Confidence is the main part of developing self-love, and by confidence, I mean loving every part of yourself. Not just the “perfection,” but loving the imperfections that make an individual genuinely unique and like no other. With the rise of social media and platforms like Instagram, there has been a constant craving for the idea of “picture perfect” that brings insecurity and causes others to look at unrealistic images and want to change themselves to become someone they’re not.
Loving oneself is something that involves shedding the stigma of “perfect” and being able to embrace what makes one different from others in the newfound media-driven world. There are many methods for raising self-confidence, although, from personal experience, the one thing that makes me feel the most empowered is the outfit I create and wear. Fashion, to me, is an art and is something that helps me express who I am as an individual while feeling comfortable in my own skin, ready to take on the world, one wardrobe at a time.
- Dress Comfortable But Embrace Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone
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A “comfortable” outfit for individuals may either consist of a dressed up or a dressed-down outfit. It entails the style that makes one feel the most secure and ready to take on the day with a positive attitude.
One valuable tip I want to share is that you should never leave the house wearing something you feel utterly uncomfortable in because your internal feelings from that discomfort can project onto your outside appearance and attitude. It is better to put comfort first and to embrace the self-confidence and radiance hidden within that is waiting to shine.
- Throw The “Flattering Rule” Out of The Window
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Society and social media love to tell us what to wear and not to wear based on what “flatters” skin type, body type, weight, hair color, etc. This stigma has been convoluted by broken societal views, but it is all opinion based and can be easily ignored. If somebody tells you what you’re wearing doesn’t flatter you, ignore them because it’s not your job to wear something that makes you look as close as possible to whatever’s currently considered ideal.
Wear whatever you like. And let’s all just stop using the word “flattering,” okay? In my eyes, the only opinion that matters is the person that is actually wearing the clothing, not the outside world that may or may not even take a glance at it. If you feel confident in an outfit, you don’t need any rule book to decide if you are worthy enough to wear it.
- Always Accessorize
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Sometimes an outfit may seem incomplete, and the icing to the cake is always the accessories. It may be a colorful belt or matching colored earrings, necklaces or a purse. Find whatever accessories you obtain that make your look feel complete, and start to wear them daily because accessories truly have the power to accentuate an outfit.
There is a trick called the “Plus-3 Rule,” which is a great starting point when looking for inspiration for accessorizing. The Plus-3 Rule “ focuses only on the statement-making additions (accessories, shoes, and layers) that take your outfit to a whole new level.” For more information, visit InStyle to see how individuals use this accessorizing hack.
- Add Some Matching Shoes
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This is probably my favorite and most used tip. When it comes to outfits, I feel complete when my outfit perfectly matches my shoes in color or even style and pattern. I work at Designer Shoe Warehouse Inc., and my biggest kryptonite used to be the number of shoes I would buy with my paycheck and amazing discount that made buying $15 shoes possible. One thing about the shoes I purchase is that I try to find the most unique pair in color and style, and I also purchase shoes that not a lot of people have because this brings a new addition to your wardrobe that stands out.
I probably have over 40 pairs of unnecessary shoes in my closet at home, but at least I have a pair in every color of the rainbow to match my overflowing closet. Next time you are picking out an outfit, the easiest way to feel put together is grabbing those colorful shoes that you haven’t worn in a while from your closet and show them some love.
- Turn Self-conscious Into “SHELF-confidence”
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This is the hardest tip someone can do, but if actually taken, can be life-changing. Imagine yourself having absolutely no insecurities; what would you wear? Now take it off the shelf and put it on, then look in the mirror, and embrace the body that was gifted to you. Grant yourself the gift of being able to wear what you have always desired because the only person stopping you is yourself.
Practice looking in the mirror in your new wardrobe and give yourself a genuine compliment. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the only thing you need to do to pull off a look is to wear it. Do what you love, and your confidence will catch up eventually. Next time you get dressed, take five seconds out of your day to look into the mirror and repeat affirmations such as “I radiate confidence in this outfit” to achieve the confidence level you have always desired.
Wear what you want. You only have one life, and other people spend half the time looking at themselves instead of looking at and worrying about you. This is called the spotlight effect. In general, people aren’t paying as much attention to you as they’re paying to themselves. Nevertheless, when we’re focused on something about ourselves, we often assume that everyone else is focused on it, too, even though no one cares about how you look as much as yourself.
My challenge for you today is to begin your journey of self-love. I want you to learn to love yourself so much that when you look in the mirror, your pupils enlarge. Embrace that impeccable fit and show off that self-love.