Creating a mood board is hands down one of the best ways to finding your own true style identity. If you’ve ever looked in your wardrobe and wondered who the hell is the woman wearing the clothes in it? Or you find that clothes are purchased on a whim only to be hung in the closet for the rest of time, then it’s likely they don’t represent the real you.
Don’t worry, we all get ‘influenced’. It’s super easy to get caught up in following the trends or making rash purchases when you get an invitation to go out. But what if your wardrobe is always prepared, always ready with smart choices that you love and wear with confidence. It can be done. You just need to know your own true style and stick to it.
One way to do this is by creating a style mood board. It acts as a reference point to help you make wise choices, inspires you on days when you’re feeling a bit lost with what to wear, and is a constant source of inspiration to motivate and empower you to express your true self to those around you.
Style Mood Board Tools
So how do you create a style mood board? Personally, I really enjoy using a cork board. I bought mine for a couple of quid from an online shop and it was therapeutic to do a little cutting out and pinning. I have the board in full view in my home office to refer to when I’m not sure what to wear.
Similarly, and great if you want to compile more than one board and have easy access where ever you are, there’s Pinterest. A great app that you can download to your mobile, Pinterest offers oodles of fashion images from across the globe. The options are endless here and it’s super quick and easy to delete and add at your whim.
Collating Styles You Like
If you’re going down the cork board route, start by looking through magazines and pulling out images that inspire you. You might have old mags in a drawer (or is that just me!) that you’ve kept because the looks in it inspire you. Now is the time to dig out any scraps of inspiration you’ve held on to over time. Also, go online and download pics from your favourite fashion websites. You really need to draw together any looks that resonate with you.
You’re looking for colours, patterns, cuts, items of clothing, and complete looks that appeal to you. But also keep in mind that you are building a collage of styles you can/will want to wear so the looks must fit in with and support your lifestyle.
If you’re stuck on where to start with Pinterest, I would start by looking up your style icon/s. There’s a reason why you love their look. Perhaps you look similar, or love the way she/he wears their clothes. You can then really deep dive into searching for more pieces. For example, I love Victoria Beckham’s style, which led me down a road looking for wide leg trousers.
Re-Load Your Own Style
You can also include pics of yourself. Dig out pictures of you wearing your favourite outfits. My advice would be to look as far back in the photo album collection as you can. You will likely spot a look that has got lost in translation over the years that you need to be drawn back to.
Your Fashionista DNA
Once you have lots of images to hand or pinned to a draft Pinterest board, it’s time to hone down what really resonates with you? Is there a trend appearing? A finite look revealing itself.
From mine you can see that I have a real penchant for denim. Jeans are a big part of my wardrobe, but I didn’t realise how much, they’re all over the board. I also like light, neutral colours, and there is a bias for black too and simple designs. Accessories are a big love too. Handbags have always been really important to me. I change my handbag to work with my outfit, daily.
Keep whittling down the images you have, it’s actually easy to do with a cork board as you only have a certain amount of space. Gradually you will see a pattern forming, aligning with your style at its very core, this is true fashion DNA. Casting to the side images that are on the periphery of what you like really helps to show you how you truly want to dress.
Keep it Handy
Keep your board handy. Like mine, in the office, in sight. If you’re working on a board online, download a screengrab to your laptop, tablet and mobile. Refer to it every time you go shopping and especially before you consider following the latest trends so that you can stick to your fashion DNA.
Sticking to your true style identity when you go shopping can be very handy. Your wardrobe should work more cohesively, a capsule wardrobe could appear naturally, and you won’t be wasting your hard-earned cash.
If you want to, and you’re enjoying getting crafty, you can build more boards to help plan seasonal looks. Try building a board or two for spring/summer and autumn/winter looks. Or, create a couple around the different areas of your life, work (you might have more than one career), life, hobbies, etc.
Happy pinning!
Gail
P.S. If you would like a more personal approach to finding your style I work in Bristol and Bath, helping women and men discover their style and wear it with pride. Find out more about my services here.