Fashion trends aren’t exciting anymore, they’re exhausting.

If you’ve ever opened your closet and thought, “How do I still have nothing to wear?” while staring at way too many clothes, this article is for you.

Because the problem isn’t that you don’t own enough.
It’s that every new season convinces you that what you already own is suddenly wrong, outdated, or embarrassing.

We’re not actually struggling with style, we’re struggling with identity whiplash.
Every time trends reset, we’re told we should reset with them.
New jeans. New palette. New personality. Repeat.

But the truth is:
You don’t need another haul to feel “current.”
You don’t need a new aesthetic every 30 days.
You don’t even need more clothes.

You need a style formula, a repeatable, grounded structure that makes getting dressed feel easy, consistent, and like you every single time.

What a style formula actually is

A style formula is a repeatable outfit blueprint based on your values, preferences, and sensory needs, not whatever Pinterest or TikTok Shop is pushing this week.

It starts with questions like:

• What do I refuse to feel in my clothes? (itchy, tight, invisible, boring?)

• What colors instantly feel like “home”?

• What silhouettes make me walk differently, in a good way?

• Am I soothed by soft and draped, or charged by structured and sharp?

• What do I want people to know about me before I even speak?

Once you answer those, outfits stop coming from impulse, and start coming from identity.

Yes, you do have things to wear. You’re just mentally exhausted from choosing.

This isn’t about refusing fashion, it’s about refusing to start every day in combat with your closet.

There’s a real reason your brain melts when choosing an outfit:
Decision fatigue.

Studies show the average person makes 35,000 decisions a day, and even small choices drain mental energy before the day has even started. Refinery29 did a full breakdown on this exact problem here.

Medical professionals say the same thing, the AMA explains that even deciding what to wear uses up cognitive resources and contributes to burnout.

Repeating outfits isn’t laziness, it’s neurological self-protection.
It reduces friction, panic, and wasted energy.

And no, this doesn’t mean locking yourself into one aesthetic forever.
If you’re neurodivergent or someone with multiple style identities, you can have five different versions of yourself, but each one can still have a formula.

That’s when your closet stops being a maze and becomes a menu.

Why people with great style always look effortless

The most stylish people aren’t trendy, they’re recognizable.

You can feel their taste.
Their colors. Their textures. Their silhouettes.
Every outfit is a remix of self, not a seasonal reload.

I talk more about this in my article on why “dress for your body type” is some of the worst fashion advice ever given.

Style isn’t about chasing trends, it’s about self-knowledge.

That’s why a style formula zooms out and asks, Who am I dressing as, and who am I dressing for?

My personal example (just so you can see it in action)

For me, my formula has three non-negotiables:

1. Comfort first. Nothing itchy. No stiff seams. If it distracts me from existing, it’s out.

2. There’s always a visual anchor. Stripes, skeletons, loud graphics, something slightly unhinged. Even in full black, I want one interruption.

3. Soft goth / alt energy. Fall palette forever. Tender but dangerous. This is where my nervous system feels safe.

And yes, this is why you’ll see me wearing graphic tees from my own brand, Letter Shoppe, on repeat. Like this Yeehaw Fuck The Law tri-blend Tee, I've paired with tons of fun patterns and textures. 

Because my clothes aren’t about trends, they’re about identity I can live inside of.

Three style formula examples to get you thinking

1. Soft but dangerous witch-academia
Palette: moss green, black-brown, antique gold
Textures: lace, velvet, aged metals
Silhouette: structured top + flowy bottom
Ritual: always a talisman (locket, ring, ribbon)

2. Chaotic Astro Babe (alt-zodiac energy, but make it fashion)
Palette: black, wine red, bone white, metallic accents
Textures: soft cotton, worn leather, mesh, velvet trim
Silhouette: oversized graphic tee + mini skirt OR slouchy pants + chunky boots
Ritual: loud astrology placement, like a statement tee that tells strangers your entire birth chart (ex: Bitch Sun, Slut Moon, Cunt Rising from my shop)

3. Cottagecore but makes money (european CEO grandma)
Palette: cream, olive, terracotta, wine
Textures: linen, brushed cotton, wool
Silhouette: tailored trousers or long-line dress
Ritual: one quiet luxury detail (watch, barrette, leather tote)

Style formula isn’t about impressing, it’s about recognizing yourself

You stop asking, “Is this in?”
You start asking, “Does this feel like me?”

Your friends should be able to describe your style in one breath.
Because that’s identity. Not trend fluency.
And identity is cheaper, louder, stronger, and more magnetic than whatever TikTok is pushing this week.

Your starting “find your style” prompt

If you could only wear 3 colors, 2 textures, and 2 silhouettes forever, what would they be?

Would you feel trapped, or would you feel relieved?

Because that’s the real test.
If a closet built around those answers feels calming instead of limiting, congratulations, that’s your first breadcrumb back to yourself.

Maybe you’re a forever graphic tee person who always feels most “you” in something loud, snarky, or chaotic, like my Cowboy Frog “I’m at My Limit, Partner” tee that I wear on repeat because it makes me laugh every time I put it on.

Or maybe you’re someone who needs clothes that hug your body all day, fitted ribbed tops, high-waisted pants, soft knits that feel like wearable compression therapy.

None of those are aesthetics, they’re needs.

And once you know your needs, you can finally build a wardrobe that supports you instead of fights you.