by Parry KhunKhun
There’s something empowering about “dressing up.” It changes your demeanour and studies have shown that it influences the way you think. But you don’t need to spend a lot of time and money to create a powerful presence through your clothing – authentic style is not about getting noticed, but all about being remembered.
Your daily choices and preferences help you to know more about who you are. Your likes, dislikes and preferences, your hobbies and interests, the way you decorate your home, and your personal style in clothes, furniture, and cars all help you to express your individuality. So, are you ready to bite into your closet and discover which clothing boosts your confidence and which outfits to dump?
Here are some basic principles of authentic style to help you express your true style personality:
1. DRESS FOR ‘YOU’
When you look at your clothes, ask yourself: what influenced my choices? Are there choices influenced by family members or friends? Do you have items that were purchased because they were ‘in fashion’, and not because you were drawn to them? It’s easy to feel the pressure to conform in today’s society – media can lead you to believe that you have to look a certain way, and this is certainly very true of the clothes that you wear. We are all unique individuals, so why do we all want to look the same? Clothing is a reflection of your personality – not anyone else’s. Stick with items of clothing that you love and fit with your individual taste.
2. SELECT WISELY
Reserve your closet space for items that you love 100%. Aim to curate a wardrobe that you love and makes you feel excited about getting dressed each morning. Set your standards high: ‘Good enough’ and ‘ok’ should not make the cut.
3. DEFINE YOUR STYLE
Perfect your signature look. If you’re struggling to identify what your own style personality is, do some self discovery! Buy some magazines or surf the web looking at clothing styles that you like the look of – create a collage with them, and note next to each item a few words to describe why you like them. For example, you might notice you’ve written the words feminine, soft, floaty to describe some items: this gives you a clue that your style preference is about looking soft, feminine and romantic.
4. DRESS HOW YOU WANT TO FEEL
Forget conventional style typologies like ‘classic’ or ‘bohemian’ and create your own unique look. There is no single perfect wardrobe, only one that fits your individual style and lifestyle. Create your own unique look and build your wardrobe around it. Use your clothing to shape how you perceive yourself – think about the sorts of clothing that will boost the levels of the trait you’d like to have more of. What clothing might make you more professional-looking, for example?
5. INVESTMENTS
Invest time and thought into developing your own style and selecting the perfect garments. The time and thought you put into building the perfect wardrobe is far more valuable than an unlimited budget. Invest in your wardrobe by putting in the work: actively define your style concept, figure out a versatile wardrobe structure and hunt down the perfect garments one at a time.
Don’t be afraid to express yourself and to have authentic person style. When you dress in a way that embraces your personality, you will feel comfortable and confident in your own skin!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Parry is best known as a Style Coach and Makeup Artist that is motivated to assist others in creating a style which reflects their own expression of themselves.
