Your signature style isn’t found in a category. It’s created through understanding the principles that guide your choices.
In this article, I’m talking about maps versus labels – both in personality systems and in style systems. You’ve probably experienced this: you get typed as something, you follow the recommendations, and somehow you still don’t feel like yourself. That’s because a label tells you what you are, but a map shows you how to navigate.
I’ll share how I use personality type as a navigation tool instead of a box, and how the same principle applies to developing your signature style. We’ll talk about why most style systems give you labels when what you actually need is a map. And I’ll show you what changes when you understand the principles behind your personal style instead of just following category rules.
Maps Versus Labels in Personality
I want to tell you about a decision I made recently that shows how this works.
Someone offered me paid work doing housecleaning. I had the time for it. And honestly, I’m in the middle of an emergency kitchen remodel, so I could really use the money. But I said no, and I felt completely settled about it. No guilt. No second-guessing. No wondering if I made the right call.
Here’s what was different: I had a process for making the decision.
I checked in with my internal logic first. Objectively, I’m not good at housecleaning. It’s not an efficient use of my skills or time. That’s just the practical reality.
Then I checked in with my values. I believe deeply that everyone should operate in their giftedness. That’s how we collectively meet our goals best – when each person is doing what they’re uniquely good at. That’s a core conviction for me.
When I considered both the practical reality and my core values, the decision was clear and grounded.
Now, here’s where the map versus label idea comes in.
Understanding Your Decision-Making Wiring
Most people know their personality type as a label. “I’m an ENFJ.” “I’m a Type 4.” And that’s fine as far as it goes. But it doesn’t actually help you make better decisions unless you understand how your mind is wired to process information.
In personality typing, there are four ways your mind needs to function. You need to take in information, evaluate that information, connect to your inner world, and engage with the outer world. Everyone uses all four, but we each have different strengths and blind spots in how we do this.
Some people naturally make decisions based on external factors. What works? What’s efficient? What creates harmony? Those are valid considerations. But if that’s your default, you might have a blind spot around checking in with your internal factors – your personal logic and your core values.
Other people naturally decide based on internal factors. What makes sense to them personally? What aligns with their values? Also valid. But they might need to intentionally check in with external reality – what actually works in the world, what impacts other people.
The map approach to personality typing helps you understand which mode comes naturally to you and which one requires intentional attention. When you know that, you can make more balanced decisions.
That’s what happened with my housecleaning decision. I’m someone who naturally focuses on external factors – I see what needs to be done, I think about what works for everyone involved. So I have to be intentional about checking in with my internal logic and my values. Once I had that map of how I make decisions, I could navigate that choice with confidence.
Why This Matters for Signature Style
The exact same thing happens with style systems.
Most style systems give you a label. You’re a Spring. You’re a Dramatic Classic. You’re a Type 4. And then they give you a list of recommendations that go with that label. Wear these colors. Choose these silhouettes. Avoid those patterns.
And you try to follow the recommendations, but something feels off. Maybe the colors are technically right but they don’t feel like you. Maybe the silhouettes work on paper but you feel like you’re wearing a costume. You followed the rules, but you still don’t feel confident.
That’s because the label approach doesn’t teach you how to navigate your own choices. It tells you what category you fit into, but it doesn’t give you the tools to make decisions that feel right for your specific life, your specific body, your specific personality.
What a Style Map Looks Like
A signature style map is different. It helps you understand the principles behind the recommendations so you can make your own navigation decisions.
Think about color, for example. A label approach says, “You’re a Spring, so wear peach and coral and warm yellows.” A map approach says, “Your coloring has these specific characteristics – this level of contrast, this undertone, this intensity. When you understand those principles, you can evaluate any color and know whether it will work with your natural coloring.”
Same thing with body design. A label approach says, “You’re a Romantic, so wear soft, rounded shapes.” A map approach says, “Your body has these proportions and these curves. When you understand the principle of visual echo – repeating what’s already there – you can look at any garment and know whether it will harmonize with your structure.”
And personality works the same way. A label approach says, “You’re an ENFJ, so you should dress in a polished, put-together way.” A map approach says, “You make decisions by considering what creates harmony and what impacts people. Understanding that about yourself helps you choose clothes that let you show up the way you naturally operate in the world.”
If you want to explore how different personality patterns connect to signature style choices, I have a free Guide to Design Psychology that breaks this down. It shows how each cognitive function creates a different style vibe and which personality types use those functions. It’s a great introduction to using personality as a map instead of a label.
The Principles Behind Your Signature Style
When you understand the principles, everything changes.
You’re not asking, “What should a Spring wear?” You’re asking, “Does this color harmonize with my natural coloring?”
You’re not asking, “What does a Dramatic Classic look like?” You’re asking, “Does this silhouette create visual balance with my body’s proportions?”
You’re not asking, “What’s appropriate for my personality type?” You’re asking, “Does this feel congruent with how I naturally show up in the world?”
Those are completely different questions. And they lead to completely different closets.
My clients often come to me wanting to know their Kibbe type or their color season. They’re looking for a label. And I understand that impulse – labels feel like answers. But through our work together, they develop something more valuable. They develop a feel for the vibe they want to achieve. They learn the specific artistic techniques that create that vibe for their unique combination of coloring, structure, and personality.
They create their own map.
How to Start Creating Your Signature Style Map
So how do you move from collecting labels to creating your own navigation system?
You start with understanding your decision-making wiring. That’s the foundation. When you know how you naturally make choices and where your blind spots are, you can approach every style decision with more clarity.
That’s what we do in The Congruence Code. We have a personality profiling conversation that reveals how you make your best decisions naturally and what might be your blind spots. It’s not about putting you in a box. It’s about giving you a map of your own internal territory so you can navigate confidently.
Then we align your colors with your energy through a Seasonal Energy palette. But it’s not just “here are your colors.” It’s “here’s why these colors work with your specific energy and coloring.” You understand the principles so you can make your own choices.
Understanding the principles behind your signature style – not just your category – is the most effective way to make confident wardrobe decisions.
Here’s something simple you can do this week to integrate these principles into your wardrobe:
Think about a recent style decision where you felt uncertain. Maybe you bought something that looked great on the hanger but you never wear it. Or you followed a recommendation from a style system but it didn’t feel right.
Write in your journal: What made that decision feel uncertain? Were you following a label without understanding the principle? What would you need to know about yourself – your coloring, your proportions, your personality, your lifestyle – to navigate that decision with more confidence next time?
This reflection will start showing you where you need more map and less label.
And if you want help creating that map, check out The Congruence Code.