Think about your favorite item of clothing in your closet. Now think about all of the memories associated with that piece of clothing. I don’t know about you, but when I do this, all of my memories linked to my absolute favorite piece of clothing are good ones. In fact, some of my most favorite days and events were ones where I was wearing something that I felt really good in that allowed me to truly shine as me.
I unintentionally completed a mini social experiment on myself a few weeks ago that led me to the conclusion that when I am truly confident and happy with what I am wearing, I personally perform better in school and feel happier overall. Now this isn’t a true science experiment with focus groups and data graphs and everything, but just hear me out. I usually wear jeans and a top to school every day because it makes me feel put together without putting too much thought into the outfit in the morning. Every once in a while, I’ll dress up a bit more with a nicer top or cute shoes or dress down with leggings or a sweatshirt. It all really depends on my mood. I woke up on an ordinary Tuesday a few weeks ago and decided to be relaxed that day. I wore leggings and a sweatshirt and threw on some adidas and went off to school to have a comfortable and chill day. It was a fine day overall, nothing too crazy, but I noticed that I wasn’t feeling very productive. I was honestly feeling pretty lazy. Was this because of what I was wearing?
The next day was a big day for me. I had multiple exciting events and meetings going on at school and whenever that happens, I really like planning my outfit ahead of time. I had just gotten a new pair of adorable high waisted jeans and the cutest top that was a little more on the dressy side. It was a half -step up from my usual school outfits, but it wasn’t overly fancy. I woke up excited to put on this outfit which I had put so much thought into and I felt so good walking out the door in the morning. I got to school and was ready to take on the world. Not only did I feel productive all day, I actually got multiple compliments on my top which, of course, is always a confidence booster. At the end of the day, I was thinking about how I felt then compared to how I felt the previous day and realized that my biggest change from one day to the next was my outfit. When I put on something I loved, I felt so confident on the outside which gave me so much inner confidence. I wasn’t worrying about how others looked at me because I knew that I loved what I was wearing. Because of that, I was able to take on the day with no distractions from the outside. Sure, leggings and sweatshirts are super comfy, but for me, I couldn’t help feeling like I had taken a short cut around the day. Instead of working hard, I felt lazy enough to go right back to bed. That is not how I wanted to feel at school.
For me, I feel most confident in an outfit that I have put thought into. Usually, it’s a pair of good fitting jeans and a nice top and of course, a cute pair of shoes, but just because that’s what I feel good in doesn’t mean that everyone is going to feel the same way. Some people may feel their most productive in pajamas and others in power suits and that is totally ok! It is all about finding that outfit that makes you feel like your best self where you have no feelings of uncertainty or concern. Your outer presence can affect your inner self and can give you that self esteem boost that will power you to become the best possible version of yourself. When you look good, you feel good. The best part is that the “looking good” part is subjective. It is based on YOUR taste and YOUR preferences, not those around you. It is completely up to you! So, let’s get out there in our best outfits and take on the world!