How do you know what your style is?

[AmeliaToppingLovesShopping]

I am 35 and have been single for the last (nearly) 4 years. I feel ready to get back out there but need to think more about what I am wearing.

I have always been a very casually dressed type of person, jeans and t-shirts with no make up, but want to start making a bit more of an effort. The problem is I am useless at knowing what suits me and what type of thing goes well together.

Any advice greatly appreciated :)

I find Pinterest great for sourcing ideas/looks I like. Who do you think dresses well/inspires you? Think we need a bit more info to go on...

Well I think I stick to simple stuff, mainly navy

I recently bought a navy cape and wear with a Breton type top and slim harem type trousers with wedges

Always wear blue too. Crisp blue shirts. Black dresses or pencil skirt and top for going out

I love pretty coats and have them in different colours. I rarely wear casual clothes

I think if you have a smart blazer, pretty top and dressy trousers then you can go anywhere

I first culled my whole wardrobe (need to do it again). I thinned out my make up and wear it everyday. I get my brows tinted. Wear light tan and earrings and a bracelet (this may all go up the swanny when I go back to work as in ML and have a bit of time on my hands)

Max Factor Miracle touch is a three in one make up and I love it.

Not really sure who I admire really.

I nearly always wear jeans but occasionally wear a dress or leggings. I am trying to lose weight at the moment and haven't got a huge amount that actually fits.

I am size 12 - 14 at the moment. I have lost 7lbs so far and am hoping to lose another stone and a bit by the summer. I would like to wear something that is casual but still stylish. Quite young looking but not too trendy. I quite like skinny jeans and have been complimented a couple of times in the last week.

I am really not good at this sort of thing!

I lost 6 stone the other year and had to rapidly rethink my style as I needed an entire new wardrobe.

I started by looking at style blogs to find a blogger with a style I liked. Then I spent a day trying loads of different things on inspired by the blogs and working out what styles and colours would suit me. I used pinterest to work out ideas around the styles that I liked and suited me. Then I worked out what clothes I needed to buy to create this style and went out and bought them.

I personally like School Gate Style and Style Guile blogs, but that doesn't mean that they will necessarily appeal to you. I wear a pretty conservative mix of jeans/chinos with blazers/cardigans or jersey dresses. I love scarves. I love Breton tops. I like strong colours - navy, red, mustard yellow. I pretty much always wear small pearl studs in my ears. I usually wear flat shoes - ballet pumps or brogues or ankle boots. I have my hair cut in a crop and wear make up every day. I look better if I dress fairly neatly, even when I was in my teens I didn't suit baggy clothes.

Have fun working out your style!

I have a pair of biker boots that I really like. Other than that I normally just wear trainers. My hair is cropped very short, kind of like Anne Hathaway but shorter at the back and sides.

I will look at some blogs later.

Do you like floaty things? Neat and tidy? Assymetrical/dramatic lines? I think it's fairly easy to decide if you're a romantic/classic/dramatic/natural style type and then do a bit of homework on pinterest and Google looking for these style types.

I quickly realised I'm a neat and tidy person. Hate waterfall cardigans, baggy jeans, ruffles and bows so I'm pretty sure I'm a 'classic' type.

This might sound a bit meh, but it helps to have a few style icons or somebody's style who you really admire. If I'm unsure of something I'll think to myself would jackie wear this or I'll look at pictures of them for inspiration. It helps give you a more definitive style too.

The most thorough series I've seen on defining your style is wardrobe architect series www.coletterie.com/category/wardrobe-architect It's a sewing blog, so aimed at people who make their own clothes, but I think it would be really useful for anyone.

Excellent link for coletterie - thanks jello :)

Trial and error! I've always known what I like or dislike but it's only by trying on lots of things that you can really work out what suits.

As others have said, pintetest is great for looking at outfits and getting an idea of what inspires and excites you and what you wouldn't be seen dead in. Once you know what look you're after you just need to go shopping and try lots on. Going with an honest friend can help.

I always knew I like casual stuff with girly details but didn't like to look scruffy and I've recently had a style day which consolidated what I knew and also gave me the understanding of why certain things don't suit me.

You also need to buy for the life you have rather than the life you'd like to have. So I see lots of lovely blouses (silk) or shoes that I'd like but in reality they just aren't going to work as my life as a sahm and would just sit unworn in the wardrobe.

Due to poor social skills vs great seduction skills I have always felt insecure when not wearing something that either shows off boobs waist or legs. And have always secretly been inspired by lady assassin/spy characters in films - you know, cool, ready to go and (in my head) slightly dangerous. That may be why I'm excellent at packing and travelling light lol - because I need to be prepared for an emergency Lara Croft style adventure at anytime.

I've found really good light make up, use bobby brown bb cream, some cream blush and lip gloss or lip colour. Looks lot better but don't feel covered in make up and can apply with hands.