Find Your 3 Style Words

What are style words?

Style words are adjectives that define your personal approach to dressing. They act as a guide, helping you articulate and refine your aesthetic. These words aren't static—they evolve with your tastes, experiences, and lifestyle.

Why use style words?

Choosing three style words provides clarity, intention, and direction in how you dress. Here's why it's worth doing:

• Make wardrobe edits easy
• Feel more like yourself when you get dressed
• Communicate quickly with sales staff or stylists
• Save money by reviving underused items and dodging fleeting trends or impulse buys
• Simplify outfit decisions by revealing what's missing or out of place

Why three?

One word alone—like preppy, retro, or sporty—can feel stereotypical, vague, and impersonal. Three words is a common sweet spot that balances specific with easy to remember. That said, this isn't a rigid rule—if two or four work better for you, go for it.

How to find your three style words

Distilling your aesthetic into three words might seem daunting, but there are approaches for everyone. Try a mix of the options below.

Brainstorm

Start by listing words that come to mind, even if they don't seem perfect. When you start to combine them later, you'll notice they compliment or contain each other in unique ways.

Look at your closet

• Lay out your favourite and most-used garments
  • Notice common themes—silhouettes, textures, colours, or vibes
• Consider clothes for all seasons—ideally, your words remain consistent year-round
• Browse your favourite outfit pictures, or put them on now

Look inward

• Ask yourself: "What am I like as a person?"
• Think about A) Who you want to be, and B) Your favourite quotes or philosophies—what do they bring to mind? – Amy Smilovic's Three Style Adjectives
• Visualize your future self—what do they wear?

Look outward

• Make a Pinterest or Instagram moodboard of outfits you love
  • Scan it quickly, then close it—what words immediately come to mind?
• Explore our Lookbook, or these Pinterest boards:
  • Confident men in skirts
  • Masculine skirt outfits
• Use astrology, Human Design, or Gene Keys frameworks to get personalized style and aesthetic words based on your chart
• Ask friends to describe your style, which might give you baseline ideas

Popular methods

Allison Bornstein's Three Word Method℠ has a structured approach to define style words:

1. Baseline – The style of your most-worn items
2. Aspirational – Your dream style
3. Emotional – How your favourite styles make you feel

Alyssa Beltempo's Three Word Rule swaps emotional with lifestyle: Consider your favourite parts of the day, or when you're at your best—what's the vibe of these moments?

Browse our word bank

Our Style Word Bank contains 150+ adjectives and includes a spreadsheet template you can copy, filter by category, and fill out. It's the most comprehensive one out there, and curated with men in mind.

You can also use a thesaurus or AI tool to explore ideas related to your word list, within the context of style and fashion.

See examples

It's impossible to know someone else's style words, especially from just one picture, but these examples might give you a sense:

Refine your list

Once you've listed 7-15 words, you're ready to craft great combinations.

Do's & Don'ts

✅ Choose words that feel empowering and descriptive—ones that might even encompass elements of other top contenders
✅ Allow conflict or tension between words—pairings like minimal + layered, or oversized + fitted can work incredibly well
✅ Make up a word to capture a part of your style, ie. Fit-contrast to combine oversized + fitted
✅ Pick words that guide your wardrobe rather than restrict it

❌ Avoid overly broad or generic words like stylish, trendy, or expressive—make them distinct enough that you can clearly say yes or no to whether an outfit fits
❌ Avoid redundancy: If two words are too similar, choose one that resonates most
❌ Don't worry how others will interpret the words—they're mainly for you
❌ Don't stray too far from your current wardrobe, unless you're planning an overhaul

Your words should balance clarity and flexibility, guiding your style without boxing you in.

If three words feel limiting, consider multifaceted words, for example:

• Warm might mean cozy in winter, joyful in summer, or simply warm-toned colours
• Countries, cultures, or brands can embody multiple concepts, but risk being too broad

Don't overthink it. Choosing words that feel pretty good will lead you to the right ones faster than waiting for perfection.

Test & iterate

Try your words over the next month:

• Are they influencing your wardrobe choices in a way you like?
• Which garments don't fit your words? Can you sell or donate them—or style them differently to align with your words? If not, try to cover at least two words using other garments.
• Outfits you love aren't matching your words? Refine them—sometimes small tweaks make all the difference.

Use your words to build a better wardrobe:

• Identify wardrobe gaps and start sourcing wishlist items
• Guide your shopping—if your words are cohesive, aim for 2-3 word matches for each new purchase; if your words contrast, look for 1-2 matches
• Improve outfit composition—use your words to pinpoint what's missing in a look

Your words aren't permanent—feel free to adjust them as your style evolves.

Did you try any of the methods? Which words resonated for you?

Sources

• Three Word Method℠ 🎥 – Allison Bornstein
• Three Word Rule 🎥 – Alyssa Beltempo
• Three Adjectives 🎥 – Amy Smilovic
• What's With The 3 Word Method Obsession? and Your Style Words – Indyx
• How To Find Your Style Words – Conscious Life & Style