It’s not as hard as you may think to dream up a personal style that’s perfect for you, then decide which outfits you want to wear to express that.  Knowing what you like and the message you want to send is essential.  BUT the ABSOLUTE first thing you must know is YOUR PERSONAL BODY SHAPE! 

Once you know that, learning how to wrap your unique package is inspiring and fun! 

Or at least it’s supposed to be 🙂 lol!  Knowing your body shape gives you power and how you use that power is completely up to you and your life vibe.  You can dress yourself to seem laid back, powerful, fun, relaxed, you name it!  How you dress sends a message into the world saying ‘this is what I represent’ so rep yourself well 🙂

If you’re stumped on how to determine your body shape, take my body shape quiz here and after answering 4 questions, you’ll know exactly what shape you are and will be able to download a guide + video that’s specifically about that shape.  In under an hour you can know everything there is to know about dressing your bod, stress, and insecurity free once and for all!  Wouldn’t that feel good??  

Yes? – Take the Quiz

No? – Keep Reading… 🙂

By knowing your shape and measurements you can quadruple your choices and selection by shopping online.  You can search for anything, there’s no limit to what you can find and you can choose pieces that fit any body shape, vibe, and budget.  But it’s overwhelming if you don’t know your shape and measurements; because traditional sizes for designers and brands aren’t created equal and it can make shopping online difficult.  With the rise in online shopping, retailers have gotten great about having proper size charts that make ordering and actually keeping what you buy much easier.  But you’ve got to know your measurements and what you’re looking for so those searches are laser-focused.  I for one am IN LOVE with Amazon shopping at the moment because I can do large searches, see a lot of options and checkout, pay and return to one place!  So. Easy! 

Once you know your shape and vibe, you open up a world of possibilities…

The best way to create a functioning and wonderful personal style is to understand yourself.  See YOU how YOU want to look and grow from that. Look for those pieces that represent you. Ditch those easy tops and bottoms that you’ve relied on for so long. Stop wearing what you always wear and do some thinking and research.  Do some Pinterest searching and find out what inspires you and catches your eye.  Find something that gets you excited to say, “I love that look!”. Recreate the style and stretch outside your comfort zone, sending your unique vibe out into the world. Our wardrobe deserves to age and grow like we do. Stop shopping at the same old stores and buying the same old outfits you’ve been wearing forever.  To look and feel amazing you gotta step out of your box and stretch your style habits.  After you know your body type you’ll be excited to do this!

Here are 4 tips to get you out of your style box:

  1. Treat fabric like a piece of art.  Experiment with fabrics and textures you love. Don’t be scared! You won’t know how they look together until you jump in and try some on. Sometimes it’s a home run, and sometimes you strikeout. But that’s totally ok! At least you tried and now you know.  The contrast of pairing together a flowing, lightweight pattern with a heavier solid fabric can give a great look when done right. 
  2. Combine the unexpected. Mix a few elements together to create a look that gets people talking and looking! My personal style is a bit edgy, and I don’t like to be too matchy, matchy. Be bold, and pair a flowing floral print dress with a black leather jacket. Top the outfit off with a great pair of shoes and a handbag that mimics the jacket. The dress keeps it feminine, while the jacket and accessories give you some edge. This is ultimately the best of both my worlds! Don’t be shy to try it for yourself. Experiment with some styles you’d like to bring together and share what you come up with.  I love seeing outfits come to life so def share your wins afterward 🙂 P.S. If you’re not already a member of my Style School Insiders Facebook Group, Join Here its a fun place to be and share!
  3. Guess what my favorite part of any wardrobe is?!?! Accessories. OH MY GOSH, ladies… Accessorize to express yourself. Accessories have the ability to transform any outfit. Most of my customer questions stem from accessories. They are how we share our personality and include handbags, necklaces, bracelets, rings, shoes, earrings, scarves, hats and a lovely fragrance.  I can teach you how to take one outfit and accessorize it 12 different ways depending on where you’re going and what you’re doing. Just don’t go overboard, this can be easy to do, but if you’re ever questioning yourself just take one accessory off and leave the house 🙂  If it feels good though, don’t be afraid to wear it. I encourage you to start a few accessory sets. They are a collection of accessories that can all be worn together at the same time. Let’s say you love to wear black.  With an accessory set, you never have to worry about how to accessorize your outfits. Every time you wear an all-black outfit you have the option to wear your whole set or just a few pieces. Either way, you’ve got a fool-proof system for that color in your wardrobe. I personally have around 7 or 8 full accessory sets currently in my wardrobe. Most of these include a scarf, handbag, earrings, ring, bracelet, necklace, and sunglasses. Some of these sets even have hats! Your accessory sets can be your easy go-to items that are helpful when you need to quickly look great. Mine are all a designer-mix which creates a look of depth, which I love.  I could talk about accessories all. day. long!  
  4. One last important tip….STOP PLAYING IT SAFE! Just because you don’t wear shorts or heels all that often doesn’t mean you can’t start now! Don’t wear jeans to work every day just because it’s always what you’ve done. Step out of your box. If you need help, a stylist like me is always available for assistance. Peeling you back, layer by layer most certainly will uncover your inner style star. We all have her inside of us. She’s wanting to look good, feel great, and be noticed! You may be saying, ‘but Kathleen, I don’t want to be noticed.’ When I hear that I say… ‘Take a step back, once you’re noticed, you’ll be addicted to that feeling, promise. The only thing holding you back is YOU! We get these ideas in our heads that we can only do what feels safe and 10 years down the line you’ll wish you had celebrated every moment because when you do, your inner confidence shines and your natural beauty unfolds.  I’ve seen it happen SO many times and you deserve that too!  

No matter how you approach this, know that you’re only a few tweaks away from looking and feeling great!  The first step seems huge but once you take it, it’s smooth sailing.. just plug into me, I’ll always be here for support 🙂 

Best places to find me are Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook – Come say HI! 🙂

xoxo, Kathleen