When you put on your favourite outfit, you feel good, right. Clothing has a natural power to affect your mood and motivation. The right outfit will unleash a whole new confidence for you to take on your most challenging tasks.
When you get up each day, you may automatically reach for an outfit unconsciously without thought. It feels familiar, easy and comfortable. The decision you make can flow through to how you feel and shape your mood for the rest of the day. So, when you feel flat or uninspired during the day it might have something to do with the clothes you selected.
There is research to show that the outfit you choose has a lot to do with your mood for the day. If you are feeling stressed or unhappy you may choose clothing that will hide you from the world. When you choose your favourite, well cut and designed outfit your mood improves, and you feel more confident.
Clothes have the power to give you a positive energy boost to inspire creativity and help you deal with a challenging day.
How to create a confidence boosting wardrobe
Step One – Find your authentic self and style
Start by getting to know yourself and who you are. What message do you want to send to the world? How would you describe yourself? What are your values? Understanding yourself from the inside is the start of expressing your authentic self externally – comfortably and confidently.
Step two – What clothes do you really love?
What styles, colours and materials grab your attention? What style of clothing lights you up? Take a walk through some stores in your local shopping mall. What styles are you drawn to? Maybe start with one or two items and experiment with how they make you feel while wearing them.
Step three- harness your unique beauty
Yes, everyone has their own unique style and you should take some time to discover your own personal style. Get to know your body shape and try out different lengths and sizes that bring out your unique beauty. The right style will emphasise your confidence and what you thought made you vulnerable, could turn out to be your biggest strength.
Step four – experiment with different colours
While the psychology of colour is a topic in itself, the key takeaway is that colour can express your feelings and boost your mood just as equally as the style. Colours are important to expressing how you feel. They not only show emotion but can bring out your unique features such as eye colour or skin tone. Get to know your unique colour pallete to create your own look. Experiment with colours, textures, patterns and accessories until you find what makes you look and feel good.
Step five – Find materials that feel good
The feel of the right material against your skin also boosts confidence and mood. Use your senses of touch and feel to experiment with different materials and how they feel when you wear them. Fabrics of cotton, linen, silk and wool are natural fibres which bring you closer to nature and feel grounding.
Step six – practical, functional and freedom
Clothing that is restrictive can feel like it is controlling how you move. Choose items that allow you to move freely, feel comfortable and add to your confidence. For example, as we move into summer, light and flowy will keep you cool and comfortable.
Step seven – keep evolving
Of course, over the years your style will change as you change so don’t lock yourself into one style. Your wardrobe at 21 will certainly change at 30 and so on. Your style will evolve at each stage of your life, so it is not uncommon to refresh your wardrobe every five or ten years. The key thing to remember is to ensure that your clothes reflect you, feel good, boost your confidence and most importantly make you happy.