Mixing Personal Styles

Some of you have asked how to incorporate your primary and secondary styles.  Remember when you took the style test you probably had one that stood out from the rest.  That is your primary style.  You then had one or two other styles that were stronger than the others.  This is your secondary style.  You may be like me and have almost all of the styles, other than your primary, about even.  That is okay too.

So first and foremost, let's talk about your primary style and what you should do with that.  Let's say for example that you came out a Casual Woman.  You read the description and is sounds like you.  But, you look in your closet and it looks more like chaos woman than Casual Woman.  Go back to the description and pinpoint what resonates most.

Example

1. Clothes that move
2. Totes and backpacks
3. Knit dresses
4. Great fitting jeans
5. Shoes that let her keep moving, usually flats

Keeping in mind some of the basic traits of a style will help you when you start to incorporate your secondary style.  For example, the Casual Woman may be an Alluring Woman as a secondary style.  Let's pick out a few key elements of that style.

Alluring Woman (secondary)

1. Big, dark sunglasses
2. Low, v-neck tops
3. Wrap dresses

Okay, a casual woman could wear a great fitting pair of jeans with a low v-neck top while carrying a backpack and wearing oversized sunglasses.  Or, she could wear a knit, wrap dress with a cute pair of flip flops and a big tote bag.  You start to see that you can take elements from both styles and mesh them to create your own personal style.  

Are you a sentimental woman?

Of all the personal styles, the Sentimental Woman is by far the softest and most feminine.  Sometimes she doesn't even seem of this world.  She is a dreamer, feels deeply and you generally want to take care of her (although she is usually stronger than she appears).

You will often think that this woman is from a forgotten era.  She will be ladylike and poised.  She will likely handwrite notes to others.  Her home will be eclectic and interesting.  She may collect something that is pretty and probably an antique.   Whatever she does she likes to feel feminine.

This woman loves soft and flowing things whether in her clothing or her home decor.  You may find soft blankets and flowing curtains in her home.  She admires the quality and workmanship of vintage pieces and they will often dot her home and wardrobe.

The Sentimental Woman is often a reader and her language skills are superior to most.  She gets lost in books and can actually put herself in the scenes.  She is a great visualizer because her imagination and dreams are powerful.  This woman will often be curious and be an excellent researcher.

You are most likely to find this woman working in the arts, in charitable organizations or in something that has to do with history (such as a museum).  She is intelligent but quiet.  She gets lost in what she is doing and can shut out the world.  She is probably an expert in her particular field but isn't vocal about how much she knows.

The Sentimental Woman has an eclectic style.  She either buys items that are reminiscent of another time or actual vintage pieces.  She likes the idea of the vintage pieces having had a life before and giving it another life now.  She will generally look for soft, feminine, flowing pieces.  She is more concerned about feel than look.  She may not look in the mirror right away because she is lost in the feeling of wearing the piece rather than concerned about how it looks.

The Sentimental Woman is by far the most difficult to shop for.  For her, it is personal.  She wants to search out things that are interesting.  She doesn't like to shop in malls but loves to go to little eclectic boutiques and vintage stores.  Her idea of style is telling a story with her clothes.  It may be difficult for this woman to find things she likes in the modern styles.

Several things that the Sentimental Woman should have in her closet are:

Vintage Coat (velvet or with a ruffled collar)
Soft, flowing white cotton dress (this can be dressed up or down in warmer months)
Tall boots (either riding boots or victorian lace up boots)
Vintage beaded clutch (can dress up anything for an evening out)
Lace blouse (this can be worn with jeans or slacks to still feel feminine but modern)
Vintage inspired jewelry

The Sentimental Woman accessorizes just like she dresses.  She may need a scarf to keep warm but you can be that it is a scarf that has some meaning.  Either someone special gave it to her or it reminded her of another time.  She cherishes gifts, the talents of friends and family heirlooms.  Many of her accessories will be in one of these categories.

The main piece of advice that I can give to a Sentimental Woman is to purge often.  Because of the nature of this personality, purging is a painful process.  The Sentimental Woman wants to hang on to things because she genuinely loves them even if she doesn't wear them.  This causes chaos in her closet. Even if you just purge to boxes that you put away, keep your closet for the items you are wearing now only.

Are you a casual woman?

I've really pondered the name for this category.  It used to be "sporty" but too many women would say that they were not athletic or didn't play sports.  I thought about natural, but I know a lot of women in this category that do the hair and makeup and still dress more casual.  That's why I finally decided on Casual Woman.

This woman is absolutely full of life.  She is busy and active and involved.  She loves her family, friends and community.   She may not be playing on a soccer team or golf everyday but she is moving all the time.  But, by the same token, this is the woman that is most likely to play some type of sport or be involved in running, biking, swimming, etc.  If she has kids she plays with them.  If she doesn't, she probably has a dog that she walks and plays with.  She is the woman that you can call to do something at the drop of a hat.

This woman is an easy friend to have.  She caring, fun and easy to be around.  She has a tendency to over-commit because she likes to be involved.  She is great to have on a project or committee because she has excess energy to get things done.

The Casual woman doesn't worry a lot about what she wears.  She wants it to look good, but more importantly she wants it to move.  She wants to be comfortable and dressed to do whatever her day may hold.  Binding or stiff clothes will make her feel like she is in a straight jacket.  She would love to live in yoga clothes, jeans and a tee shirt or sweats.  If she has to dress up it will be pretty simple and still have some comfortability.

This woman isn't a big shopper.  She goes and gets just what she needs.  She has a tendency to wear her clothes to death if they feel good.  This woman usually has a laid-back, easy style that comes off as casually cool.  Jennifer Aniston is a great example of a Casual Woman's style.

Here are the things that every Casual Woman should have in her closet:

• Great fitting jeans...multiple pairs
• Comfortable military style or denim jacket
• Graphic Tees
• Stylish sweats
• Knit dress that can be worn with flats or dressed up with jewelry and heels

The Casual Woman will have some jewelry, but it is generally meaningful.  A friend will have made the pieces, the proceeds went to a good cause or they are representative of something this woman believes in.  She isn't a big accessorizer  but she sometimes likes to put on a piece or two of meaningful jewelry.  This woman doesn't accessorize in many other ways.

She is not a purse woman.  She is more likely to be carrying a big tote, a backpack or a very small bag she can throw across her body or over her shoulder.  She will not change bags to match her outfit, but will change bags to meet the needs of her day.  Her bags are utilitarian not fashion.

This woman will generally be in flats of some sort.  She may have a selection of tennis shoes...both functional and stylish.  She will prefer to wear flats with pants to the office.  She just needs to be able to move quickly and heels hinder that.  Flip flops are definitely her summer choice.

The Casual Woman is usually not my client.  They know what they like.  There is a chic coolness about them that comes naturally.  And, they are generally pretty confident in their appearance. 

Are you a traditional woman?

One of the most popular styles is the Traditional Woman.  I don't know if it is where I have lived (midwest and the south) but in my client base there have been over 40% who have tested as Traditional.  This person is exactly what you would expect.  And, I mean that from a style perspective as well as a personality perspective.

The Traditional Woman has strong values and lives them in a consistent way.  She is steady and dependable.  When the Traditional woman tells you she is going to do something she follows through.  She  is an intelligent woman who makes decisions in an educated and methodical way.  She is not quick to leap.  She cannot be easily swayed.  When the Traditional Woman decides to do something you can be sure that she knows what she is doing.

This woman has a very even temperament.  She is not easily ruffled and maintains a cool head even in the worst of circumstances.  The Traditional Woman will always look for solutions and will not get caught up in drama.

This woman is usually pretty content with what is in her closet.  She will choose simple pieces that she can wear for years.   This woman like structure in her clothes.  She feels sloppy and not pulled together when she wears something like sweats.  She is not likely to go for bold patterns or loud colors.

The Traditional Woman will not follow trends.  When she finds something that works for her, she may buy multiple of the same item in different colors.  She is not comfortable with a lot of details like embellishments, lace, low cuts or big flowing pieces.  She prefers to stick with classic pieces.

Here are the things that every Traditional Woman should have in her closet:

Crisp white button down (Coldwater Creek has some really nice options)
Black or navy suit with jacket, pants and a skirt
Classic trench coat and long wool dress coat
Standard 5 pocket, boot cut or straight leg jeans (depends on shape)
Little black dress

The Traditional Woman likes to have clothes that work together in a lot of different combinations.  She values conservatism and wants to get the most out of her clothes possible.  We will be talking about capsules later in this series.  The Traditional Woman will want to pay close attention to that subject.

Accessorizing is not important to the Traditional Woman.  She will have a few pieces that are important to her and wear the same thing most every day.  She will not change her handbag regularly.  She will have a functional, sturdy bag that she carries every day.

Traditional Women often come to me and want to make changes to step out of their comfort zone.  It is imperative to respect your style.   You may choose to add some flavor from your secondary style but overall staying with conservative, classic pieces will benefit you most in the long run.  Embrace your traditional nature and feel confident that you are wearing what is right for you.

What You Should Have in Your Closet

I could tell you that there are five things that every woman should have in her closet, but that wouldn't be the truth.  Think about it...don't you have friends that have a different style than your own?   You might admire the way that someone dresses but it doesn't mean it is right for you.  There are different personalities and different body types as well as different lifestyles!

I've been working with women for a long time and one thing that I've found to be true, no matter what, is that no two women are exactly alike.  And, being authentic to yourself is the only way to become truly stylish.  I'm going to give you information that I use with my clients.  And, I'm going to give it to you for free.

I am going to make 26 posts over the next month that all have to do with finding your own personal style.  There will be quizzes, suggestions and links to items that will work for your particular shape/style combination.

I hope you will enjoy learning more about yourself.  I get tremendous pleasure out of seeing a woman settle into her own personal style and becoming more confident in the way she looks.  If you enjoy what you learn, I ask only one thing...share this blog with your friends.  Get as many women as you can reading about how they can feel great too!!