5 things that always catch my attention as a personal stylist
Answering the question I’ve been asked the most for five years.
There’s something I’ve noticed over the years, and it happens almost automatically now.
I’ll be walking somewhere, coffee in hand, half distracted, and suddenly I catch myself staring at someone.
Not in a strange way.
Just… curious.
Because something about how she’s put together feels deliberate. And I always try to decode it.
People assume, as a personal stylist, that I’m obsessed with clothes.
I am.
But what really pulls me in isn’t the piece itself.
It’s how it’s worn.
The first thing I notice is placement.
A sleeve pushed up just enough to show the wrist. A shirt tucked slightly off-centre. A blazer thrown over the shoulders, but not in a careless way, in a ‘I know exactly what I’m doing’ way.
You can tell when something is intentional because it reads immediately.
The decision.
Then my eye moves to the smaller things.
Style doesn’t actually live in the big statement coat. It lives in the quiet touches.
A brooch on a cuff instead of a lapel.
An ear stack that feels personal, not copied.
Glasses that frame the face in a very specific way.
Accessories that create volume, not just decoration.
Those are the things that make you look twice.
Style lives in those tiny negotiations.
In the way someone finishes an outfit (the extra ten seconds they gave it).
And you can feel it immediately.
They feel totally owned.
Texture is another one for me, I won’t lie, this borders on obsession.
A metallic trouser with a soft knit.
Linen brushing against silk.
A sequin skirt worn casually with denim.
When materials contrast, something interesting happens. The look gains depth and dimension. It feels layered, even if it’s simple.
I think sometimes we underestimate how much interest comes from texture alone. We assume we need more pieces, colour, or more statement.
But often, we just need tension.
And then there’s the overall balance of the look.
Proportion and volumes.
Where is the eye landing first?
What’s being emphasised?
What’s being softened?
When the balance is right, the whole look feels harmonious. It supports the woman wearing it instead of competing with her.
But if I’m honest, the thing that matters most isn’t visible at first glance.
It’s self-awareness.
You can copy outfits all day long. You can save inspiration until your camera roll is exhausted.
But if you don’t know what actually feels like you, it won’t land.
When a woman understands herself, her body and colours, her lifestyle, her preferences, what makes her feel strong, what makes her feel exposed, her wardrobe becomes lighter.
More efficient.
More hers.
And that’s usually where I start in my Style Strategy Sessions.
Not with trends, or overwhelming shopping…
But with questions.
What are you drawn to repeatedly?
What do you avoid?
What do you wear when you feel powerful?
What do you wear when you want to disappear?
Because once that’s clear, everything else becomes easier.
Shopping becomes intentional.
Outfits become quicker.
Confidence becomes less performative.
And then you adjust, gently, over time.
Personal style in 2026 isn’t about keeping up, but imprinting your signature style, and expressing your personality.
Your glasses.
Your nail polish shade.
The lipstick that works with everything because you’ve worn it long enough for it to feel like part of your face.
That’s what people remember.
If you ever want to go through that process properly, not theoretically, but in your actual wardrobe, that’s exactly what we unpack in my Style Strategy sessions.
It’s less about what’s missing and more about understanding what’s already trying to surface.
But before that,
When you think about the women whose style really moves you…
Is it the clothes?
Or is it the way they seem completely at home in them?
- Carolina x
P.S. And if you’d like part two, the things that immediately feel off to me when I see an outfit, tell me.
That list is just as revealing. ;)
One, I love the way this written and how you walk us through what you see
Second, on the layers and textures and deliberate choices... Leaning into what a woman feels she likes is a great starting point, but speaking from personal experience and observation: a lot of that time, the confidence isn't there to match it. So she doubts herself and her choices. Even if she knows intuitively that look works on her. That self assurance isn't there.
So part of the work is building that confidence back up and I LOVE, having heard directly how your sessions work, how you hype your women up. How you invite them to feel safe and secure in their own skin and bodies and then accentuate the parts they love or want in a given moment. It's a bit like armour, even a costume sometimes, but it works with you, not against you, when you know who you are
I just wish I had the imagination for seeing how clothing fits together. I guess it's just about playing with textures and details. But, I did just get my color analysis so that feels like a step in the right direction.