3 little tips on finding your personal style

{igor + andre}

Know Your Body
No one knows your body the way you do so take a good look at yourself. Not in a harsh or judgmental way but in an outside perspective way. Can you take yourself out of your body for a few mins and consider the shape of it? Your silhouette? Do you have a nice full bum, long torso, shorter legs, angled shoulders, rounded shoulders? Full bust, small bust? Slender, voluptuous? There are hundreds of links of the internet that can help you distinguish your body type and what kind of clothes flatter you and how to use illusion to create proportion. Use that as a tool but also keep in mind that its really about how you FEEL in your clothing.

2 examples I can think of at the top of my head that I dont feel good in are turtle necks (or anything with a higher neckline) and skinny jeans. My body's just not made for it despite all the times ive attempted to pull it off. Ive got shorter legs with a full bum.... now can you picture that in a pair of skinny jeans? Sometimes if I have a longer top that comes down to mid bum i can pull it off esp paired with incredible high heels to make my legs look longer but in the end I just dont feel comfortable.

Dig a Lil Deeper
Pull out your albums and start here. Look for pictures of yourself that you like. Ask yourself why you chose these pictures? Is it because of what you're wearing? Or how you're posing, how you're smiling? Do you like it because it reminds you of your youth? Ask yourself questions and see what kind of answers arise. From these answers you can start to build on your style. Do you look good in a certain color, or a certain style? What is your personality like? What part of your personality do you want to express to the world? What are you trying to accomplish?

Find A Signature
When you're building your image you have to really look within, cultivate what really makes you great and then express it to the fullest! You can start off with something as simple as an accessory(pearl necklace), or your favorite color, fabric, or a style(pencil skirt...). Experiment and find out what's right for you because the fun is in the process. Come up with words that describe what you want or like to achieve and keep that in mind while putting ur look together. Just remember to always choose things that play up your best features.

As an exercise, look at your favorite celebrities and notice their defining characteristics and traits... what images stand out. When I say Marilyn Monroe what do you picture? I picture blonde, red lipstick, white dress which can be translated into sex kitten, flirty, playful yet sophisticated. Coco Chanel has a few signature pieces that are combined to achieve her signature look...braided trim, quilted texture, pearl necklace, spectator pumps, hardware & the gardenia(her favorite flower). Karl Lagerfeld has a very distinct look as well. High collars, tight jeans and a white ponytailed hair and black shades....so what will yours be? I would say mine would be "girlie sophistication" but Im still working on pulling together a distinct look.

{ Coco Chanel } { Karl Lagerfeld }