Image credit

 

When you struggle with body positivity, it can often be difficult to find clothes that you enjoy wearing and feel comfortable in. Going out can become a stressful event, as you rummage the closet for something to wear, but feel as if nothing looks good on you. You may even end up throwing on the same outfit as before and wearing a jacket that will keep you covered up. Going out of the house and being sociable is good for your mental health, and your clothes shouldn’t stop you from living your life. But it doesn’t have to always be like that. With these simple tips, you can avoid more days like that, can learn how to feel confident in your clothes and enjoy going out.

How can clothes impact your confidence?

The clothes you are wearing can make a huge difference in how confident you are feeling. If you don’t feel fully comfortable in what you are wearing, you are not going to feel confident in the slightest. When you wear something that you love, whether it is your favourite yoga pants or an interview suit, you will naturally hold your head higher and be much happier.

Not only do the clothes you wear impact how you feel, but you may also dress according to your mood. Research has shown that people tend to dress to reflect how they are feeling, for example, when you are sad, you are more likely to wear something unfavourable and uncomplimentary. A simple change in outfits, such as something that fits you well and is your favourite colour, can act as an instant mood booster and make a huge difference. This just shows how you can play an active role in your mood, by the choices of clothing you make each day. You may know exactly what clothes make your mood change, or you may be struggling to find something that makes you feel happy and confident. To help you on your journey, here are some top tips to help you feel more confident in your clothes.

 

Work on your mindset

An important aspect of your confidence is your mindset. Building a mindset of confidence starts with you accepting who you are. You can do this by learning about your body, and experimenting with different styles to see what you like, and what you don’t like. A strong mindset is built when you avoid comparing yourself to others, play to your personal strengths, focus on solutions rather than problems, take pride in your appearance, and focus on the positives. If you can consciously practise these steps every day, you will slowly feel your confidence grow.

 

Don’t take trends too seriously

Many people dress in a way that adheres to the latest trends and directly copy the outfit. Unfortunately, an outfit will never look the same for two people. This can be a huge knock on your confidence as you are likely to compare what you look like, to the trend. When you follow a trend, you are trying to replicate something that works for someone else, and for the same gratification, but everyone has their own unique style.

Instead, you should choose clothes that you enjoy and make you happy, in the colours, patterns and styles that you love, as opposed to adhering to a trend. For example, if you are in your college years and want to show off your class pride, or celebrate your graduation year, you may want to take a look at this fabulous range here: https://www.jostens.com/graduation/high-school/senior-apparel. Choosing clothes that you love can instantly change the way you feel when you wear them and boost your self-esteem.

 

Dress for your body type

Everybody is unique, and rather than focusing on aspects of your body that you perceive as flaws, you should instead focus on your best features and how to enhance them through the clothes that you wear. You can then build your outfit around your favourite features, instantly boosting your confidence as you show it off.

You can also learn about your specific body type. This can help you to include a wide range of outfits that you love because you can learn to make it work for your body shape, rather than against it. Your body shape is made up of your genetics and your skeletal structure and can be determined by measuring your waist, hips, and shoulders. This will determine whether you have a round, triangle, inverted triangle, rectangular, or hourglass body shape. You can then use this information to inform your outfit decisions. You are more likely to wear something you feel confident in because it enhances your amazing features and compliments your body type.

 

Experiment

If you are new to this journey, you may find yourself struggling to know what you like and dislike, and what outfits evoke what emotions. If this is the case, you may wish to experiment with different outfits. You can head to a thrift store where there is an abundance of different clothes that you can purchase on a budget and start experimenting. Until you try different outfits, styles, colours and patterns, you’ll have no idea what makes you feel confident, and you may even surprise yourself. It is also an opportunity to play around with sizes, as sometimes it is not the size that matters, but the way it feels when you are wearing it. This way you can create your own style that is truly unique to you.

Make sure you are comfortable

The more comfortable you feel with the style you are wearing, and the fit of your clothes, the more confident you are instantly going to feel. If you wear something, such as a skin-tight crop top and you feel uncomfortable, you are going to feel the urge to recluse, not get involved, anxious and self-conscious. This will then impact everything you do that day, while you wear that outfit. So while you are trying on and experimenting with different styles, also note how each outfit makes you feel, and how comfortable you are in different types of clothes. It’s not always about how it looks. It is more important that you consider how different clothes make you feel.

 

Add items with sentimental value

As well as choosing different colours and patterns that you like, you can also dress up your outfits with accessories and items that hold sentimental value to you. Perhaps you have a piece of clothing historically owned by a family member, or you may choose to get fingerprint jewellery that reminds you of your children everytime you look at it. Whatever you choose, has the power to make the outfit more meaningful, and make you feel more confident with what you are wearing. This can also make the process very mindful, which calms you down before you head out, and can help significantly with how you feel and your confidence.

 

Be confident in your decision

It can be extremely challenging when you are trying to find an outfit that you want to wear for an occasion and will feel comfortable in. It is important, however, that when you pick an outfit to wear, you are confident in your decision. If you spend your time doubting your choices, and wishing you had picked something else, you are going to reflect that in the way you hold yourself all day. Instead, pick something, be proud of it, and embrace it. Whatever you are feeling internally, you will transmit and project externally onto others. Embrace your individuality, and feel confident about your outfit. You may not at first, but keep practising confidence, and walk outside with your head held high.

 

Have a selection of go-to’s

As you become more aware of the clothes you like and feel good in, you can start to build your wardrobe around those items. These items will be your go-to’s, so you should keep a few stocked in your wardrobe. This can be anything from a pair of sneakers, to long blazers. Whichever items you find yourself wearing the most, you can use these as your own personal style, and statement pieces, and you can then dress and accessorise according to them. This will make your outfit choice much easier to make, and you will instantly feel more confident in your decisions. It is also a great balance between wearing something you love, and experimenting with new styles.

Stop worrying about other people

At the end of the day, it is only you who should like your outfit. The moment you stop worrying in your mind about what others might be saying or thinking, you can relax and enjoy your ensemble. People often don’t feel confident because they care way too much about what other people think. It is important to remember that fashion, and personal style is subjective. Not everyone is going to like your outfit, and you might not like everyone else’s outfits. It only matters how you feel about the outfit. The moment you stop seeking external validation and do what you are comfortable with, you will be able to feel more confident in your clothes and enjoy your time out more.

 

Clothes are extremely powerful and can impact the way we feel about ourselves. Follow these tips to practice feeling more confident in your clothes and more body positive.