It’s New Year’s resolution time! Are you ready?
Whether you choose to make resolutions or you hate the idea, there is one upside to the exercise that is undeniable. You are offering yourself a chance to take new action, to get better and to be better. As an Image Consultant and Confidence Coach, I always think that’s a great idea. Plus, you can maximize your new year outlook and results when you choose to make a commitment in an area you may be overlooking, like how you decide what to wear.
Studies show that how you dress has a profound impact on how you feel about yourself, and then, how you create results in your life; so learning to intentionally choose what you wear, not only helps you look better and feel better, but also to perform with more confidence.
If you’ve never made a style resolution, you are missing an opportunity to find a more meaningful way of getting dressed that focuses on personal development and an authentic expression of self and purpose. Together, these become a powerhouse combination for creating new results in your life into the new year and beyond.
Here are three style resolutions that are unexpected for most people because they turn the focus of what it takes to dress well, back to where it belongs – to you – helping you to shine from the inside out.
RESOLUTION #1: UNFOLLOW THE INFLUENCERS
The most challenging way to create your own style is to seek out, mimic, and copy someone else. Personal style is just that – personal. It is a reflection of an individual’s point of view of life. Fashion bloggers and celebrity stylists you follow for tips and tricks can only offer you their point of view on what works for them.
The most critical question you need to ask yourself when you see a blogger or influencer you think is super stylish is,
“How does this ‘inspiration’ apply to me?”
Because you follow them, there is something about their point of view that resonates with you, but without a way to explore the match of values, aesthetic, stance or message, you’ll be left copying what they wear and how they wear it without making the style an accurate reflection of yourself.
To dress in authentic style, you need to know why you are choosing something. The answer can’t be just, “It’s cute,” or “It’s in.”
~Michele Charles Gustafson | Hue And Style
Only if you can answer what values your favorite influencer portrays that aligns with who you are too, should you continue following them. Otherwise, unfollow their Instagram account or the endless tips on their Pinterest board because, in the end, not knowing how to apply their tips and inspiration to your personal point of view, creates crippling comparison in your mind and makes getting dressed well more frustrating and aimless.
RESOLUTION #2: UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THE RETAILERS
Right now, how many emails do you have from clothing and accessory retailers in your inbox? How many ads do you see in your newsfeed from stores showing you what you need to have to create the perfect outfit or capsule? How many subscription box offers promise you instant style without the hassle? You probably have these with a ton of sale and promotion flyers too. It’s overwhelming and feels like there is always something new to buy every day if you want to stay current and stylish.
The global women’s wear fashion industry is a $621 billion dollar business. Consider the motivation of the retailers. It’s to sell.
When was the last time a retailer asked you what you wanted to portray about yourself with your purchase and then helped you find an item to achieve that personal communication? The fashion retail industry is in business to make money – season over fashion season.
Don’t get me wrong. We need clothing makers and sellers so we can all get dressed, but I believe it’s more important that a woman owns the ability to make choices that she knows aligns with her truest self, rather than to be influenced about what she “should” wear because it’s “in fashion” or in her inbox.
When you unsubscribe from being “sold to” and you relieve the pressure of shopping by focusing on finding what’s right, you give yourself breathing space to only seek what you need when you need it for the purpose of creating impact with your image and personal style. You can decide what you need to purchase and go out hunting it down (as my clients know to do). It’s a flip of the shopping script. Imagine it, you being in control of your purchase choices influenced by your own need to express your point of view, your own features, and your own lifestyle. That reality does exist.
RESOLUTION #3: UNCOVER YOURSELF
The commitment to uncover the best of yourself is the first step to finding a truly authentic style that evolves with you through life. Having a process that allows you to continue exploring how to express your values and priorities with your clothing choices is not only empowering but money-saving since you replace “retail therapy” or “retail purpose.”
One way to begin your awareness of self around creating your personal style by taking my “one-word challenge.” Consider this:
If you needed to communicate with someone the very best of yourself within a 3-second first impression and that person could only use one word to describe you, what would that word be?
~Michele Charles Gustafson | Hue And Style
Know that from that one word there is a roster of 6-8 other values that resonate about who you are and those values have a look – a “style” – that when combined into clothing and accessories can speak to others silently about the best of who you are.
Challenge yourself to look at your next outfit and see if you “see” that one word in what you have on.
MAKE ONE OR ALL STYLE RESOLUTIONS
Typical New Year’s resolution can feel overwhelming. Adopting one or all of these style resolutions to help you focus on discovering more of yourself, can turn that daunting feeling at the beginning of the year into a sense of personal renewal. You’re going to have to get dressed for 365 days next year, adopting a new outlook centered on dressing for confidence will help you make it your best year ever.
Ready to discover how your image can begin boosting your confidence for success starting today? Access FREE resources here that will start you on your image-confidence journey.