7 Ways to Find Your Signature Style

"The best thing I have going for me is my legs, so I keep my hemlines pretty short. I recently chopped off all my midcalf dresses and skirts a few inches above the knee; now I wear them so much more. My hair is the one thing I always keep long, with the exception of an unfortunate Amélie-inspired cut in 2001. After shampooing, I just let it air-dry; I can easily pull it off my face, and I need a trim only a couple of times a year—that's about as much hair maintenance as I'm willing to do. Though I'm very petite, I think the proportion of my waist-length hair works—as long as I keep my skirts short...and my heels high. I don't leave the house in flats, or even kitten heels—they make me feel schlumpy, and I don't like to schlump. If I'm just cooking at home, I still try to look good—not for my husband, just for me. I might be wearing sweatpants, but they're cute and cuffed and fit perfectly. In the kitchen, though, I do go barefoot."

Signature Style Rule #5. Pay attention to your gut...especially if it's spilling over your waistband. When something's too tight, or too low-cut, and you feel uneasy, you know it. "If you have to psych yourself up to wear something out of the house—or the dressing room—it's not the look for you," says Brown.