First impressions count, and it takes just seven seconds for someone to form an opinion about you. In that time, you will be judged on your confidence, likeability, perceived level of intelligence, self-esteem, trustworthiness amongst a host of other factors; and 55% of that judgment is based on your appearance.
What you wear sends powerful messages to the world about who you are, your values and beliefs as well as your hopes and aspirations.
Your clothes are not just something to throw on in the morning but an expression of who you are and who you want to be and as such are a powerful tool to “influence” people to get the life you want.
Have a look at the video below for a more detailed explanation of this and of the concept called thin slicing.
Style is more important than substance initially
Tony ROBBINS
Your style can open doors for you or get them slammed in your face! Once you’re through the door, then you have to back up the first impression with substance, but you have to first get through the door, and that’s where your appearance comes in.
But, the most important person you need to influence is yourself! What you wear sends a powerful signal to yourself about how you perceive your self-worth and directly impacts your confidence, your interaction with others and your esteem.
When you make the effort to dress your best, and show your body it is valued and respected, you will feel good about yourself, your confidence will soar and the ripple-effect will impact every aspect of your life.
When you make the effort to look good, you feel good and when you feel good, that’s when the magic happens.
Your outfit should make you feel like you can take on the world – it should make you feel confident and empowered and if it doesn’t then you are probably wearing the wrong outfit.
So, let’s have a look at how to determine if you’re wearing the RIGHT outfit. Take a little time at the end of the day to analyse your outfit, so that you can better understand your personal style identity, know what outfits work for you and what don’t, and also make small tweaks to improve your outfit for next time.
I also recommend taking photos of your outfit each day – they don’t have to be great quality as they are just for you, but just taking a quick “selfie” really helps you get clarity on what works for you and what doesn’t.
Let’s go through the list of questions to ask:
Do you feel the outfit sends the message you want and communicates your personal style ?
Does the outfit you are wearing express who you are as a person and convey the image you want it to? If not, why not? What image is it conveying?
How does it make you feel?
Do you immediately feel vibrant and confident? Does it make you sparkle, and would you be happy to meet an ex-boyfriend/ ex-boss wearing this outfit? Or does it make you feel self-conscious and that you would rather hide behind a pillar?
Does it fit you?
Does it fit perfectly? Or is is too big/ too small? Do you need to make an alteration? Would taking a garment to the tailor and having it adjusted to fit you elevate your look?
Does it flatter you?
Dressing for your body type is a big game-changer, so does this outfit flatter you and highlight your assets?
If not, why not? Does it make an area of your body look out of proportion? Can you make a small tweak to change that? For example, if you think that an outfit draws attention to your stomach and you’re not happy with that try adding a statement necklace to draw the eye up to your face.
Do you like the fabric?
Is the fabric comfortable? Does it hang well? Does it flatter you when you move or does it cling to your lumps and bumps? In general, quality fabrics such as silk and cotton and natural fabrics such as wool and cashmere will feel more luxurious next to your skin and will be more flattering.
Does it make you feel physically comfortable?
Were you too hot? too cold? If you love the outfit, consider tweaking it to add layers for next time so it is easier to regulate how warm or cold you are.
Does the colour make you come alive?
Wearing the right colours will enhance your natural colouring, make your skin glow, help you to look younger, camouflage redness and blemishes, make your eyes appear larger and brighter and make your face shape look more defined
What does this outfit do to you? Which colours make you look alive and which drain you?
Is it appropriate for the situation/ event?
Some outfits are appropriate for certain situations but not for others! It seems obvious, but whilst wearing shorts and a tee to the beach is perfectly acceptable, it is not appropriate for a business meeting or a job interview.
Do the combinations work?
It’s not just about what you wear, but how you wear it and combination is the key here.
This is a bit more complicated, so I am going to keep it short; but basically do the colours work all together? How about the prints and fabrics?
Finally, would you want to wear this outfit again?
So I can hear you saying, “But, why isn’t this the first question – because if the answer is “No”, then the other questions are irrelevant”.
However, it is still a worthwhile exercise to ask the other questions as the “Why not?” can give you lots of tips so that you don’t make the same mistake again, and can teach you a lot about what you like and what you don’t like, which is a great starting point to discover your style personality type.
And if the answer is “Yes”, take a photo and create a “mood board” to help you identify your style type and also to remember which outfits work for you!
If you enjoyed this article and want to discover more about how to analyse your outfit, I’m running a 5 day outfit challenge over in my Facebook Group, starting Monday 31st August.
Just click on the image below to join if you’re not already in the group and I look forward to seeing you there!
Join the 5 day Outfit Challenge
Finally, remember that the key to any style is to wear what feels good on you and what makes you happy !
You can also have a look here for some of our other style posts.
“Look good, Feel good, Live your best life”
Instagram @julia.rees_
