How to Create Casual Versions of Your Personal Style

We’ve all been there in some form or another. Maybe you adore cozy sweaters and boots but you live in a tropical climate. Or you have a closet full of cocktail dresses but spend your day in flip flops.

What do you do when your wardrobe and your lifestyle don’t match? Or, when the way you want to look and the way that you actually spend your time don’t work together.

Fortunately, I firmly believe that, with the exception of formalwear, there are very few items in your wardrobes that can’t be dressed up or down. Our clothes are a lot more versatile than we think they are.

In today’s video, I’m going to show you how take the clothes that you love, clothes that reflect your personal style, and make them work for dogwalking and errand running and casual dinners. You know, for your everyday life.

The Casual Style Formula looks like this.

By taking pieces that represent your personal style, and combining them with casual, neutral, and versatile wardrobe essentials, you’ll have a mix that is uniquely your own.

Here, 4 tips (the last one is a bonus that’s only in this post!) that will help you find a casual version of your personal style!

Switch Up The Fabrics

Often the main difference between a casual and a dressy version of an item is the fabric. For example, a pair of wide-leg pants can be a dressy wool crepe or a casual crinkled linen. A button-down can be silk or chambray. Think about the silhouettes that are characteristic of your style, and see if you can find more casual versions in more everyday fabrics.

Keep The Essence

The goal of this process is to get the look you want at a formality level that works for your lifestyle, so it’s important to be able to describe your desired style well. Choose 3 style words that describe your signature style, and then make sure you capture at least 1 or 2 of them in your casual outfits.

Add Style With Accessories

Combining your wardrobe basics with signature style accessories is the quickest shortcut to style. Adding accessories that are classic or boho or preppy or relaxed can turn your casual staples into chic outfits!

Stop Putting Your Clothes In A Box

Labeling your clothes as work clothes or church clothes or dress clothes limits them and puts them in a box where they don’t belong. By mixing dressy with casual, you can use your wardrobe more and have lots of outfit options!

Now, let’s look at how some of these concepts can play out for 3 personal style types.

Polished Professional Style

Essence Words: Elegant Polished Crisp

Inspiration Outfits: Maybe you want to make a casual version of an outfit like one of these.

Try these more casual versions of these outfits that retain that polished style.

Glam Style

Essence Words: Bold Dramatic Confident

Inspiration Outfits: Maybe you want to make a casual version of an outfit like one of these.

Try these more casual versions of these outfits that retain that glam style.

Romantic Style

Essence Words: Feminine Soft Graceful

Inspiration Outfits: Maybe you want to make a casual version of an outfit like one of these.

Try these casual versions of romantic outfits.

I hope that these outfits and tips show you how you can take the personal style that you love and turn it into casual outfits you can actually wear. What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to incorporating your personal style into everyday outfits? Let me know in the comments!