Personal style dilemma??

[Jauralane]

Just as the title suggests really.

I'm always daydreaming about what my ideal/signature style would be and subsequently buying things based on what I think will help me with this.

The problem is, my ideal style changes all the time, literally day by day. End result, I feel like my wardrobe 'clashes' and I have nothing to wear.

Sometimes I think I'd like to be chic but edgy...black or white blouse/t shirts/camel coat/jeans/multiple ear piercings/minimal make up with red lipstick/tousled hair. The 'french look'.Something like a Gucci soho disco bag.

Other times I think I'd like to be glam...maybe similar clothes to the above but more polished eg blow dried hair/full make up/gel nails/heels. Something like a Louis Vuitton neverfull bag.

Then other times I think I'd like to be polished and preppy...wearing navy and tan/wrap dresses/pearl studs/loafers. Something like a mulberry or longchamp bag. Basically way the lawyers in my work dress!!

I feel like how you dress/present yourself says a lot about who you are and I just can't seem to get my style right. How do you pick a look and stick to it??

Ps...totally lighthearted thread, I know there are no rules and I can wear whatever I want!!

Have you considered a personal stylist? They might be able to narrow down your style with you

I am EXACTLY the same! My wardrobe is a disaster because I can't decide how I want to dress.

I just signed up to a free trial of Lookiero hoping that being sent clothes might help me out of a rut and into finding my style. I'm also considering the John Lewis personal styling service

The first thing you need to decide on is what suits you, what you’re comfortable with & what works with your lifestyle. I would love a dead straight sharp platinum blonde bob but in reality I like low maintenance & as I have thick, wavy hair a bob would require a lot more time than my current hair. I’m naturally casual so my wardrobe reflects that however some days I dress more preppy, or more girly, etc as I like different looks. I tend to dress very different on holiday than I do in the UK & again really like to go glam for weddings, parties etc.

Don’t buy clothes unless they suit you & go with other items in your wardrobe as wont wear them. Accessories are a good way of changing your look.

The stylist is a good idea will look into that

@MummyBogle Glad it's not just me

I think all the looks you describe above are variations on “classic”, so that might be a good starting point?

I also think nancy makes a good point about hair. I have a sharp, Louise Brooks bob (not platinum, sadly) and my style works with that. I always wear red lipstick, don’t suit anything flouncy or frilly, and florals look daft on me. I wear a lot of cropped wide trousers/culottes, mini or midi skirts, fitted jumpers and t-shirts, and always flat shoes, usually brogues, trainers or Chelsea boots. In terms of print, I know Mumsnet hates it, but I wear leopard print often, plus stripes, and very occasionally polka dots. I gravitate towards “my” items in shops, and know the shops where I am likely to find them.

I did a colour thingy with house of colour (moderately useful, not 100% sold on it) and subsequently their style day (very useful, much more so than the colours bit for me.) I think this, or an independent stylist who comes highly recommended is a good idea. I think I've found my balance between following
(some) trends / trying different looks, and remaining true to what's me.

You could look up ‘Kibbe style personality quiz’ on Google. You answer questions about your build, facial features etc and it’ll give you an idea of whether your look best fits dramatic, natural, classic, gamine, romantic or a combination of two categories. Then it’ll give you a suggestion of what to look for in clothes and accessories to flatter your look. I’ve found it liberating - it made sense why some things I’ve liked on other people really didn’t suit me and helped me to be much more accepting (and even pleased, in time) with who I am. A cheap alternative to a HoC style day for me!

I love the sound of your wardrobe. You must have lots of ideas and imagination. I know it must also mean having a lot of clothes that won’t all ‘go’ but, unless money and space are a problem (which you haven’t mentioned) what’s wrong with that? What’s so great about finding a style and sticking to it?

(Not invested in this at all )

I agree with floisme. I find clothing fun and like to mix it up a bit.
Sometimes I think I’m too confused and would like a style but it’s just not me.
Although to who what Judy says, I probably have more of a style than I realise, ie diff versions of the style ifswim

ECHO what Judy said I meant. Bloody typos!

I don't think there's anything wrong with having different styles on different days. Does it really matter if it doesn't all 'go'. Your clothes sound lovely to me.

I was a bit like this before children and weight gain (my style now is whatever fits and looks OK).

I don't think it's so much about finding a style that suits you, it's more about organising your wardrobe to make it easier to select certain looks. Maybe you need a few sections, glam, rock, chic with a neutral section for clothes that work with any look. Once you've done that you could take outfit photos (there's an app that helps with this - can't remember what its called tho), then you can work out where there are gaps in your wardrobe and what you should be buying.

I think it's fine as long as whatever you're wearing on a given day looks like "you". Otherwise you can end up so fixated on pursuing a certain style that you risk looking as if you're in fancy dress with your clothes wearing you rather than the other way round. I think adapting whatever styles you like to your own colouring and shape is key to looking as if you own it.

I think the trouble with having a 'style' is that at some point you will get very bored with it and then want to change everything in your wardrobe. I think a set of good basics can be useful to set off the 'look at me' pieces and having a limited palette can mean you have more combinations, even if that limited palette is just 'I wear more navy than black' and so the colourful stuff you buy then goes with that generic background (so e.g. red goes with black or navy but pinks look better with navy and leopard print looks better with black).

Just to go back to my earlier point (And judy’s) that I bet you have more of a style than you think. For example I sometimes feel like I wear too many different things but there must be themes in my dressing and things I never wear.
For example I don’t do gamine or preppy, ever. Neither do I do tomboy or artsy. I think I therefore do classic, simple and paired down (think Cos, don’t know the word for this) rock chick, romantic and sexy, or more realistically a mix of those, leaning more towards a particular one depending on the event or my mood I suppose. I’m fairly happy with spanning all of those and wouldn’t to pigeon hole myself any further when I actually think about it.
My main contradictions are that I can happily wear a Cos look followed the next day by a pretty floral wrap dress. I like that though.