Being a minimalist doesn’t mean you have to wear a white t-shirt and black jeans every single day.
In fact, embracing minimalism can help you discover your true, authentic style.
If you’re struggling to find your authentic style, this post is for you! I’ll share 10 tips to find your authentic style as a minimalist.
How Being a Minimalist Will Help You Find Your Authentic Style
Embracing minimalism can serve as a catalyst for discovering your true, authentic style.
Let me explain.
For a moment, think back to writing essays in school. If you were like me, being told to “write about anything” would trigger serious writer’s block. However, when given a specific prompt, ideas seemed to flow effortlessly. Why? Because constraints and fewer options actually stimulate creativity. There’s research to support this.
Think of minimalism as applying this principle to your wardrobe.
If you own fewer items, you’ll discover tons of creative ways to put looks together. This will help you style your outfits in a more authentic way. You’ll combine pieces that you never would have before, inspiring a more unique sense of style.
Plus, a minimalist wardrobe should only consist of pieces that you wear regularly. This is ideal for discovering your authentic style because, let’s face it, those forgotten pieces buried at the back of your closet? They don’t truly reflect your style anyway—they’re just clutter. Your true style shines through in the pieces you reach for day in and day out. And embracing minimalism helps you curate a collection of these pieces, essentially defining and refining your true sense of style.
10 Tips to Find Your Authentic Style as a Minimalist
Hopefully, I’ve convinced you that embracing minimalism will help you find your authentic style.
Next, let’s get into the tips!
1. Recognize That How You Dress Won’t Change Your Personality
When I was in high school, I used fashion to try and figure out who I was. I experimented with different looks and styles in an attempt to “try out” different personalities. I truly believed that the way I dressed would change who I was.
For instance, if I dressed edgy and mysterious, that’s how I thought I would be perceived by others. If I dressed flirty and feminine, then I believed my personality would morph to fit that style. It took tons of experimenting with different styles to realize that the way I dressed would never change who I was.
So, the first step to finding your authentic style is to realize that although advertisements will have you believe that when you buy an outfit, you’re buying a lifestyle or persona along with it, recognize that you’re not.
Sure, fashion can help you embody a certain energy. But if you’re trying to embody an energy that isn’t who you actually are, you’ll just feel like you’re wearing a costume.
Clothes are just clothes – they won’t change your personality.
2. Look Inward for Inspiration
I’ve read countless articles and watched tons of videos about how to find your authentic style as a minimalist. Most of them recommend the same thing – to find inspiration around you, to copy the style that the characters wear on your favorite shows, or to scroll through Pinterest and create aesthetic mood boards for the styles that resonate with you.
If you’ve gotten the same advice, what I’m going to say may shock you. Don’t do any of this. It’s not going to bring you any closer to finding your authentic sense of style. In fact, it may just confuse you even more. After all, just because you like how a style looks on someone else, it doesn’t mean that it’ll feel authentic on you, be comfortable, or align with your lifestyle.
Instead of looking outward for inspiration, look inward. Come up with a handful of keywords that truly resonate with you. These words should reflect your personality and define you as a person in a way that feels authentic.
By shopping and decluttering your wardrobe with your keywords in mind, you’ll start building outfits that represent who you are as a person.
For instance, my words are artist, free spirit, and athlete. If I try something on and I don’t feel aligned with one of my words, it’s a sign that it may not be my authentic style.
3. Pay Attention to the Details
Take a peek inside your wardrobe and notice the details of the clothing pieces you wear most.
Are all of the pants made of the same material? Do all of the shoes have the same silver or gold hardware? Are the buttons on your favorite tops all made of wood or metal?
Paying attention to these little details can help you develop your authentic style.
For instance, I used to own so many pairs of leggings but only wore one pair. I’d buy more in an effort to grow my collection, but I never really wanted to wear them. That is, until I looked at my favorite pair and thought about why I liked wearing them so much and why I didn’t want to wear the others.
Turns out, the answer was all in the details.
The ribbed waistband, seamless thick material, and cropped leg fit were what made me want to wear them all the time. So, I bought one more pair of leggings with the same details, and guess what? They’re now another favorite. I got rid of all the other leggings I owned, and now I just have the two, and I love wearing them both equally.
4. Observe What You Naturally Like to Wear
On that note, your authentic style can be found in the pieces you wear the most. So, observe what you naturally like to wear.
If you spend 99% of your life wearing leggings and a crop top, build your wardrobe around those staple pieces, (not the one dress you have in your wardrobe that you love the look of but never actually wear).
By observing what you naturally like to wear, you’ll start to recognize patterns amongst these pieces.
5. Create an Outfit Formula
These patterns can help you create an “outfit formula.”
An outfit formula is essentially a combination of clothing pieces that make you feel good every time you wear them. It may be a blazer, tank, and a solid pair of jeans or a maxi dress, belt, and boots.
Consider what clothing combos makes you feel your best, and shop or declutter with these outfit formulas in mind.
In my case, I have three main outfit formulas depending on the season.
In the summer, my outfit formula is a pair of high-waisted denim shorts and a crop top.
During the winter, fall, and springtime, it’s a sweater or long-sleeve shirt, a pair of high-waisted skinny jeans or leggings, and a pair of boots (whether that’s my knee-high leather boots, Blundstones or my rain boots). I’ll also throw on an oversized coat or rain jacket depending on the weather.
If I’m doing anything active, a pair of leggings and a crop top is my go-to.
Anytime I’ve experimented outside of these outfit combinations, I’ve found that I’m just not as comfortable and confident.
For instance, when flare jeans were having a moment, I bought myself a pair. I loved the look of them, but they just didn’t feel authentic on me. Wearing them felt like a costume. I realized that even though I thought I looked good, I didn’t feel good because they didn’t feel like me.
6. Always Go Shopping in Your Favorite Outfit
Before embracing minimalism, I used to go clothing shopping in a super frumpy outfit (because it was the easiest thing to change in and out of). So, anything I tried on made me feel better than what I was in.
Now that I’m a minimalist, I don’t shop much, but when I do, it’s always in my favorite outfit. And I have a rule for myself: I’ll never buy something I wouldn’t hypothetically trade my favorite outfit for.
By comparing every potential purchase to an outfit that represents my authentic style, I set a much higher standard every time I buy new clothing. Plus, it’s a lot easier to tell if something is actually my authentic style—I just compare it to what I’m wearing and ask myself if it feels as true to myself as the outfit I’m in.
7. Don’t Make Impulse Purchases
I’ve definitely been guilty of seeing someone in a super cute outfit and hopping online to try and find the same one.
In the instances where I’ve impulsively clicked the ‘buy now’ button, I almost always regret the purchase. Typically, it’s because once it arrives, I realize that it doesn’t feel like me.
It’s almost like grocery shopping without looking in your fridge or pantry first. You may end up with items that you already own or items you simply can’t use because you don’t have anything you can cook that item with.
Curating an authentic style is truly about looking at the things in your wardrobe that you love and finding pieces that align with them. You don’t want to own multiples of the same thing, but you do want your clothing to have a consistent theme and mix and match easily.
So, to curb my impulse purchases, I like to keep a 30-day list.
When I want something, I put it on the list with the date. If I still want it 30 days later, I can buy it. Most of the time, though, if it’s not something I actually needed, the impulse to buy the item has passed, and I usually just delete it off my list.
Click here for 24 frugal tips to stop shopping impulsively!
8. Stop Following Fashion Influencers Online
This tip is arguably the most important when it comes to finding your authentic style and also having a minimalist wardrobe – stop following fashion influencers online.
Copying what fashion influencers are wearing is the easiest way to end up with a closet full of pieces that don’t actually represent your uniqueness or authentic style. Don’t believe me? Well, I had to learn this lesson the hard way.
When I was in college, I was still figuring out my personal style, and unfortunately, I was also following quite a few fashion influencers too.
Many of these influencers were heavily tattooed, and I just loved the look of it. I didn’t really consider how these tattoos would look on my own body and whether they would suit me or feel authentic; I just wanted to look like these influencers.
So, I started getting tattooed.
My first tattoo was an American traditional-style panther on my shoulder. I chose this style because I was inspired by an influencer who had tons of dark, bold tattoos. Later, I started following an influencer with a more feminine tattoo style. I got a similar, feminine-looking tattoo on the same arm.
This happened again and again until I had an arm full of tattoos that didn’t match one another (similar to a wardrobe full of clothing pieces that don’t match because they’re a bunch of different styles.) Now I’m in the process of getting them removed, which is pricey and UGH so painful!
I get that the stakes are much lower with clothing than with tattoos, but the outcome is the same. If your style is just a reflection of what influencers are wearing, it won’t be authentic to you. Plus, none of your clothing will match, which will make having a minimalist wardrobe much more difficult.
9. Learn to Simply Appreciate Other People’s Style
On that note, learn to appreciate other people’s style without attempting to wear and replicate it (or, in my case, tattooing it on your body).
Next time you find yourself admiring someone’s outfit or personal style, remind yourself that they pull it off because it’s theirs. It may not look the same on you.
10. Pay Attention to Fit
Last but not least, you may like the way a clothing piece looks on the hanger, but if it rides funny, the straps fall off your shoulders, or the neckline gapes, you’ll gradually find yourself not wanting to wear it.
So, when shopping, don’t buy something until you’ve had a chance to try it on and look at it from every angle.
Make sure to walk in the piece, reach up high, turn, stretch, etc. If it isn’t comfortable in the dressing room, you won’t wear it no matter how beautiful it is… trust me.
The same goes for the items you already have in your wardrobe. Always prioritize and pay attention to fit. After all, the reason why the same clothing piece looks authentic and natural on one person and awkward on another is simply because of the way it fits.
So, instead of focusing on how clothing looks, pay attention to the fit and how it feels.
5 Questions to Find Your Authentic Style
Before you go, I want to leave you with 5 questions to ask yourself when you’re shopping or decluttering to find your authentic style.
1. Is It Flattering?
Growing up, I remember reading Cosmo magazines about how you should dress according to your body type.
I read that if you’re pear-shaped, you can only wear certain clothes, and if you’re petite, you can only wear others.
It may be difficult, but try to put aside those style rules that you were taught at an early age. Instead, ask yourself what you actually think you look good in.
We’re all built so differently, so buying something that’s on-trend may not be the most flattering option for you. Not everything is going to look good on every body type, and that’s okay. So instead of blindly following trends, ask yourself, “Does this show off the best features of my body type?” “Is it flattering?”
For instance, I love the look of maxi skirts and low-rise jeans, but neither looks good on my body type. I’m very petite and not very curvy, so I find that maxi skirts make me look frumpy, and low-rise jeans don’t do any favors for my boyish body type. High-waisted pieces, on the other hand, create the illusion of curves, and mini skirts make me look taller (which I love!).
2. Is It Comfortable?
I always say that I want to enjoy wearing my clothing. So, tops with gaping necklines or straps that constantly fall off my shoulders don’t cut it for me. I know that if I’m constantly readjusting and worrying about how my outfit looks throughout the day, it’s not for me.
If you resonate with this, when you’re decluttering or shopping, ask yourself if the article of clothing in question is comfortable. If it’s not comfortable, you won’t want to wear it, so let it go or leave it at the store.
3. Is It Easy to Care For?
I’m a pretty low-maintenance person, and that translates to my sense of style.
I’m not a fan of ironing my clothes; in fact, I don’t even own an iron. So, I avoid clothes that wrinkle easily or need to be dry cleaned. I also stay clear of clothing pieces that use special dyes and can’t be washed with other things—they’re just not worth the risk of ruining all of my other clothes.
Essentially, I steer clear of clothing pieces that are annoying to care for because I know I’ll just avoid wearing them.
If you’re the same way, clothing pieces with complicated care instructions may not represent your authentic sense of style—get rid of them!
4. Is It Multi-Purposeful in Your Life?
Ask yourself, can you wear the pieces in your wardrobe in multiple situations? For instance, can you wear your workout clothes casually, or are you able to dress down your formal wear to wear to work?
In my case, the crop tops that I work out in can easily be worn out and about. The same goes for my leggings – I can wear them to the gym or casually. I can even wear the darker tie-dye pair to work with an oversized sweater.
Owning clothing pieces that can be worn multiple different ways and in different situations will help you develop an authentic sense of style.
5. Does It Make You Feel Good?
At some point or another, we’ve all worn an outfit that just doesn’t make us feel good. Maybe we chose it because we were trying to evoke a certain kind of energy, or we were dressing to impress others.
If you’re anything like me, if you don’t feel good in what you’re wearing, you won’t feel good, period. When you don’t feel good, you aren’t able to show up as your most authentic self.
So, if you take anything away from this post, remember this – if you want to find your authentic style, just wear what makes you feel good. You’ll find that wearing clothes that you feel good in will translate to authenticity every single time.
In Conclusion
Being a minimalist doesn’t mean you have to wear the same white top and black jeans every single day (unless that’s your style, of course). You can wear whatever feels authentic to you.
I hope that this post gave you some things to think about when it comes to finding your authentic style as a minimalist.
Finding your authentic style boils down to cutting out external influences and truly noticing what you feel good in and what resonates with you.
Keep in mind, that finding your authentic style likely won’t happen overnight. Consider this the beginning of your style journey!
Do you have any tips for finding your authentic style as a minimalist? Please share them in the comments below!
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