If you have been following my blog from the beginning, you know I started it to help others discover their signature style and to feel better in their own skin. I hope you are finding juicy bits of style information as well as encouragement from reading it. Something occurred to me during a restorative yoga class this week (when I am supposed to be not thinking). It is very important to ask yourself this question: Who am I dressing for? The answer I’d like you to utter is, “I am dressing for myself.”
However, too often we find ourselves dressing for others. We dress in a certain way to fit in (or so we think), or we dress in a way we hope will cause others to like us or to gain acceptance from our family. While it is nice for others to enjoy what you are wearing and to receive compliments on your appearance, ultimately the only way to be happy with your style is to dress in a way that is pleasing to you. We’ve all heard women don’t dress for men, they dress for other women. What woman hasn’t put on a dress that looks smashing and had thoughts of her girlfriends being jealous? Those fleeting moments in the style spotlight are fabulous, but at the end of the day you have to feel good about yourself and project an authentic style every day of the week.
What do you love to wear? What colors, fabrics, textures, cuts and styles do you enjoy? What puts a smile on your face and makes you feel more like yourself? Those are the things you should be wearing. Don’t worry what your partner will think or what your friends and family might say. This isn’t about them. This is about you. Your style is YOURS. It is as unique as you are. Discovering your style and living it out is simply a matter of self-awareness and being yourself regardless of what others think.
If you’ve heard me say it once, you’ve heard it a hundred times: buy what you love. If you see a piece that is just okay or good enough, put it back. It doesn’t suit you. When you follow your instincts and stop worrying about everyone else, you discover yourself and your signature style in the process.
One of my specialties is helping men and women discover their style words, which work together in creating their personal style statement. If you would like more information about this process, please get in touch with me. I always love hearing from you!