Can ChatGPT Help Me Define My Style Words?

And is this even a good way to go about it?

This has been in the works for a while, and I was unsure whether to publish it or not as a lot of great posts have been written on style words, but in the end I decided to anyway.

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Lately I’ve been feeling that my style words aren’t quite right anymore - like they represent a former version of me. My style is changing, and my style words should reflect that.

I’ve been using classic, relaxed and sophisticated since I took

Indyx

’s style quiz halfway through 2024. My interpretation of the style words were “Classic pieces with a relaxed fit and a touch of sophistication through the choice of materials and accessories.”

Sources: Allison Bornstein’s word wheel via Pinterest / ChatGPT

I didn’t strictly prescribe to Allison Bornstein’s method of a practical word, an aspirational word and an emotional word, but saw it more as a recipe: something like 2 parts classic, 1 part relaxed and a pinch of sophisticated¹.

Style words have been around long before Allison Bornstein coined her 3 word method. The first time I tried to define my style words was over 10 years ago (You should think I’d gotten it by now!). They’ve not surprisingly changed slightly over time. Words like relaxed, effortless, ease, confident and stylish have cycled in and out, whereas classic has been included in every iteration along with either elegant, chic or in the latest version sophisticated.

I wouldn’t describe my style as sophisticated in general, but the word felt more directional than elegant or chic, which is why I chose it last year. It gave me a better idea of how to achieve what I felt was missing. But I’m not sure that it’s serving me anymore or communicates what I want my style words to say. Ideally I want my style words both to ground me and provide direction.

In an attempt to redefine my style words I turned to ChatGPT. This was inspired by Daughter of disguise who suggested using it as a tool to analyse your Pinterest boards. I’m in general not a huge fan of ChatGPT (copyright issues, creativity, massive data centers, environmental impact just to mention a few concerns), but unfortunately I think it’s going to be a requirement to know how to use it, so this at least seemed like a fun way to test it out.

ChatGPT as far as I understand relies heavily on statistics, and is great for analysing huge amounts of data, so which commonalities would it find across a number of photos?

And I have to say that I was kind of surprised by the results! Some of them were scarily accurate…

So let’s get into it!

Getting ChatGPT to suggest style words

Step 1: Analyse my Pinterest board

I uploaded 3 screenshots from my fashion Pinterest board and asked ChatGPT to identify the the 10 most prominent style words. The recent I asked for 10 words was to have a selection of words to choose from.

Pinterest screenshots with a few familiar faces / Style words suggested by ChatGPT

Not surprisingly ChatGPT picked up on a lot of the themes I’m drawn to. Two of my current style words relaxed and sophisticated are present here. The third classic could be said to be represented by tailored and is also used to describe timeless. Timeless isn’t something I consciously strive for, and I do think it’s kind of a myth anyway, so I wouldn’t choose that as style word (and in the end it has to feel right for me).

Effortless and relaxed can be seen as kind of in the same family, depending on how you define it.

Effortless – The looks are put together in a way that feels relaxed yet intentional — no over-styling.

I wouldn’t mind having a style that FEELS effortless - that you’ve put in the time and effort at an earlier point, so you know what's in your wardrobe works and which outfits combinations you like. That nothing is too tight, requires continuing adjusting throughout the day or doesn't work for my lifestyle. I don't necessarily want to LOOK effortless - I care how I dress and I don't mind it showing. But so often effortlessness is assigned to a visual identity and can feel a bit contrived - like people are trying so hard not to look like they put any effort into getting dressed. This seems to be the prevalent interpretation of “effortless dressing” which is why effortless doesn’t feel like the right choice as a style word for me.

There are few words here I normally wouldn’t use to describe my style like minimalist, but maybe I’m more drawn to it than I’m aware of? I’m not really surprised to see neutral, but it isn’t as such an important quality to me, so not going to choose it as a style word.

For me chic, polished, and sophisticated fall in the same category of words, and one I do want to include - not sure which word yet, so let’s see what else ChatGPT comes up with.

Step 2: Analyse my outfits

Next I gave ChatGPT a screenshot of about 50 outfits I’d styled and liked this year and asked it to do the same.²

Some of the outfits / Style words suggested by ChatGPT.

6 words (tailored, neutral, minimalist, polished, timeless, relaxed) were repeated from the first 10 words, so I guess there is some coherence between what I pin and what I wear (at least according to ChatGPT). Maybe I do dress more minimalistic than I thought? What do you think? I do like the way minimalist is described here, but for me the term tends to evoke pictures of primarily black and white outfits, and I like to wear warmer neutrals as well as olive green and a few other colours.

Minimalist - Your outfits are clean, intentional, and free of heavy print ands or accessories - simplicity is key.

In this round we don’t see chic or sophisticated, the latter which is one of my current words, but elegant and refined make an appearance together with the repeat of polished. Again I see these words as different nuances of the same general direction. One thing to note is that ChatGPT doesn’t describe the repeated words in the same way each time, as shown with polished.

Polished - Everything is tidy and sleek, even in casual outfits - think tucked shirts, pressed trousers, and smart accessories. (Based on the Pinterest board)

Polished – Every look is put-together and intentional, with a sophisticated finish even in more casual pieces. (Based on my looks)

The first version just feels too tidy to me - too buttoned up somehow, whereas the second version resonates more for me. Maybe this isn’t the word to choose then??

I did like the word soft-structured as I’ve been considering replacing classic with structured - something my outfits have been lacking and was part of what left me feeling frumpy. But I would prefer not to use a hyphenated word as it feels like adding a fourth word. It might be necessary in the end - who knows.

Step 3: Analyse my wardrobe pieces

As a last prompt I uploaded screenshots of my clothing items from Indyx:

A section on my wardrobe / Style words suggested by ChatGPT

This is probably the most realistic representation of what I actually wear, as it isn’t based on a a selection of what I like, but on what I actually own. Interestingly for the first time the word practical is present:

Practical - Shoes for walking, weatherproof coats, casual knits, and crossbody bags point to a wardrobe built for real life, not just aesthetics.

Practicality plays a huge role in how I actually get dressed. If I can’t walk comfortably or commute by bike in it, it’s probably not going to get worn that much. Especially at home, practicality and comfort are main factors in what I wear.

Only the word elegant is present from the group of more polished/refined words, whereas in both the style words suggested on the basis of my Pinterest board and my favourite outfits this grouping was mentioned 3 times. It might be more of an aspirational word, but a necessary ingredient for me to like an outfit.

Neutral, tailored, relaxed, and minimalist are repeated across all three prompts, so maybe that should tell me something. In themselves these words just don’t really resonate with me… For the first time my original style word classic is included so apparently it isn’t that prominent in what I pin and wear (although as earlier mentioned you could argue that tailored could be seen as a synonym and it was used to describe some of the other words).

Considering new style words

ChatGPT isn’t in any shape or form a style authority, and in the end the style words have to resonate with me, but it was interesting to see which themes it found across my Pinterest board, outfits and wardrobe items.

Looking at my original words classic, relaxed and sophisticated - what could it make sense to replace them with based on this experiment and have them feel more like me?

Classic has started to feel a bit limiting, and the closest in this exercise tailored feels too buttoned up. Maybe structured could work as a more encompassing alternative? The word was used every time in the description of tailored, and it just speaks more to me. Structure can be included in an outfit in a lot of different ways, not just through classic and tailored pieces. It’s also easier to incorporate in more casual outfits worn outside work, whereas classic was more prominent in my office looks.

Relaxed - I’ve been thinking if this comes across as more casual than I intend and therefore doesn’t quite say what I want it to, even though ChatGPT included it in all three prompts. I can see myself in this version:

Relaxed – Despite the tailoring, fabrics and cuts often suggest comfort: wide-leg pants, soft knits, flowy tops, and elastic waistbands.

Could comfortable or maybe practical work as one of my style words or am I better off keeping relaxed? Although I do want my outfits to be practical, I’m not sure I’d like to describe my style as practical - for me it gives an outdoorsy feeling which isn’t how I want to dress - It might be a too literal word?? Practical outfits can for me also very easily end up feeling frumpy - something I really want to avoid! I would like a word that counters the structured element and softens it a bit. For now I’ll go with comfortable as both physical and mental comfort is quite important to me.

The last word sophisticated was something I chose based on Indyx’s style quiz as quite an aspirational word. I didn’t aspire to be described as sophisticated or really feel like that, but it was more of a tool to pull me in the direction of feeling more chic and elegant. At the moment elegant feels too old fashioned for some reason. Other similar words suggested were refined and polished, but as mentioned the latter can lean a little to tidy… Currently chic best represents how I want to feel in my outfits, although the question is if it’s too broad and not directional enough. I would have to define clearly what chic means to me for this to work (which might be a topic for another time).

So using Allison Bornstein’s method up for consideration as my style words are:

• Comfortable as my practical word

• Structured as my aspirational word

• Chic as my emotional word

Or should it actually be structured as the practical, chic as the aspirational and comfortable as the emotional word??? Confusing myself here - I guess the order isn’t the most important thing.

ChatGPT only (mainly?) knows what I provided it with and doesn’t take my whole person into consideration, but it’s description of what it called my style “why” was scarily accurate (or maybe I’m just that predictable):

Your Style “Why”:
You likely:

• Prioritize comfort and ease, but never at the cost of style.

• Enjoy feeling grounded, elegant, and quietly confident.

• Want your wardrobe to be versatile and travel-friendly.

• Prefer a curated wardrobe over trend-hopping.

Should I just scrap it all?

And while working on this

Asta / Aastha

posted her brilliant article about how she made the 3-word method work for her when the 3 words started to feel more like rules than freedom (I did say this has been sitting in the drafts for a while!). If you haven’t read it yet, you definitely should!

How I made the 3-word method actually work for me

Essentially she suggests focusing on mindset words that describe how you want to feel and how you show up inside the outfit instead of visual words that describes the clothes - especially if you are feeling three words are limiting. Our style words might be too literal and she invites us to dig one level deeper and ask ourselves why we like something.

If one of your words keeps feeling “off,” don’t toss it. Just go one layer deeper. Ask yourself what kind of person wears that thing you love. And whether that person might already be you. - Asta/Aastha

I considered scrapping the whole ChatGPT section above (and thereby essentially this whole article), but kept going, because it was still a fun exercise and gave me food for thought. Which words resonated, which didn’t and why as well as which themes were present across the different prompts. What ChatGPT can provide are primarily visual words - not mindset words.

The question is - are structured, comfortable and chic too visual, too limiting, or do they describe how I want to feel? In some ways they actually do describe how I want to feel, but I might need to dig deeper to get to the why. For now I will probably stick with those words and allow myself to sit with them. See how they feel and if they are helpful in rebuilding my wardrobe and putting outfits together. The style words will change and evolve over time, and it’s okay not to have the final answer - there isn’t one anyway, as we keep evolving as persons.

Depending where you are in your style journey, mindset words could actually feel too broad if you need to hone in on your style. Visual words might feel more directional and be easier to interpret into an outfit. But if only having 3 words feels limiting, mindset words are probably a better fit like Asta/Aastha recommends.

I love this quote from Asta/Aastha’s article:

That’s where having the right words helps. They make sure that how you’re showing up matches how you want to be seen. When your clothes, your energy, your presence are all pulling in the same direction, you don’t have to work so hard to explain who you are. It comes through effortlessly.

Having my style words ensure that I’m showing up as how I want to be seen and having my clothes, energy and presence match - that’s truly something I would love to achieve. I might not be there yet, but what a goal to be working towards!

Reflections

Using ChatGPT as a tool to analyse my Pinterest boards, outfits and wardrobe has helped me define my new style words, but more through reflecting on the suggested words and how I felt about them than choosing the exact words that was suggested. ChatGPT is a great tool for analysing visual data and might suggest themes or style words you hadn’t thought of yourself - but it is limited to visual clues and what’s generally associated with those you provide it with. For me it’s important to see it as a tool and not an authoritative truth.

In the end the words has to feel right to me, and that’s where my intuition and emotions come into play. Only you can tell which style words feels right at this moment.

I would love to know: Have you tried using ChatGPT related to style and fashion? If you try the above exercise, please let me know what you think! Are your style words visual or mindset words?

1. Proportions might not be completely accurate.

2. With the standard version of ChatGPT you can only upload 3 photos per day, so this was done over several days.