From Lost to Boss: The Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Your Personal Style
It's time to end closet frustration forever. This is the method I recommend to truly get closet clarity and go from lost to style boss in no time.
Greetings!
I hope you’re having a wonderful start to your week. If you’re in the US, I also hope you had an amazing time with your family and friends and that you got to have time to reflect on all the good things. We had a quiet evening with our immediate family this Thanksgiving—it was just what we all needed! My husband smoked a goose and we had a variety of traditional sides and desserts. Afterward, we let the kids pick a few things to watch together.
Enjoy today’s step-by-step guide and have a wonderful week!
~Tatyana
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From Lost to Boss: 7 Easy Steps to Finding Your Personal Style
Tatyana Wilson, Ed.S. writes about empowering ourselves with a carefully curated wardrobe of biologically correct colors, good tailoring, and elevated accessories. She writes at www.lightlovescolor.com.
Whether you’re just starting your personal style journey or refining your existing style, this step-by-step guide is for you. Let's break down how to curate a wardrobe that’s not only sustainable but one that feels very YOU.
Step 1: Identify Your Style Goals
What do you want your clothes to do for you?
Lifestyle needs: Are you dressing for work, casual outings, or formal events?
Impression goals: How do you want to feel, and what do you want to project? Think about what suits your personality—do you want to boost confidence, feel relaxed, or express your creativity? All of the above? List all the goals you have for your look.
Check Pinterest: Create a board on Pinterest that will showcase the kinds of clothes that resonate with you. This will serve as a visual reminder when sorting your clothes later on.
Words that resonate with you: Write down a few specific words that describe how you want to feel in your clothes. Take into account the clothes that you would wear over and over again; are they subdued, eclectic, chic, confident, polished, bold? As an example, the words that describe how I want to feel in my clothes are structured, coordinated, impeccable, comfortable, and secure. I like to have some structure in my clothes; I’m not a sweats, gym clothes, or leggings person. I strongly gravitate to organization and coordination in my outfits. I like things to connect and to have cohesion (probably why I love monochromatic outfits so much!) I say impeccable because I want the garments and accessories I choose to communicate that I took extra time and care about details. Lastly, I say secure because a good outfit makes me feel like I’m being myself and representing the person I want to be in society.
Step 2: Discover Your Biologically Correct Colors
This is where the magic starts. Colors can either enhance your natural beauty or make you look and feel drained. When you begin your style journey with your color palette, you will have a much easier time knowing what to let go of when it comes time to sort through the clothes.
Try this simple method to figure out your ideal color palette:
Stand in natural light (no foundation, just bare skin).
Try on an orange shirt—how does your skin look? Now switch to royal blue and see if it makes your face glow.
Warm-toned? Stick with warm colors like corals, warm reds, and turquoise. (A warm tone is one that has more sunny yellow in it.)
Cool-toned? You’ll shine in colors like royal blue, fuchsia, and cool pinks. (These don’t have any discernible yellow in them and are perfect for people with cool undertones.)
This simple test can change everything, and believe me, it’s well worth letting go of garments that are worn next to your face if they’re the wrong color for you.
Step 3: Understand Your Body Shape and Fit
Your wardrobe should work with your body, not against it.
Identify your body proportions: Instead of labeling ourselves and trying to figure out whether we’re a triangle, an inverted triangle, apple, rectangle, or hourglass, we can simply determine what it will take to get our shape into a balanced proportion. Are you heavier on bottom than on top? Maybe the other way around? Or are you already relatively proportionate from top to bottom? Ideally speaking, we will want to create a slight hourglass silhouette. This means we can use color and cut/line to create the illusion of balance when we put outfits together.
Fit and tailoring are key: Focus on clothes that balance out your unique proportions. It’s important that your clothes fit properly, so tailoring pieces to help them fit right is an important step. A fitted blazer and properly-fitting pants can work wonders We will keep this in mind in the next step.
Step 4: Assess Your Current Wardrobe
Take a good look at the clothes you already have. You might be surprised by how much you can learn from them.
Prepare to make three piles: Tailor, Keep as is, Donate.
Group clothes by category: Dresses, shirts, pants, jackets, etc.
Remember your color palette: This is an important consideration when it comes to coordinating outfits, but more than that, it’s a very important factor when considering which tops, scarves, and jackets to keep. The clothes that will be close to the face are the ones that make the impact on how our facial skin looks. They can age us or take years off our looks. Be sure to keep your favorite neutral basics, as they can be mixed and matched into most outfits regardless of what your ideal color palette is next to the face.
Try things on and see how you feel—does it make you feel confident, empowered, or just “meh”? If things are too tight and they haven’t fit for a while, it might be time to donate. If something just doesn’t fit quite right but is otherwise a great piece, set it into the tailor pile. Here, you are looking at colors and fits.
Set aside the stuff that doesn’t serve you anymore, either because it no longer fits your lifestyle, body, or style aspirations.
Step 5: Identify Your Neutrals
Not everything you keep has to be your exact best color. The test above serves as a guide to help you determine which colors look best when worn next to the face. Because everyone’s undertones are unique, it’s going to be different for everyone. These are not hard rules, but in general, the brighter the colors, the more light they can bring to the face. This makes your face more luminous. The closer the shade is to your undertones, the less clashing there will be—the complexion can be more smooth and even-looking.
Keep black, gray, charcoal, brown, and beige neutrals
“Elegance is elimination.”
-Cristóbal Balenciaga
Article Continued…
Step 6: Build Interchangeable Outfits with Timeless Pieces (Hybrid Capsule Wardrobe)
A capsule wardrobe is a great way to start building a collection of versatile, timeless pieces that you love. However, because it is so difficult to have a capsule wardrobe right off the bat, I like the approach of having a hybrid of the capsule system. I have a few monochromatic capsules that consist of garments in similar shades that can easily be put together into a variety of outfits. I offset them with a pool of neutrals. This is essentially a capsule wardrobe but has the opportunity to grow into more monochromatic capsules as pieces are added over time.
Start with the basics: Some quality button shirts, a tailored blazer or two, dark jeans, classic shoes such as loafers, ankle boots, or pumps, and a belt or two. This all depends on what you’re left with after the sorting.
Stick to your color palette plus neutrals to keep things cohesive and easy to mix and match.
Invest in quality over quantity. Your wardrobe should last for years, not just a season.
Step 7: Add Personality with Accessories
Now, it’s time to bring some fun into the mix! Accessories play a crucial role in elevating your wardrobe.
Invest in bold, valuable, and timeless accessories; they can take any outfit to the next level. Leather belts, quality shoes, chunky earrings, and well-crafted statement jewelry can all work to bring attention to your face and add that elevated touch.
Scarves are another hack: they allow you to add your biologically correct colors even when you’re wearing neutral pieces or garments in colors that aren’t your best. A scarf can serve as a tool to balance out your outfit and incorporate the colors that truly complement your complexion.
Prioritize quality over quantity: you’re not only adding value to your wardrobe, but you’re also ensuring you have timeless pieces that enhance your style for years to come.
If you’re still feeling a bit lost or unsure, that’s totally okay. Start small, try a few new colors, experiment with fit, and gradually build your style. If you need extra guidance or just want someone to bounce ideas off of, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! Let’s get you on the path to discovering the style that’s truly yours.
Download my FREE eBook, The 3 Rules of Color:
Stay Consistent and Evolve
Don’t feel like you need to have everything figured out right away. Style is a journey, and it evolves over time.
Shop mindfully—don’t impulse-buy or fall for fleeting trends.
Reflect regularly on your wardrobe choices. Do they make you feel like your best self? If not, it’s time to adjust.