How To Be Stylish
Being stylish ultimately comes down to wearing exactly want you want to and feeling confident in your clothes, regardless of what others think, say, or feel. Being stylish is a state of mind.
So how do you do that?
Below are things that you can do right now to make yourself feel and be more stylish without buying a whole new wardrobe.
The first thing you can do is follow the first part of the style mindset process, which is knowing what you like and don't like.
This just means being mindful when you're wearing something that doesn't feel good to wear, you don't keep wearing or purchasing similar things, but when it is something that does feel good to wear you wear it more, or have more of the same colour, cut, or style in your wardrobe.
The next step that is part of the style mindset process is all about knowing who you are, and who you want to become, and how your style aligns with that.
Knowing who you are right now gives you are starting point when it comes to personal style.
Write out 5 characteristics about yourself that you admire, all of the roles you have currently (mother, volunteer, sister), and how you would describe your current personal style in 5 words.
The characteristics you admire will help you focus on the beautiful things about yourself that you desire to bring out to the surface more and into your clothes
The roles you currently have may be a starting point or they may be exactly what you want, either way they provide direction when it comes to the functionality of your personal style.
If you run a gym, you probably want your style to align athletically, where-as if you're a financial advisor you probably won't wear leggings and an athletic top to work (you may still own them for working out, but you'll probably own less), and if you're a mother you may wear leggings and an athletic top but you're most likely wearing it for different reasons than the gym owner.
The five words you chose to describe your current personal style will show you if you feel stylish or not, and in what ways you do or don't feel stylish.
Once you understand your starting point, take some time, (30 minutes is lots) to sit down, close your eyes, and picture the woman you want to become.
How does she carry herself? What does she wear? How does she spend her time? How does she show herself love? What roles does she have in her life (things that you desire to be in your future: business owner, mother, artist)?
Picture the highest version of yourself, and then write out this woman you are becoming.
Now you have a clear starting point, and a goal for your personal style, and the goal is to align your fashion choices (getting dressed, purchasing clothes, closet cleansing) with the woman you want to become.
The third thing you can do to be stylish is remove anything that does not align with who you want to become.
You may absolutely love a pair of sweat pants that are so old they are starting to get holes in them, but if you know that the woman you want to become would not wear something like that, let it go. Letting go of the clothes and accessories that don't align will have you making leaps and bounds towards being your most stylish self.
The fourth way to be stylish is to practise having a mindset of beautiful thoughts about yourself and your wardrobe regardless of what others think, say, or feel about it.
I don't mean always thinking positive thoughts. I mean, when you are trying to figure out your style, and you're trying new things, you give grace to yourself. Because some outfits won't work, and some purchases won't be as great as you thought they would, but that doesn't mean you have to beat yourself up about it, or that you are not stylish.
Every single person who has ever worn clothes has worn something they didn't feel great in or look great in. The good thing is that we don't wear it forever, it only lasts a day.
So practise telling yourself things like, "I love the way this looks on me." instead of, "I wonder what people will think of me if I wear this." and you will develop a stylish mindset that empowers you to be more confident in what you wear. I highly recommend also following people who give off the vibe that they wear what they want, for them. It can help inspire you to do the same.
Having a stylish mindset also means making conscious style choices out of love for who are, and who you're becoming. This looks like intentionally purchasing things, getting dressed with love, and taking care of your clothes.
I keep my favourite shoes in their boxes, I don't leave them kicked into a corner of a closet or out for my pets to wreck, I put them away carefully. Every time I take my shoes out of their box it feels like I am wearing them for the first time all over again, which I believe contributes to why they are my favourite shoes.
You don't have to keep your shoes in their boxes, but keeping them organized, clean, and accessible means you are more likely to wear them, and feel good in them. This goes for anything in your wardrobe, caring for your clothes can be a very underrated practise, but loving and caring for what you put on your body everyday will make you appreciate and love wearing it even more.
The last thing that will help you be stylish is being able to appreciate all of the many different styles that exist in our world.
When you stop judging other peoples' clothes and style choices you'll notice you're a lot less worried about what others think of yours too. Appreciating all that fashion has to offer, even if there are things you won't wear or that don't fit your personal style will help you appreciate your personal style more.
We usually only feel like we are being judged for things that we judge in others or ourselves, so just notice when you are judging someone else's style or clothes and ask why, and notice if you judge yourself the same or worry about others doing the same to you.
Practise appreciation for the art of fashion and you'll notice you'll feel less judgemental of your style or others. You'll also feel more connected to your style because you can appreciate how unique it is, and that other people are also just as unique.
If you want to diver deeper into how you can be your most stylish self sign up for a coaching consult here.
Love & Trust Yourself