Campus Runway: Establishing a Personalized Style

The key to fashion is beyond absorbing trends; it is staying true to your individualized style. 

What you choose to put on each day is a small window into an unspoken aspect of your stylistic expression. But what if you don’t know what your style aesthetic is? 

Finding your personal style, however, is not something that will evolve overnight, but it is an ever-unfolding process that can begin at any time. Here are a few tips for solidifying your personal style and finding the freedom for your fashion to evolve.

1. Take an honest look into your closet

In the fashion world, “style” is shorthand for “personal style.” It is no surprise that style is just that: incredibly personal. 

Your personal style will only be uncovered when you develop a sense of self, and that begins by looking within your own wardrobe. 

What are your favorite clothing pieces? Think about the clothes you own that make you feel poised and comfortable. Ask yourself why they make you feel the way you do and make note of it. 

Developing a style that has the ability to express the unspoken begins with observing what you are naturally drawn to, without being influenced by what others are wearing. In doing so, you develop a sense of style independence, separate from what is socially relevant. Your fashion, therefore, becomes both timeless and personal.

This personalized approach will ensure not only comfortability but also a fashion identity in a world of repeated trends. 

2. Create a capsule wardrobe

Once you settle into consistency, your day-to-day style will follow. 

A capsule wardrobe is a personalized collection of basics that allows you to mix and match staple pieces effortlessly. Once you have found what you generally like, creating a curated capsule of inspirations and patterns allows each outfit to suddenly become your favorite because each one is made up of only the articles you absolutely love. 

To begin ordering your capsule wardrobe, create a mood board for the pieces that you find iconic and simultaneously interchangeable. In this way, you create a consistency you can count on in your own wardrobe.

Vogue suggests, “Rather than picking out obvious similarities [Skirts or pants? Prints or block colours? Monochromes or brights?], try to group your images by style. Do you like feminine details with a streamlined silhouette, or voluminous shapes in cool shades? Ask yourself what you find appealing in each image or reference.”

3. Find your niche & experiment

Once you find what you enjoy, you open the door for the confidence to deviate from it, too. Fashion is not meant to be stationary; it is meant to evolve in tandem with the ever-changing parts of ourselves.

According to Vogue fashion writer Naomi Pike, “It is important to understand that what constitutes as your ideal look today might not qualify in several months. This isn’t always just about shifting trends, but also about your own personal development as you navigate through life and all the inevitable shifts and changes.”

How will you find out what daring looks you love if you never try them on for size? The journey to discovering your style identity is as much about saying “yes” as it is about saying “no.” 

Set aside time to experiment with the freedom of doing what you love and settling into your fashion lane, even if it is out of your comfort zone. 

Green is the feature editor. Follow her on Twitter.