7 Ways to Create a Wardrobe That’s Uniquely Yours
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t deny that these women all have unique senses of style.
What does your wardrobe say about you? Is it a perfect reflection of your personality down to the customized nameplate necklace and funky skirt you got during study abroad in Spain? Or does it simply say “I got all of this stuff at Target”?
If your wardrobe is more like the latter, there are lots of things you can do to put more of your personality into your fashion sense. You don’t have to break the bank to do it, and it truly is simple.
Here are my top 7 tips to personalize your wardrobe and make it scream YOU!
1. Develop your personal brand.
If someone were to look at an outfit you’d wear on a typical day, would they immediately recognize it as yours? Is that outfit “very you”, or could it belong to anyone?
Branding is important in marketing and business, but it’s just as important in fashion to know who you are and have your own personal brand that sets you apart from everyone else. Strong brands are magnetic – you can’t help but pay attention to them. Channel some of that magnetism with your style.
How to develop your brand? Start with adjectives that describe your style, like “fun, eclectic, exciting, unique”, or “put-together, chic, timeless, sophisticated”. If you aren’t sure what your style is, describe a style you’d like to have or the personal style of someone you admire. Even better, just describe your personality.
Keep the list you created and test the clothes in your wardrobe against it. If they don’t fit with your brand, donate ‘em or toss them out. There’s no point in wearing something that’s just not you.
2. Have things tailored.
A good tailor is every fashionista’s best friend. She can transform a wardrobe full of so-so clothes from discount stores into a closet full of amazing pieces that look custom made.
A tailor can take in your jeans so they fit perfectly, repair small rips in your favorite clothes, hem pants so they work with your favorite pair of shoes, and so much more. If you don’t have one on speed dial, find one and introduce yourself!
Your tailor can also help you personalize your clothes. Say you find a fabulous cardigan at H&M but don’t want to have the exact same one as everyone else. You could find some cool vintage buttons and have your tailor switch them out. It would only cost a few dollars and would give you a completely unique sweater that no one else would have. There are so many possibilities like this, so don’t be afraid to get creative and ask!
3. Raid your mother’s or grandmother’s closet.
I love the idea of conveying a little bit of your personal history through clothing. What better way to do it than borrowing some vintage clothes from your mom or grandmother? You’ll find unique pieces you probably can’t buy any more, and they have the added character of being in your family.
If you have access to your mother’s, grandmother’s, or fabulous aunt’s closet, I definitely recommend borrowing something if you can.
4. Add character with your accessories.
Accessories are one of the best ways to show off little pieces of your personality without looking costumey. They can convey so much about you, and they’re often inexpensive so you can stock up.
For example, say you’re a Disney fan who doesn’t want to dress like Cinderella every day. Instead, you can accessorize an everyday outfit with a piece of Disney Couture jewelry. Or say you’re a Kubrick fan… Lolita sunglasses anyone? A set of quote pins would be perfect for the budding journalist, and if you have a serious sweet tooth, a cupcake necklace could be a fun accessory to play into that aspect of your personality.
There are literally millions of choices out there – so what will you make your accessories say about you?
5. Find your signature colors.
Signature colors can be another tool to make your look scream “you!” For example, in Legally Blonde, Elle Woods was always in pink, while Cruella Deville for example is recognizable by her black and white ensembles. Even style bloggers have signature colors, for example Nubby Twiglet is always wearing some combination of red, black, and white.
So what are your signature colors? If you need help deciding, start by finding out what colors look best on you. Then pick one or a few of your favorites from those choices. Think about which colors make you feel good when you look at them, as well as which ones resonate with your personality.
Once you have your signature colors, try wearing some combo of them in your outfits on a regular basis – whether it’s one or a few. Find handbags, shoes, and scarves in those colors and mix them in to your current wardrobe.
You don’t have to wear your signature colors every day, but wearing them often will help brand them as yours.
6. Channel your inspirations.
If there’s a certain person who’s style you idolize, cop a little bit of their look and incorporate it into your own. My style idols include Rachel Bilson, Carine Roitfeld, and Bridget Bardot.. what about you?
The people you idolize say a lot about you, and by emulating some part of their look, you tell the world a little bit about yourself. Who do you want to align yourself with? For more on fashion inspiration and style idols, check out the following articles: Fashion Inspiration: How to Find Your Celebrity Fashion Muse, and Fashion Idols: The Pros and Cons.
7. Be true to yourself!
I say this all the time but it’s worth repeating – if you like it, wear it and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks!
We all have clothing or accessories we love that other people don’t – it’s called personal taste, and it’s a good thing! Why dress the same as everyone else? Whether you’re into neon tights, sky-high heels, or hippie-chic head scarves, don’t be scared to wear them if you love ‘em!
Embrace your different-ness and dress to impress yourself. Originality – that’s the best personal style tip of all.
Do you show off your personality with your fashion choices? If so, how? I want to hear your tips, so be sure to leave a comment.
Posted on on February 10, 2009 / Filed Under: Fashion Tips / Tags: Accessories, Celebs, How To, Inspiration, Personal Style, Personality, Wardrobe
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I’m not sure if I express my personality through my wardrobe. But, I do make sure that what ever I wear I absolutely love. I’ll be anything that I know I’ll wear more than once, and that I feel most comfortable in. My fashion icons include Serena Van der Woodsen (Gossip Girl), Mischa Barton, and Lauren Conrad. I try to get fashion pieces that they mostly wear and fit it into my wardrobe.
Arielle
good blog! i’ll definitely be using some of these tips
Veronica
I definitely agree with tossing things that you don’t love anymore. I was trying on different jackets with my outfit today and realized that a kind of punky converse all star jacket I bought over the summer just wasn’t me. I hadn’t worn it much and when I did it didn’t seem to fit with my other clothes, so it’s in the give-to-my-friends or goodwill pile. And barely worn! But I guess one must go through these buying phases to figure out what works and what doesn’t. I may like something a lot, but I may not like it on me:)
Jenny
Pretty good post, but seriously, what kind of college girl has a “tailor on speed dial”? I could understand tailoring an important business suit, but anything else seems really out of any normal person’s college budget. It’s not hard to sew on different buttons, and you can do it nearly for free. Same goes for hemming up simple things or repairing rips (I should know, I do this all the time). A basic sewing kit costs like 5 bucks and has everything you need. Plus, doing something yourself makes a piece that much more unique and truly yours. Besides, don’t we go to college to learn how to be independent, clever, and industrious? =)
Lauren B
I like the message in this article! I think every girl should be able to feel that she has something unique about her look. There’s no fun in following trends if they don’t reflect your personality! I try to keep my look classy and sophisticated, but I love to throw in a few fun accessories like a unique necklace or fun earrings that give a pop of colour. I also love the idea of making something unique to my style – my ‘thing’ is cardigans. I LOVE them, they make every outfit look cute and classy!
I also really love the tip about changing buttons for a vintage / retro vibe. I’ll definitely have to find some awesome buttons and make a cardigan completely unique! Thanks for posting!
la petite fashionista
great article & glad to see you back!
i feel like I’m still searching for my personal “brand” of style. I feel like my style switches up every day; sometime i’m feeling super girly and european, other days a bit like california laid back surfer chic, others studded and rocker. I wish I could just pick a style & stick with it :)
M
Loved all your tips! I’m going to try some of ones I haven’t yet.
Ps: I totally have a tailor on speed dial. It comes with being so short that even petite lengths need hemming!
Lyd
My wardrobe is all about colour!!! T-shirts with cute placements, dresses (most likely in eye catching colours with a bit of design on them), shorts, skinny/straight/bootcut denim, long babydoll style tops and dresses, waisted belts, feminine floral tops, cardis (in different colours of course).
I absolutely love the pinafore dress i bought a while back and like to team it up with a t-shirt or a plain top underneath it with tights :). Or im willing to show some leg in a one piece dress.
Plus i have to take up the hems of the leg of the pants…..which i find alright but frustrating at times…
Some Like it Vintage.com
Great article! Particularly like the vintage addition :-) It’s always a unique way to add pizazz to a wardrobe. Thanks!
Truffle
I truly loved this post, it’s so useful! Thanks ;)
Lyndsay Cabildo
Exactly, everyone is beautiful specially when they appreciate their own gifts. Anyway, Beyonce among them got the best style! :D
amber
well, i’m still trying to experiment with styles to create one of my own, but i’m wondering if any of you ever have this problem i’ve got: most of my girl friends like to dress down, so when i am meeting them, i would dress down on purpose to “accommodate” them … but when hanging out with my sister, i would experiment more. sometimes i wonder how am i ever going to “merge” the two *sigh*
i love rachel bilson, her style is always laid back, chic and fun! and hil duff, for her more day-to-day look
Lily
The best thing to do when creating a unique wardrobe is to go for unique pieces. After years of shopping, I still felt like I ended up looking like the girl sitting next to me in English. So I created my own line (www.edenandhades.com) of unique, super cute dresses and tops.
I highly recommend designing or making your own things and shopping for cute, unique pieces that no other girl would wear.
I’m still working on accessorizing my look. After middle school I wasn’t too big on jewellery and accessories, but I so agree with this article: ACCESSORIES MAKE YOUR LOOK COME ALIVE.
Thanks for the awesome advice :)
kat kelly
I do believe in being true to yourself. I believe that branding is so impt. I told a friend of mine that we brand ourselves daily. That is the truth. We dont think about this.
We often look at celebs and forget that they are ENTERTAINERS. And, there are time where they wear things that the average joe or jane should not wear/ It is possible to find your “own version” Ttransform an outfit to something that looks best on you.
Don’t dress exactly like a celebrity/ I remember when everybody use to praise Rachel Zoe. But, people were so caught up in her hype that they Didn;t see that the celebs she dresses. Lindsey Lohan and Nicole Richie looked like an exact replica of Rachel Zoe! She never found and pulled out their inner style. She just placed. Hers on them.
http://theartistresolution.wordpress.com/
ashley
Love your link to the Cherry Red Boutique! Now I can’t stop looking at all the unique jewelry pieces they have!
I always have a zipper hoodie halfway zipped or not zipped, but NEVER fully zipped up :]
Also my signature colors that pop outta my wardrobe are black&white, white&blue, or all shades of purple!
Cara
Amazing article! My best totally ME thing is that, literally 98 or 99% of the time, I wear high (2in or more) heels. Yes, on a college campus. Hanging out with my gal pals. On dates. To interviews. Shopping alone or accompanied. After Ballet class. With dresses, jeans, minis, tights, skirts, shorts, and crops. Friends suggest that this may be because I refuse to accept that I stopped growing at 5′3″ years ago :P. I know it is because there’s nothing like the combination of power and grace that infuses everything I do while wearing a great pair of heels!!