Can I ask you a question? Do you think that clothes have the power to change the way you think and feel about yourself? I honestly think they do.
There have been times in my life when I’ve gotten dressed, looked in the mirror and thought – wow you look great! Certain clothes have made me feel like I could run for President or have given me the confidence to know that I can do anything I set my mind to. Do you know what I mean?
I believe that if you look good you feel good and how you dress can impact you both physically and mentally. Now I’m not saying that dressing well with get rid of all your problems but I do think that it can lift your general spirits and make you feel more confident.
No matter what it is you want from life, having confidence will help you to achieve it and is something I think we can all improve on. No-one is born with confidence. It is a tool which you need to learn and develop and one of the strategies to this is the impact it makes on you and others when you look good.
There are so many ways you can build your confidence and using how you dress is a great way to start. This might seem superficial to you but I honestly believe that you should use what you have to the best of your ability on both the inside and outside to make an impact.
So here are my top 5 simple steps to improving your confidence through style and putting together pieces which work best for you.
1. Focus On What You Like
Your style is exactly that – YOUR style! How you want to dress and the impact you want to make is completely up to you. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that what you are wearing is wrong. If you love it – go rock it! Of course you can follow trends and be inspired by what other people are wearing but at the end of the day wear what works best for you and what you feel comfortable in.
I love the Adidas t-shirt with the check midi skirt and the Manolo Blahnik shoes in these pictures but I have to be honest, I wasn’t sure about posting them because all I could see was my big belly. I’m certainly not a fan of the middle-aged spread but you know what I just have to work with it for now.
Instead of concentrating on what you don’t like about yourself think about what you do like and highlight that. If you’re tall – rock your legs and your height! If you have good arms – rock those! If you have a good butt – rock that booty! Focusing on your best assets will help to improve your confidence and make you feel like anything is possible so stop focusing on what you think are your flaws!
2. Have Fun With Fashion
I love fashion and what I have learnt is that there are no rules. You can do whatever you like and wear whatever you want in any way, shape or form. Isn’t that great! I’m a huge lover of colour so for me the more colourful an outfit the better. I think when you incorporate colour into your wardrobe it helps to lift your mood. Now I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with black or darker colours but don’t you feel better in the summer when you’re wearing the lighter, brighter colours?
Don’t forget to experiment with your style. If you would have told me that wearing an Adidas t-shirt with a check midi skirt and strappy sandals would work I would’ve thought you were crazy – but I think it does and I kinda like it! So don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and mix up your style a little – you might be pleasantly surprised!
3. Be Confident And Comfortable
As women I know that one of the key issues we can have when it comes to our style is wearing clothes which look great on someone else but are not so easy for us to wear. For instance, I LOVE heels but as I’ve gotten older I find that I’m struggling to wear high heels for more than a few hours.
It’s frustrating as I do think a nice pair of heels can take an outfit to another level. However, it is important to realise your limitations and make adjustments accordingly. I now find that being stylish (and comfortable) are key for me. I may not be able to wear the heels for as long as I would like so a solution for me could be to buy slightly lower heels, carry a pair of flat shoes in my bag or just make sure I’m only out for a certain length of time.
Wearing something that either doesn’t feel comfortable or suit you will make you feel less confident so only wear clothes that make you feel on top of the world regardless of what other people think or are wearing.
4. Choose Empowering Items
One of my favourite pieces in my wardrobe is my Balmain blazer. The cut, fit and style of it are genius and when I wear it I really do feel like I can rule the world. When I’m wearing it it really does elevate my confidence and the way I feel about myself to another level.
It’s important to identify items in your wardrobe that make you feel your best. Which items do you own make you feel like Wonder Woman? Once you’ve located your favourite items you can then look at creating a number of different styles so that you can wear them regularly. This is a great way to get the most out of your clothes and improve the cost per wear.
Now you don’t have to go crazy and change your whole wardrobe! I am sure you have a few pieces that you can mix and match and you might be surprised at how a few small changes can make a big difference to an outfit and make you feel more confident.
5. Love Yourself
Last and by no means least, I would encourage you to be kind to yourself. I know I’ve been talking about how the way you dress can impact your confidence but everything starts from the inside. You don’t want to look fabulous on the outside but still feel low and have self-doubt on the inside.
There is nothing more powerful than a woman who knows who she is and who exudes confidence both internally and externally. I know it is a work in progress for us all and we can use style and fashion to help us look and feel better but it is important to take some time out and think about how you can improve your thoughts and the words you say to yourself.
I believe that everything that you want in this world starts with knowing who you are and loving yourself first. So even if you’re dressed head to toe in black or wearing the simplest of outfits, you can still exude confidence because you’re shining your light for the world to see.
What items in your wardrobe help you to feel more confident? I would love to know how your style impacts how you feel about yourself.