The New Year is the perfect time to set some goals for your personal style. It doesn’t matter if you’ve always hidden behind a favorite pair of sweats or if you’ve always been your group’s glamour girl, now’s the time to re-evaluate your style and set some goals for yourself. Because, let’s face it, there’s always room for improvement!

1. Revamp your closet

If you’re like me, you probably wear about 25% of what’s hanging in your closet. You have your favorite pieces that stay at the front of the closet and the pieces that you just can’t bear to part with that hang at the back. It’s time to pull that bandage off and get rid of that brown ribbed Lord & Taylor sweater you haven’t worn since 1997 (okay, so maybe I should follow my own advice).


I know, I know…you might want to wear it again, right? Or, it’s such a nice sweater…you really should keep it, right? Or, it’s such a classic style…it’ll come back into style eventually, right?
No, no and no.


If you’ve had a piece of clothing for longer than 5 years and haven’t worn it or wanted to wear it, get rid of it!


Have a hard time doing that? Start by going through all of your Fall and Winter clothes. What haven’t you worn so far this season? If you haven’t worn it, get rid of it.
For your Spring and Summer clothes, go through everything with an appraising eye. Can you imagine yourself wearing it come warmer temps? If so, keep it. But, turn the hanger the opposite direction. At the end of the Summer, notice which hangers are still facing the opposite direction. Those are the pieces you should get rid of.

2. Stop making excuses and be confident

We all do it. The ‘oh, I could never pull that style off’ or the ‘I’ll start dressing well when I lose another 10 pounds’. And, what ends up happening is that we just keep putting off the more stylish person that’s dying to come out.


It’s time to put those excuses aside. If you really want to pull off a style, you will. If you’re trying to lose some weight, that’s fine…you can still be stylish. It all comes down to confidence.


You’re probably worried about what people will think. Well…chances are, they’ll think you’re fantastic for doing something new. If it makes you feel comfortable, broadcast your style change. Tell your friends that you’re working to create a new you or that you’re trying out a new style. Ask them what they think. You’ll be surprised at how supportive and complimentary your friends and colleagues will be (and at how many of them jump on the bandwagon).


And, remember–changing your style or trying to create a personal style doesn’t have to happen all at once. Start with something small like makeup or hair. Add accessories to that. Then, work on your wardrobe.


Most importantly, stop making excuses.

3. Know your strengths

You’ve watched Stacy and Clinton tell women this over and over again. You’ve probably even gotten good and noticing strength areas in other people. But, when it comes to yourself, do you focus on your strength areas or your problem areas? Most women spend so much time trying to hide their problem areas, they end up hiding their strengths as well.


When you’re revamping your closet, working to feel confident about a new style or shopping for new clothes, make sure you are highlighting your strengths. Don’t focus on how your problem area looks. Instead, ask yourself about your strengths. Does that new dress show off your curves? Does that skirt highlight your amazing legs?


And, don’t let me hear you say you have no strengths…come on now. What is it you have that you hear other women say they wish they had? Small boobs or big boobs, curves or a flat belly, height or a petite frame…the grass is always greener, right? Start realizing how green your own grass is. And put a gigantic spotlight on it! When you start doing that, you’ll feel much more confident and, chances are, you’ll stop feeling self-conscious about your so-called problem areas.

4. Find your style

Style is all about personality. Personal style isn’t about having a nameable style like ‘rocker-chic’ or ‘feminine princess’. It’s about fashioning outfits, accessories, makeup and hair that is a reflection of who you are. When you have a personal style, people look at a shirt or a necklace and can say ‘oh, that’s so [your name here]‘. With your own style, you probably won’t wear every single trend that comes down the pipeline. Instead, you’ll wear the ones that fit with your wardrobe. You might even wear them slightly different than others because your style is different.


So, the question is always, ‘how do I find my personal style’? I won’t lie and tell you it’s easy. But, I’m guessing you already have a bit of one without even knowing it.


Think about your favorite outfit. What is it about that combination that you love so much? Can you put some labels on it? Is it feminine, sophisticated, edgy, grunge, vintage? Would you wear other items that can also be labeled as such?


This is a little simplistic, but if you had to wear a uniform every day, what would it consist of? Of course, you don’t want to create a uniform for yourself. How boring! But, thinking about what such an outfit might be is a way to begin to envision your personal style. From there, you can add and take away, experiment and refine.

More

For more on how to create a signature style, visit this post.


There are plenty of books on the subject of having style, redefining style and establishing style.