Style Workshop Week 4: Your Style Words
Visuals are important, and pulling together your inspiration board was a huge step in clarifying the kind of style you’re aiming for! But sometimes they can feel… a little abstract. When it’s time to make real-life decisions about what to buy or how to put together outfits, a Pinterest board as your only guide can fall short.
Sound familiar? Maybe this is where things have gone off the rails for you in the past.
So, what’s the fix? Many stylists, from Tibi’s Amy Smilovic to TikTok’s Allison Bornstein swear by this one simple technique: distilling your personal style down to just three adjectives. And here at Indyx, we’re proud to be another member of that same club because that’s exactly what we’ll be doing together this week.
It’s deceptively simple but also incredibly effective. We love how this approach is flexible yet specific, establishing a solid “north star” that’ll help you stay true to your style and avoid the endless pull of fleeting trends.
Together with your inspiration board, your style words will give you a crystal-clear view of your style in both visuals and language. Each element works to reinforce the other, creating a more cohesive sense of your unique style. That’s why throughout this week’s lesson, we’ll encourage you to revisit your inspiration board as you hone in on your words.
Feeling a little overwhelmed at the thought of what to choose? Don’t worry, we’ll guide you through every step.
The Lesson
Think of any fashion icon, and you probably can sum up their style in three words.
Lady Gaga? Raw, Eccentric, Dangerous.
Beyoncé? Sexy, Powerful, Sculptural.
Taylor Swift? Classic, Feminine, Vintage.
Their styles are iconic largely because they’re consistent, which makes it easy for anyone to pinpoint their three words.
This week, we’re defining our style in three words too. After all, we’re icons in the making.
Why use this approach?
First, your style words become a powerful tool for editing your wardrobe. They help you decide whether an item can work with more thoughtful styling or if it’s simply not a fit.
Second, they act as a checkpoint for new purchases. Before you buy, you can quickly ask yourself: “Does this align with my words?” This simple step helps prevent impulse buys and keeps your wardrobe cohesive.
Third, they provide instant guidance when styling outfits. For example, let’s say your style words are “classic,” “relaxed,” and “edgy.” You’ve got jeans, a tee, and loafers that fit the first two words perfectly. To add a touch of edge, you’d choose a leather jacket over a blazer. Styling decisions, once mysterious, become simple.
Beyond simplifying decisions, your three words are a form of fashion literacy. They allow you to clearly communicate your style, whether you’re working with an Indyx stylist or asking a sales associate to help you find something more “androgynous” (rather than pulling items at random).
Inspiration boards give visual definition to your style, but they can be difficult to always hold in your head. Instead of asking, “Does this dress fit my inspiration board?” it’s much easier to ask, “Is this dress classic, effortless, and playful?”. You’ll likely find you will have a natural preference for either visuals or words, but it is very useful to have both at hand.
Why three words?
Anything less is restrictive. A one-word style is a stereotype, and two words is limiting. On the other hand, piling on more than three can start to sacrifice clarity. Three words strike the perfect balance: flexible yet focused, and just enough to guide you without overwhelming you.
Most importantly, keep in mind that this isn’t a test. There’s no “right” answer, only what works for you. And if your words don’t feel quite right later, you can always revisit and refine them. As the saying goes: done is better than perfect.
The Homework
The homework this week is to decide on your style words.
Write them down so you don’t forget—and so your Indyx stylist can easily see them too! We’ve even created a dedicated spot in the app for this: just go to Style > Resources > Style Words.
Start with your inspiration board
Let’s build on the all hard work you’ve already done with your inspiration board. Start by clearing your mind and scanning your board for just a moment. I’m talking like, 3 seconds or less. The goal is to absorb the overall emotional impression without overanalyzing. Then, immediately jot down all the words that come to mind.
If your style words come to you naturally from this exercise, congratulations! Go with that. You’re on the right track.
For many, though, one of two (opposite) challenges arises:
Total writer’s block. Your mind goes blank, and absolutely no words come to mind.
Word overload. You have too many ideas and can’t narrow it down to just three.
If either sounds familiar, don’t worry—you’re not alone. Here’s how to solve it.
Need help generating your words? Try our Style Quiz!
If you’re totally stuck, the in-app Style Quiz is a great place to start. It can quickly suggest three general words (or, “archetypes”) that align with your style. Just navigate to Style > Resources > Style Quiz to try it out.
Based on your results, you’ll also receive a curated word bank of related style words. If something doesn’t feel quite right, you can tweak and swap words until they feel authentically you.
And if you’d like to see all the options in one place, here’s our full style word bank:
Of course, all of this is just a starting point and a suggestion. You are free to include any words you want, whether they’re in this style word bank or not!
Need help editing? Here’s our guidance:
Let each word serve its own purpose
You only get three words, so make each of them count! Choose words that represent distinct aspects of your style, giving each idea room to breathe.
If you notice some of your words have overlapping meanings, consider narrowing down to the one that feels most resonant. For instance, if you’ve written cool, effortless, and confident, those might all reflect a similar idea. Simplify by choosing the one that best captures the essence of your meaning, leaving space for other facets of your style to come across in the other two words.
Let your words be a guide
Your three words should be more than just labels—they’re there to guide your daily decisions. You’ll use them when you get dressed, when you shop for new clothes, and when you let go of items. That’s why it’s best to think of them as a guide, which may not necessarily be a 100% faithful reflection of where you are right now.
And don’t shy away from contrasting words! Purposefully combining terms that might seem contradictory on the surface can actually be a very powerful guide.
Take, for example, classic, minimal, and layered. At first glance, minimal and layered might seem like they don’t go together at all. How can you layer up and still be minimal? Here’s the trick: maybe for you, minimal means you love pieces with clean lines, neutral colors, and limited detailing. But layered reflects how you style those minimal pieces. Maybe you enjoy layering those clean, simple items together to create texture and shape.
In this case, the intentional contrast between minimal and layered forces more clarity about your style. You’ve used the tension between the two words to define how you put pieces together and make them feel uniquely yours.
Compare the choice of classic, minimal, and layered against, classic, preppy, and layered. It’s just one word off! But, picture in your mind that second combination, and it adds up to a pretty established trope. It’s Ralph Lauren! That’s completely fine if that truly matches your style deep down inside. But, if you’re just trying to pick words that “make sense” together against a preconceived archetype then you may find yourself back here in a few months.
Let your words feel like you
If we can put *one* more thing in your head to consider: you also don’t want your words to feel too far from home. If none of your three words resonate with your current wardrobe or how you see yourself, then maybe you’ve stretched too far. You are describing your fantasy self rather than your true self.
As a gut check, would the words you’ve chosen also reasonably describe you as a person? Okay, maybe not your running late to the office, just spilled coffee on my pants, don’t know what’s for dinner yet self. But you on your best day. Do these three words reflect how you feel on the inside, and therefore want to be perceived on the outside? Because at the end of the day, that is what personal style is all about.
Finally: it’s not that deep!
What we want to avoid is overthinking to the point of analysis paralysis. Even if you’re not 100% sure about your words yet, trust your current best effort and move forward.
Style is a journey, not a destination, so you can always come back and tweak later. The practice of using your chosen words over the next few weeks and months will give additional feedback and clarity for you to find just the right ones later on. The key is not to get stuck in this step—just keep going!
And don’t forget to input your three words in the Indyx app under Style > Style Resources > Style Words so you remember them and your stylist can easily reference them.
Until next week…
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