Everyone's losing it over this personal style hack exploding on TikTok

My personal style is constantly evolving and has crossed the fashion spectrum to include everything from bold pops of color to sleek neutral looks. That being said, my basic sense of fashion has had commonalities that I can trace back to high school and the outfits I wore as a teenager. This became even clearer to me after discovering stylist Allison Bornstein's "three-word method" for personal styling — a hack that's exploding on TikTok. Essentially, it comes down to finding three words that describe your current style and the style you aspire to have. She even has a handy list of adjectives you can refer to, ranging from "edgy and sculptural" to "romantic and playful" if you're trying to figure out what makes sense to you.

Thinking about my overall sense of style, what I currently wear and what I want to dress in the future, I focused on "classic", "90s", and "polished" as my three words. Immediately, it made clearing out a closet easier and helped me make decisions about purchases I was hesitant about. By applying each word, I was able to identify what was true to my personal style and which pieces looked like trend-driven buys that were outliers. Curious to learn more about the method and to deepen my knowledge, I spoke to Bornstein, a stylist and fashion teacher who makes clothing accessible, deliberate and, above all, fun.

Tell me about your method in three words for a personal style.

The Three Word Method grew out of my work with personal style clients and is designed to help you define and refine the details of your personal style. I've found that identifying a three-word recipe can really help clients unlock so many ideas and serve as a perfect reference point for dressing, editing, shopping, and generally evolving their style. ! The combination of the three is really important because it allows for tension and helps clients identify their unique aesthetic.

I've had clients who felt like their wardrobes were very disjointed because they had a lot of different things living together in the closet but being worn separately. I would tell these clients that these different aesthetics are actually what make up your personal style, and they should be embraced and worn together.

For example, I had a client who was between L.A. and New York who felt like she was super bohemian and romantic in L.A. and a little more fitted and oversized in New York. It was difficult to shop and difficult to reconcile her identity outside of the towns in which she lived. Together we married these aesthetics and created something unique for her, so instead of separating the words, we brought them together to create something authentic for everyone. of his desires!

What's the best way to tell which three words apply to someone's style?

To discover your three words, the first place to look is in your own closet. We all have a personal style, whether we know it or not! So the first thing I usually suggest you do to find your three words is get out all your "regulars", or what you wear all the time. How would you describe these pieces? Are they all casual or sporty or sexy or flowy or printed? That's what I mean by your style exists in your wardrobe. We literally take off what you wear to determine it. Don't be disappointed if what you put out doesn't immediately inspire you. It just helps us determine where we are. I usually like to use two words to describe what I see in a client's closet, then save the third word for something more ambitious!

The third word is like your North Star. It's the near future you! This word can also change and evolve. In fact, all of your words can and should change and evolve. Mine usually oscillates between "tailor-made" and "elegant".

If you have trouble identifying your words or need a little inspiration, this can be r...