Have you ever noticed how a new outfit can change the way you feel about yourself? Maybe it’s slipping into a full length halterneck patterned silk chiffon party frock that you bought in ‘that’ shop (the one you always walk by and long to have a reason to walk in). Or maybe it’s a sleek and sophisticated wool work shift dress that exudes quality, luxury and power and makes you feel like you’ve just walked out of the doors of Chanel.
In either of those scenarios, you will feel different when you put on the two different outfits. It’s like putting on different personalities or experimenting with different personalities each time you change your outfit style.
What you wear has a profound impact on how you think, and how you think has an equal impact on what you wear.
Personal style is more than a reflection of what you want to wear each day – it’s a powerful tool that can transform your self-image and boost your confidence.
The way you present yourself to the world speaks volumes, not just to others but to yourself as well. When you dress in a way that feels authentic and true to who you are, you being to see yourself differently, and that shift can lead to greater self-assurance and a stronger sense of identity.
Whether you’re just beginning to discover your style or looking to refine it, this blog post will help you on your journey to a more confident you.
If you’d like to listen to the podcast episode you can listen in here:
Understanding your personal style
A definition
Personal style is the unique way in which you express yourself thorugh clothing, accessories and your overall appearance.
Your personal style is unique to you.
It’s not about following the latest trends or fitting into a certain mould.
It’s about finding what you love, what speaks to you straight to the heart, without words.
When you find a dress or an outfit that you love I don’t think it expresses itself in words. That love and the desire to buy a certain outfit come from a resonance with it, a feeling that you get from it an understanding that, Yes! I want to look like that.
Being authentically you
There is nothing more wonderful than being who you are.
But sometimes it feels like a battle to remember who you are and to be you.
Two mistakes that I think women make in their personal style are:
Abandoning the idea of their personal style because you are too busy or
Adopting other women’s personal style rather than taking the time to develop your own.
If you want to develop your self-image and your confidence you will need to know who you are and to create your own path. And a really beautiful way to do that is through your personal style.
So how do you go about using your personal style to transform your self-image into the living embodiment of all you would love to be and at the same time boost your confidence stratospherically high?
Here are five simple ways to use your personal style to do exactly that, transform your self-image and boost your confidence.
If you would like help with creating your personal style then check out these blog posts which will set you on the right path to create a personal style that is completely unique to you:
Create the ultimate, chic work capsule wardrobe
(Does exactly what it says, helps you create a stylish, elegant and authoritative capsule wardrobe that you will love, with just seven items of clothing)
How to choose your personal style signifier
(This one helps you choose pieces which you wear which signal your personal style. It’s great for learning to stamp your own authority on what you wear)
Create a zany outfit
(This one is great for putting together an outfit for fun)
Five ways to use your personal style to transform you self-image and confidence
1. Learn to understand yourself
Understanding yourself and your own particular and specific needs is fundamental to creating your personal style.
2. Stay in touch with yourself
It’s very easy to stop being in touch with yourself. Daily life, the todo list, business and much more can take you away from being centred on yourself and living your life in alignment with yourself.
Stay in touch with your preferences in everything and know and accept that how you feel and what you think is as acceptable as what other people feel and think.
3. Understand your body shape
On a practical level learn to understand your body shape, your unique assets and qualities that make you you and accept them and regard them as the greatest gifts ever.
Stop all thinking along the lines of wanting to look like someone else or thinking that someone else’s body shape is ‘better’ than yours or thinking that you can’t live your best life because you don’t have a figure like so-and-so.
It doesn’t serve you to think like that. Elevate your assets, understand what your physical shape is and embrace it with total accepting love.
4. Actively seek out being unique
Practice being you, the uniqueness of you, every day. Everything about you is unique and you can bring all of it into your personal style and use it to uplevel your personal style and increase your confidence.
Start small. Change your jewellery, change your daily routine, change your clothes if they don’t suit you and who you think you are. Stop wearing clothes you don’t love. Stop doing things you don’t want to do. Start doing anything that helps you understand your uniqueness better.
5. Seek inspiration
We are surrounded by sources of inspiration: Magazines, Pinterest, Instagram, podcasts, online groups, there is so much to be inspired and encouraged by. Look at what other women are doing and how they are doing it and create it for yourself.
Creating the newest version of yourself
Use these five personal style points to transform your self-image and confidence. Your personal style, self-image and confidence are always in a state of flux. We are either becoming a greater version of ourselves or a lesser version. Learn to be mindful of creating a newer version of yourself. Even taking one of the points above and working on it will help you direct your life towards the next newest version of amazing you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sarah Banks is a designer, blogger and internet entrepreneur. Having started her entrepreneurial life with a couture wedding and day dress company she then got hooked on all things on-line, bringing her businesses online and fusing both worlds. Her experience and knowledge in creating one-off garments for her clients was the foundation for Working Frocks and she is uniquely placed to give styling advice, being not only a blogger, but a couture designer too.