woman identity fashion outfit
Let’s talk about fashion, getting dressed and being stylish

Ya know that person who’s always like, “Stop worrying about what other people think about your outfit, it’s fine…” Can that person just stop, because we do care. We can pretend that we don’t, but we all do and we all know it. I’ll say it again for emphasis: WE. And not necessarily because we’re insecure. We care about how we present ourselves because when we look good, we usually feel good too. Can we agree on that?

Do you ever get dressed, and then look in the mirror and think to yourself… why am I wearing a clown suit?

Was that too drastic? let me try again

Do you ever find yourself struggling to get dressed because you’re not sure what to wear? That was a pretty broad question, so I’m sure many of you can relate.

My friends and I always send each other photos of our outfits in order to confirm that we look presentable and appropriate. And trendy tooooo, can’t forget about the cool factor. While validation from friends is cool and all, it gets pretty tiring to keep snapping photos back and forth. And you know what else? Once a friend gives you their advice or their opinion on your outfit, you might feel more compelled to take that advice. Even if it’s CLEARLY bad advice. I have often found myself regretting an outfit change because of something a friend said. Can anyone relate?

Let me be clear, I am not knocking the ‘phone a friend’ method of getting dressed. Sometimes we really do need help with our outfits. I know there are times when I’m nervous about an event, and need outfit validation from my friends. It helps me feel secure. Makes sense, right? But I want us to minimize our need for validation, I want us to always feel confident and secure in our outfit choices.

In the last few years I’ve made it a point to pay closer attention to fashion and style. I’ve taken mental notes on what works and why. It takes some effort and concentration, but you should try it! You really have to look at a person and ask yourself why their outfit is so awesome. I’ve learned that cool clothing is not the answer to being more stylish. It’s the imperfect science of pairing a specific physique to a specific clothing item. For example, an off-the-shoulder neckline might look amazing on somebody who has a smaller bust and more slender shoulders. A person with a fuller bust might not look as wonderful in that neckline, but may look better with a halter-style neckline.

I try to learn via perception as much as I can, but without being a total stalker I can only perceive so much. Recently, I decided to take my interest in fashion and styling to the next level. So I did what I do best, obsessive googling. And what I discovered is a whole book genre of fashion. There are books on style tips, the art of getting dressed, the importance of a little black dress, it’s so fabulous. Who’d a thunk it? These books are actually really helpful, especially for our more clueless fashion friends, you know who you are.

I have found that these books are most helpful if you use them as a tool and not as casual reading material. These books can help you kick your style into gear and totally warp your look for the better. Check ‘em out:

The way you dress asserts the type of person you are! So get reading and dress to be your best YOU.

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