How To Find Your Personal Style The Stylist Method

Does finding your signature style mean deciding if you fit into a specific category, like minimalist, bohemian, or classic? Not really. You shouldn't categorize your overall style this way because you're not all one thing. You may love Mexican food, but you don't eat it every day, right? Women who shine aren't trying to fit into one category. They're combining elements that reflect who they really are. In this video, we'll take a fun walk through several style genres and an exercise that will help you determine what makes up your unique personal style. So what determines your signature style? I'd say my wardrobe is primarily minimalist, but I also have a mix of sexy glamour pieces and classic timeless looks. My style is representative of all New Years working for Giorgio Armani in Los Angeles, my love of early 90s fashion, and my upbringing in Michigan. Your style will be representative of your experiences too. It will also be representative of your personality. Are you introverted, extroverted, dramatic, rebellious, quirky, romantic? Each of these dispositions will gravitate toward different styles. Looking at different styles sparks your imagination. One may resonate with you more than another. One might be screaming your name, or you might even be attracted to several. The styles you lean toward will reflect your true personality. Listen to them. They'll guide you to your own personal signature style lane. The nine styles that we're going to look at are not the only styles to choose from, but they are representative of much of what's out there. As we look at them, don't think practically. We'll deal with that later. Think emotionally. Think with the attitude that you have an unlimited budget and tons of confidence. What is your character, the star of your show, truly drawn to regardless of your current lifestyle? We'll start with the classic style, where as Tom Ford says, dressing well is a form of good manners. This is the style of understated elegance and formality, that of sophistication and manners. High quality fabrics and luxury accessories are a staple of this style. You'll find rich, timeless patterns like plaid, houndstooth, herringbone, and gingham, and materials like silk, statin, cashmere, and leather. Key pieces in this wardrobe would include trench coats, tweed jackets, cable knit sweaters, riding boots, and Birkin style handbags. When shopping and looking for inspiration, your go-to brands are Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, Tory Burch, Burberry, and Carolina Herrera. And your look for less stores are Boden, Banana Republic, J. Crew, Vineyard Vines, and Draper James. These are women who are often seen wearing the classic style. Reese Witherspoon, Miranda Kerr, Kate Middleton, Jessica Alba, Amal Clooney, and Katie Holmes. Next is the minimalist style. Elegance is not standing out, but being remembered by my maestro Giorgio Armani. The minimalist style is dramatic in its simplicity. This streamlined style relies heavily on clean lines and precise cuts. There's little to no adornment whatsoever. If jewelry is even used, it's just one simple but prominent piece. Subdued solid colors and tone-on-tone patterns are used to create monochromatic outfits. Key pieces would include deconstructed coats, jumpsuits, gilets, which are long jacket-like vests, and asymmetrically cut tops and dresses. When shopping and looking for inspiration, your go-to brands are Calvin Klein, The Row, Fendi, Victoria Beckham, Vince, and Club Monaco. And your look for less stores are Mango, Aritzia, Zara, and H&M. These are women who are often seen wearing the minimalist style. Victoria Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow, Meghan Markle, and Phoebe Philo. Now we'll move on to something more relaxed and decorative. This is the bohemian style, often called the boho style. Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak. Rachel Zoe. This earthy organic style has gypsy and hippie heritage. It's a carefree look with an emphasis on nature, often using natural fibers and flowing fabrics with floral or paisley prints in subdued earth tones. Key pieces include billowy dresses, long patterned skirts, peasant tops, artistic leather belts, and hobo style handbags. When shopping and looking for inspiration, here are some fun brands to check out. Spell and the Gypsy Collective, Free People, Faithful the Brand, Farm Rio, Misa Los Angeles, and My Sleeping Gypsy. And your look for less stores are Anthropologie, Mink Pink, Love Stitch, and Everlane. Here are some women who are often seen wearing the bohemian style. Nicole Richie, Rachel Zoe, Sienna Miller, and Vanessa Hutchins. Next is the gamine style. Designer Marc Jacobs says, I always find beauty in things that are odd and imperfect. They're much more interesting. The gamine style is a playful and theatrical style that throws back to the 60s mod era. It has a whimsical impish nature and utilizes boyish cuts with quirky details. Geometric patterns often adorn compact shapes and narrow silhouettes. Clothing is expressively detailed with large buttons, cuffs, ribbons, and collars. Not much jewelry is used other than a strategically placed brooch. Key pieces include Peter Pan collar dresses and shirts, A-line short skirts, sweater vests, caps, and compact accessories. When shopping and looking for inspiration, your go-to brands are Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs, Chanel, Kate Spade, and Louis Vuitton. And your look for less stores are Anthropologie, Bowdoin, and Mango. Vintage and resale shops sometimes have great finds for this style. These are the women who are often seen wearing the gamine style. Michelle Williams, Emma Watson, Alexa Chung, Sofia Coppola, Jennifer Goodwin, and Taylor Swift. Shifting from boyish cuts to men's cuts is the androgynous style. Fashion spade style is eternal. Yves Saint Laurent. This is a decidedly masculine style that can be either relaxed and casual or bold and intense. It's a mature yet unconventional look utilizing menswear-inspired pieces without purposely feminizing them in any way. There's strength in the juxtaposition of the male and female image. It honors equality and the gender-neutral identity. Key pieces include structured oversized blazers, men's style dress shirts, boyfriend cut jeans, hoodies, and suiting vests. When shopping and looking for inspiration, your go-to brands are Giorgio Armani, Brunello Cucinelli, Hugo Boss, Telfar, 1DNA, Riley Studio, and Vince. And your look for less stores are Zara, Mango, Wildfang, and The Gap. These are women who are often seen wearing the androgynous style. Kristen Stewart, Tilda Swinton, Janelle Monáe, Cate Blanchett, Cara Delevingne, and Lauren Hutton. On the opposite side of that spectrum is the ultra-feminine romantic style. After women, flowers are the most divine creation. Christian Dior. Filled with flowers and frills, this soft and sweet girly style can be described as youthful, innocent, and pretty. A rosy palette of pink and pastels color delicate embellishments like ruffles, bows, ribbons, and lace. Jewelry is delicate and charming. Key pieces in this wardrobe include eyelet tops, fit and flare dresses, pleated skirts, and anything floral. When shopping and looking for inspiration, your go-to brands are Zimmerman, Marquesa, Carolina Herrera, Rodart, Erdem, and Blue Marine. And your look for less stores are Anthropologie, Zara, Cleobella, and ASOS. These lovely women are often seen wearing the romantic style. Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Drew Barrymore, and Florence Welch. From young and innocent to mature and sensual is the scene-stealing glamour style. How can you live the high life if you do not wear the high heels? Sonia Riquel. Inherently sexy, this curvy style is womanly and luxurious. It emphasizes the female form with tight fits, clinging fabrics, and cuts that closely follow the lines of the body. Indulgent fabrics like silk, satin, velvet, and black lace are draped and ruched to emphasize the waist. This alluring style uses attention-getting elements like sparkling sequins, jewels, leopard print, and feathers. Key pieces include pencil skirts, wrap dresses, fitted knitwear, cat eye sunglasses, and high heels. When shopping and looking for inspiration, your go-to brands are Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Tom Ford, Herve Leger, Diane von Furstenberg, and Blue Marine. And your look-for-less stores are BCBG, Zara, and ASOS. These are sirens who are often seen wearing the glamour style. Jennifer Lopez, Eva Mendez, Beyonce, Monica Bellucci, Sofia Vergara, and Dita Von Teese. Next is the edgy rock style. In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different. It's rebellious, boyish, creative, and confident. This style's heritage spans the decades from the 50s rebellion to 70s glam rock to the 90s grunge era. Expressive elements like skull patterns, leather fringe, silver studs and zippers, leopard print, and distressed denim are found throughout this cool and unconventional style. Key pieces of this style include black leather moto jackets, vintage tees, distressed skinny jeans, vests, large brim hats, and boots like biker, combat, or booties. When shopping and looking for inspiration, your go-to brands are Rick Owens, Yves Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, Zadig and Voltaire, and Alexander Wang. And your look-for-less stores are Urban Outfitters, Zara, H&M, and Anthropologie. You'll also want to check out vintage and resale shops as well. This group of women is often seen wearing the edgy rock style. Miley Cyrus, Zoe Kravitz, Anina Bing, and Shirley Manson. And ending with a bang is the eclectic style. People will stare, make it worth their while. Harry Winston. This bold, artsy style celebrates self-expression. It's a passionate and extroverted style that utilizes exotic elements like large animal prints, saturated colors, and exaggerated silhouettes. This dramatic wardrobe is full of theatrical statement pieces that are combined in unexpected ways. Key pieces of this style include oversized statement sweaters, extra large jewelry, patterned pants, exaggerated shoes, and anything else with big bold patterns. When shopping and looking for inspiration, your go-to brands are Valentino, Balenciaga, Gucci, Marni, Dries Van Noten, and Prada. And your look-for-less stores are Zara, Anthropologie, and Mango. These women are often seen wearing the eclectic style. Tiffany Soo, Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna, Iris Apfel, Solange Knowles, and Chloe Sevigny. I hope some of those styles sparked your imagination and resonated with the character who stars in your show. I'm going to share an exercise I do with you in my master class, How to Discover Your Signature Style and Gain the Confidence to Wear It, that will help you further determine which genres make up your signature style. You'll create your own Pinterest inspiration board. Do this by adding images related to the style or styles you love to your own My Signature Style board. You can use the What Would the Neighbors Think Pinterest boards as a starting point. I have boards dedicated to each of the nine styles we covered, so feel free to go through those for possible pins. You might want to add a private note to yourself on a pin reminding you of what you liked about it. Do this by hovering over the image after you've pinned it and clicking on the pencil icon that appears in the bottom right corner. A box will come up for you to add a private note. Click save and the note will appear beneath your pin. You can also find pins by searching for movies, television shows, or even music videos that you love. I have some boards dedicated to fashion from movies and tv like Ocean's 8, The Devil Wears Prada, and Sex and the City. Or search for the women associated with the style or styles that you like from this video. Now you may find some of them wearing different styles than where I've assigned them. Many women can wear a number of styles, but you may notice how something very romantic for instance doesn't look quite right on someone who truly gravitates towards something more edgy or androgynous. Just like wearing colors that match your undertone, wearing styles that match your personality make you look your best. Another thing to keep in mind is that they may not share your body shape, but what you're looking at right now are simply the styles that appeal most to you. Petite women can be bombshells and curvy women can be gamine. There'll be plenty to choose from within each style that will flatter your figure, and we'll deal with all that later. For now, just collect what you really love. Collect the images that move you. Your signature style lane will become a lot clearer to you as you examine what you've collected on your inspiration board. In my master class, I walk you through exactly how to analyze those images and turn what you love into a wardrobe that makes you shine. Now that you're discovering your signature style, the next step is understanding your body shape. I've linked that video right here so you can keep building your signature style step by step. And if you like more tips like this, you can join my VIP newsletter using the link below. I'll see you in the next video. See you then!