'I'm a fashion expert and you only need 5 rules to find your personal style.'

The life juggle with baby number three nearly drove me to despair… it also gave me my dream career.

After working in the fashion industry for over 15 years, I missed the buzz. I was lost in the depths of motherhood and was putting everyone else first. 

So a friend gave me great advice.

"Get your good clothes out and wear them. To the supermarket, the park, school pick up."

I laughed. Then I thought, "she’s right." So I put away the activewear and stepped back into my wardrobe and have never looked back!

Watch: Inside My Wardrobe | My Top 10 Pairs Of Jeans. Post continues below.

I launched Penelope Styling in 2018 and have been helping women with their own style ever since. 

With my insider knowledge of brands and expert tips on quality and fit — I take the overwhelm out of fashion, and make it fun.

Listen to Penelope talk all things personal style on Nothing To Wear. Post continues below.

From wearable trends to wardrobe essentials, here is the advice I give to all women so they can shop with confidence and build a wardrobe they love.

1. List two to three people whose style you admire.

This is helpful when trying to figure out your everyday style, just make sure to pick someone with a similar body shape to you. Avoid red carpet and designer looks! 

Choose people you would love to dress like on a day-to-day basis. It could be a friend, someone on Instagram, an actor, or a celebrity. 

Choose two to three people and narrow down a few of their key looks that you love. List in point form why you love the outfits and how YOU can interpret that to your everyday style.

2. Consider your genre.

Are you more girly and wear a lot of dresses, skirts, and floaty blouses? Or do you feel great in man-style trousers, blazers, and button-down tops? 

Do you like more feminine prints and florals, or classic prints and stripes? 

Are you more boho or street style? 

There are so many genres and we can all like a little of each.

However try to lean into one genre more than others, as this can help with creating a cohesive wardrobe with items that style easily together. If you have a mix, that’s totally okay — but it can be harder to style outfits, which can lead to frustration.

3. List three to five brands you like.

Browse your own wardrobe, and if you buy and wear a brand regularly and love the fit and quality, add it to the list. But if you have items you have never or no longer wear, avoid that brand for future purchases. 

Also, follow brands, influencers and stylists for looks you love. This can be a great way to shop as you can see how it’s styled.

It’s so important to remember that over time, our body shape and lifestyles change. What you wore in your 20s you are likely to not wear in your 30s or 40s. 

Also, do a declutter a few times a year — it’s a game changer! It doesn’t have to be huge bags of items, just pull out a few items every couple of months. They may no longer fit, have marks or you just don’t like them. Move them on! Donating is helping others, and will make you feel less overwhelmed and see more of your wardrobe you love. You’ll find pieces you forgot about, will be able to style outfits quicker, and you’ll feel less guilty adding in something new.

5. Wear your wardrobe.

The reason we wear 10 per cent of our wardrobe 90 per cent of the time is because it’s easy. We know those items feel good and fit well, so we wear them on high rotation. But you still have a wardrobe full of clothes, so don’t save items for a special occasion or when you're "going out". 

You may be working in an office, doing jobs at home, running errands, or running after kids — regardless of the occasion, wear your nice items. You will look and feel good and have more positive energy.

Penelope Cadzow is a stylist and shopping expert. You can follow her on Instagram here and her Substack here.

Feature Image: Instagram @penelope_styling.