Have you ever dreamed of trashing your entire wardrobe and starting again?
You know, tossing all the clothing that makes you feel less than great and replacing it with pieces that reflect either the woman you are. Or, alternatively, the one you are evolving into.
I know I have.
And a friend of mine did exactly that recently.
She gave herself permission, let go of the past (and her fears and preconceptions), hired a stylist and made a fabulous investment.
And I have to tell you, the returns on that investment have been sensational.
She has purchased everything from scratch. Clothing, shoes, belts – the whole lot. There are so many stunning pieces amongst her new purchases. And she looks amazing. There’s a crowd of us wishing she would share photos of her outfits each morning, we love her new look that much.
But, when I mention her investment returns, I’m not just talking about the value of the clothing she has bought. Or how lovely she is looking every single day of the week.
Nope.
By dramatically updating her wardrobe, to my mind, my friend has said, “I am worthy and I will adorn my body accordingly”.
So, when I use the words ‘return on investment’ I’m absolutely referring to the investment she has also made in herself. And, more specifically, the investment she has made in her confidence.
Style And Confidence
I’m always surprised when people overlook the link between the clothes we wear and our confidence levels. (You can read more about my thoughts on style and confidence here.)
Far from being frivolous, building confidence around style can be the starting point to living the life of your dreams. So many women hold themselves back from achieving their desires or moving into the next phase of their life because of how the feel about the way they look.
By taking steps to ensure that they feel good when they head out the door every morning, women are more likely to do the ‘little things’ like speak up in meetings, join that new club or chat to the ‘cool mums’ at the after school pick-up. And pretty soon those confidence levels open up doors to the bigger stuff such as taking on that new project, booking that trip or putting themselves back into the dating game.
When I quizzed my friend on whether she was feeling any different after changing her wardrobe so emphatically she smiled and admitted that she was, in fact, feeling ‘taller’. Digging into that further, I discovered that ‘taller’ meant being comfortable having the attention on her and being more visible.
In watching her, I can see that change in her too. Although she was always naturally chatty and friendly, now she seems more authoritative. And she appears more at ease in both professional and personal interactions.
Finally, my friend’s commitment to herself had an additional ‘collateral benefit’. She has also inspired those of us who enjoy her company to lift their own style games.
And more confident, stylish women in the world can’t be a bad thing.
Are you ready to make a life-changing investment in your style and confidence? Then stay tuned for the upcoming introduction of Distant Francophile Style – one-on-one Style CoachingTM tailored specifically to your needs. And I promise you won’t have to throw everything out and start again like my friend did. Unless, of course, you want to.
Until next time – au revoir.
Photo Credit: Scott Gould.
Model: Ruby Cotton, inspired by Frida Kahlo.
Photo taken at Carla Coulson’s ‘Picture This’ workshop, Sydney 2014.
Headpiece by Sara Dobson. You can see more of Sara’s work here.
4 thoughts on “An Investment In Style And Confidence”
That’s a very inspirational story. I can imagine feeling “taller” when wearing clothes that make me feel good. We even have better posture when we’re dressed well, which may account for some of it.
Thanks so much Catherine. You know, taller wasn’t the word that I was expecting when I asked my friend how she was feeling but it seemed so right when she answered in that way. For me, taller equalled the opposite of shrinking. And if her new wardrobe meant that she wasn’t shrinking or hiding or any of those sort of things then it was well worth the investment.
I loved this post, Janelle. ‘Taller’ – absolutely!
I have known several women who took a plunge and emptied their closets (or pruned them) but it has always been in response to a major life change – death of a spouse, being laid off, becoming a mother, moving to a totally new place, etc.
I think it is so brave to just take a deep breath and do it!
In a similar vein, a new wardrobe look frequently dictates trying a new hairstyle and/or updating makeup. In my case, the new hair was a ‘gift’ from cancer. I would NEVER have cut it all off and stopped the color…but I absolutely love my platinum pixie. (Previous style was an almost-shoulder-length light brown bob with bangs.)
And then the new hair needed new makeup – a brighter lip, for example, and just a bit of smudge to the eyeliner…everything had to be re-examined. Clothing, hair, makeup…all part of the plumage in which we present ourselves to the world.
Hi Alisa. I’m so sorry about the tardy response. Two reasons. Firstly, the week ended up super busy (as they do) but secondly, and more importantly, when your comment first came through, I needed to sit with it for a little while. You see the word brave intrigued me. To my mind the women who institute change because of a life event are brave as well. I talked with the friend from the piece about it, and she said that she didn’t feel brave about the making the change, rather that she was driven to do it, that it was absolutely necessary. Perhaps the answer comes down to the fact that all women who make a large wardrobe change are brave, regardless of the circumstances that motivate them to change.
As for you and your whole new look driven by your platinum pixie, I know you are going to look sensational when you next arrive in Paris. Your new look will also influence how you look at that beautiful city, and I imagine you will find yourself experiencing Paris slightly differently too.
All the best, Janelle.