Conscious-ish: How To Define Your Personal Style (Part I)

“We are all going to consume, but the point is to consume with a purpose and be aware about what you buy and what you do, and use it as a tool to serve you” – Sophia Hyacinthe – Personal Stylist and CEO, Immaculate Wardrobe

Boots: Dorateymur (on sale!)| Jeans: Levi’s | Sweater: ALC via Material World

Conscious-ish is a Style Series where we explore personal style from a conscious consumer lens.

We are going to kick off this series with what I think is the most important and most elemental step in creating the wardrobe of our dreams, and that is defining our personal style. Deciding what colors we look good in, picking out our favorite gorgeous bags, and accessorizing for the Gods are “must-have” decisions. Getting “conscious” about it, if you will. Before we dive in to what, where, and how exactly to shop, it is absolutely key to figure out just what our style type even is. This is not to say your style can’t change or evolve over time, in fact I hope it always does! But when it does evolve, your new personal style awareness will help you make future changes accordingly.

I also created a Personal Style Quiz to help you narrow down what your style personality is. Scroll down to take the quiz – you may find you fit perfectly into one style type, or you may be a mix of a few!

To help us really figure out our personal style, I tapped in to the expertise of NYC/ATL based Personal Stylist & CEO, (side note: also a DJ by night – how cool is she?) Sophia Hyacinthe. She helps real modern professional women create a style strategy, build looks, and build a timeless wardrobe through her Styling company, Immaculate Wardrobe.

In her experience, many women shop impulsively. It could be tied to their budget, for example if they get a big paycheck or there is a blowout sale going on, or something emotional like feeling depressed or filling a void -hence the term retail ‘therapy’. Shopping this way ultimately leads to a closet that may not be cohesive, like too many statement pieces but not enough quality staples to make the outfits work. You end up with the ‘closet full of clothes and nothing to wear’ situation which is super frustrating.

Figuring out your personal style can help you streamline and edit what you need and what you don’t need in your closet, to make getting dressed less stressful. It will also help you to present the best image of yourself to the world. Often our emotions are tied to our self-image, so being confident in what we are wearing can also really have a positive effect on us.

“We are all going to consume, but the point is to consume with a purpose and be aware about what you buy and what you do, and use it as a tool to serve you”

According to Sophia, there are a few things you need to consider first when determining your style type:

(You may want to grab a pen and some paper and take notes)

  1. What Is Your Lifestyle? Are you a stay at home mom looking for easy comfy clothes for most days, and cute trendy outfits for date nights and parties? Are you a social butterfly who needs playful statement pieces? Do you work corporate and want your clothes to be stylish like these cat workwear for sale or do you prefer to look professional?
  2. What Do You Love About Your Body? What are your favorite attributes? What types of clothes make you feel your most vital, confident self?
  3. Who Are Your Style Icon(s)? Celebrities, Friends, Family members – think about anyone who’s style you truly admire, and why.
  4. What Are Your Style Goals? How would you choose to dress if you had, say, Beyonce’s bank account?
  5. What Is Your Budget? Realistically, think about how much you can afford to spend – think in terms of price per wear for the items you think you will wear the most.

Once you answer the above questions you should have a much clearer understanding of: What type of clothes you may need to supplement your current wardrobe, which silhouettes work best for your body type, and how much you can actually afford to spend.

If you haven’t yet, take my Style Quiz below to help you determine your Style Personality!

Answer a few questions to determine if your style is Classic, Glamazon, Bohemian, Modern, or Avant Garde
A. Sophisticated, demure
B. You like to make an entrance AND an exit
C. Chill flower child
D. Trend-setter, laid back
E. Adventurous
2. Your Favorite Outfit
A. Tailored trousers or midi dress with feminine accessories
B. Monochromatic body con dress, high heels and an oversized jacket
C. A vintage flowy maxi dress, layered necklaces and cocktail rings
D. Jeans and a blazer with some statement heels or flats
E. A jacket with dramatic shoulders and oversized arms, paired with a statement chunky heel
3. Describe The Style You Aspire To
4. What Home Decor Style Do You Love
B. Velvet pillows, floral arrangements, grand chandeliers
5. When Shopping, You are most likely to:
6. Your Favorite Handbag
7. Who Is Your Favorite Celebrity Style Icon?
8. When looking at your closet, you see
E. Track pants, cropped sweaters, fishnet stockings
9. If You Could Choose One Designer, You Would Have A Closet Full Of:

Add up your total number of A, B, C, D, and E’s and see below for your results! If you are split, then you have a combination of style types.

If you are:

Mostly A’s: Classic

You prefer timeless styles over flashy trends and prefer beautifully tailored pieces. You like to invest in high quality clothing and accessories and expect them to last a long time. You tend to stay safe and stick to what you know works for you. You are sophisticated, well-groomed, and generally have very good taste.

Famous Classic Style Icons: Jackie O, Victoria Beckham, Queen Rania, Kate Middleton

Mostly B’s: Glamazon

You love to make a statement and showcase your confidence in your outfit choices. You know how to accentuate your favorite attributes, and you put them to work, honey! Designer bags and shoes are your favorite place to splurge. You are either in spandex shorts and hoodies or a patent leather bodycon with sky-high heels, there is no in-between.

Famous Glamazon Style Icons: Kim Kardashian, J.Lo, Bebe Rexha, Beyonce

Mostly C’s: Bohemian

You are Earthy by nature and your fashion choices reflect your zen philosophy. Loose and flowing maxi dresses are your fave, you are most confident when you are feeling comfortable and feminine. You like to accessorize and show your personality through your style by playing with color and jewelry. You would probably love to wear a chakra bracelet that looks great with any casual outfit, just for the vibes and energy of it.

Famous Bohemian Style Icons: Cher, Nicole Richie, Vanessa Hudgens

Mostly D’s: Modern

You have that cool-girl vibe and you don’t shy away from trying out fashion trends that you find fun. Are bracelets or scarves back in vogue these days? Sure, you’re not afraid to try them. Just look at these guys and other brands that offer a fresh take on old classics. You appreciate originality and always look for a twist on classic pieces. Function is just as important as fashion for you and you like to splurge on high-quality basics and designer shoes that you know will get a lot of wear.

Famous Modern Style Icons: Michelle Obama, Amal Clooney, Tracee Ellis Ross, Olivia Palermo

Mostly E’s: Avant Garde

You love to experiment with fashion and are not scared to make a big statement. It may be something small like accessories, or it may be your entire outfit, but one thing is for sure – there is nothing boring about your style. Your philosophy is that Fashion is wearable art, and you appreciate designers who push boundaries like you.

Famous Avant Garde Style Icons: Zoe Kravitz, Rihanna, Christine Centenera, Lady Gaga

Thank you so much for visiting! Stay tuned for next week, where we will talk about the exact steps Sophia takes her Personal Styling clients through to edit and streamline their closets!

Find Sophia on Instagram or check out her website Immaculate Wardrobe

Follow Me! @zahra_sandberg

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Last week we took a quick trip to escape the snow for some sunshine in Key Largo, Florida☀️ We spent every moment possible outside, Tom and Adam got their Scuba Diver PADI certification (yay!) while Sophia and I spent our days either swimming or drawing marine life and landscapes. This was my first trip after my sister passed last November, and even though I look so happy here, there were so many moments I felt the grief and sadness, as if it happened just yesterday. I am still figuring out how I want to show up in this space, as I have changed so much as a person since the loss. I just don’t feel called to post some of the things I shared before. Maybe that will change someday, or maybe it will just naturally evolve into something new. I think I will take this year to just process it all. (Even the idea of taking an entire year to think through something is a huge shift for my usually hyperactive type A personality) My focus at the moment is just living in the moment with my family and friends, spending time doing things that make me happy and healthy. I hope to share some of that journey here with you ~ thanks for following along ❤️
I had planned to shoot this outfit in collaboration with @lenacoutureofficial right before my dear sister passed away. Saba, the designer, was more than understanding if I didn’t want to anymore - but after thinking on it for a while I decided I wanted to - in my sister’s honor 💗 She was always my biggest hype woman. When i would feel like I’m not good enough or that I should quit (which was often) she would tell me I was unique and great and to keep it up. When I think of my sister, beauty and love is all that she embodied in her being. She expressed that on the outside also - as she loved to wear everything glam, bright & colorful, and full of bling. Hair done, nails done, everything did - that was Nusrat. For this shoot I took the time to get glam after a long hiatus - and makeup and hair took so long because I think I forgot how to do it, but afterwards I was surprised how I felt transformed. When I wore this gorgeous outfit that I know was designed with such love and incredible attention to detail by @lenacoutureofficial, I felt all of that beauty - like a walking piece of art, and very much at peace. Thank you so much to @divmophoto for capturing the feeling so well 💕
Ski weekend with my favorites ❄️❄️ So proud of Sophia for skiing on her own for the first time!
There are some trees with seeds that only grow after a fire. Their seeds are completely sealed with a resin that have to be physically melted off by a great fire in order to propagate. So to do we as humans, gain wisdom only after great pain and suffering.*
A month ago (and one day) I lost my sister and best friend to cancer. I am still completely gutted and broken. But, I’m also so so grateful to have had felt the love that now brings me so much heartbreak. ❤️ I am so inspired by her - and I will forever live my life to honor her memory. Miss you sis ❤️
Classic outfit combo: oversized blazer + denim 🖤fendi mules @shoeslutz
Just a mom who loves mums 🌸 🪴
Cozy for a coffee date ☕️
French. Toast. Egg. Bake. Save this recipe for a weekend or holiday brunch - it’s SO good and fool-proof! I’m not even a sweet person and I love it. The pecans are a non-negotiable IMO - I get honey bourbon vanilla pecans for this and it is just heavenly. Enjoy!