Find Your Style Personality: Top Exercises to Try

Not so long ago, people followed dress codes established by society and conventions – workers as workers, well-to-do women as well-to-do-women, schoolchildren as schoolchildren, and so forth. Nowadays, these conventions have fallen away, and individuals have much more flexibility in what they wear. This is all for the better. You now have the choice to curate a style that matches your personality, taste, way of life and circumstances.

Is having a personal style important?

Yes, I do believe it is as we express our idea of who we are by the clothes we wear. It’s an unconscious, unspoken language that we direct at other people. A non-look can make us invisible, an over-the-top look might frighten others, or amuse them. If you feel uncomfortable in an outfit, it can impact your self-esteem and confidence. This is why its so important to find your own look, not mimic what you see in fashion magazines, or on celebrities, but pull inspiration together into something truly unique.

Some individuals hit on their own style at an early age, while some never do. No matter where you are, the good news is that you can get started right away. The process of creating a style that’s uniquely you is a lot of fun too.

“Don’t be like the rest of them, darling.” – Coco Chanel

Below are some of the exercises I recommend trying:

Exercise 1) Determine what you’re already wearing 

The best place to start your style journey is in your current closet. What do you already like about the way you dress, what needs changing, and what skills do you want to learn?

The first step I recommend is to take photos of your outfits, every day, for a 1-2-week period. Style is such a visual medium, and pictures can show you a lot. After you’ve snapped, pull all your photos together and ask yourself:

1. What was your favourite outfit and why? How did this make you feel?
2. What was your least favourite outfit and why? How did this make you feel?
3. How would I describe my style in a few words.
4. What colours, items, styles and silhouettes did I wear most often?
5. How easy was it for me to choose outfits in the morning?
6. What messages are my current looks sharing with others?
7. What percentage of my closet did I wear over this period?

Answering these questions will give you a lot of information about what you like and don’t like about your current style. It will also give you clues into what types of pieces work best for your lifestyle, and what you truly enjoy wearing.

Exercise 2) Collect inspiration

Your personal style is a mix of preferences for different elements – things like colours, silhouettes, items, textures, patterns and more. Your style isn’t random, it’s a reflection of your experiences and the associations you’ve picked up over the years. People with wonderful style have figured out what they like, what suits them and are sticking with it. Yes, things may change over time, but a deep underlying preference for a certain aesthetic will likely remain stable for a while, and will be used as the baseline for any future changes.

So pour yourself a cup of earl grey tea, and sit down for a few hours to go through blogs, magazines, Pinterest, television show closets and other sources, saving any image that speaks to you. Make notes along the way of what drew you to this particular picture. Instead of saving high-fashion photos though, make sure to select those that would work with your current lifestyle. Always ask yourself “is this something I would wear in real life?”

As soon as you’ve found something you absolutely love – go deeper. Search for different ways to wear it. As the process continues, your likes will become much more apparent and so will your dislikes. This is a good thing as it means you’re starting to develop your own true aesthetic.

What should you pay close attention to?

After pulling together all the images, make notes in the following categories using this free resource.

Overall vibe 

Sometimes it’s not the individual pieces in a photo that are drawing your attention, but its overall feeling. For example, you may love it because the image is “so 70’s” “super romantic,” or a “little bit edgy.” Recognizing the overall themes you love might not help narrow in on specific pieces to include in your wardrobe, but it will certainly help you find your own aesthetic.

Individual items

Have you saved multiple images of suede booties, or cropped blazers paired with skinny jeans? Take note of any individual items, and combinations, you could see yourself wearing.

Colours

The colours we like to wear are personal. Are you seeing hot pink in your pictures, bright reds, or cool grays? Make note of these preferences.

Silhouettes

What clothing silhouettes are speaking to you? What fits, lengths, and cuts are in your images? Do you like high-waisted pants that hit right at the mid-line, or tops that are billowy and boho?

Materials

Another area to look at when it comes to your photos are the materials, fabric and textures. Anything from soft cotton to linen to leather might speak to you.

Styling

The last area is to make note of is the styling of pieces as this is what truly transforms a basic look and makes it your own. Do you love statement necklaces over basic t-shirts or the ever-popular French tuck?

After documenting these preferences, and combining this knowledge with your real outfit takeaways, you should have a much clearer sense of what your unique personal style is. You may only need a few tweaks or wardrobe additions to make your authentic style a reality, BUT you might also feel like you need a full overhaul. That’s okay. We all start where we are, and shopping will be much easier with your style likes defined. Remember to focus on building a wardrobe for the long haul vs. buying everything all at once. Save up, wait for the “perfect” pieces, and if your closet is far from where you want it to be, consider building a capsule wardrobe first.

Commit to trying on all of the pieces you’re drawn too, and channeling each aesthetic. Have fun in the process and don’t get discouraged. I can hardly wait to see where your style takes you.

Photo of Coco Chanel sourced from Pinterest.

Profile on Green Bijou: Canadian Eco-friendly Retailer

In support of mindfulness; I’m sharing a series on some of my favourite eco-friendly retailers. These companies and individuals will keep you looking chic and stylish.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Tricia McMaster and Green Bijou – my favorite spot to purchase jewelry. Tricia’s vintage pieces are truly unique. Tricia make one of a kind jewels by resurrecting and reinventing vintage finds sourced from antique flea markets across the globe.

Learn more about Tricia below and shop online at www.greenbijou.com

Where are you from originally?

New Hamburg, Ontario. We’ve lived in Drumbo for 20 years now!

What did you do before the starting Green Bijou? How long have you been in the fashion business?

Before starting Green Bijou I was an antiques dealer – I learned so much over the years, and the love for antique jewelry stuck with me.  I use that knowledge now to make sure I’m telling my clients the correct info when they are looking to buy a piece. We use everything from authentic antique to vintage to repurposed items, so the history differs between each and every piece. Some pieces just have more stories to tell than others. 🙂

What inspired you to start Green Bijou?

Selling antique furniture was becoming physically harder and harder (as I fell in love with larger and larger items!) and I thought it was time to move into something less physically demanding as I often had to unload the pieces by myself while my husband was travelling for work. In the meantime, I had made a few re-invented styles for myself, and found that people were stopping me and asking where I got them. It didn’t take long before I realized there is a market for this type of jewelry!

What was the inspiration for the name?

I wanted something to reflect the eco-friendly nature of re-using vintage items (Green), and I have been fortunate to travel many times to Paris to look for antique jewels to use within the pieces, so I thought the french word for jewelry would capture the feeling I was looking for (Bijou).

Tell us about your jewelry making process.

I know most designers begin by sketching the style they have envisioned – for the most part I seem to work backwards to this. I look over one of my antique finds (watch, brooch, clip earrings, etc.) and I think to myself, what else can this become? I let the style and features of the vintage item speak to me and even if not right away, eventually a design will come to me as to the vision for its’ new life.

Describe your personal style.

My personal style is a cross between vintage inspired and minimalism. I am inspired by the classic styling of icons Audrey Hepburn and Coco Chanel. My ideal clothing reflects those same simplistic styles with a touch of adornment. So, if I choose to wear one of my more elaborate styles in a necklace, I like to pair it with a simple sleek outfit. If I’m wearing an outfit with some detailing, I like to wear a dainty piece of my jewelry.

Why is it important to you to be an eco-friendly retailer?

Repurposing old jewelry is not only a great way to bring well-made treasures back to life, but it’s a way to move towards less disposable fashion. Luckily this mindset has become wider and wider, especially with young consumers. Drawers are full of vintage treasures, why not take them out and admire them? Look at how well vintage items age – they are made to last and the new owner can rest assured they’ll have that piece for a lifetime.

Any styling tips for jewelry or to find the perfect piece?

Focus on pieces you love at first sight. Are you drawn to the colour blue? Do you love sparkle? Find something that speaks to you and bring it home. Pair it with your favourite jeans and t-shirt. Try a brooch on your coat.  You should be gravitating towards and collecting only pieces that speak to you. Once you start curating your closet with only pieces you love, you’ll become excited to get dressed every day.

Anything else you want readers to know, about you, your store, etc.

Our customers are the most important part of our business. My goal is to invoke the love of antiques into my clients. Bring me your own inherited pieces that mean something to you – we can create something totally fresh so it doesn’t feel dated. You’ll be able to wear these pieces in a new way, and not only have an amazing piece of jewelry, but a story to tell of the history behind the piece. Sometimes nothing is better than wearing the treasures of a loved one close to your heart.

Three Ways to Build Your Wardrobe Effectively

In the past, I purchased clothing haphazardly and didn’t have a strategy to build my wardrobe. Because of this, I often didn’t have anything to wear with these new pieces, and would need to shop for additional items to make them work. A great wardrobe should be more than a collection of pieces. It should consist of items which mix and match and allow you to create plenty of different outfits.

When it comes to curating your closet in this way, there are three great options to try.

Option 1) Using a mix of statement pieces, key pieces and basics

Your goal with this method is to ensure your closet contains a balanced mix of statement pieces, key pieces and basics. The key pieces in your wardrobe are those that truly reflect your personal style, whatever that may be and are highly versatile. For example, if you prefer a classic style, a well-fitting blazer might be a key piece for you because it will allow you to wear it multiple ways. Statement pieces are a little bolder, whether it be in style, colour, or pattern and will help you express different facets of your personality. This could be a unique top, red high heels, or a great patterned jacket. Basics help balance out the other pieces in your wardrobe. These can include basic t-shirts, or dark wash jeans, for example.

Using this structure, you will start shopping to maintain balance, vs. purchasing pieces exclusively that fit into one area. Building outfits using this method is also simple. If you want to be casual, wear your key pieces, with a more basic shoe. If you need to be dressed up, layer your statement pieces. When revamping your wardrobe, focus on getting your key pieces first as they’ll have the most impact on your ability to express your personal style.

Option 2) Building versatile colour palette.

Whether you prefer neutrals or bold brights, a simple way to build your wardrobe is to select a colour palette with a good mix of main, accent and neutral colours. Once you have tailored your closet to your colour palette, putting together outfits and shopping for new additions becomes much simpler.

A colour palette should consist of 6 to 12 colours that work well together and reflect your personal style – you like to wear them. Each colour should also have a clear function in your wardrobe, depending on how large a role you want it to play in your daily outfits.Pieces in main colours are those that will be most prevalent in your wardrobe and are the equivalent of your favourite style colours – whether it be white, pink, turquoise or camel.

Accent colours should work especially well for statement pieces and accessories you pair with your main colours. Choose accent colours that work with each neutral and at least two of your main colours. Neutral colours help balance out all your other pieces and could include white, grey, black, navy, camel, or denim as an example. Pick your neutral colours after you’ve selected your main and accent colours, to see which will compliment your looks the most. To get started, look in your current closet and see what colours you already love to wear. The number of colours you select is very personal, but 8-9 is often a good place to start – 3 main colours, 3 accent colours and 2-3 neutrals.

Option 3) Using Outfit Formulas

The final closet organization strategy to try is outfit formulas. This method is highly effective in helping you build a mixable and versatile wardrobe. An outfit formula is basically a specific combination of items that you wear, with lots of different versions. I can guarantee you are already wearing a version or two of this today.

While the clothing combinations are the same in outfit formulas, you want variety in the individual pieces. Some examples of formulas I use are blouse + jeans + jacket and in the winter, dress + black tights + booties. I know this combination already works and makes me feel confident. I have numerous blouses and jackets, which I can mix together. A few times a week, I wear this exact formula, but in different versions.

If you’re interested in giving this a try, pick 3-4 formulas and select pieces that are mixable, but vary greatly in design from one another. This will ensure that others don’t recognize your formula. Many famous designers use this method – like Anna Wintour and Karl Lagerfeld – as it simplifies their mornings and allows them to focus on their creativity while still being put together.

Taking a long-term approach to building you wardrobe, and starting to shop with a plan will help you maximize what already exists in your closet. Which strategy resonated the most with you lovely? Comment below.

Photos via Pinterest

8 Stylish Shows to Inspire Your Fashion Sense

Are you looking for your next great watch? I’m not going to lie – I’ll often pick shows, based on the fashion alone, and they always seem to turn out quite entertaining as well. 🙂

When it comes to identifying your style likes and dislikes, the closets of your favourite characters can be a great place to start. Why? Because unlike in print and magazines, television characters are dynamic and need wardrobes for a variety of settings – from going to work and running errands, to hanging out with friends. You can learn a lot about what pieces you might want to try from the shows you watch. Don’t forget to take into account your personal lifestyle as well – you can grab your free guide here.

Here are 8 of my favourite shows to draw inspiration from:

1. Mr. Selfridge: At the unfashionable end of Oxford Street in 1909 London, an American retail tycoon arrives to jettison fusty British tradition and open one of the finest department stores the world has ever seen: Selfridges.

2. The Crown: The Crown tells the inside story of two of the most famous addresses in the world — Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street – and the intrigues, love lives and machinations behind the great events that shaped the second half of the 20th century. Two houses, two courts, one Crown.

3. Suits: One of Manhattan’s top corporate lawyers sets out to recruit a new hotshot associate and hires the only guy that impresses him, a brilliant but unmotivated college dropout. Though he isn’t actually a lawyer, this legal prodigy has the book smarts of a Harvard law grad and the street smarts of a hustler. However, in order to serve justice and save their jobs, both these unconventional thinkers must continue the charade.

4. Gilmore Girls: Set in Stars Hollow, a storybook Connecticut town populated with an eclectic mix of dreamers, artists and everyday folk, Gilmore Girls is a humorous, heartfelt, multigenerational drama about friendship and family.

5. Gossip Girl: Based on the best-selling series of young-adult novels by Cecily von Ziegesar, “Gossip Girl” is based on the lives of privileged Manhattan prep school teens. The students first learn that Serena van der Woodsen, once the Upper East Side’s most notorious party girl, is back in town the way they learn all the important news in their lives: from the blog of the all-knowing albeit ultra-secretive Gossip Girl. No one knows Gossip Girl’s identity, but everyone in this exclusive and complicated vicious circle relies on her website and text messages for the latest scoop. Keeping track of the shifting friendships, jealousies and turmoil in this wealthy and complex world isn’t easy, but it’s what Gossip Girl does best.

6. Jane the Virgin: A comedy-drama following a chaste young woman who is accidentally impregnated via artificial insemination as she struggles to inform her devoutly religious family and make the right choices concerning the child. Based on the telenovela “Juana la virgen.”

7. Mad Men: A look at the high-powered world of advertising in 1960s New York City, from the boardroom to the bedroom.

8. Sex and the City: This series explores New York City’s dating scene, where four sassy women, Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha are in search of love, romance and long-lasting relationships.

Do you have any favourite shows? Comment below. Happy watching lovely.

All photos from Pinterest

Why You Should Set Intentions vs. Goals and How to Do It

With the start of 2020 and a new decade, this has been a particularly exciting time to look back, reflect, and plan. While in the past I would set SMART goals for all the main areas of my life – health, career, relationships, home, etc., this year I’m trying something new – value-based intentions. If you’re anything like me and have struggled to keep your “new year’s resolutions,” consider this approach.

One of my favourite bloggers and podcasters – Jess Lively – teaches about how to live life with purpose. In 2019, I completed one of her online courses, and learned how to bring more intention into my every day.

As defined by Jess, “intentions are statements of our deepest values in particular areas of our lives.” When it comes to planning, she suggests making one for possessions, personal habits, relationships, and career.

Once we’ve uncovered our values and set our intentions, we’re empowered to embody them in the present moment. They are much broader than a SMART goal (not as specific) – therefore many small actions can be in alignment with our intention. If we aren’t “perfect,” e.g. we didn’t work out 5 times this week, only 3, we’ve still taken action in alignment with our values. I’ve found there is less shaming, and more gratitude for what I’ve been able to accomplish when using the value-based intention approach.

Intentions are not:

Goals. Goals are something we can use to measure our efforts when implementing actions based on our Values, but they are not in and of themselves our true motivation.

Future oriented. Intentions must be embodied in the present moment. Peace, joy, and fulfillment happen in the now, not when we are waiting for a specific achievement or outcome to happen first.

Metric focused. Intentions don’t measure the pounds we want to lose or revenue we want to make. At any point in our journey, embodying our deepest Values is innately fulfilling.

Expectation focused. Intentions aren’t tied to any particular outcomes other than peace, joy, fulfillment, and love.

If this resonates with you, here’s how I set mine.

Step 1) Identify your values and what’s important to you.

I reflected on my personal values and what was important to me. Here’s a great list to review, if you want to try this yourself. I wrote them down. I figured out what felt right to me.

Step 2) Write your values in sentences to support the areas your want to work on.

Health and wellness are areas I want to focus on in 2020, as well as strengthening relationships, creating a cozy home, and continuing to simplify my wardrobe.

After reflecting on my values, here’s what I came up with for my intentions.

Health and wellness:

“To move and live with flow and grace.”

Relationships:

“To engage in thoughtful and meaningful friendships.”

“To build a partnership based on reciprocity, understanding, affection, and adventure.

Home/Possessions:

“To create a home that’s inspiring, cozy, and warm.”

“To cultivate a beautiful and minimal wardrobe, filled with pieces that are unique.”

Step 3) For each value-based intention, list a few inspiring actions.

Write down your intention, and list a few actions you could take that would support that value. This is very fulfilling and can be quite simple. 🙂  Write down what outcomes you want from these actions, any resistance you might face in taking these actions, and how to overcome the resistance.

Here are a two examples.

Intention 1: “To engage in thoughtful and meaningful friendships.”

Actions:

• Connect with my friends more regularly by setting up phone dates to catch up.
• Join a class (I chose ballet) to meet new people in my community.

Outcomes I’m hoping to achieve:

• Feeling of closeness with those I love.
• New friendships that uplift and inspire me.
• A stronger connection to my local community.

Possible resistance:

• Lack of time.
• Fear – need to put yourself out there.

How to overcome resistance:

• Start slowly – tie phone dates with friends to activities I’m already doing. It’s okay to talk on the phone while walking the dog or doing chores.
• Fear – fear is always holding me back. Make a commitment and just do it.

Intention 2: “To cultivate a beautiful and minimal wardrobe, filled with pieces that are unique.”

Actions:

• Re- do the style coaching exercises I’ve previously completed. Continue to hone in on what I LOVE.
• Try on every piece of clothing I own -> consign/donate pieces that are no longer serving me, get existing pieces tailored to fit me better to limit need for new purchases.
• Write list of pieces I could use to fill gaps in my wardrobe.
• Shop slowly – don’t rush – wait and save for what I actually want – don’t just make do.
• Build out a new capsule every 2-3 months to make sure I what what’s in my closet.
• Use eco-friendly retailer list to fill wardrobe gaps, and shop vintage for unique finds.

Outcomes I’m hoping to achieve:

• Know what’s in my closet, and mix and match pieces with ease.
• Feel good about all I own and know I’ve shopped in accordance to my values – more eco-friendly, avoid fast fashion.
• Own less, but be able to do more with what I have.
• Be confident in myself and my style choices.

Possible resistance:

• Time
• Budget
• Confidence

How to overcome resistance:

• Book 3-4 hours in my calendar to go through wardrobe.
• Keep momentum, make appointment with tailor as soon as I’ve finished going through wardrobe.
• Book another 2 hours in calendar to build out my capsule every few months to create capsule.
• Use shoptagr to save pieces I’m interested in and wait until they are on sale – don’t settle. Focus on building an amazing wardrobe for the long-run.
• Continue to have fun with style – keep wearing what I love – know confidence will come the more I do this..

I worked through this process with all of my intentions, and continue to take actions that set me up for success. These intentions are built on my values, so they are intrinsically motivating to me. While this is a different way to plan your year and your life, I hope you find it useful. You can set an intention for any area you’d like to work on. Taking one or two actions each day in line with your values will add up, creating an amazing and inspiring year.

If you do decide to give this approach a try, I’d love to hear how it goes for you lovely. Wishing you all the best in 2020.