How To Discover Your Statement Style

How To Discover Your Statement Style

We all have a fair idea of the colours and style of clothes that suit us but learning to truly understand your own personal style and create a capsule wardrobe is a real game changer. In a world saturated by fashion trends and a constant flow of ideas on what we “should” be wearing depending on our size, shape or age, it’s important to detach and take the time to work out the style of dressing that truly makes you look and feel good.

How we dress and how we feel about ourselves are inextricably linked – self-confidence begins on the inside but there’s no feeling quite like dressing up in an outfit that makes us feel self-assured from head to toe. Our style experts here at Shush at the Wellington have heaps of experience helping people to uncover their personal statement style and we love to see the satisfaction that it brings. Read on for our top pointers…

Understand your Body Shape

Many of us see ourselves and our bodies in a far less flattering light than is the reality. Thanks to an unhealthy version of women’s bodies peddled by the media and by clothes sizes in high street shops, we are often far more critical of our shape and size than we should be. Good fashion sense begins with understanding the reality of our body shape and not an unhealthy vision that we have of ourselves.

You will have heard terms like “apple” “pear” and “hourglass” to refer to body shape. It really helps to look at yourself in a full-length mirror and then honestly identify the shape that best fits with you. Click here for a comprehensive guide on the most common body shapes which take into account three key factors - your silhouette, your measurements (shoulders, bust, hips, waist) and your weight.

Once you have done so, start to think about what you like and dislike the most about your appearance. What parts of your body would you like to accentuate? What would you prefer to draw attention away from? Common answers to either of these are legs, bum, waist and hips but don’t forget about more delicate features such as your eyes, hair or even attractive hands and feet. Everything should be considered when it comes to your style – the right clothing really can bring out the best of our looks and flatter all types of figures.

Colour Chart

Now that you’ve got your shape all worked out, it’s time to look at another statement style essential – colour. There are so many colours to discover and far more than the usual black, white, grey and camel palette that so many of us default to. While these colours usually work great for your basics and wardrobe staples, we advise embracing your adventurous side during this part of your style journey to work out those shades that best suit your skin tone, eye colour and hair colour.

This will help you to whether there are colours that you may not previously have considered but could work beautifully with your style – the right colourways can be used to accentuate your favourite features and minimise attention to those areas you’re not so keen on.

When it comes to colour, it’s also important to think about your personality as well as the image you wish to send out to the world. We love seeing people discover new tones that they may not previously have had the confidence to wear, or understood how best to wear for their personal style. 

For example, more introverted personalities tend to wear muted and darker colours in order to blend in but bright colour pops in red, orange or pink can uplift a look and add a sense of style and confidence to proceedings. This might be as simple as adding a cherry red bag to a slick black ensemble but we often see that the more people start to embrace colour, the more they experiment with it.

Similarly, those of us who are not very confident with their weight may hide under baggy or oversized clothing – while your personal style journey may turn you away from this shape of clothing towards something more defined, colour is another great way to elevate your look and draw attention to your best-loved features such as arms or eyes while ensuring you remain confident in the overall ensemble. 

(Life)style

There should always be a practical element to fashion because, however good you may look, feeling comfortable is the most important thing. If you’re wearing an item of clothing that’s a little too tight, the wrong shape for your body or just hopelessly impractical for your day to day activities, you risk letting down the entire look and resenting your chosen style.

Grab a notepad and jot down a short list of the most common places that you go to during a typical week. Then consider whether there are any items in your chosen and preferred statement style that just won’t tally with your daily life. While we suggest always having some statement pieces for special occasions, it’s important as a general rule to invest in clothing that complements your lifestyle.  

Having Fun with Fashion

While your statement style is something that is naturally designed to last, it is bound to evolve over time, so we always advise having fun with your fashion and revisiting the above points every year or so, or after any major lifestyle change. Once you have worked out your personal style, you can also revisit catwalk trends and choose those that jump out to you and will prove most flattering for your chosen look. Fashion should always be fun – and feeling confident in yourself and your style is the very best way to enjoy it!

Our preloved designer collections include clothing, shoes and accessories designed for all body shapes, sizes and styles. We have recently welcomed a plethora of new and beautiful stock to our collections – we can’t wait for you to discover your new, favourite pieces and have fun with your look!