Who Are You In Relation to Your Style Personality?

By Nichola English.

In a world filled with fashion trends and different styles of clothes, there are infinite opportunities for individual self-expression. Whether we like it or not, our clothes speak volumes about us, so it’s important that we ensure they’re publicising us in the way we actually want.

Imagine how great you’d feel if your clothes worked for you and aligned with your authentic self. One of the ways to achieve this goal is to understand the traits of your style personality. This will help pave the way for you to project the image you desire and, at the same time, feel confident and comfortable because getting dressed will become more of an enjoyable and effortless experience.

There are 5 widely used style personalities that most of us fall into. They are easily identifiable as Classic, Natural, Creative, Dramatic and Romantic. All you need to do is discover which one best suits you.

Now that’s not to say that you can’t have fun with other personalities, or that your style can’t be altered. It’s more that as you begin to explore style personalities, you’ll be able to identify which one best suits you based on who you are right now.

Let’s start with this fun exercise to get you thinking about words that best describe your style.

If you were a flower…

This exercise is brought to you from my Style Coaching Institute training. The purpose is to have a fun way to find words that match your style and help you identify which of the 5 main style personalities fits you best.

Okay, so let me ask you…

If you were a flower, which would you be?

Would you be a daisy because it’s fresh, unassuming, clean and simple?

Would you be a rose, because it’s beautiful, romantic and alluring?

(This is just an example of two flower types you can add more if you wish.)

Let’s say you chose a daisy. As a daisy flower style, you might describe yourself as fresh, classic, clean and simple. This would mean that your style personality would be a Classic.

Now it’s your turn. I'd like you to write as much as you can and see if more words or descriptions pop out. This will give you a true idea or sense of your personal style. Remember, you can add more types of flowers to help with this discovery.

Identifying your Style Personality

I’ve broken the style personalities down into 5 main types. Now, while you can certainly be a combination of more than one type (most people are), you will probably find that you have one that has the most central characteristic to your style.

Classic: As the word implies, your style is known for its simplicity and refinement; it never changes as it’s time-proof. Your wardrobe should be full of all the right pieces that coordinate well when styled together. You don’t do embellishments; accessories are normally kept to a minimum that are both delicate and subtle. Your colour palette choices tend to consist of black, navy, white, creams, khaki and sometimes pinks. Classics are very elegant and chic. You just have to look at Kate Middleton who's certainly a classic style.

Natural: If you fit this then you tend to lean towards casual styling and comfort like jeans and t-shirts with a blazer. You’re not really into a cluttered look, it’s all about simplicity. Even when playing dress up you're inclined to lean towards simple silhouettes and non-fussy accessories. Cameron Diaz is the go-to lady of the Natural style personality. Earth tones are your go to colour palette. If you add other colours, they tend to be subtle and downplayed. 

Creative:  You’re most attracted to unconventional fashion items – just look at the movie ‘Sex and the City’ and Carrie Bradshaw who was definitely a Creative style. You have a fondness for colours, patterns of all kinds and just love making statements with your outfits. You’re not afraid to take fashion risks, mixing patterns and silhouettes as you enjoy expressing your moods through the clothing and accessories you adorn.

Dramatic: This has diva written all over it, but in a positive way. Glamour is your thing! When it comes to selecting an outfit you love to be noticed, that’s why bold shapes and colours are your go-to picks. Finishing touches with standout jewellery, shoes, bold lipsticks and very alluring scents are important to any outfit you wear. Marilyn Monroe was an incredibly famous Dramatic when it came to her style.

Romantic: You’re very feminine and like to express this via pretty, feminine details on clothing and soft, flowing fabrics. Opting for fabrics like satin, silk, lace, ruffles and tulle. Colours are either bold or floral prints and your wardrobe is likely to have dresses, skirts, ruffles, florals, and so many pretty colours. Penelope Cruz is an ideal romantic with her feminine repertoire.

Final thoughts

Having a true understanding of your style personality can often mean needing to rethink wearing a piece in a different way, as true style comes when your clothes reflect and support you.

 Nichola English is addicted to fashion. From an early age picking out clothes for friends and family, she always had an eye for style which only expanded as she got older, eventually creating her business, The Wardrobe Provocateur. 

Nichola adores working with women (and men) across the world discovering personal style, reinventing that old tired wardrobe and realising new confidence and vitality through coaching, shopping and good old clearing out of the old. You can read her full story of becoming The Wardrobe Provocateur here.