Personal style is so, well, PERSONAL. And because of that, learning how to find your personal style can be an absolute exhausting task. Oftentimes, so daunting that a lot of people just put it off and chalk it up to be, “well I just wear whatever I want.” I’m sure you’ve seen this method, but Allison Bornstein made the method of finding your personal style super approachable. She went viral for utilizing her “three word method”. The three word method is fairly simple: You choose three words (adjectives) that go along with your usual look and apply them to EVERYTHING in your wardrobe.
Since I’m such an impulsive shopper, I had a hard time coming up with my words. I thought since I’m so influenced by what I see on the Internet and at work, I couldn’t possibly come up with three words. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I did have three words in mind. I just needed to think a little bit (okay, a lot) about what I have in my closet. I have A TON of clothes in my wardrobe, and sometimes feel like I have nothing to wear. Now, I look forward to investing in pieces that I know I’ll wear endlessly…and look forward to “shopping my closet”.
3 Words For My Personal Style
One of Allison’s biggest tips is to think about outfits that you felt your best in. The ones you feel most “you” in. Luckily for me, I take pictures of pretty much every outfit I wear, so it’s easy to look back on the outfits I was feeling my best in. I found that I typically had a common piece threading throughout my favorite looks (i.e. ballet flats, a blazer, etc.), so it started to become easier to think of words. When I look at things like my Pinterest board, or my saved outfit inspo on Instagram, I love that there’s typically so many different ideas but they can still easily fall under my three words for my personal style. Now let’s talk about the words that I use every time I get dressed.
Classic
This one was fairly easy for me. I’ve always been drawn to pieces that were considered classic: A trench coat, a cashmere sweater, a stripe t-shirt, a button down shirt. You get the idea. I love incorporating these pieces where I can. I also think I associate classic pieces with things that are timeless, things I’ll wear again and again and again…like a good pair of jeans. These are the pieces that I usually build my outfits around. Classic style is definitely my most defining word.
Fun
I do like to dabble in trends that I think are right for my personal style, and also ones that I just genuinely think are fun. So “fun” is my second word. That’s where things like mesh flats come into play. Sure, trends are trends for a reason – they’re going to come and go. But I love looking at trends, especially when they actually really compliment my classic style.
Approachable
And finally, I like to describe my personal style as approachable. I think anyone can take a look at the outfits I put together and either recreate them in their own way, or completely do the same look head to toe wearing pieces within their closet. I also like to think that my personal style is pretty affordable. And in this day and age, affordable is approachable. Sure, I like to invest in pieces like bags, shoes, or premium denim, but again an investment is also an approachable way to look at fashion.
Ultimately, these three words serve as a checklist for my personal style. When I’m not feeling put together or my best dressed and immediately want to shop — I look to my three words. I think about what I *need* and what I can actually purge. Purging my closet utilizing the three word method is SO helpful. This allows me not to feel super overwhelmed when staring at my closet and truly only keep the pieces that align with my style. Utilizing this method really makes it easier to build outfits, and also makes sharing them online with my community easier. It allows me to stay consistent when I’m getting dressed, while also making sure the people who follow me also get something out of me showing my outfits.
