50% Off Women's Tops

Jeans starting at $19.99

Free shipping on all orders over $50

Types of Jeans for Men: The Complete Guide to Men’s Jeans

TRENDING NOW

How to Find Your Style in 2024

A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Your Style 

How to Find Your Style in 2024

If you’re here, you’ve probably realized that the best way to find your individual style isn’t by copying what everyone else is doing.  


Yep, we means trends. While they offer the empty promise of finding your style overnight, the sad truth is that it takes time. 


After all, most trends with algorithm-seducing names -- from eclectic grampa to quiet luxury – are mimicking people who already have a well-defined sense of personal style. People who curated cohesive wardrobes that not only express their individuality but are also practical for their day-to-day lives. 


In this post, we’ll give you some tips on doing just that. First, we’ll go over a quick guide on how to find or refine your style, then give you simple insights on how to make trend-informed but long-lasting additions to your wardrobe.  

A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Your Style A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Your Style

Your style isn’t necessarily something you can find once and then keep locked away. It’s a fun and slightly intangible part of your identity that will change and evolve with your life and tastes. These steps are designed to help you identify and buy what you like in a thoughtful way. 

1. Create A Mood Board:

You can do this the old fashion way with a collage or by using platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, or TikTok. Include looks you love or aspire to wear. Bonus points for including photos of people with a similar build and complexion to your own.  


 2. Analyze Your Current Wardrobe:

Identify the go-to pieces already in your closet that make you feel great and align with the way you want to dress. Take note of styles, colours, and fits that are most flattering. 

 

3. Look For Patterns and Gaps:

Identify the pieces and themes that your mood board and current most-loved pieces have in common. Also make note of repeated pieces in your mood board that your closet is lacking.  

4. Define Your Style in 3 Words:

Describe the commonalities in your mood board pics and most loved outfits. This is a quick and easy way to clearly identify your personal style and evaluate potential purchases. 


5. Get the Basics:

Start looking for and purchasing the key pieces you’re missing. Try to focus on neutral and timeless items so you have a versatile foundation. This will vary on your personal preferences, but usually includes everyday items like jeans, jackets, hoodies, and t-shirts.  


6. Grow and Learn:

After you have a foundation you’re happy with and feel comfortable wearing, evolve your style slowly. Add pieces thoughtfully and refine your wardrobe over time. Try to only buy pieces you can see yourself wearing for the next 3-5 years. You can also start adding experimental pieces gradually as your confidence grows. 

As you can probably tell, finding your style takes time. If it’s something you’ve never thought about, the initial process of building a foundation might take a year or two, but it’s worth it.  


Your style isn't just about clothes; it's your personal brand. Whether we like it or not, people make judgments based on appearance. A well-crafted outfit signals confidence, attention to detail, and self-awareness. This allows you to control the narrative, shaping how we're perceived. 

How to Use 2024 Trends to Find Your Style

With all that said, trends aren’t something you should ignore completely. It can be a good idea to take inspiration from current looks, as long as you’re doing it in a way that’s authentic to you. 


How? After a while, you’ll notice that the majority of trends broadly fall into three categories: preppy, traditional, or alternative. Once you get familiar with these, you can make occasional but long-lasting additions to your wardrobe that match your style but pay subtle homages to looks of the day. It’s a realistic way keep your wardrobe fresh and up-to-date without chasing every passing trend. 


Is this oversimplified? Probably. But in our opinion it offers a practical approach to identifying pieces that are cohesive with your style but easy to rework into new outfits for fresh modern looks.  


Of course, there are dozens of subgenres to each of these, but again, this is a starting place to help you think about how you can thoughtfully identify your style and build up your wardrobe. 

Preppy Style

Preppy Preppy

There are many vastly varying versions of the preppy look, from designer suits worn by 80s yuppies to the pop collar polos worn by 2000s Kanye. For our purposes, we’re defining it as any aesthetic that’s imitating or influenced by old money. Think suiting, country clubs, yachting, and exclusive ivy league schools. After all, the term itself is derived from preparatory schools.  

Whether it's manifesting itself as elegant minimalism or a bold display of opulence, preppy styles aim for a refined and timeless look designed to signal net worth. They can do it subtly (like quiet luxury) or with panache (think mob wife).  


Today's Examples:

  • Hailey Bieber as the poster girl for the “clean girl” aesthetic 
  • Characters from HBO’s Succession and their logo-less but expensive quiet luxury wardrobes  

Signature Pieces

Traditional

Traditional Traditional

While this overlaps with preppy, traditional trends are rooted firmly in aesthetics of bygone eras or pieces usually associated with older generations. Examples could include knit sweaters, peplum details, eyelets, and tassel loafers. Also, where preppy tends to be dressy and refined, even in its more casual versions, traditional trends can include working class or utilitarian pieces like fishermen sweaters, military jackets, and western wear.  


So whether it’s subtle flamboyance with classic textures (eclectic grampa and dark academia) or understated glam with lacy accents (boho and balletcore), trends rooted in aesthetics of past decades (or even centuries) seem to surface every year. 



Today's Examples:

  • Tyler the Creator, arguably the originator of the current eclectic grampa trend 
  • ALD with their vintage-eclectic layered, curated, and effortless lookbooks 
  • Coachella and festival looks 

Signature Pieces

Alternative

Alternative Alternative

These trends are usually reactions against clean cut or traditional looks, using extreme silhouettes, ripped garments, and bold colours. Aesthetics from punk, skateboarding, goth, rave, grunge, and even hiphop subcultures take center stage.  


Fits veer from one extreme to another, like tight skinny jeans worn by punks and emos to baggy pants preferred by b-boys, skateboarders, and ravers.  


Accessories run the gamut as well, from spikes and studs to chunky and flamboyant chains. Other hallmarks of these alternative trends usually include fishnets, chunky boots, strappy trench coats, plaid shirts, loud graphic tees, and leather jackets.  


Today’s Examples: 

  • Billy Eilish’s oversized streetwear with a mishmash of rave, goth, and grunge elements. 
  • Doja Cat’s range of distressed, edgy and outlandish styles with gothic influences 
  • Netflix’s Wednesday, with the distinctive goth and punky aesthetics.  

Signature Pieces

Conclusion

Like we mentioned earlier, trends emulate people who have style. This often includes types of people with a confidence we look up to that just came from dressing in way that’s authentic to them. 


Eclectic grampa is that fashionable senior who knows what he likes and has cultivated a quality collection of cardigans, wool pants, and loafers over the decades. The mob wife is that sassy suburban mom who can pull off tacky or classy designer items (and sweatsuits). Quiet luxury speaks to the multi-millionaire (or her stylist) with luxurious but understated pieces to signal to wealthy peers she has perfect taste.  


Who knows, once you find your style, you might get a trend named after you (or at least get to say you wore it first). Whether your style leans toward preppy, traditional, or alternative, Bootlegger has pieces to help you define or refine your style. Take a look online or visit us in person. We’d love to help you out. 

Keep reading...

Elevated Casual

TRENDING NOW

Elevated Casual Elevated Casual

Be the Best Dressed Guest: Your Elevated Casual Looks. From first dates and business lunches to nights out and holiday dinners with the in-laws; elevated casual is a style that can have you looking classy in almost any situation.

Read More
Timeless Outerwear

TRENDING NOW

Timeless Outerwear Timeless Outerwear

Shackets, Jackets, And Puffer Coats 

Trend proof and weatherproof what more do you want out of your outerwear? When it comes to building a versatile wardrobe, it's essential to invest in pieces that can not only withstand the changing seasons but also resist fickle and ever-evolving fashion trends.

Read More

Added To Your Bag

Subtotal

View bag