Dear sexy beast,
Are you wearing your power right?
A major component in building confidence is feeling good when you look at yourself in the mirror. Therefore, choosing the right clothes is powerful when building confidence and self-esteem.
There’s no golden rule that states you must find confidence through stiletto heels or an Armani suit. Finding your own style is about finding clothes that makes you feel your absolute best in your own skin.
You do not have to wear what’s currently trending to be considered “stylish” or to look at your absolute best. Make a style work for you, not what a magazine or a fashion influencer is recommending to wear for the season (unless you’re in the fashion industry, then that might a tad different).
Listen to Your Body Language When Trying On Clothes
Listen to your body language. When you’re digging a style, your body will talk without you
needing to say anything.
Some cues to look for when listening to your body are:
Posture straightening without needing to remind yourself when staring at the mirror
Grinning, smirking or smiling in a “damn I look good” kind of way
Momentarily forgetting about those areas you’re embarrassed about
Let’s face it, we tend to be our worst critics. We tend to look ourselves in the mirror only to pick and choose which body part we could do without and snip. Instead of maintaining our toxic mentality, I empower you to fight those confidence breaking thoughts by looking for the signals above when trying on new clothes or styles.
Learn about yourself through the clothes you choose to wear.
A big mistake that most of us make is forcing confidence onto ourselves by grabbing wrong sizes or awkward fitting styles in hopes that our body will morph itself in the mirror. But only to find out that we managed to trigger more insecurities than we were prepared to face.
If you’re not planning on “fixing” trouble areas any time soon or your “work in progress” project isn’t going to give you any results in the next few days, refocus your search on clothes that make you feel good about your current physique.
Stop Blurring Comfort Lines
Let’s touch on the concept of comfort for a second. Comfort by definition is easing stress on the body, whether physically or emotionally. We can all agree that comfort is a good thing to have and a concept that we all seek in everyday life.
I want to uncover the idea of “safe” clothing as a defense mechanism to mask insecurities to the point where we don’t have to deal with them.
Looking to tips and tricks to create illusion fixes to our problem areas is perfectly fine. What I am referring to is limiting yourself to one type of style just because you’re afraid that you would like silly in a brand new one.
For example, hiding in “yoga” pants because you’re scared of trying something new or because it’s the “only” style that fits your body right now. Or settling for flats instead of heels or wedges due to fear of not pulling off the feminine or “womanly” look. Or, for my men out there, wearing “feminine” shades because it’s not “manly” enough… or that funky curled up mustache?
Today, I challenge you to fight the narrowed mindset that you’ve been used to as a crutch to keep yourself from blooming into the impeccable person that breaks necks when trotting down the street. I’m excited to share a few tips that you might just love!
Get Bolder with Colors Even When You’re Scared
Have fun with colors! Don’t be afraid to try on new colors in your wardrobe. This doesn’t mean that you have to be extreme but if you’re ready for a new challenge, go for it!
Many of us prefer to blend in a crowd rather than standing out in it. Blending allows us to “fit in” or not be judged by others. It gives us the opportunity to be “safe”.
But I want to remind you that if you’re working on yourself, whether that’s self-esteem or confidence, then you need to step out of your comfort zone just a tad bit.
To grow or improve, you need to experience a little discomfort. Allow yourself to explore a bit of the unknown. Exploring yourself is exactly the right dose of medicine you need when focusing on self-improvement.
Learn about yourself. There’s always something to learn and, most importantly, it’s invigorating! But you need to give yourself the opportunity to take that journey. It’s not about how the world sees you. It’s about taking a personal adventure for yourself.
While it’s easier said than done, start separating yourself from other people’s opinions. Focus less on what others may think and more about how you feel. Truth is, each person is different and everyone has their own demons.
If someone is focusing their energy too much on you and what you choose to wear, then that means:
1) You’re noticeable so pat yourself on the shoulder for not being invisible and/or
2) They are too busy deflecting their own demons by focusing on you, in which case, you could recommend them to this blog so that they can begin their personal journey too!
It’s time to let your confidence radiate.
Basic Psychology on Color Schemes
When boosting confidence through your clothes, it’s important to become familiar with color. It’s no surprise that color is attractive. It’s easy to spot and distinctive, but more interestingly, color creates an emotional connection. For this reason, choosing the right color is powerful for self-image.
Color psychology is more common than you might think. Have you ever wondered why most fast food places have reds and yellows in their logos or restaurants?
Or why most spas or relaxation services will often go for earth tones, blues and greens?
This is because marketers and the business industry are well aware of how powerful colors can be to consumers and its influence in buying their products. (Sneaky right?)
Believe it or not, there are people out there that pay big bucks to learn about their personal color analysis. Color analysis is basically determining what colors match your skin tone, eye color and even hair color. It helps with finding out what colors flatter through optical illusion.
With this in mind, you want to steal from the business industry by reprogramming the way you choose your clothes. Look for colors that influence your self-perception and happiness.
Let’s re-learn some colors…
Blue is often used in the professional world because it’s a cool color. This means that it tends to project perceptions of intellect, logic, calmness and mental focus. It sells dependability and stability. For this reason, it’s very common to see businessmen in navy suits. Teal and aqua colors will also project calmness and comfort for those who wish brighter yet soft tones.
Green helps project peace, harmony and balance. It’s considered to be an earth tone that makes people feel safe and reassured. It’s also a color used to project growth (think of plants and trees). For this reason, it’s not uncommon to see individuals associating themselves with green if they’re focused on self-growth or financial growth.
Brown is also an earth tone that projects dependability. It’s often associated with resilience, security and safety, bringing to mind warmness and comfort. It is a good choice when projecting commitment.
Orange, while warmer in color, is an awesome choice to project security. Its boldness tends to influence and spike energy levels in individuals who opt for it. Orange is also often associated with enhancing the ability to make decisions. Because it is bold, people who are afraid of standing out in crowds typically won’t go for it. However, this is an excellent choice if you're trying to break barriers.
Yellow sparks creativity, confidence and warmness. This color is perfect if you’re working on boosting your confidence as it is associated with sunshine and happiness. Although it can be bright for some, if your goal is to radiate a room like the sun radiates our earth, you cannot go wrong with it.
Red helps with courage, strength, energy and excitement. It’s a color of power so if chosen brightly or in a larger amount, it can pose intimidation and it will draw attention wherever you go. For this reason, some women are intimidated by wearing lip stains in this shade because they’re afraid that they might not be able to pull it off. On another note, red is also a color of passion, love and romance. Ever wondered why Valentine’s Day decor always has red?
Black hints a level of sophistication; hence, no wonder it’s classic to have that “little back dress” and “black tux” for elegant gatherings. This color is associated with elegance, authority and mystery. In a wardrobe, black is a great color to have because it matches with everything. But be careful if you’re using this color as a default color because the thought of exploring other colors scares you. Choose your colors wisely for the goal you’re trying to attain.
The color wheel goes on and on but I will stop with these colors because they are most impactful in my opinion. I challenge you to explore colors that you normally wouldn’t wear, whether they’re solid or through patterns. The key is to learn how they make you feel!
What if everyone stares at you?
Let them stare! Hold your head high and own your look. The more you separate from opinions, the more confidence will radiate and the more contagious your own style will be on others.
I understand that this may be too scary, especially when trying on something new. Sometimes we seek reassurance from others to see if we made the right decision. But when it comes to self-exploration with the goals of seeking what makes you feel great, reassurance has to come from within.
Many of us focus too much on the spotlight effect when we’re insecure instead of remembering why we made the choice to wear what we have on. The spotlight effect is when we overestimate how much people around us are focusing on us. We feel like we’re being looked at every second, with our flaws being exposed to the world.
But really… Just like you have your own agenda for the day, many of them do too.
Try on some critic blockers. You may
know them as sunglasses. Sunglasses are an awesome way to cope with shyness or embarrassment when you feel that all eyes are on you. It keeps others from looking at you in the eyes and seeing through your fears.
I have personally found critic blockers to be an awesome tool and accessory. Not only does it add on to my style and protect my eyes
when I’m outside, but it elevates my confidence a notch by creating mystery.
Do some research, see what other tricks you can have up your sleeve. Whatever tool or trick you choose, use it with the intention to feel awesome. Remember, invest in yourself...you’re worth it.
Conclusion
This blog explores how you can boost confidence through clothes and color. Choosing the right clothes and colors is power because it creates an emotional connection when it’s time to look at yourself in the mirror. This post shares what to look for when exploring new styles in order to build self-esteem and feel great about yourself. It’s not a fashion piece that will tell you what you should wear but rather show how to focus on your reactive emotions when choosing wardrobe pieces. It also gives your awesome insight on color psychology so that you can begin playing with new colors and how they influence perspectives.
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