes you feel comfortable and happy is the only way to go about making a difference. Ease yourself into your new style, piece by piece. Fashion is subjective. You can like one thing and not necessarily the other. So, it makes complete sense to trust your instincts and ooze confidence with the look that you decide upon. I hope that this article helps and inspires you in finding your sense of style! For further queries, you can connect with me on Instagram or email me at asmitaanand15@gmail.com.