You love those retro ripped jeans with a high waist, and you go berserk at the mere sight of those loose t-shirts that only give away a shadow of your silhouette. Then there are those seasonal trends that come and go, some of which, like animal print, stay with you and leave a mark on your look-book, while others, perhaps transparent booties, skip you altogether.

And while the combination of your choices makes them somewhat your own, how can you take that style of yours another step forward and discover what makes it unique, and authentically yours? Here are a few tried and tested ways to explore your selfhood through style and to give your look a touch of authenticity no passing trend could ever capture.

Build Your Own Colour Palette

Every year, Pantone will release another shade that will dominate the catwalk and the designer collections you’ll swoon over for months to come. Last year, it was ultraviolet, this year, it’s living coral, in the spirit of greater eco-friendliness in fashion. However, you’ll also see designers playing with a slew of other colours, making their own combinations to ensure an original statement.

What’s to stop you from doing the same? Plus, although you will be able to find pieces in those trendy colours, you don’t have to use them at all or limit yourself to the combinations suggested. If you’re a fan of yellow plus red in what you wear, or you like to blend jean bottoms and polka-dot tops in quirky hues, you should let your imagination run wild.

Tap Into Your Cultural Heritage

Your origins and your roots can be a great source of inspiration for your wardrobe and your makeup. As a simple example, people of African descent can proudly wear those lovely tribal patterns, stunning, or vibrant colours such as brick orange and midnight blue to infuse some of their roots into what they wear.

If you come from Asia, have you ever tried wearing a kimono dress in stunning floral patterns? The truth is, even the most contemporary of designers often look for inspiration in the past and the cultural heritage of different people, so if you have access to your roots and you feel that’s where you belong, this can be a beautiful part of your style-book.

Details That Make the Difference

Sometimes, your entire look can be defined or refined by a pair of earrings, a necklace, scrunchy or a wallet. These details go a long way in defining what your values in fashion and style are, and what you’d like to focus on in your look. To blend form with function and to allow your accessories to truly showcase your preferences, you can add a real personal touch to those pieces. For instance, even the most minimal suit completed by a stylish scrunchy on your hair can have a well-rounded, authentic look, as scrunchies give a final touch of elegance and personalization to your ensemble.

A pair of jeans and a simple shirt combined with a chunky men’s watch? Why not! The same simple combo paired with bright red lipstick and a bold ring? A little can indeed go a long way.

Tailor-Made Is Always Best

As a one-of-a-kind person, you deserve one-of-a-kind clothing to reflect your character. The only true way to achieve that would be to find your favourite tailor and think of those essential garments you’d like to have made for your style.

A single well-made power suit for special occasions is always better than wearing many off the rack combinations that always end up not flattering your figure properly. Consider tailor-making your most fundamental pieces of clothing in order to make sure they’ll last for years to come, and that they truly fit your physique.

Spring Cleaning in the Service of Style

The “I have nothing to wear!” declaration is uttered too often among ladies and gent of style who find themselves facing a closet that’s filled to the brim, but nothing stands out. If you aim to personalize your wardrobe, the best way you can begin to do just that is to regularly revise what you own, see what fits, what needs to be mended, and what no longer suits you.

Spring cleaning (throughout the year, though) is essential for personalization. When you ditch the garments that are no longer in line with your preferences, you make room for new, tailor-made, personalized, monogrammed items that genuinely reflect your persona.

Your personal style should never stay stagnant but evolve together with your life and your personality. While you can always use trends for inspiration, make sure that your charisma and your unique self never take the back seat, as you deserve to be in the spotlight of your own style!