Personal style isn’t something you’re born with, it’s something you acquire over time. Your interests, outlooks, and life experiences all contribute to the look you cultivate for yourself and portray to the world. Everyone has their own way of expressing their fashion sense and making clothes unique.

In some cases, it takes a little time to discover a look you’re comfortable with. Experimentation and inspiration are key in finding what stylish means to you. Below are five simple ways to reveal your inner fashionista and create a style that’s all your own.

1. Customize Your Clothes

If you want to stand out from the crowd with your clothing, one way to do it is to add personal touches to items you buy. This could mean something as simple as adding pins or embroidery to a bag, changing the hemline of a skirt, or rolling up the sleeves of a shirt to change their length. Putting your stamp on your clothing shows your style and ensures that you’ll never be caught wearing exactly the same thing as somebody else.

2. Embrace the Past

One of the best places to look for inspiration for your wardrobe? The past! Fashion designers and stylists are constantly looking to decades past and the styles that existed then in order to create looks that are fresh and new.

The glamour of the twenties, the funkiness of the seventies, the nonchalance of the nineties; these things can all be absorbed and adopted into your style in different ways. Researching old images and visiting vintage stores are two great ways to embrace the past in your style.

3. Buy One of a Kind

One way to make sure you’re unique is to buy one-of-a-kind items. Don’t worry, this doesn’t just mean thousand dollar pieces of haute couture. You can also buy things that are artisanal or hand-crafted.

Buying things that are made by hand means that each piece is individual and a little bit different. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out this handmade clothing.

4. Get Inspired

If you’re still searching for your own personal style, there are tons of places you can look to for inspiration. Old movies, different cultures, and your musical taste can all have an influence on what you wear and how you wear it.

You can also try to keep an eye on the latest trends. You don’t want to copy everything completely, of course, but pick out different pieces you like and want to work into your look.

5. Be Yourself

When you’re trying to find your personal style there’s really only one thing that’s important: staying true to yourself. While you can find inspiration from a number of different sources, at the end of the day it’s you who’ll make your style special. Don’t try to imitate other people—instead, use your own tastes and interests to inform your fashion sense.

Make Your Clothes Unique

One final tip: fashion should be fun. Don’t overthink your style, and you’ll have a much easier time finding looks you love. If you want to stand out from the crowd, the easiest way is to just be yourself, and wear what feels natural to you.

No matter what your style may be, you’re the one who makes your clothes unique.