Olivia Jeanette

Ok, I’ll give it to you, the title is a little cheesy. Trust me, I get it. However, I’ve been asked a lot lately about finding my style and staying true to myself (a phrase I actually dislike, think it’s way overused on the Bachelor and Bachelorette).

Growing up in the Midwest, then moving to the tech capital of the world and now living in such a fashion forward city, my style has stayed mostly the same over the years. In fact, my mom just sent me a photo of what I wore on Easter when I was five years old. Can you guess? It was a pink and white pinstripe blazer, pink accordion skirt and dusty pink purse. Go check it out on my Instagram Stories, it’s quite epic!

What I’ve found as I flip through old photos and even old blog posts, my style is a little more refined, but overall I tend to lean towards more classic and timeless silhouettes. By trial and error, I’m starting to feel even more confident about my style and who I am as a woman. Of course my style is always evolving, but whenever I look good, I feel good. Here are five ways for you to find your personal style!

Tips on finding your style

1. Seek Inspiration

There are days, weeks and even months that I stare at my closet and feel like none of the clothes speak to me. They either feel stale, uninspiring or just don’t look good on me(or at least how I imagined). This happens more often than not. The easiest fix for me is to jump on Pinterest and start searching through outfits of my style icons, who happen to be Olivia Palermo and Miroslava Duma. As much as I love all the street style looks, my style is more classic, tailored and refined.

2. Find What Works For Your Body

A part of finding your style, is finding what works for you body. Standing at 5’1″, there are certain things that I know that work and things that don’t work for my shape. For example, I love the oversized knit sweaters, but those tend to add too much bulk to my body. I’ve learned that a v-neck is more flattering than a scoopneck. The list goes on and on. This was simply discovered by trial and error. I have spent a lot of time trying on clothes in dressing rooms over the years. Over time we know what ultimately looks good once we are wearing it outside the store. So when I am looking in the mirror trying on a large knit sweater, even though it’s cute, I remind myself of the last one I bought and how it never got worn. It just collects Pfeiffer’s hair:)

3. Have your staple look

A part of finding your own style is also having a signature look. For me, I’d say the skirt and nude heels and structured bag is my signature look. Whenever I struggle with what to wear, I grab the most flattering skirt I own and wear it with a basic top and nude heels. When going corporate, I tend to always lean towards the pencil skirt. It’s a timeless look that never disappoints.

4. Snap a Pic

On those days you walk out the door feeling like a million buck(hopefully it’s many), take a selfie for future reference. If you’re on Instagram, think about starting another account to keep record of these looks. This will give you inspiration for new outfits and sometimes make getting ready a little easier! Taking screenshots of looks you admire is another way of being able to pull up inspiration at anytime.

5. Love your look

Time and time again I’ve walked out of the house not feeling confident about my look. Most often this happens when I jump well outside my comfort level with something new and it just doesn’t fit my style. I’ve found that whenever I’m even slightly unsure about a look, I have regret buying it or wearing it in general. It typically happens when I find something on super sale or something I’ve seen other bloggers wearing. Perfect example, for the longest time I wanted the Gucci slides. I went to try them on and procrastinated buying them before realizing that it’s just not my style. Sometimes it takes a while to put to rest a perceived want” but ultimately you have to stick to your true self. You will feel much better and avoid regret. Those Gucci heels had my name written all over it! Haha, or at least thats what they tried to tell me.

All and all, remember that finding your style doesn’t have to be expensive. If tee shirts and denim are you, than embrace that look. I bet all your friends will always ask you where you got your latest pair of denim. The more you embrace your personal style, the more confident you’ll become. It will also free your mind to exploring new looks and pieces to blend into your wardrobe.

Happy Shopping!!

Nicole Miller Top | Baily 44 Skirt | Strathberry Bag | M.Gemi Heels | Michele Watch

xo, Olivia