A lot of times, we intuitively know when it’s time to evolve our style, we just don’t know where to start or how far we should push outside our comfort zone. 

And that’s understandable because we’re used to seeing ourselves in a certain way.

But pushing past our comfort zone is exactly where the gold is. It’s how you define (and redefine) who you are (and what your style sense really is).

In fact, one of the biggest reasons people hire me as their stylist is because they’re looking for someone to help them take their style to the next level.

So, today I want to share 3 of my best tips with you, that will make it easier for you to take a little risk, when it comes to up-leveling your style.

Tip #1:
In order to know where you’re going, you have to know where you are.
In other words, before you can get you to that next level with your style, it’s really important to assess your current wardrobe situation. How do you do this? By cleaning out your closet. Here’s how:

• Set aside 2-3 hours and go through every item in your closet (or as much of it as you can), and determine which of 3 piles each item belongs in: Alter, Consignment or Give Away.
• The only pieces that should remain in your closet are the ones that light you up the minute you put them on, AND ALSO compliment your body shape and lifestyle.
• Use your senses to help guide you. Pay attention to not only what the piece looks like on you, but how the fabric feels on your skin. Use your intuition to help make the decision about what to keep and what needs to go.
• By the end of this process you will know exactly what you have and what you don’t have, plus get a clear idea of your shopping and style habits. Take notes as this will help you when go shopping.

Tip #2:
Now comes the fun part . .  it’s fashion research time!
It’s vital to get clear on what you like and how you want to feel in your clothes.
First step: come up with three adjectives that describe how you want your clothes to make you feel (i.e. confident, sexy, artsy) and write them down.
Second step: create a place to collect style visuals that inspire you. You can do this via a Pinterest board or a physical vision board.  Sometimes we can’t really explain what we like but we know it when we see it. By creating a style inspiration board, you’ll begin to see a pattern in the things you like, which in turn will help guide you toward the style direction you should first explore, when shopping for new items.

Tip #3:
Bring it all together + go shopping!
Using all of your hard work from Tips # 1 + 2, schedule a 2 hour (no more than 2 hours!) window to shop for a few things from a department store that carries a variety of designer brands.
After you’ve gone shopping, then set aside another hour or so, to play dress-up in front of a full-length mirror. Take your old clothes and your new clothes and then spend time playing with and trying on different combinations.
Don’t think to0 much during this exercise, just go on instinct and feel. Aim to be different. Push past your comfort level. Be free to express your truest self.
Some things will work and some things won’t, and that’s okay, because great outfits are often created by unexpected pairings. So even if you think it’s crazy to pair certain things together, you have a solid 50/50 chance of having a great new outfit!

Taking risks is never easy, but it’s important to remember that when your intuition is craving a change, the greater risk becomes to not try at all. If you’ve been longing to uplevel your style, that is your soul speaking to you because it knows you’re ready and it knows it’s time.

You don’t have to get it perfect, you just have to take the first step and continue moving forward.
I promise you, even through your missteps (and you will have them) the reward will be SO well worth it!

Here’s to your style evolution! In fact, I’d love it if you shared one simple way you could take a risk, in an effort to elevate your style today?
Declaring it here will definitely give you a little push in the right direction!

xo,
Elsa

Photo by Roberto Trm