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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Denison chapter.

I spent many many years conforming to what others in society wanted me to wear. It was Lilly Pulitzer this, J.Crew that; I was never excited about any of it. No hate to any of these brands, but they just weren’t my style. I wanted to dress like that cool 25 year old you see walking in New York and immediately envy. And now guess what? That’s how I dress. It took me at least 3 years of changing my style to understand what I wanted to wear and what looks good on me. Now I have a mix of Lisa Says Gah, Zara, Cider, and Urban Outfitters in my closet. 

My first piece of advice is to find influencers with a style you like, pictures of clothes you like, brands you like but might not even wear yet, basically anything in media that you want to influence your style. I also suggest making Pinterest boards of these styles. Put each style you like into different boards and create some for different seasons. This was the best way for me to group together similar outfits I like in order to create a theme for my style. Then I started adding Pinterest boards for different seasons to incorporate this style in a year-round way. Check out my Spring/Summer 2021 inspiration style, and then how I changed that into a Fall 2021 inspiration board.

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Photo by Hannah Morgan from Unsplash

Once you understand the style you like, you can figure out which colors and tones go well with your skin complexion. I know that because I have a cooler skin tone, blues and greens look the best on me. I have also learned how to incorporate other pops of color to brighten up my style when needed through jewelry, shoes, belts, and jackets. 

Next, I suggest understanding your body shape and learning how to use clothes to accentuate your body in the right ways. Doing this will make you feel 10 times more confident in the clothes you wear. Trust me on this. I will wear high-waisted jeans and tops that are cropped right where the jeans end so that the focal point is on where my waist curves in, and makes my legs look longer. 

Finally, you can start buying articles of clothing that fit your new style. It will take time to change your wardrobe, and don’t think you have to get rid of all your old clothes. Figure out how you can repurpose some of your clothing to fit with this new style. When buying new clothing, I recommended thinking about what other pieces of clothing you already own go with this. I also recommend buying clothing that will last you at least a year, this way you won’t have to keep throwing away and buying new things. 

Virginia lives outside of Philadelphia, PA and she is a first-year at Denison University. She is studying Education and Gender Studies and likes to discuss women's issues in society. You can find her studying or spending time with friends outside.