Finding your personal style and learning how to elevate your style is a long journey for many, including myself. In ninth grade, I decided to start caring about fashion and what I wore. However, I did not just wake up one day and suddenly have my ideal closet and know exactly how to elevate my wardrobe. Now four years later, I pride myself on knowing my personal style and knowing how to elevate and style my outfits. 

The first step to elevating your style and revamping your wardrobe is to find your personal style, which can be overwhelming. Fashion is subjective, and it is one of the biggest ways you can express yourself. When finding your personal style, it can be extremely easy to get wrapped up in trends and what everyone else is wearing. However trends come and go, and while they are fun to participate in, following what everyone else is wearing will not get you any closer to discovering your personal style. 

The first thing I would do is go on Pinterest and start making a board. Pin every outfit picture you like until you have a pretty decent-sized board. Then look through it and find the common denominators. Are there mostly bright colors or neutral colors, what kind of silhouettes keep appearing, etc.? Whatever you keep seeing in all of these pins, whether it be a certain type of shoe, mini skirts, blazers, neutral colors, etc. take note of that. Then with those in mind, start shopping.

This is just an example of what part of my Pinterest board looked like in the fall. I have a lot of pops of red, leather jackets, tall boots, mini skirts, etc., so when I was picking out things for my fall wardrobe I made sure to keep these in mind and buy the things that kept appearing on my board. This ensured that I was not wasting my money on things I would only wear once or twice.

When you are starting out building your wardrobe, basics are so important. Even if you find your style veering towards bright colors, prints, and statement pieces, everyone needs basics. The type of basics you need will depend on what your style consists of. For example, a white T-shirt (whether it be cropped, loose, full length, fitted, etc.) and a pair of jeans (whether it be a wide leg, high waisted, low waisted, straight leg, etc.) is as basic as it gets, but depending on what you like and what flatters you there are so many different styles and ways to style them. Your style will inevitably be everchanging, but basics will always be basics. I would invest money on quality basics that will last you forever. 

The outfit on the left is just a very basic silhouette and version of a white t-shirt and jeans. It is barely styled and the fit of the t-shirt and jeans is very basic. The outfit on the right is essentially a white t-shirt and jeans, but the t-shirt is more fitted, and the outfit is elevated through the way it is styled. The belt, cardigan, bag, sunglasses, and shoes elevate this very basic idea and silhouette into a much cooler outfit. This example also shows the importance of accessories. I have always incorporated accessories into my outfits, but I never really realized their importance until about a year or two ago. Accessories are the key thing that will make an outfit go from basic and boring to cool and interesting. Invest money in quality accessories such as sunglasses, purses, shoes, jewelry, etc. 

Another way to enhance your style is to learn how to layer. Layering can be difficult to start doing if you are not used to it, but it can really take an outfit to the next level. Fashion is all about trial and error. Try pieces together that you usually never would and figure out the silhouettes you like (explain silhouettes/give examples). If you hate what you put together you can take it off and start again. It’s not permanent, and it is important to try new things to really find what you love. Find your outfit “formulas” that make you feel most confident and stick with those. 

Another tip is to follow fashion influencers on Instagram or TikTok who have a similar style as you. I get so much fashion inspiration just from scrolling on social media because I follow so many fashion influencers whose outfits I love. 

Obviously, fashion is subjective and everyone will like different things, but these are just some that I feel are pretty broad and can be applied to everyone!

Examples:

Layering

Accessorizing