I’m sure many of you have heard about Allison Bornstein’s popular 3-word-method which is brilliant method for defining your personal style loved by many, including myself. Basically what you want to do is find 3 main descriptors to connect to your personal style – for example, my words could be soft, minimal and cool as explained in THIS video I made a while back.

Why is this even important?

While your style doesn’t stay static your entire life because what you wear essentially will be a product of your lifestyle and who you are, and as human beings we are ever changing, committing to a set of style adjectives is a great way to commit to your own sense of style, trust yourself and learn to not only shop more intentionally but also just put together outfits from your existing wardrobe in a way that feels representative for YOU.

But what if you struggle finding those words? What if you find it tricky to even distinguish an item from being classic or casual for example? How do you know which details to look for?

That’s what I’ll dive into in today’s post, so you can hopefully get one step closer to defining your personal style. 

We’ll start with what I like to refer to as the “soft” style personalities: casual, romantic and creative. Now all the style personalities I’m going to go through are of course just examples and they will of course come in many different variations. It’s also important to note that they can either be dominating your wardrobe or they could just be a small part of it; it’s very common to be a hybrid between several style personas BUT either way, knowing which of these feel like a true representation of YOU is one of the best possible ways to curate a long-lasting wardrobe that looks beyond the physical and adds a deeper meaning which will likely make you hold on to your clothes for a longer time. Pick your top keywords and use them wisely when curating your wardrobe and daily outfits.

CASUAL

This is by far the type of person I meet MOST when I work with clients, and I think this comes down to the fact that most people want to simply be comfortable in what they wear.

Besides setting comfort high on the list a casual style persona will typically opt for soft and stretchy materials, little to no details on the clothes, it might even have this stereotypical “basic” appearance to it as we see with white t-shirts, causal jeans and simple sneakers. Some casuals might even have a slightly more sporty or functional way of dressing and you might also tend to go for slouchy or oversized fits, even if you have a bit of a classic style persona hidden within you too.

Your most important adjectives are undone, effortless, athletic, natural, authentic and relaxed.

ROMANTIC

Romantic is a very small part of my own wardrobe, my dominant style persona is definitely more casual – but I do like to mix in a bit of romance especially for special occasions. That could be shown in a simple slip top with a subtle lace trim for example, and I would always style such pieces with the more casual ones from my wardrobe to ensure I don’t feel too far removed from my casual core.

A romantic style persona likes delicate and flowy materials like chiffons and silk, you might also find yourself being drawn to soft shapes like puff sleeves, drapes, ruffles and slightly more curve-hugging fits. You might also like details like pearls, lace, pleats and dainty prints like flowers.

Your most important adjectives are soft, glamorous, elegant or maybe even sultry.

CREATIVE

Some people refer to the creative style personality as “bohemian” but I think this can be confusing to a certain extent, because what does that even mean?

If your style persona is creative you are drawn to a more playful and quirky way of dressing, and you care to make your looks unique and personal rather than matching them in a predictable way. You might also wear brands that are considered indie or not widely known by the masses. Some creatives are very drawn to 70s style and if that’s you, you may find yourself reaching for items with tassels, several cutlines or layers, crochet, multicoloured or graphic, artsy prints.

Your most important adjectives are whimsical, bold, eclectic, bright, free-spirited, 70s, warm, inspirational and natural.

Now let’s move on to the slightly more “hard” style personalities: edgy, elevated and classic. 

EDGY

Edgy is one of my top 3 style words, and I think it stems from my taste in music and perhaps being able to show a bit more of a rebellious side of me that I tend to hide away otherwise.

An edgy style persona is drawn to rugged items like washed down materials, heavy denim perhaps with a raw hem or a busted knee, leather, zippers, studs and buckles. I’d say the overall vibe of this style persona is very “rock’n’roll”, some might refer to it as biker chic. You’ll love items like ankle boots, biker jackets, leather trousers or skirts, old school band t-shirts, and animal print like leopard or zebra.

Your most important adjectives are rebellious, cool, free-spirited, undone, relaxed, androgynous and I guess creative to a certain level too.

CLASSIC

Let’s move on to the classic style persona which is among my top style keywords but more as a secondary part to polish off my looks. So my 3 words again are soft, minimal and cool – minimal being the adjective referring to the more classic and streamlined staples from my wardrobe.

The inspiration here very much comes from classic menswear and this way of dressing is often connected to professional work environments. I guess you could also refer to it as “office chic” or corporate style. So here we’ll see items like clean-cut blazers, classic shirts, tailored trousers, pencil skirts, trench coats, classic coats in general, loafers and oxford shoes. The overall style is very streamlined and minimal, some might even refer to it as conservative. 

Your most important adjectives are sharp, polished, elegant, minimal, reliable, sophisticated, luxurious, professional and androgynous.

ELEVATED

The final style persona is what I like to refer to as “elevated”. It can be confused with a classic, because you tend to like the same clean-cut and minimal items. The difference here lies within the name of this style persona: elevated. You like the minimal aesthetic, but you also like to put your own spin on things too to well, elevate them. So for example, instead of going for the classic blazer you’ll go for one that has a cut-out in the back or at the elbows. You’ll also like items such as a simple jersey sweatshirt with contrasting sleeves in mesh or leather. So cut-out details, contrasting fabrics, pipelines or anything that appears simple with a small twist like that will likely be what you feel drawn to. 

Your most important adjectives are simple, cool, sleek, modern, minimal, sophisticated and understated.