I love clothes. I always have. I love how they feel. I love how they make me feel. I love how powerful they can be!
So it makes sense that I’m a confidence creator for women to get visible with their style and confidence because you cannot have one without the other.
Wherever you are on your journey, clothes matter, unless you live where clothes are optional. Clothes are an important part of our daily lives.
I want to share with each of you a different perspective on clothes. One that puts life into your outfits based on the decisions and experiences of the most important person, Y-O-U!
Here are five ways to love your clothes!
While we are older and, hopefully, wiser, sometimes we still rely on the approval of others. I wish I had moved away from this decades ago!
What we wear is our choice. It should reflect the following:
When we dress for ourselves, we are in the driver’s seat and making decisions based on who we are, which, my lovely ladies, is what true style is all about.
When I work with my clients, one of the ways for them to embrace and define their style is to clear their path so that they can connect with what matters to them. I want your style to be simple , and I believe you do too!
To me, there is nothing worse than clothes that don’t fit – and I am talking about clothes that are too big and too small. We want to channel Goldilocks when wearing our clothes, just right!
And when I am talking about clothes, I mean everything! Starting with our underwear. How can you be comfortable and confident in your outfits when your bra doesn’t fit, or your undies are either too roomy or cut into your waist?
The simple answer is, “You can’t.”
The same applies to shoes and accessories. I cannot tell you how many times in my younger years I forced my feet into shoes that didn’t fit but had to wear because they made the outfit. So crazy. And don’t forget about jewelry. If earrings, bracelets, or necklaces are not comfortable in any way, don’t wear them!
When you’re not dressing for yourself or your lifestyle, or are wearing clothes that aren’t fitting, it’s hard to create space for positive energy.
We’ve all been there.
In the past, when I wore something uncomfortable, it was all I thought about, or perhaps a better word was obsessed. I was fearful something would fall out of place, break, or rip. It was a balancing act, and whatever I was doing while I was wearing these uncomfortable clothes was not receiving any attention. I was not engaged. I wasn’t comfortable. That’s not a healthy place to be both emotionally and physically.
Of course, we want to be comfortable. That’s a given.
Yet when you aren’t wearing clothes that fit (physical comfort), chances are you will not be emotionally comfortable when wearing them. And that, my lovelies, stops today.
When we give both physical and emotional comfort the same attention when it comes to our clothes, that’s when we can start to really love our clothes.
I want you to visualize how you will feel when you have a style path free of clutter, negativity, and no movement. You’re starting to create a closet of things that fit your today body. Remember, you’re celebrating, honoring, and respecting your today body every single day!
When we are uncomfortable in our clothes, we are preoccupied, as I described earlier. Like spending unnecessary energy chasing our past and future bodies, the same is true when we choose to spend time in uncomfortable clothes.
Owning and wearing clothes that help us go through our everyday routine in both comfort and style is akin to basic self-care, like nourishing ourselves with good food, moving our bodies, hydrating, getting enough sleep, and surrounding ourselves with good people.
Here are some ways to start letting go.
Start Small! Break your clothes into categories:
Start methodically going through these in whatever order you decide, and if an item fits, keep it; if it doesn’t, donate, sell, or whatever other way you feel is best, just remove it from your closet, drawers, or storage bins.
Some of these categories will be easy. Personally, I’m not emotionally invested in my underwear, but I do need them to fit. In fact, when I work with my clients, the first assignment I give them is to make sure they have a kick-ass bra.
This should be a positive experience. I don’t want this to be a chore. Remember, you are clearing a new path, a path that will help you love your reflection, a path that celebrates your vibrance, your magnetism.
My favorite part of clearing your style path is looking for new things that represent you! You are now ready because you’re giving yourself permission to buy clothes that FIT! Replace pieces that are no longer working for either your today body, your lifestyle or what you love!
No more dreading putting on clothes that are too tight or too big. You are worthy and beautiful, and when you’re comfortable, you are confident. Wait, what is that I see just ahead? It’s Y-O-U looking into the mirror and loving what you see!
Celebrate the upcoming holidays in style with Susan’s Holidazzle 2022 Capsule!
What is your relationship with your clothes? Do you love wearing them, or do you wear them only just because you have to? When was the last time you style took precedence over comfort in your wardrobe? What about the other way around? How do you shop for clothes these days?
I go shopping but rarely find anything for a petite 6. Many stores stopped carrying petite sizes and others only have things online. I am 69 and don’t have the budget for expensive clothing. I feel fabric has deteriorated in quality. I am so tired of having everything altered.
I’m on the road to a 100 pound weight loss. About a year ago, I did exactly what this article recommends. I got rid of everything that was either too small or too large, wasn’t comfortable, didn’t make me happy. It feels so good to have a wardrobe where I don’t have to second guess whether I should wear this piece or that. My problem (what a problem to have, right?) is that as I’ve been losing weight, I wish I had kept some of those too small clothes so I don’t have to go buy interim clothing until I reach my weight goal. I will buy some new clothes through this process, but I plan to keep the numbers low because I don’t want to get complacent about my size/wardrobe until I’ve reached my goal. I will be doing some alterations as I lose weight, so I should be able to wear some of my current things until I reach my goal. People say to go to Goodwill and buy used clothing in this temporary period cause they wont cost as much and I won’t feel bad about recycling them when I’m at goal…BUT I go there frequently, and my local Goodwills seem to have pretty awful stuff. I would buy some smaller things if I find something I like, but since I don’t know at what size I’ll need to buy, I don’t like the idea of just guessing.
Thank you for the article. I had already gone through all my clothes, but I gained a lot of weight during this pandemia. I want to lose the pounds I gained, but it’s being very difficult for me. So, I guess I’ll have to go back and re-check my clothes again.
I have been dressing for work since I was 17 years old – I will be 63 in a few weeks & am transitioning into retirement (I work from home & I rarely see people anymore unless I travel – I am looking forward to being able to wear yoga pants or sporty clothes – these kinds of articles make me feel like I am a slob if I don’t want to dress up! I’ve dressed up my entire adult life – I’ve earned the right to relax & be comfortable – so do I need to feel guilty about not wanting to be stylish?
I’ve going to wear my pyjama bottoms with a nice tee shirt when I go shopping today. They are new and a nice cool fabric with a black on white animal print. It’s summer and very hot where I am. The pants are lovely and comfortable. I’m pretty sure I can pull this off (not the pants!) and I don’t care what anyone thinks.