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MY STYLE? – a look at what influences how you dress   

MY STYLE? – a look at what influences how you dress  

find my style

What do you think is the biggest influence on your wardrobe?

  1. Celebrity style
  2. Whatever’s on sale
  3. Morals
  4. How you dressed as a child

If you guessed how you dresses as a child, you’re in agreement with psychologists. What you wore when growing up may be dictating what you wear now. It sounds hard to believe, but if you think about all the other things which shape our personalities and behaviors, it’s not such a far stretch.

Style Child

Ask yourself:

  • Did I develop my own style as a child?
  • Was I allowed to buy my own clothes?
  • Did I wear new clothes or hand-me-downs?
  • What stores did I shop at?
  • Am I confident in my clothing purchases or do I need other peoples’ opinions?
  • Do I dress to please myself or other people?
  • What are my favorite things to wear?
  • What did I hate to wear?
  • Do I give my children freedom to choose their own clothing?
  • How can I use this to find my style

The answers to these questions will give you astonishing insight into how you shop for clothes today and will help you answer the question “how do I find my style”. Maybe your current style is reactionary to your childhood clothes. For example, “Al,” a successful businessman, owns over 70 pairs of shoes. Does he need 70? Probably not, but growing up in extreme poverty where he had to bind his shoes with bailing wire to keep them together has something to do with it.

Perhaps you’re hesitant to express yourself boldly through clothes. “Jane” grew up in a strict household where makeup was frowned upon, jeans were a no-no, and muted colors and patterns ruled the day. Though she has a family of her own and no living parents, she doesn’t wear anything but the lightest foundation, soft colors, and dresses her children in the same way.

“Kay” appreciates top dollar, exclusive name-brand clothing bought at expensive stores. Nothing but the very best will suffice and she’s been that way since her teens. Maybe it has to do with moving from a city to a small town where fashion was always behind the times and she was determined to not look like a “hick.”

In the Know

Once you discover why you dress the way you dress, you can begin to make some decisions.

  • Do you dress like you did 20 years ago? It’s time to grow up and move on to a more sophisticated look.
  • Does your wardrobe clash with your current job or family role? It’s time for a wardrobe update.
  • Has your experiences made you a more confident, accepting person? Let your clothes reflect the attractive real you.
  • Do you have a low self-esteem and don’t want attention? Your clothes surely show it and you no doubt suffer for it. It’s time to dress for success.
  • How can I use this information to find my style

Instead of letting the past determine the contents of your closet, take that first step into fashion freedom and shut the door on the past. It’s gone, over, done with. You don’t have to live there anymore.

Assess for Success

With this new sense of purpose, it’s time to assess your wardrobe. Follow these 5 steps into a brighter fashion future:

  1. Try on all your clothes. Ask yourself what you do and don’t like about them.
  2. Put the clothes you do like back in your closet.
  3. Take the clothes you no longer like and separate them into 2 groups:
    • what can be altered or accessorized to be worn again
    • what will be thrown out
  1. Make a list of what you plan to throw out and what it will be (ideally) replaced by.
  2. Gradually shop for new items to revamp your wardrobe. Start with basic items which easily mix and match with what you already have.

Wardrobe Warning

Remember! Building a new wardrobe based on the present you takes time. Expect to spend about 6 months of shopping to discover items which express your personality and lifestyle (don’t forget those end-of-season sales!). Be careful not to fall into the rut you’ve been in and automatically purchase garments you’ve always worn just because you always have and they’re comfy. Ask yourself if a garment or accessory fits who you are NOW before making the purchase.

PretaStyler makes the perfect partner in helping you dress better. If you know someone who’s due for a wardrobe revamp, introduce them to PretaStyler as their newest fashion influence.