Finding Your Style

There is honestly and truly nothing more exciting in my role as a style coach, than witnessing women experience that eureka! moment. And, really, it comes down to an unveiling of this one simple truth. To really look (and feel) amazing, the most imperative ingredient is to know who the hell you are! And I mean, really understand WHO YOU ARE. We are not our jobs, our hobbies, or even our marital status.

I'm a trained Image Consultant. I have qualifications and experience but none of my expertise is relevant if I'm dealing with a woman who doesn't know who she is. I can't attempt to convince someone of their best colours or styles to suit their shape, if they're not aware of who they are on the inside and how they want to be perceived. It's just MY opinion, regardless of how educated an opinion it is, it's MINE and not my client's. It is my job to give you ideas, confidence, advice, the freedom to explore, options to try. The rest is up to you.

What I'm saying is this - I could give my client a million reasons why a vibrant yellow is her best colour. It brings out her skintone, highlights the gold in eyes, accentuates all her best bits, makes her look young and vibrant etc, etc. But these reasons, despite their validity, may never convince her to want to wear vibrant yellow. Maybe she can't stand the colour! Maybe she can't take herself seriously in it. Maybe she's just far too conservative, or too shy to want to draw attention to herself with such a bold hue. Just because I, the stylist, may have a million reasons for her to wear it, doesn't mean that she, the client, doesn't have a million reasons why she won't.

So here's the thing. Understanding your personality traits will assist you (and your stylist) in understanding what works best for you. The two are interrelated. And if you just can't figure it out in your head, write a list of adjectives that express who you are as a person, on the inside.

Are you creative? Fun? Relaxed? Dramatic? Versatile? Sophisticated? Easy-going? Introverted? Be truthful with your chosen words and use them as a guide when making new purchases. For example, if you decide that “crazy” is one of your words that you want for your style recipe, consider if each piece you ponder over on your next shopping trip is "crazy" enough for your personality. If not, is it really YOU? It’s an effective exercise to whittle down the choices in stores to finding the clothes that you love.

Knowing how you feel in particular clothes and what you love to wear will really assist you in making those awesome purchases. Equally, it's important to understand what you don't love. Analyse those elements of clothing and accessories that make you happy, comfortable and confident. This will make it easier for you to replicate and create a wardrobe full of clothes you love.

Honing your style takes time and effort, as with anything worthwhile. But know this - there is no right and there is no wrong. If you love something, if it makes you feel comfortable and it reflects you and how you want to be perceived, forget the rules. Finding your style is about unearthing your authenticity.