I was almost finished writing this post when, in spite of saving it several times, it disappeared into thin air! After venting my frustration and calling WordPress a few unmentionable names, I decided to try again. Hopefully I can remember what I was trying to say.

Lately, I’ve noticed a lot of interest in my previous posts about style adjectives, so I thought that that would be a good topic to revisit today. Choosing three to five adjectives to describe your personal style can be very helpful in building a cohesive wardrobe and creating outfits that say what you want to say about yourself.

Almost seven years ago, one of my favourite fashion bloggers, Pamela Lutrell, who writes Over 50, Feeling 40, introduced me to the idea of style adjectives. I initially chose classy, confident, and comfortable to describe my style, but just as our personal style can change over time, so can the words we use to describe it. Although I’ve kept the original three, I later added casual and creative to my list. It’s only by chance that all five words started with C! At one point, I thought about adding colourful to the list because at that time I was trying to add more colour to my wardrobe, but I soon realized that there was a good reason that I always gravitated toward neutrals. Those are the colours that I feel most comfortable in. Eventually, I also realized that creative didn’t really describe my style, so I replaced that word with authentic. According to Merriam-Webster authentic means “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character” and that’s really what style adjectives are all about.

When I stand in front of the mirror, especially if I’m wearing an outfit that I haven’t worn recently or very often, I run through my five style adjectives… classy, confident, comfortable, casual, and authentic. If the outfit ticks all five boxes, I know that it will communicate the right things about me and that I’ll feel good wearing it. I do the same when I’m shopping for clothes. In the fitting room, I ask myself whether or not an item fits all or most of my adjectives. If not, it doesn’t come home with me.

If style adjectives are a new idea for you, consider taking a look at the list below and choosing three to five words that describe what you’d like your outfits to say about you. If the words you want aren’t on the list, feel free to choose different ones, but try to be specific. Words like nice and pretty are too vague.

approachable           coordinated          glamorous                  sexy
artistic                         creative                   graceful                        soft
authentic                   current                    happy                             sophisticated
bohemian                  cute                          lively                                sporty
bold                             dressy                      minimalistic                 strong
casual                         eclectic                   modest                           stylish
chic                             edgy                          outdoorsy                     tailored
classic                       elegant                    polished                         trendy
classy                        feminine                  preppy                            unique
colourful                  fierce                        quirky                              vibrant
confident                  fun                            relaxed                            youthful
cool                           funky                        responsible                     whimsical

I’d love to know which style adjectives you choose. Why not share them in the comment section below?