Defining Your Personal Style in the Age of Instagram

“Do I really love this look? Or did I just see it on my feed 12 times today?”

That’s literally something I ask myself every day. Thanks to Instagram, personal style has become an entirely different beast. Still, personal style is, obviously, personal to every single person. There are still “universal rules” we can use to establish exactly how to describe and define personal style. But let’s be honest, “How do you define your personal style?” seems like one of the hardest question now that we have so many things to influence our opinion.

So how do I define MY personal style?

It’s simple. I don’t.

Yep, you heard it here first (dramatic, lol). My personal style is truly always evolving. I really get dressed according to how I’m feeling that day. One day it could be SUPER feminine and the next day it could be a pretty chill, laid back look. I like to embrace my mood, and not box myself into a single idea of dressing.

We can back up a little bit though. When I first started this blog, I was working at Kate Spade. So I already had a pretty feminine style going on. Then, my college bestie (Hi Claire!), pretty much sucked me into the world of J.Crew. I swear I bought ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING from J.Crew (LOOK AT THIS INSTAGRAM POST). I exclusively wore it. I went from 0-PREPPY very quickly (like ok blazer and sweater). My style pretty much lasted like that for 2 years, and then I graduated college and came back home to New York City.

so much inspo

I think as I started to work in the city every day, my style naturally evolved. I saw things I liked on other people in street. I started following more fashion bloggers (UGH, truly miss those days). I was seeing more trends from an industry perspective (even through working in menswear). But I still don’t think I ever really had a defined style. Thanks to the environment I was in, my closet was opened up to a whole new world of possibilities.

It’s always fun finding inspiration in other people or places, and then making it your own. So that’s exactly why one day I can look one way, and the next I can be completely different. I’ve always talked about how that’s what I love about the world of fashion. Anything freakin’ goes.

Right now, I’m definitely in the phase of cool, casual and comfortable. I think I’m also very much into incorporating some little boho elements into my looks. It definitely started when I was working for Free People, and then grew from there. For whatever reason, I associate boho with neutrals, which is mainly what my closet looks like.

be smart about being influenced

Now let’s go back to that “have I just seen this on my feed 12 times today?” thing. Most of the time, the answer is yes (like those padded shoulder tees). I’ve started to really drill down on if I really want a specific product and if I already have something similar in my closet. While I enjoy looking at a new piece, and wondering how/if I can style it with pieces I currently own, I need to do a better job at the impulse buying. Many times, I see something I love, and I purchase it without hesitation. I need to learn how to approach trendier pieces better FOR SURE.

have your go-to

One of the easiest ways to make sure you have at least some consistency in your personal style is to always have a go-to uniform that you can rely on when getting dressed just feels impossible (because, ya know, #2020). In these warmer months, I definitely gravitate towards denim shorts and tees/tanks that I accessorize with a hat, cool shoes, and sunglasses. Oh and obviously a mask. During the cooler months, LAYERS LAYERS LAYERS and boots or loafers are my go to!

At the end of the day, you need to put your blockers on and really wear what you feel good in. Make sure that YOUR style is coming from YOU, and not what you’re seeing on Instagram (although it can definitely help inspire you)!

photos by allie provost