I teamed up with a bunch of my fellow blogging friends to bring you Finding Your Style today. This is a big collaboration that is focused on Surviving and Balancing life as a teen girl! Each of us are posting topics that are related to being a teen girl and balancing life! Lauren from Laurellandco will be telling you all about confidence, Grace from Prime Eleven will be posting about finding your style, Abigail from Teenlogs will be talking about periods, Patrycja from Pati-Cool will be sharing how to balance life and school as a teen, Brianna from Brianna’s Bandwagon will be sharing insight on body image and some tips to help you love yourself, and Shannon from The Untamed Optimist will be showing us how to stay organized as a full-time blogger! Read my section below!!
What, exactly, is my style? It’s a question I’ve often asked myself in hopes that a single shopping trip or Pinterest board will yield an answer.
And sometimes, I get close to answering this question. I find something I like and think, yes this must be my style. But then I’m scrolling through TikTok or Instagram and watch some video attacking that very style, and I’m back to square one.
Those shoes are too basic. I wore that in middle school. It’s fine if you want to look like a VSCO girl.
I watch these videos and read these comments and am exhausted by it all. Why should I let some random person hiding behind a profile dictate what I wear and what I like? Why should I feel pressured to change myself for the satisfaction of others?
Luckily, I’ve answered those questions. Those questions are exactly why I’m writing this blog! Here are—in typical Prime Eleven fashion— eleven tips for finding your own style without feeling limited by society’s expectations of what it should be.
1. Clear out that closet
First thing’s first. Go through your closet and clear out anything that you either don’t like or don’t wear anymore. As a good rule of thumb, get rid of anything you haven’t worn in the past year and don’t plan on wearing in the next year. By doing this, you can narrow down your interests and decide what you actually need; this makes shopping WAY easier. You can also use your goodbye-pile as an indicator of the things you don’t like and will steer clear from when hitting the mall. And the stuff that’s left? You can build off the stuff you like and begin to build your style profile! On a side note, do not trash your unwanted clothes. Donate them to your local thrift store or clothing drive instead!
2. Make a Pinterest board
Before you go crazy on your shopping spree, it can be helpful to make a Pinterest board. Don’t stress about it too much, just make a collection of color schemes, styles, and aesthetics you like. Include anything from tops to swimwear to accessories to even just cute pictures that will help you understand yourself and the styles you admire. These boards are great for when you need to adjust your preferences or revisit things later as well!
3. Learn about yourself
After you’ve created a Pinterest board or even just a vision board or wallpaper of what you like, it’s time to dig deeper into yourself. Go online and take some style quizzes. Figure out what colors look best with your skin tone and hair color. Find styles that flatter your body type. A big part of finding your style is finding more about yourself and the things that make you shine.
4. Observe observe observe
Ever seen something on your friend and think, I wish I had that! Because me too. But seriously, observing the people around you can be super helpful. What vibe does that outfit give off? What are some combos you never thought of before? What kinds of clothing and accessories make you want to run up to them and ask them to spill their fashion secrets? Make a mental note of all these observations to keep in your style-searching toolbox.
5. Don’t limit yourself to one aesthetic
Finding your style can be a challenge, especially if you don’t define yourself as “dark academia” or “soft-girl” or “grunge” or any other popular aesthetic. Many clothing stores sell only one aesthetic, so style-searching can feel extremely restrictive. My advice? Don’t settle for one specific type of clothing. If you love a lot of different styles as I do, wear them all! Having a well-rounded closet is not only fun, it can also make it easy when you get sick of one style and want to try something new.
6. Don’t shop at just one place
Okay. Now you’re ready to get out there and do some shopping. It can be tempting to blow all that money in one single go, but that can have some sad consequences (I speak from experience). Keep the last tip in mind and avoid shopping at just one place, however convenient it may be. If needed, you can make a list of shops that carry styles you like and make stops at a handful of them, only buying things you absolutely love from each.
7. Pick clothes that boost your confidence
This seems pretty obvious, but I think it’s worth the mention. I highly suggest you try everything on and make you 100% love it before buying. Getting home and deciding you don’t like something anymore is the worst, as we probably all know. Pick items that you can’t wait to wear and avoid things that you think you should get just because they’re trendy. If it doesn’t make you want to spin around and do a little dance right there in the dressing room, it shouldn’t come home with you.
8. Find connections!
Now you have a bunch of different styles and no idea how you’re going to be able to pull all of them off. Start simple. Look for matching colors, patterns, and vibes (you know, like does this give bad biker woman vibes or hopeless romantic Cinderella vibes?). When looking for connections, neutrals and solids are a girl’s best friend. A lot of styles are actually more similar than you might think with several items fitting into many different categories, you just have to know how to spot them.
9. Accessories are lifesavers!
Can’t find any connections? Accessories always got your back. If you know me, you know I LOVE accessories, especially jewelry. Most accessories traverse the boundaries of styles and accessories with ease, so they can be great connectors. Use your newfound knowledge of style-searching to pick out the right accessories for you, and have fun with it! Mix and match and try new things with easy-to-wear pieces!
10. Don’t get caught up in style and fashion on social media
Believe me, I know. All these girls with their effortless style can make you feel like you’ve lost the race before it’s even started. But many don’t understand that finding your style isn’t about the fashion gurus and influencers online. It’s about yourself. It’s totally fine to get inspiration from social media, but don’t get caught up in the emerald city you see on your phone. Focus on you and your style is sure to impress!
11. Live your life!
Last and most importantly, live your life. Wear what you want. If it makes you happy, that’s all that matters. Life is too short to care about what others think. They’re most likely wrapped up in their own style crisis anyway, so you should just do you and listen to no one but yourself. Remember that clothes shouldn’t dictate your personality; your personality should dictate your clothes! Have fun with your style and wear whatever the heck you want!