The Power of Personal Style
“Fashion is about dressing according to what’s fashionable. Style is more about being yourself.”
Prefer to listen?
Next week, I’m hosting a free 5-day Closet Cleanout Challenge and you’re invited! Over the course of the 5 days, I’ll be sending daily prompts to help you clear the clutter and create a space that you love opening each morning. I would love to have you join us!
I’m going to let you in on a little secret… the first day of the challenge we won’t actually be doing any cleaning. I know that sounds crazy, but instead of just barreling into our closets with trash bags in hand, we will use that first day to define our personal style. Decluttering is so much easier once you’ve taken the time to gain clarity around what it is that you love to wear.
Now, I’m not a stylist or fashionista, but I have spent years trying to figure out how to express the woman I am (and sometimes even the woman I want to be) with clothing, shoes, and accessories. Personal style is not about having designer pieces but instead about expressing who you are – your personality, likes & dislikes, your lifestyle – with your outfit.
Personal Style is a Journey
Like I said, I’ve spent years trying to figure out my personal style. I believe our personal style shifts as we enter and exit various seasons of life. My own style journey has certainly reflected that.
In junior high, I was mostly concerned with fitting in and wearing the clothes that had been deemed acceptable by my classmates. Every once in a while, I’d try something new (probably something I’d seen on Lizzie McGuire), and I can vividly remember feeling so nervous about putting a toe outside the box. Towards the end of high school, I started embracing my own preferences a bit more. On my first date with my husband, I wore bell bottoms, a belt with a huge peace sign buckle, and a puffed sleeves top with rainbows all over it.
As I entered college, I started to feel like I needed a more sophisticated style. I remember asking my parents for nothing but clothes from Forever 21 one year for Christmas – specifically, clothes that emulated Serena Van Der Woodsen from Gossip Girl. I spent several years rocking sparkly boho-glam outfits.
Most recently, I shifted my personal style to more classic pieces. A common question that runs through my head while shopping is “Would Audrey Hepburn wear that?”. I’ve started wearing dresses at every opportunity I get and have identified a color palette that I feel most confident wearing.
Sharing this with you makes me smile – I love thinking back to the girl who felt confident and beautiful in that rainbow shirt and the girl who refused to attend her college classes in baggy t-shirts and Ugg boots and instead opted for a sequined top. Because despite what I think about those choices now, in each of those seasons I was intentionally using personal style to my advantage.
3 Advantages of Defining Your Personal Style:
1. When you feel confident, you perform better
It’s kind of amazing how much of a difference confidence can make—not just in how we feel, but in how we show up at work, in relationships, and even when we’re just out running errands. And there’s research that backs this up. Research has long established the link between physical attractiveness and income. But a study by Judge et al. (2007) found that individuals’ self-concept (i.e., how they view themselves… aka confidence) has a similar effect on financial success as physical attractiveness and even educational attainment. Which means that confidence can be huge!
And it doesn’t stop there. A meta-analysis by Judge et al. (2007) found a strong link between self-efficacy—basically, your belief in your ability to succeed—and actual work performance. So, when you believe you can do something well (in other words you feel confident) you're much more likely to actually do it well.
And here's where personal style comes into the picture. When you take the time to define a style that feels truly "you," something about your confidence shifts. You're not second-guessing your outfit or wondering if you "got it right." You just know. And that allows you to show up with more confidence in the various roles you play. It’s like your wardrobe gives your confidence a little boost every morning before you even leave the house.
So, yes, personal style is fun, but it’s also powerful. Like one of my favorite content creators, Tonya Leigh, would say… it’s one of the most under-utilized personal and professional development tools that we can leverage to feel our best and to do our best work.
2. You Waste Less Money
When you are clear on your personal style, shopping becomes so much easier. Instead of wasting money on something that doesn’t quite fit or truly embody the woman you want to show up in the world as, you can stay focused on the pieces that are right for you. If you have clarity on your personal style, it becomes so much easier to say “no” to the pieces that don’t align with it – even if it’s a good deal!
I did a bit of digging to see how much money we’re actually wasting on unworn clothing, and these statistics blew my mind! The average woman has approximately $550 of unworn clothing in her closet. Further, it is estimated that the average American throws away 82 pounds of clothing each year. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to waste money that I’ve worked hard to earn on clothing that is just going to sit in my closet and that’s simply not sustainable for the environment either.
3. Getting Dressed Becomes Effortless
When you have defined your personal style and curated a wardrobe filled with pieces that you love – pieces that just scream “You!” – it becomes effortless to put together an outfit each morning that will set you up for success. You no longer have to waste your time and energy (two of our most valuable resources) or ride the emotional rollercoaster of trying on a million pieces to find the perfect look. Instead, you can spend that time and energy moving the needle on more important endeavors like spending time with the kids before they head off to school or preparing for that big presentation you’re giving at work.
I hope this has inspired you to think about your own personal style and the incredible benefits that come with defining it. If you’re ready to take the next step – gain clarity on your personal style and declutter your closet – then I invite you to join my free 5-Day Closet Cleanout Challenge! Together, we'll define our personal styles and create a space you love!
Sharing this with you makes me smile – I love thinking back to the girl who felt confident and beautiful in that rainbow shirt and the girl who refused to attend her college classes in baggy t-shirts and Ugg boots and instead opted for a sequined top. Because despite what I think about those choices now, in each of those seasons I was intentionally using personal style to my advantage.