Summer is approaching, and one of the most difficult things in summer is… No not the sweltering heat, nor that stinging feeling of when you accidentally touch the piping hot buckle of the seat belt when getting in the car. It is choosing a style.

As many know, while summer clothing is built to combat the heat it is also made to be fashionable. While throwing together clothes that came from the bottom of the hamper may work, in order for one to look their best, building a style or aesthetic is a necessity. 

“Why do people often feel as though they have nothing to wear in a closet seemingly full of clothes? A couple reasons include, never learning how to shop, not knowing your style or even if you do know, does the closet reflect that style, and lastly is being rusty wearing clothes and putting certain clothes together takes practice. In truth we wear only a small percentage of their clothes, so it may be hard to choose something to wear,” TikTok style strategist, Jada West, states. 

Most websites state that the first step to helping create a new style is to know yourself so that you can visualize a style, but who actually knows everything about themselves? If you are like me, someone who can barely state an interesting fact about herself when it is time for self introductions, then you know it can be extremely difficult to figure out.One way to combat this is to start by looking at the clothes you already like or styles that make you feel confident when worn. This can consist of the clothes that already exist within your closet or a Pinterest or vision board. Observe other people’s styles that may peak your interest. Look at everyone’s outfits, see how they style things, like the colors they may be wearing, the accessories they wear  and the overall aesthetic the outfit matches, like grunge, boho or street. However, learning about your body type is also important, knowing how things will fit on you means everything. 

“A lot of the time people say how to dress flattering for your body type, which most commonly leads to changing your body shape. Instead of telling people what they should wear based on their body type, it should be informing them on how the clothing item will look on your body versus others. Body type information is just a tool and a guide not a rule book,” personal stylist, Brooke or @buru.ann, informs. 

The five main body types are pear, inverted triangle, apple, rectangle, and hourglass. Pear is defined by the shoulders, chest, and waist being smaller than the ratio between the hips. With the opposite being an inverted triangle which means the shoulders are wider compared to the narrow hips and waist. An apple body means everything is relatively the same all throughout, but the shoulders and hips may be narrower. Piggy-backing off of the apple, the rectangle simply means all of your measurements are around the same from the shoulders to the hips. Lastly, the hourglass signifies that the hips, shoulders, and chest may be wider while having a narrow waist. 

Besides body type and seeing what you gravitate to, next is learning your personality. For example, do you prefer wearing neutrals or colors? Do you like dressing more feminine or masculine? Are you comfortable showing more skin or being a bit more modest? Is there a certain decade of time that resonates with you? Use these questions to figure out your base, a safety net. After all, the basics are the most important part of an outfit. If possible, sell or donate the clothes that you do not wear or that you may need for a what if situation. Also, remember that it is okay to have more than one aesthetic. If you are balling on a budget, try to repurpose the clothes you already own or style them differently. 

The simplest way to find out your style then building upon that is by going through the clothes you already own, the clothes that you wear the most and finding the similarities within those clothes. For instance, you may wear a lot of black shirts or high waisted jeans, if so, use those as the baseline for your style. 

Remember it is okay to be explorative, but choose items you will actually wear, it may look good, but you would not wear it, if so, you do not have to choose it. Your personal style is your personal style.