How to find your personal style

Your personal style isn't something you buy – it's something you filter. The fastest way to find it is to decide what you want to feel in your clothes, notice the people whose style you keep saving, and picture the place where you feel most like yourself. Those three things become your Personal Style Filter.

Most of us don't lack clothes. We lack a clear way to say yes or no. Here's the method I use with every client – three steps you can do in an evening.

Step 1: Choose your three Fashion Words. Pick three words for how you want to look and feel – for example minimalistic, feminine, relaxed or classic, bold, effortless. Not what's trending, but what feels like you on a good day. These words are your first filter: every piece you own or buy should match at least one of them, ideally all three.

Step 2: Decode your Style Icons. Save five to ten looks you love – on Pinterest, TikTok or in your camera roll. Then look for what they have in common. Is it neutral colours? Relaxed tailoring? Minimal jewellery? The pattern is your taste showing itself, and it tells you more than any single outfit.

Step 3: Find Your Place. Picture the place where you feel most like yourself – a café in Copenhagen, a beach house, a gallery in Paris. What would you wear there? The colours, materials and mood of that place make your style concrete and easy to shop for.

Put it to work with the 80/20 rule. Once you have your filter, build your wardrobe in two parts: 80% foundation pieces that match your words and work for your real life, and 20% spark – the pieces with personality. A wardrobe in that balance always has something to wear.

Find your words in 4 minutes. My free Style Filter quiz gives you your three Fashion Words and your personal filter: Take the Style Filter →

Then edit what you already own. My free guide and workbook, The Wardrobe Edit, walks you through it step by step: Get The Wardrobe Edit →

FAQ

How long does it take to find your personal style? You can define your filter in an evening. Living it takes a few weeks of noticing what you reach for – and what you don't.

Do I need to buy new clothes to find my style? No. Start with what you own. Most people find that their style is already in their wardrobe – it's just hidden among pieces bought for a moment.

What if my style changes? It will, a little. Revisit your three words once a season. Your 80% foundation usually stays; your 20% is where change lives.