Last month, I shared about the struggle that I have with fear and lack of self confidence. It shows itself in the whole process of how I dress. You can read about it here. Since then, I’ve been taking one small step in the effort to get unstuck. It’s been pretty simple: just find something to wear everyday that I love. So, here’s an update on what I’ve been noticing:
No matter what they are, your emotions play a big part in working out your style . I had gotten pretty good at ignoring and downplaying my responses to what I was admiring, buying and wearing. I was definitely experiencing emotion; I was just afraid to acknowledge and act on it. Hate, like, or love? I’m in retraining. I don’t know how many times I’ve evaluated everything in my closet these last few weeks. I hate the phrase, but it’s appropriate; I’m getting in touch with my emotions. Gah!!! Finding just one loved item everyday has felt like a safe way to start exercising a healthier response (do we have a pulse?! yes we do!). Rarely did anyone notice whatever the daily choice was (and that’s definitely not the point), but I made sure that I did (and that certainly IS the point). Throughout the day I would remind myself to notice what I chose and to pay attention to the good feeling it brings. Good feeling?! Why yes, wearing what you love (or really like) FEELS GOOD! Who would have thought? Challenging myself to do this everyday has renewed my awareness of that spark, and it’s something I look forward to. It’s up there with eating chocolate (in my opinion :)
Try to understand what your feelings are telling you. Experiencing and acknowledging an emotional response is great, but figuring out what it means is something else. Whenever I see someone in an amazing outfit that looks appealing to me; I want to ask them why they chose it. Whatever they’re doing, it’s working. So, now when I’ve found whatever-it-is I’m loving for the day, I try to dig for the why. In fact, I’m doing it with everything. Why do I love or hate it? Why is it only like and not love? Sometimes it’s the color, or the fit, or whatever. Take note and figure out how to do more of it. Or less of it. Or never again.
Wearing the things you love are the building blocks of personal style. Now, I can’t imagine getting dressed without looking for at least one thing that I love. It feels way better than wearing an outfit that feels completely “meh!” Wearing what ignites that inner spark puts a unique stamp on your look, and that’s the stuff of style.
Who would have thought that such a simple practice would help get a little closer to what can feel so elusive. It's definitely a way to get one step further in the way we practice our style, and that my friends, is progress.