In a world where we are constantly bombarded by ads and influencers, how do you figure out your personal style? Build a closet that works for you?
It has been said that finding your own personal style is the new luxury of the age. I may not completely agree with that statement, but I think there is something to be said about finding your own personal style in a sea of people who dress like others on Instagram. Don’t get me wrong, we are all influenced to a degree. I get inspired every day, but I still try to make it ‘my own’ when I’m getting dressed.
It can also look really unoriginal to wear the most recognizable outfits from our beloved brands’ lookbooks. I am drawn to people who buy pieces and incorporate them into their collection. That is creativity and style.
So how do you build your closet and make it work for you? In this day and age of uber influencing and maximal consumption. I’m here to help you figure it out. This isn’t going to be an opportunity to influence you in any way, I’m not here to tell you to buy a list of items. This blog post will be a list of strategies to help you find your own personal style.
This blog post is all about how to build your own personal style and make it work for you.
#1 CLOSET CLEAR OUT
Well, the first step really is to clear up your closet, if you haven’t done so please visit my blog post and then come back here. You need to get rid of things that no longer serve you and make space for new items. And if you own many items with their tags still attached and don’t want to donate them, sell them on Poshmark. I shared my entire Poshmark strategy in two blog posts: one and two on my blog.
Take the opportunity to see if there is a certain pattern in the purchases that didn’t work for you. Are you buying too much of a certain item or style, thinking it works for you or your closet, but the reality is otherwise.
#2 ORGANIZE YOUR CLOSET
Sometimes we think we have nothing to wear because our clothes are not organized in the right way to make it easier for us to find what we need. I’m still working on finding the right way to organize my shoes for instance. As you clear out your closet, make sure to take everything out and think about the categories of clothes you have and where should each go to better organize your closet.
#3 IDENTIFY GAPS IN YOUR WARDROBE
Now that you have less clutter in your wardrobe and you can really see what you own and what you lack. Take note of that. If you don’t have any jeans, classic pants, coats, jackets, trench coats, blazers, dresses, knitwear, t-shirts and sweaters – write them down. These are essentials that you need depending on where you live. You may need more or less in each category depending on certain factors, we will get to in a minute.
#4 WHERE DO YOU SPEND MOST OF YOUR TIME?
Allow me to explain. Where is the bulk of your time spent? Do you have special outfits for these times? If you work in healthcare and spend 40 hours a week in scrubs, you don’t need the same amount of clothes in business professional attire as someone who works in the finance sector. If you are a professional trainer, you need to have more athleisure than someone who works out 2-3 times a week. All I’m saying is that you don’t need 10 blazers if you work from home and have zoom meetings once a month. While you are reading this expecting me to list closet necessities, each person’s list will look a little different based on their style but also lifestyle.
#5 BROWSE ONLINE
I am sure you have been browsing online as we all do in this day and age. A good way to go about this is to create a Pinterest board and then browse inspiration styles and add them to the board you created. This will help you save in one place all the things you like. You can name the board things like ‘work outfits’ and pin the looks that speak to you, as an example. You can do the same on Instagram by saving the photos you like. You can also browse directly through the websites of the brands you love for inspiration, check out their look books for inspiration. You can also dive into Instagram to try and find people who inspire you; and then maybe think about why you like this person’s style, and what you want to bring to your closet.
#6 PRIORITIZE IN PERSON SHOPPING
Shop in person and make that a priority, and don’t limit yourself to stores you can afford. You’re going on an inspiration ride, might as well experiment with everything that’s out there. The fabrics, styles… all of it. I also like to see how stores style things.
Another benefit to shopping in store, is that you have a higher threshold for buying things. I have noticed over the years that with my online orders, I am satisfied when something just ‘fits’. I tend to be content when an online item is the right size and it fits, instead of watching how this item fits and looks on me.
#7 TRY ON DIFFERENT STYLES
This is a time to explore. Try on different styles and think about what makes you feel good. After you put a piece of clothing on, sometimes it’s a trendy piece, you’re elated that the item fits and don’t give it much thought. But really pause for a moment and think – would you walk out of the store with the dress on? How does it make you feel? And if you don’t like it, why don’t you?
Refer back to your Pinterest board, and experiment with the things you pinned, the different brands, styles, all of it.
#8 KEEP TRACK OF WHAT LOOKS GOOD ON YOU
Take note of what looks good on you – what feels like ‘you’, what are you most confident in? When I say this, I think of celebrities working with their stylists to attend an event and walk on the red carpet. Some, you can easily recognize that they are wearing the clothes and not the other way around. Others, you know they just wanted to be in a pair of jeans and t-shirt and here they are in the most talked about look of the night and seem so uncomfortable. So while you go out of your comfort zone, play with fashion and give things a try. When you put something on, look at yourself and watch your body language. Does this feel like you?
#9 FIGURE OUT YOUR PANTONE
Play with colors, and figure out what looks good on your complexion. If you don’t know what colors look good on you, this is the time to try on different colors and figure it out. As you did with the different styles above, experiment and take notes. You can also take photos of yourself and look at them to figure out which color looks best. It helps to take photos because you might think something looks good on you when you’re trying it on, but later when you look at the photos – not so much
#10 FIGURE OUT YOUR PROPORTIONS
Figure out your body type and proportions – clothing is going to look different on different proportions. You will look different in different proportions. I am 5’5’’, though my legs aren’t particularly short, my torso is proportionally longer. I look better when I am wearing high rise pants that go all the way down covering my ankles. Because it gives the illusion that I have long legs. Low waist pants or denim that is folded at the bottom do not look good on me as I look shorter. Another point similar to this is, figure out what you are trying to not to highlight with the way you dress. Do you have a big chest or wide hips that you are trying not to draw attention to? What style helped you achieve that look? Take notes to remember.
#11 UPDATE THE LIST
Now that you have a better sense of what you need to buy, update your Pinterest board each step of the way. If you pinned something to your board and then realized it doesn’t look good on you, edit the list. You may or may not be able to find what you’re looking for fast enough. Don’t forget to shop at thrift stores.
#12 MONEY CAN’T BUY STYLE
I can’t complete this list without commenting on the notion that just because you don’t have XX amount of money, you don’t look good. Personal style has nothing to do with money, on the contrary I’d say things look more stylish and interesting when high-end and low-end are mixed together. Because that’s when the playfulness, the vision, and taste truly show. I see people who spend a lot of money on clothes all the time, sometimes it’s too on the nose, too copied from the lookbook, too instagramy, or too logo-y. Money doesn’t buy style, which is why many people with money have stylists and shoppers, while others with limited resources do a better job at dressing themselves. Ok, broad brushing here, but you get my point.
#13 SHOP SECOND HAND
Along with the previous point comes, shopping second-hand. I would highly recommend downloading Ebay, The Real Real and Vestiaire apps on your phone and checking them out. You will find some great things out there for a great deal. The downside is that the hunt is addictive, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
This blog post is all about how to build your personal style and make it work for you.
As always, thank you for stopping by and reading. If this type of content interests you, please follow my IG account @girlontheues
See you next week,
Girl on the Upper East Side
Xx
If this interested you, you might want to read My 2026 Wishlist, Top Purchases of 2025, and the Best Lip Balms.
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