FASHION - If you want your wardrobe to mix & match, you need to do this!

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Summary - 

Almost every woman I’ve worked with has said that all they want from their wardrobe is for it to be able to mix & match. What most women don’t realise though is that this is more achievable than they think, provided they do this one thing first ...

Things I Mention - 

  • The reason a woman’s wardrobe doesn’t mix & match as effortlessly as they’d like it too

  • The one thing you should do if you want all of your clothes to work well and look good together

  • How to define a personal style specifically suited to your body shape & lifestyle

  • 8x of the most common personal styles and the famous personalities known for each of these styles

PLUS, I share my advice on how to increase the versatility of your wardrobe and how to stop buying clothes that end up buried in the back of the wardrobe. 

Links & Helpful Resources - 

Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on any of my practical tips & tricks and if you enjoyed this episode, please leave me a rating and a review? Thanks!

Before working with any client, I always ask them what their goal is or what they hope to achieve by working with a personal stylist and 9 times out of 10, the answer sounds something like this - I just want to wake up and be able to pick out a few things and know that they’ll look good together.

If you’ve had this same thought before, then this episode is for you because although there are a few reasons why someone’s wardrobe doesn’t always mix & match as effortlessly as they’d like, there is one reason in particular that you can fix simply by giving what I’m about to tell you some thought.

The first step to being able to create a wardrobe that mixes & matches is to know your defined personal style is. Your defined personal style is the style/s that you naturally gravitate towards because despite whether or not you’re even interested in fashion, we all have a preference. To help you identify what your defined personal style is, I'm going to rattle off a few of the most common styles then I’ll give you a short description of each so you can determine which one or two you think you gravitate towards. Of course there are so many other styles but I’ve got 8 that come to mind and these are a great starting point. Actually, I’ll tell you a few famous personalities that are best known for each style too to help you visualise things that little bit more. 

The first style is we’ll discuss is CREATIVE/ VINTAGE

Think clashing prints, vintage clothes, eclectic, perhaps slightly retro inspired.

Those with a CREATIVE style -

  • Unpredictable in the way they combine clothes & accessories

  • Rarely wear the same outfit twice

  • Mix vintage with high fashion

  • Love shopping in different places (markets, op-shops, one-off boutiques etc) to get their hands on unusual pieces

Personalities with a Vintage/ Creative Style are Sienna Miller, Scarlett Johannson, Zooey Deschanel and Alexa Chung.

The next style is DRAMATIC

Think bright colours, bold patterns, clashing prints and statement clothes & accessories.

Those with a DRAMATIC style -

  • Unafraid to make an entrance

  • Wardrobe consists of lots of one-off pieces

  • Leave a lasting impression on others

  • Interested in fashion and the latest trends

Personalities with a Dramatic Style are Blake Lively, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Minogue and Jessica Alba.

Up next we have the ROMANTIC style

Think pastels, soft fabrics, ruffles and florals.

Those with a ROMANTIC style -

  • Love clothes with details - bows, ruffles, peplums etc.

  • Prefer a pretty, feminine look

  • Often choose muted colours not dark or drab colours

  • Like softer styles to the tailored, classic cuts

Personalities with a Romantic Style are Ashley Judd, Eva Longoria-Parker, Nicole Kidman and Taylor Swift

Style #4 is CLASSIC

Think stripes, suits, neutrals and quality pieces!

Those with a CLASSIC style -

  • Choose clothes & accessories that are timeless and elegant

  • Prefer a co-ordinated look

  • Have a fairly formal wardrobe

  • Outfits are often smart, tailored and understated

  • Values quality over quantity

  • Not swayed by the latest fashion trends

Personalities with a Classic Style are Michelle Obama, Kate Middleton, Angelina Jolie and Amal Clooney.

Next and probably the most practical style is NATURAL

Think denim, cotton, neutrals and effortless hair and make-up.

Those with a NATURAL style -

  • Have a relaxed look

  • Like ease of movement and comfort when choosing garments

  • Choose outfits that usually include the colours of nature - blues, greens, greys etc.

  • Prefer casual wear to formal business wear

  • Like simple lines and designs and don't like a cluttered look

  • Prefer comfortable clothing and shoes

Personalities with a Natural Style are Julia Roberts, Jennifer Garner, Sandra Bullock and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Style #6 is ELEGANT

Think statement accessories, not too overdressed but not too casual either and tailored clothes mixed with softer/ more fluid fabrics. 

Those with an ELEGANT style -

  • Aren't afraid to wear colour though prefer not to go overboard

  • Use colour to highlight their best features

  • Exude confidence

  • Keep up with the latest trends but know how to use them to their advantage to suit their own defined style.

Personalities with an Elegant Style are Victoria Beckham, Elizabeth Hurley, Charlize Theron and Rosie Huntington Whiteley.

Next is the ANDROGYNOUS style and this is a style that’s become more common in the last few years with the introduction of social media - 

Think tailored jackets, oversized pieces, flat shoes and minimal prints & patterns.

  • Likes a combination of masculine and feminine when dressing

  • Wears feminine styles teamed with masculine accessories

  • Uses colour to highlight best features

  • Prefers a co-ordinated look

  • Often a minimalist who favours classic styles over trend pieces

Personalities with an Androgynous Style are Carmen Hamilton and Kaitlyn Ham as well as Milla Jovovich, Julia Roberts and Keira Knightley.

Finally, style #8 is BOHO

Think fluid fabrics, prints, earthy tones and accessories made from natural materials.

  • Unpredictable in the way that separates are mixed with accessories

  • Prefers soft, fluid clothing styles or those with a 1970’s vibe

  • Often mixes vintage with high fashion

  • Loves shopping in individual boutiques/ markets looking for unusual pieces

Personalities with an Boho Style are Rachel Zoe, Nicole Richie, Vanessa Hudgens, Mary-Kate Olsen and Elle Ferguson.

Now, if you're a visual learner, it might be hard for you to resonate with these just by hearing them. If this is the case, you can jump over to my Pinterest account (find me at @ecstylist) and you’ll see a heap of examples for you. I’ve created separate boards for each of the styles that I’ve just mentioned with lots of outfit inspiration for you to browse. This could be just the thing you need to narrow down which style/s you really like. 

Ok, now I need your attention because what I’m about to say next is the most important part of this episode - are you ready for this? If your wardrobe doesn’t mix & match, my bet is this - 

Either the clothes in your wardrobe can be categorised into just the one style(For example - every single item you own could be filed under the Romantic style)

OR 

The clothes in your wardrobe can be categorised into too many different styles. (For example - you own clothes that could be filed under a Vintage, Romantic, Classic, Boho & Dramatic style). 

Both of these scenarios stop your wardrobe from being able to mix & match with ease. 

If wardrobe versatility is your goal, then my advice is to only buy clothes & accessories that could be categorised or filed into two different styles (that’s the winning number for me and my clients). To do this, you’ll want to choose two defined personal styles for yourself - one that works more casually for you and one that works well for more glam events such as a night out or a wedding. That way, you’ll be sorted no matter what the occasion might be. 

I’ll use myself as the perfect example here - My two defined styles are Natural & Elegant. A Natural style works well for my day to day life as a Mum of two and I tend to prefer an Elegant style for a night out or special event. The best part though, I love the way both of these styles look when combined - I love combining the two to create outfits that are a bit unexpected - think an elegant silk skirt with a pair of casual sneakers! Now the more strict you are with this two style rule, the more your wardrobe will mix & match. I’m quite strict with this so I won’t buy anything that gives off say a vintage or boho vibe and as a result, it takes me 2 seconds to create an outfit because everything looks good together. Truth to be told, every time I’ve purchased something that I do like the look of but it does sit outside of my two defined styles, it ends up buried in the back of my wardrobe anyway because the versatility just isn’t there. 

So next time you’re shopping, ask yourself - can what I’m about to buy be categorised into my two defined styles? If the answer isn’t a big, resounding YES, then trust me, it’s best to walk away. 

To wrap up this episode, I’d be crazy not to mention my eBooks here because if after listening to this episode, you still feel a little unsure about which two styles will work best for your body shape and lifestyle, then in both of my eBooks ‘The A to Z of Confidence’ and my ‘Capsule Wardrobe Workbook’ I have a more detailed step-by-step process on how to work out a defined personal style just for you.

I hope you enjoy this process and before I forget, if you’ve been loving this podcast and are yet to leave me a review, please do. It makes the biggest difference to it being found by other women worldwide. I put a lot of love into these episodes and we all know how well things turn out, when you get no love back! Have the most amazing day! 

Elisha CasagrandeWomens Confidence, FEEL BE LOOK, Confidence, Adam Galinsky, Brisbane Personal Stylist, Online Personal Stylist, Styling Tips, Outfit Styling, Clothes Pyschology, Fashion Psychology, Style Rut, Fashion Tips, Styling Advice, Shopping Budget, Fashion Budget, Repurpose Clothes, Personal Style, Defined Personal Style, Boho Style, Romantic Style, Creative Style, Vintage Style, Androgynous Style, Classic Style, Natural Style, Elegant Style, Wardrobe Versatility