How to find your own personal style

It’s normal for young people to go with the trend, to conform with that’s “uso” and look like their peers or the celebrities they want to emulate or what the fashion magazines are saying. But fashion is a way to express yourself and show people your personality, so instead of blindly following what the majority says, find your own style and wear it with pride.

·         If you don’t know where to start, make a mood board.
Pick out colors, furniture, artwork, fashion and food-related photos that appeal to you and make a collage. You can cut out pictures from magazines or print them out from the Internet and paste them on an actual board. Online, you can do the same when you open an account with Pinterest [http://pinterest.com/].  Look at your pictures and notice similarities. Did you choose mostly Victorian furniture, floral prints and impressionist art?  Or were you partial to pop art, bold colors and molecular gastronomy? You can tell a lot by what photos you are drawn to.

·         Make a list of your fashion icons.
Don’t limit yourself to the obvious celebrities. Check out the society pages of newspapers, models, designers, painters, politicians, even paintings and comic books. Watch old movies and independent films and look at what your favorite musicians are wearing.

·         Sort through your closest.
What clothes do you find yourself wearing all the time? What trend became a part of your style long after the trend came and went? What items have you worn once and decided they weren’t for you? Give away or sell the ones you feel uncomfortable or silly wearing and keep the ones you still wear or can’t let go off and build on that.

·         Get pegs of the hairstyles and make-up looks you would like to try.
For make-up, aside from your basic palette, pick a few fun colors you can wear for parties and for days when you feel carefree. Have you always wanted to cut your hair but trend reports are saying it’s all about long flowing locks? Do it anyway and start your own trend! Besides, hair always grows back!

·         Mix and mash-up.
If you like a new trend, incorporate it subtly into your current style instead of changing your look every two months. You will find yourself with a more streamlined look and a lot more money in your pocket.


Have a fashion or beauty question for Erica? Drop her a line at ericaparedes1@yahoo.com
 
Erica Paredes has been working in the publishing industry for almost a decade as a fashion and beauty editor, newspaper columnist, stylist and make-up artist. Nowadays she juggles her time between food and fashion, beauty and travel plus mommy duties to her 8-year-old daughter.


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