With the New Year not so far behind us, not to mention the first day of classes, if you’re anything like me, you’re still struggling to figure out what your grand ‘New Year’s resolution’ should be. Usually, most of us end up making resolutions about our diet and exercise, or we make a bold and generalized statement such as: “This year, I’m going to make myself a better person!” The question is… what exactly does this entail? For me, it usually just means that I’m going to try to treat everyone better, keep on top of my schoolwork, and maybe volunteer around my community or something. Those all seem like pretty realistic goals, right? I was thinking about this the other day while watching a rerun of ABC family’s Jane by Design with my roommates when one of them suddenly exclaimed, “Jane wears the cutest clothes! But if I ever tried to wear something like that I would never be able to pull it off! I mean it makes me want to be a fashion designer!” or something along those lines at least…
It seems like such a silly thing to connect with New Year’s resolutions and making yourself a better person, but it really got me thinking. It’s a commonly known fact that confident people tend to be more successful in life. And I can’t think of anything that makes a girl more confident than feeling like she’s polished, well-dressed and pretty. Yeah, it may take a lot of effort to dress well every single day, especially when you’ve stayed up late studying for a test and you’re exhausted. The point is taking a few extra minutes each morning to dress yourself a little more carefully can have positive results you never thought possible!
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from my math teacher in high school who advised us to dress well in college, especially on our first day of class. According to her, dressing to impress wasn’t just a tactic that could be used to get a job. She said that when she taught college courses she paid attention to what students were wearing because she always felt that the students who took the time to present themselves well also tended to take more care in their schoolwork and interest their grade. And when you think about it, it actually makes a lot of sense. I don’t know about the rest of you, but if I think there’s a possibility that my teacher will take me more seriously if I’m dressed a little less casually, chances are I won’t be showing up to that class in sweats.
Now, there is one other thing that needs to be mentioned. When I say “dressed well” it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to have perfectly curled or straightened hair, artfully done makeup, or a nice dress and heels on every day, because those are completely unrealistic standards for girls to hold themselves to. Everyone can interpret style very loosely, and more often than not, differently. If you feel confident and pretty, that is the only thing that matters! ‘Having style’ and keeping up with the ever-changing trends can be exhausting, and while ‘being trendy’ and fitting in may seem important, it’s always important to remain an individual by taking trends and adding something extra to make it your own! So, in 2012, I encourage you to not only ‘dress to impress’ but to have fun and express yourself. I promise that you’ll be happy with the results!