How to Find Your Personal Style at Any Age (and Why It Matters)
Style is about more than just trends, it’s a way to express who you are. For women of any age, discovering or rediscovering your personal style can be a liberating experience. Whether you’re entering a new phase of life, changing careers, or just seeking a new look, finding your vibe will help you show up in the world with authenticity and intention.
Why Personal Style Matters
Fashion is clothing, but personal style goes beyond that. Research has found that clothing influences how others perceive you and also how you see yourself. This phenomenon, known as enclothed cognition, shows that wearing clothes that align with your identity can enhance your confidence and focus.
Women of all ages face changing and challenging situations. Navigating romance, family, finances, careers, and physical changes — sometimes all at once — can be stressful. However, honing your personal style at any age can support your self-esteem, resilience, and overall well-being.
How, exactly, do you find your personal style? What if you’ve never really had one? Here’s a step-by-step guide to narrowing down who you are and how your look can express that.
Step 1: Reconnect With Your Identity
Ask yourself:
What are your current values and priorities?
How do you want to feel in your clothes?
What do you want to express about yourself?
Your answers here are your first step toward your style direction. Are you drawn to understated elegance? You might lean toward an old-money aesthetic that includes high-quality dress shirts and tailored suits or a minimalist style with clean lines and a neutral color palette. Do you love the arts? Maybe eclectic or boho speaks best to you.
Your answers may be different now than from a few years or decades ago — and that’s just as it should be. You evolve over time, and so does your style.
Step 2: Curate, Don’t Hoard
Take stock of your closet. Remove anything that:
No longer fits your body or lifestyle.
You haven’t worn in the past year.
Makes you feel uncomfortable or inauthentic.
Pleases someone else more than it pleases you.
Clearing out your closet frees up space for new pieces, but more importantly, the very act of reflectively decluttering will bring you insights into which garments mean most to you and why.
Step 3: Define Your Style with Keywords
Choose three to five adjectives that describe the way you want to show up in the world. For example, “elegant, modern, and relaxed” or “bold, decisive, and artistic.” Use these words as a checklist when shopping or styling outfits.
Check out Pinterest boards, fashion blogs, or Instagram hashtags like #AgelessStyle or #StyleBeyondAge for inspiration on styling your existing clothes or finding something new.
Accessories also play into your identity, so look for handbags, scarves, shoes, and jewelry that accentuate what you want to say. Instead of following trends, look for pieces made from durable materials that will stand the test of time as your style continues to develop. For clothing, that could mean 100% cotton and other natural fibers. With jewelry, opt for high-grade gold or sterling silver pieces that are less likely to tarnish over time.
Step 4: Dress for Your Body
Forget arbitrary rules about how women of any given age should appear. Instead, dress in a way that flatters your current shape and feels empowering. Research shows that women in midlife have more body image concerns than younger women. Choosing clothes that fit well and flatter your body type can play a key role in boosting confidence and self-esteem.
Step 5: Experiment Without Pressure
Never be afraid to try something new. “If you keep looking at that one piece with a strong yearning, wishing you could pull it off, I’d encourage you to try it. That may be the key to unlocking a style profile that feels off-limits but really isn’t,” says Senior Fashion Editor Samantha Sutton of InStyle. “You want a wardrobe where you wear everything. Where you love everything.”
Find Your Style, Find Yourself
Your life isn’t static, and your style shouldn’t be either. By staying true to yourself, your personal style can showcase authenticity and confidence at any age. You deserve to feel great in your clothes — every day.
Cora Gold is the Editor-in-Chief of women’s lifestyle magazine, Revivalist. She has a passion for writing about ways to live a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life, especially for new moms.