Personal style is just that: personal. From that perspective, it would seem like an easy thing to define. After all, it’s your style.

So why is it so hard for most people to define their personal style? Well, one reason why this can be challenging for most people is the power of influence. If you don’t have a true grasp of what you like, outside factors can sway your style to the point where it’s no longer yours. We’ve all made the mistake of buying trendy pieces that don’t necessarily align with our style. Or maybe they aligned at some point, but your style has since evolved. Suddenly, you’re looking at your closet realizing you don’t wear half of your wardrobe. Well, I’m here to stop the cycle of buying everything yet having nothing to wear by sharing 3 tips that will help you find your personal style.

“A trendy piece is only worth the purchase if it aligns with your personal style.”

1. Group together the items in your closet you consistently wear and find the commonality.

This is your starting point. Even if you got lost in the fashion vortex and picked up every fast trend you could lay your hands on, there are a few things in your closet that you wear on a consistent basis. Identify those pieces, group them together so you can visually see your style palette preferences, and find out what the commonality is.

If you find yourself consistently reaching for an A-line skirt, a floral print blouse, and heeled sandals, that palette all falls within a soft and flirty style. Personally, my most worn items are likely black pants, cotton tees, and flats. So, the commonality for me is casual comfort.

2. Curate a visual representation of style inspiration you like.

The easiest way to do this is to get on Pinterest and create a board dedicated to style inspiration that you’d wear. Sometimes we find outfit inspiration and love the look of the photo or just how it looks on the person wearing it, but it doesn’t necessarily translate into something we would wear. Your new “What I’d Wear” board isn’t for that. The purpose of this board is to pin things that have you saying, “I would totally wear that.”

Not only will you curate a board of useful inspiration, but it will also help you visually determine the commonality in things you would wear if you’re still having a hard time doing so just by looking at your closet.

3. Dress for your lifestyle, not for the latest trend report.

Sometimes a trend just doesn’t work for your lifestyle, and that’s okay. The goal in finding personal style isn’t to incorporate every trend into your closet, it’s to have a foundational understanding of what you like to wear. That way when a trend comes around that aligns with your personal style, you’ll have major success with incorporating it into your look.

Let’s say you have an office job, right? With the 70s bohemian-style pant making its way back into the scene, you wouldn’t purchase and wear those to the office just for the sake of being on trend, would you? I’m going to pretend you loudly shouted “NO!”, because although cute in the right setting, 70s pants aren’t necessarily appropriate for the office lifestyle.

[ctt title=”If a trend doesn\’t fit your lifestyle, don\’t force it. Skip it.” tweet=”If a trend doesn’t fit your lifestyle, don’t force it. Skip it. – @ventifashion http://ctt.ec/v8WdI+” coverup=”v8WdI”]

Bonus: Two Questions to Ask Before Every Purchase

Before you purchase anything, always ask yourself two questions:

• Does this fit my personal style?
• Does this fit my lifestyle?

If the answer isn’t yes to both, put the item back.

I hope you found these quick and simple tips helpful! A journey to finding your personal style can feel a bit daunting because of the vague subject matter, but all it takes is a little self-reflection. And remember, it’s okay to buy trendy pieces every now and then, you just have to be smart about it. Try to limit those trendy “I love it but wouldn’t necessarily wear it all the time” pieces down to no more than 20% of your wardrobe.

What tips do you have that will help define personal style?