Are you searching for your signature style? There are a few ways of identifying it. Before you move on with the activity in this post, make sure you’ve read: Asking the Question to find your style statement and What’s Your Signature Style.
The next question in our search for your signature style is:
- Who do you want to be?
- Who are you?
- How do you want to be perceived by others?
- What are the personality traits that are important for you for others to pick up about you?
Here are a list of words to inspire you – pick up to 6 that you feel represent you at work or at play (you may have different words for the different aspects of your life):
- Contemporary
- Constructive
- Modern
- Tailored
- Comfortable
- Current
- Bohemian
- Creative
- Harmonious
- Composed
- Innovative
- Effortless
- Comfortable
- Elegant
- Cultured
- Graceful
- Practical
- Natural
- Relaxed
- Understated
- Cosmopolitan
- Feminine
- Sensual
- Organic
- Sophisticated
- Classic
- Timeless
- Dramatic
- Responsible
- Professional
- Successful
- Intellectual
- Thoughtful
- Approachable
- Friendly
- Fun
- Eclectic
- Stylish
- Exotic
- Sexy
- Respectable
- Powerful
- Enigmatic
- Pretty
- Whimsical
- Vibrant
- Unexpected
- Edgy
- Mysterious
- Enigmatic
- Intriguing
- Polished
- Warm
- Dynamic
- Exciting
- Interesting
This list is by no means exhaustive so if a word or two come up for you that are not on this list feel free to use them instead!
Now take those words and run them by your wardrobe – do your words express your current style or is there work to be done? Not sure what your clothes are saying? Have a look at the photo below and see what it’s saying to you.
How would you describe this outfit? is it strong and powerful? or is it approachable and feminine?
Now ask your friends and family about how they would describe you – show them the list of words here and see what they choose for you.
Do they have other words that maybe this list has inspired you to write down? Do you prefer the words you’ve selected or other words that people have suggested?
You can update this list with the words that resonate best with you and how you want to be perceived. These words should excite you, make you feel great, be a touch aspirational!
What do you want to achieve in your life? Which words in the list relate to your life and career goals?
You may find that your current style isn’t quite where you want it to be, but knowing how you want to be perceived can help you move towards your goals and aspirations as you tweak it to represent who you are and what you want to be.
Now hop onto Pinterest and start searching for images of outfits, clothes and accessories that express your signature style list of words.
Share your style words here in the comments!
Finding Your Signature Style Blog Post Series
Ecletic, classic, creative, practical, feminine
Practical because I’m a mother and work in a lab so what I wear needs to be machine washable, confirm to OSHA regulations and be something I’m prepared to lose.
I’m creative because I started creating my own pieces like my galaxy jacket and my purpleish pink jean jacket I’m currently wearing.
Eclectic because I have everything from a classic pair of black pumps to bright red hightop sneaker wedges with a floral pattern on the tounge. My tops/bottoms also have a wide range between classic and “odd” as my DH would call it.
Feminine because I do enjoy wearing skirts/sundress whenever I can and being “girly” when given the opportunity.
Relaxed, harmonious, warm, eclectic – I think these describe my style now that I have retired and can wear clothes that I feel comfortable in rather than those that are suitable for the office. I have given four words only as I would like to add “stylish”, but that’s what I’m aiming for and not necessarily where I am now!
I would appreciate comments, so here is a link to my blog showing one of my typical outfits: http://over60andoverhere.blogspot.com.es/2013/04/do-you-belong-to-fashion-tribe.html
I wear trousers most of the time, though I do enjoy wearing skirts and dresses for going out and especially in the summer months.
I think when I look at your photos I’d say colourfully, comfortably relaxed.
Thanks for your comment Imogen. I hope to have a definitive answer by the end of this week!
Sue
I like your in monochromatic best in the April style challenge. I am not sure your coloring lends itself to too much contrast, but certainly a lot of color. I’d say relaxed, eclectic, and practical for you.
Sue
I like your in monochromatic best in the April style challenge. I am not sure your coloring lends itself to too much contrast, but certainly lots of color makes you look fresh. I’d say relaxed, eclectic, and practical for you.
Robin, thanks for your helpful reply. I do have a tendency to want to add colour – so, though I liked my monochromatic outfit, I really wanted to wear red shoes or add a red bracelet to it! I do think that dark colours near my face don’t flatter me as much as lighter shades, and a dramatic look isn’t really me, whereas Imogen looks stunning! My advanced years may also have something to do with it!
Sue
As Imogen recently illustrated in a post (that finally made it sink in for me) monochromatic can mean colorful: just shades of the same color. I’m like you in that I can wear great colors but just not lots of contrast. So your April challenge photo where you were wearing brighter blue near your face but darker blue pants was a great look for you. So I’d say wear yellow shirts but beige or light brown pants. That kind of thing. I’ve also learned from Imogen that as we age (and I’m right behind you on age!) our colors mellow a bit so I’m wearing slightly muted colors and it feels right.
Robin, I’m interested in what you say about avoiding lots of contrast. I wore a bright green top and bright pink jeans in one of my posts (complementary colours) so did that work (two different shades but the same depth) or might it have been better with softer shades of pink and green or, possibly even better, with two shades of green or two shades of pink? !
This type of contrast would have been good for me about 20 years ago as my hair is naturally a very dark brown, but living in Spain has made my hair a lot lighter! I am obviously having to change my wardrobe to allow for this.
Imogen, sorry to hijack your post, but I suspect that other “more mature” readers may find this helpful. Have you done any posts about good colour combinations for over 60s or over 50s whose colouring is changing?
Sue
She and Jill did a great video on colors for us seasoned women: https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2012/12/how-your-colouring-changes-as-you-age.html
Comfortable
Thoughtful
Creative
Graceful
Successful, powerful, sophisticated, polished, contemporary
I see myself as a Kibbe soft classic, so who I WANT to be is: semi-tailored, powerful, effortless, composed. What I am is frumpy and trying too hard. I know theoretically how to put it all together but once it’s together it seems all wrong. Photos are helping me see what looking in the mirror doesn’t reveal.
What a great list. So thought-provoking! I have to think about this…
Hello, Imogen. Congratulations for your blog. I think my looks talk about a woman approachable and natural. I like this way but I want to look more professional and comfident too. Is it possible?
Yes – to do this add more Yang elements to your outfits – find out more about this https://insideoutstyleblog.com/?s=yin+and+yang
I chose the words:
Comfortable – I want to feel comfortable in my clothes, natural fibres, light weight fabrics and smooth textures.
Classic – I want the clothing item to feel timeless and be made of good quality materials.
Feminine – I want to feel cute and in touch with my romantic side.
Friendly – I want to appear approachable and down-to-earth, which matches my personality.
Polished – I want to have a neat, polished look, which will let others know that I am an orderly person.
I wonder whether to go for classic, sporty or romantic style…
The next thing you want to do is analyse what kinds of clothes represent those words. Have a look at this post for some inspiration https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2017/06/turning-your-style-recipe-into-a-stunning-sartorial-dish.html
“Understated” appears on your list three times…
Subliminal hint?
Thanks for letting me know, I’ve updated with some other words!