UGH!! I have NOTHING to wear! (She said having a wardrobe full of clothes). Can you relate? I know I can. Trying to pick an outfit has definitely got to be in the top 10 most frustrating things to do. It’s so silly though isn’t it? We see what celebrities are wearing, we buy what’s available and trending in the shops and yet something just doesn’t feel right. Why? Well, one reason: maybe you don’t actually know what you like when it comes to fashion.

We get so much content poured into us from social media of everything everyone is wearing, so we think we know what we should wear, but in reality, it’s not that easy. I know it sounds basic but have you ever actually asked yourself: ‘What do I like?’ Your preferences definitely change as you enter different seasons of life, but what about right now, what do you like now? And though I am a big supporter of simply changing your mind, sometimes we just don’t like something anymore and that’s ok, but changing our fashion identity weekly is unrealistic, expensive and bad for the planet.

So how can we stop wasting our time, money and energy and just start wearing what makes us feel our best? Do your research. If you just typed in fashion aesthetics, you would probably get an influx of information; from old money, to dark academia and soft girl aesthetic… it all gets a bit complicated.

So to break it down simply, there are five basic Fashion Personalities: Preppy, Hipster, Sporty, Boho and Classic. Now before you freak out and think I’m trying to put you in a box and you have to choose or be one of these down to a ‘t’ – I’m not and you don’t. These are a basic GUIDE. You may like elements from two or more personalities, which can be beautiful and also what makes your style unique.

Preppy

When we think of preppy fashion we’re thinking Ralph Lauren style blazers and Polo jumpers tied over your shoulders. Imagine Lily Van Der Woodsen, this pretty much sums up the whole aesthetic. Clean, simple, expensive – this is where I imagine the old money aesthetic rooted from. This style is elegant, people have always admired this style. Think of structured tailored pieces: button-down shirts, chinos, pleated skirts. In this fashion personality, there is a lot of high quality materials – wool, cashmere and linen. The colour palette typically consists of neutrals like beige, navy, white, black, olive green and prints like plaid and stripes. Lydia Millen and Sofia Richie are prime examples of the posterboard for preppy style.

Hipster

OK firstly ‘Hippie’ and Hipster are NOT the same thing. Hipster is probably the exact opposite, we’re thinking leather, Doc Martens and band t-shirts. It tends to be the uniform for the complex, interesting and often misunderstood female lead of that indie movie you love. Typically retro, vintage with modern influences. One thing I love about this style is there is a deeply unique, individualized element, and being beautifully eclectic, each person will have their own twist – this style stands out and goes against the grain – and don’t we all love a little bit of cheeky rebellion? Prints are big in this fashion personality; cheetah, plaid, windowpane and chunky stripes. In relation to material, as already mentioned – leather, but also a lot of denim, some corduroy and pops of lace. Colour is not a huge element to this personality necessarily, primarily A LOT of black with white and grey, but you will notice some strong contrasting colours, coming into play with a band t-shirt or a small floral print (usually with a black background base). Celebs tend to dip in and out of this style when it comes back around in trends, but one who has stayed loyal is Avril Lavigne, who represents the typical ‘Skater Girl’ aesthetic this fashion personality is usually tied to.

Sporty

You may instantly think ‘sporty’ is just people wearing athleisurewear – it’s not and wow I really wish that trend would die, can we please stop ONLY wearing sweats?! There is such a beautiful world of fashion out here, make an effort – for no one other than yourself. But, yes obviously the sporty personality does incorporate elements of athleisurewear, but there is so much more. It is actually quite popular right now; some key pieces include baseball caps, oversized anything (t-shirts, sweaters, jeans, sweats etc) chunky trainers like New Balance and also the classic Jordans and Chuck Taylors, barrel jeans. This fashion personality prioritizes comfort, so you will see very little structured pieces, but occasionally an oversized blazer with loose fitting straight legged trousers . The colour palette varies from neutrals like beiges, greys, black, browns and navy’s, to louder brighter colours, like neon’s. There is little to no patterns seen, maybe a graphic t-shirt or crew neck sweater. Probably the most known celebs for this is Rihanna and Billie Eilish – who gives the perfect example of mixing two fashion personalities, primarily her style structure is sporty but she often includes element of the hipster style; both of their styles are different of course, but have the same basic connection to the Sporty Personality.

Boho

I love this fashion personality, I think one thing I love about it is the fact that when people see someone dressed this way, they assume certain stereotypes associated with this style. But often, like most things, it’s unsuspecting and surprising. This fashion personality brings a rebelliousness, in a less obvious way then maybe the hipster style. In this fashion personality we’re seeing a lot of flowing fabrics, an element of 70’s style; a good clunky heeled boot, flared jeans, hair scarves etc. Materials range from denim, soft cottons and some leather detailing seen in good belts and shoes. Some classic pieces seen here are handkerchief hems, platform clogs and a good tasseled bag. Prints vary, but known most famously for paisley, floral and geometrics. Celebs we often see wearing this fashion style: Paris Jackson, Vanessa Hudgens and Nicole Richie.

Classic

Finally, let’s take a look at the Classic fashion personality, probably the one that is trending most right now, it fits with the ‘Clean Girl’ make-up. This style embodies simplicity, chicness with some mild edgy undertones. It differs from Preppy style because, it does not elicit the same elite status. Classic lends itself to be slightly more adventurous, exploring bolder colours and prints while balancing soft chicness. Materials include, leather, cotton, denim and wool. Most prints are included, but are never so bold they are distracting; houndstooth, check, stripes, polka dots. Colours are typically neutral – black, white, navy, cream, greys but often have a subtle pop of colour. We often see jewel tones used as a high contrasting colour to add a little something, emerald greens, chilly reds, magenta pinks etc. When we think of this style we can think of the typical French fashion, straight leg dark denim jeans, an oversized blazer, a houndstooth print mini skirt and knee high leather boots. To find inspiration we do not have to go far, as most people online are trying their hand at this style, and honestly I understand why, it never really goes out of fashion, it’s timeless, much like the Preppy style. What I prefer about Classic > Preppy, is the room to be a little bit more experimental.

Which one will you choose?

Now that you know what’s out there, which one do you like most? As already mentioned you don’t have to only dress according to one style at all times, but for wardrobe cohesion and making your decisions easier its important to have a ‘root’ style, one main fashion personality at the core of your fashion identity. Personally, I think having more than two other ‘accessory’ personalities, gets too distracting and confusing. So pour over all the different images out there for each fashion personality, find what you like, choose your ‘root’ and your ‘accessory.’ Then play around with the possibilities. You can do this before buying anything, use Pinterest to find individual pieces and get creative, build your own outfits, see what works.

Until next time,

Rebecca Annie