10 Steps to Stylish
Finding (and refining) personal style can be a struggle and it's not just about looking good or making a first impression; great style is also about approaching each day with confidence, and the ability greet the world feeling awesome and comfortable, with ease.
Here's my top ten tips for finding your own personal style.
1. Be honest with yourself: If you've reached a point where you feel stuck, bored or uninspired - do something about it. There is no reason at all why you should continue to feel this way about how you look. Make a decision to make a change.
2. Believe in YOU: No one knows the size a tag reads on the inside of your dress (and truthfully, no one cares!). A number shouldn't make you confident, but how you feel in your own skin should. And when you feel your best, you stand taller, smile wider, and people notice. Wear what makes you feel confident, because looking gorgeous is a state of mind and when you feel beautiful, you can make anything look good.
3. Stop comparing yourself to others: It’s natural to compare yourself to others, but what it does is create negative devaluing thoughts and unrealistic competition. Instead of getting lost in wanting to have her thighs or her wardrobe, switch the focus to you - your self confidence, your natural beauty, everything that makes you, you. It really is all about self acceptance.
4. Educate yourself: Flip the pages of fashion magazines, window shop in the most stylish stores, get ideas and advice from stylists and stylish friends, and just soak it all in. Immerse yourself in style until you actually “get” the difference between what is blah and what isn't. Soon, you will be able to hone in on what looks fantastic on you.
5. Do something: Settling for mediocre is unacceptable. Anyone, anywhere can find stylish clothing; all they need to do is look. Secondhand stores if that's all you can afford, online if modern fashion isn’t readily available in your town. There's no excuses. Make today your day to start looking fabulous.
6. Assess what's yours: Your entire wardrobe isn’t a complete fashion disaster. It may be as simple as understanding different ways to mix pieces that you already own with a few great, new fashion fixes, such as inexpensive accessories, to truly upgrade your style. Think out of the box and pair the unexpected for stylish results.
7. Set your limits: Just like you should never go to the supermarket on an empty stomach, you shouldn't go shopping for a new wardrobe totally clueless. Have a mental list of what you actually need and stick to it. Then you won’t be lured into buying frivolous sale items that will break your budget and do nothing to enhance your total look.
8. Find your fit: One of the secrets to looking chic, is a tailor. Take the time and effort to have your clothes altered to fit you perfectly. A little nip and tuck here and there can be the difference between looking dumpy and looking dynamite. But don’t expect total tailoring magic if something is simply not the right cut for you. Understand your shape and dress for it.
9. Don’t be a fashion victim: Just because something is in style and trendy, doesn’t mean it’s right for you, your figure, and your lifestyle. Be realistic about your shape and your body’s general proportions to avoid looking like a fashion victim. Dress smartly to camouflage figure flaws and spotlight figure assets. Adapt your clothing choices to flatter your figure.
10. Ask for help: When you build a house, you hire a professional builder, when you want the perfect photos on your wedding day, you enlist the help of a professional photographer. The same goes for style! Don't be afraid to enlist the help of a professional. Ask for advice and direction - it'll change how you shop, how you look at yourself and boost your confidence like you wouldn't believe.