Now that you have taken the time to create a style board and identify your personal style, the next step is to put it to use. Evolving your style board into a personal lookbook (a collection of photographs displaying a collection of clothing) will allow you to easily put together outfits at a glance.
The first step is to take an outfit that you like from your style board and break it down into pieces you already have or can easily acquire. See the image above for an example from my collection. Note that I have labeled each piece with a note that reminds me of a specific item in my wardrobe. Now, any time I want to wear this outfit, I can go to my closet and pull out these exact pieces, knowing that I will look just as put-together as the woman in the image.
Once you’ve marked out the pieces, wear the outfit. If you like it, move on to step three.
There are many ways to keep track of the outfits that work best for you.
Option 1: Anytime you wear or see an outfit that you love, write down the pieces of the outfit in a notebook. The wording can be as simple as that in the image above, as long as it calls to mind the same necklace every time you read the phrase “vintage necklace from Grandma.” Eventually, you’ll have a whole list of outfits to select at a glance.
Option 2: Do exactly what I did in the image above with several of the images from your style board. Chances are there are reasons you like each outfit. They may have similar pieces to what’s already in your closet, the style or color may suit you, etc. Once you have an assortment of possible outfits, you will have a visual guide to dressing yourself fashionably each day.
Option 3: Whenever you wear one of the outfits from your style board or any other outfit you feel good in, pull out your cell phone or digital camera and snap a selfie. Save it in a file on your computer, post it on your blog, to a private album on Facebook, or anywhere you can easily reference it when getting dressed for the day.
When I was younger, I couldn’t wait for the day my wardrobe could be suped up like Cher’s in Clueless (see below). Real life hasn’t quite turned out that way, but having my own personal lookbook is pretty close. Mine is a combination of pictures like the one above and images of myself in the outfits I feel most confident in, with notes calling out each piece from my wardrobe.
If you haven’t begun creating a style board yet, now is the time to start. In January, we will ask you to share your personal style board for a chance to win an online styling session with The Mommy Stylist.
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