Why do I need a personal style?
Often people think that personal style is only for people who are very much into fashion or stylist. But dressing up affects everyone. Believe it or not, your style speaks for you. You wake up in the morning, get ready, dress up and the look is going to be with you all day. Then why not make it in a way with your personal best style that helps you get the best version of yourself every time?
‘Style is a reflection of your attitude and your personality’. -Shawn Ashmore
Do you remember that shopping scene from the iconic movie ‘pretty woman'? Where in the shop she was ignored and insulted because of her outer appearance without being unaware that she had a lot of money to buy those expensive outfits. That scene was stuck in my heart because it showed that yes people do judge you sometimes by your outer appearance.
We all know the saying: Don't judge the book by its cover. Well that's true but it's also true that a cover makes a first impression about the book. The same true for your outer appearance. People always tend to make judgments quickly based on their first appearance. In today's date and time appearance is very important because people tend to judge more form appearance than from reality.
The very first thing in your journey for personal styling is:
Accept who you are:
There is a certain way that God has made us. Nobody is perfect, we are only human. Don’t dig too much to change something that you can’t. Accept to live with it and make peace with yourself. It’s not about who you think you should be, it’s about who you BELIEVE you are. Accept yourself as who you are. Know your strengths and weaknesses. So that you can emphasize more on your strength and work on your weaknesses. You need to overcome feeling inferior to others.
Good grooming serves as a distinct promoter to have a winning personality.
Let’s remember those times when you felt like you were confident about your dressing and overall outer appearance. Usually when we think of this the answer is wedding, party, or any social gatherings or any most important events. And this is so true because those are the occasions you want to look and present yourself best.
Haven’t you ever noticed that when you are perfectly dressed and have your best outer appearance, it makes you more confident? That confidence shows in your walk, talk, and behavior. Do you remember those days when you walked out with a feeling being most stylish? Have a list of those outfits and looks that made you feel confident. This will help you in defining your true personal style. Think of what is important to you when it comes to dressing right.
Let’s look in to in detail on how to define your style and look confident every day.
Attire:
Personality reflects your skills and abilities but your attire is very important towards building your personality. Right attire boosts your mood and confidence. Your attire affects the way you present yourself before others. Therefore, you should pay attention to the clothes that you wear that suit your body type, structure and according to occasion. Your style may be casual, classic or professional but if you don’t have appropriate attire for the occasion it will put you in the spot of being uncomfortable. It is about having that respect for the occasion and people involved in it. It's good to find about the dress code or attire for a particular occasion or party or any meeting. If you can't, wearing formal or formal casual is most of the time a good pick. Nothing feels good than looking your best.
There is a huge difference when you meet with people when you are in your best attire and when you are not. Just imagine yourself that one day you have wrinkled clothes on and the other day you are all suited up with best attire. You will notice the difference in how you meet people.
Because when you look great you feel great. That feeling brings confidence in you. you are happier and it shows in your behavior and actions. That is why is the reason for many companies to have business attire for their employees. It is always assumed that the best dress person is well organized, sharp and detail-oriented. Unfortunately, those are all assumptions and not facts but your attire speaks for you a lot. Then why not dress to impress? Being well dressed empowers you with confidence in yourself. The first impression always lies in how you look, how you are dressed.
Style that is unique to you:
There could be many different styles but which one is unique to you? To find your unique style work on your regular looks versus the looks that made you feel confident or the looks that you might think would help you look your best. You can go to a stylist or image consultant or any friend whom you think has a better sense of dressing and appearance.
There are different looks you will find help with on the internet. There are different ways on how to enhance your body type whether it is tall short wide or any type. You can find appropriate outfits that suit your body type. Style doesn’t mean only your outfits. It means your over all look including your hair, makeup, accessories like watches, bags…etc. Work on your look that you are comfortable, confident and easy to pull it off for you.
you might like someone else in the look that is different and not feel comfortable when you try it. And it’s perfectly okay to be that way. Because every individual is different. If you try something that might look perfect on you but if you are not confident and comfortable in it, it will show up right away. You want to have the style that is perfectly unique to you and you feel like you can pull it off easily whether it’s in your casual, formal casual or classic looks.
Let's face it everyone wants to look their best. Some have the dressing sense and etiquette and some don't know it at all or those who have it but afraid to have that particular style. And it's perfectly fine. Style doesn't mean you have to copy someone. You don't want to try something crazy that will look good on you but you are not comfortable carrying it.
Think about those models in fashion shows that represents look by designers. Despite some crazy looks, the walk of the models is confident. It's all about how to carry the style and how much you are comfortable and confident in it. The one thing that looks good on others might not be the best choice for your style.
As we discussed earlier, your outer appearance talks a lot about you before you even start a conversation. So, make sure you get that right. But don't change into something drastically which is out of your comfort zone. This will work the opposite way. You might have the best outfit on you but it will bring down your confidence if you're feeling awkward or out of place in that outfit. If that happens then it's not your style. Be it in a way that boosts your confidence within.
You know yourself better. We all have that sixth sense or gut filling. Listen to yourself and then start working on improving your outer appearance. Never step out for any meeting or interview or any important occasion without having work on your best look. And believe me, when you do that half battle is already won for being the best of U.
Have a second look at your closet:
Standing In front of a closet and thinking I have too many clothes, I don't have anything to wear or I am too confused about what to wear. Even if I find something to wear, I am not sure if that is what I wanted to wear. All these situations sound familiar?
It’s good to have a second look at your closet. Do you have more items with the same patterns or colors? Do you have too many things in your closet that adds to more confusion when it comes to picking up the outfit? Have a wardrobe consultation or wardrobe change.
You can do this by consulting an expert, friend or just by organizing your closet by yourself. You will have a clear idea on what to buy and what you don’t need to buy. You might find some mix and matches and you don’t have to spend extra.
You don't have to buy too many outfits/jewelry or other accessories. Buy a few nice outfits and accessories like watches, jewelry or any other thing that would go perfectly with the outfit. Is there anything in your wardrobe that you got nice comments and compliments about the look? Keep those separate to help you define what makes you look the best version of yourself. Look for those colors and styles that enhance your personality better. Try different looks but then stick to those where you think you can pull it off comfortably and confidently.
Body language:
Your body language speaks more about you to people compared to your actual conversations. It plays an important role to shape your personality. It’s all about how you talk, sit, your gestures, eye contact and everything that forms a part of your personality. It doesn't matter how perfectly you are dressed if you don't have good body language and posture. Like attitude, body language also has its negative and positive outcomes. Be it how you stand, sit or eye contact, your body language is one of the very important ways of direct connect to people.
Let's see what fall under negative body language. Avoiding eye contact, cross legs or arms, tapping fingers, nail-biting all of these are signs of a negative body language. The very first important part of body language is eye contact. When you are talking to someone have eye contact. It shows how confident you are. Avoiding eye contact is an indicator that you are nervous or uncomfortable. Never cross your arms or legs. Always stand and sit straight. Avoid slouching. Practice good posture and positive body language.
To find out more on how to bring out the best from you i recommend my book ' Find The Best In U- A quick guide to have a personal style combined with positive attitude and inner strength. Below is the link for the book :