Creating a Signature Style on a Budget

Have you ever wanted to create a signature style or aesthetic? The hardest part about creating a signature style is consistency. Most people have a closet that is full of mismatched pieces which might have looked nice in a store - but ends up creating incoherent looks. This will probably result in you not feeling put together in any of your outfits.

Creating a signature style will make it easier to find outfits that you feel amazing in and make your outfits more memorable.

However, most people cannot afford to buy a completely new wardrobe so that they can change their style. Here are four easy steps you can take to create a signature style and re-do your closet on a budget!

Step 1 - Choosing a style or aesthetic

The most important step when redoing your closet is to choose a style that will 'match' your daily life. Some examples of different styles that are trendy right now are fairycore, academia, soft girl, etc... You might find this really easy or hard depending on how well-developed your personal style already is.

I would suggest creating a Pinterest board of your favorite outfits that you can replicate in order to get a sense of the styles that you like. When figuring out your personal style, you should consider two main things :

1. Daily Life

While some outfits might fit your personality, they won't necessarily work with your daily life. Reflect on what you typically wear in a day and how you can incorporate your new personal style into your outfits. For example, while bohemian dresses might look awesome, they are not extremely practical for school. Instead, you can add bohemian elements such as feather earrings to a more casual outfit for school!

2. Budget

Consider the clothes you already own - what do they look like? Try to incorporate your new style with your current style so that you don't have to buy an overwhelming amount of clothes. If you have hundreds of sweatshirts but no skirts - it would not be extremely budget-friendly to throw out all of your sweatshirts to buy tennis skirts.

Step 2 - The Less the Better: Plan out your Clothes

The next step is to plan out what clothes you are going to need. Having fewer clothes makes it easier to put together outfits because it prevents decision fatigue. Counter-intuitive, right? 82% of items in the average American's wardrobe were not worn in the last year. This can be prevented by mainly buying clothes that you feel comfortable wearing on a daily basis.

Many clothes feel too loud, so we struggle to fit them into an outfit. Instead, lower down your closet to 30 main pieces. An ideal wardrobe is comprised of 10 tops, 10 bottoms, 5 fancy outfits (for meeting friends or going to functions), and 5 coats/sweaters.

Start by planning out in this organizer what you want your ideal wardrobe to look like. Don't be too hung up on meeting the exact clothing numbers! Your ideal closet will vary depending on your lifestyle, weather, budget, etc... The goal is to create a closet that is comprised of clothing items that are easy to pair together and make you feel comfortable.

Step 3 - Re-Do / Clean out Your Closet

Cleaning your closet doesn't only involve folding clothes neatly, it often involves changing the layout! Many people don't realize that their closet's layout actually has an impact on their ability to style their outfits. A messy or bare closet can make you feel jarred or overwhelmed. Try to make your closet a neat space that instantly makes you feel happy in the morning when you go to choose your outfit.

To begin, start by dumping all of your clothes on the floor. Put any clothes that you will not wear in a box to donate to charity. Next, put aside any clothes that you don't wear often (fancy outfits, spring outfits, etc...) Fold all of those clothes neatly and set them aside in a drawer or box.

Take all of the clothes you often wear and place them at the front of your closet. Finally, it is time to decorate your closet!

Step 1: Start by putting collages or cute printable posters on the door.

Step 2: Add 'filler pieces' such as perfume, jewelry, and books to any empty shelves.

Step 3: Decide how you want to fold your clothes. Check out this article about folding clothes vertically to make them neater and easier to reach!

Step 4 - Buying new clothes

Now that you have organized all of your previous clothes, it is time to start buying new clothes! Evaluate the pieces in your closet and make a list of items that you are missing. Before going out to buy clothes, ask your friends if they happen to have an item.

If you feel awkward asking for clothes (which is understandable), hold a clothing swap. Ask your friends to bring their old clothes and you can try to swap them for items that match your new style! Additionally, you can find slightly used clothing in thrift stores or on Poshmark for a much cheaper price! If you can't seem to find the item anywhere, you can buy it from Amazon or your favorite clothing store. Happy shopping!

Congratulations! You have officially renovated your closet and (hopefully) created a set of 10-15 outfits that make you feel put-together which you can wear on a daily basis. Have fun getting dressed faster, feeling more put-together and having a closet that makes you feel happy!