Why Are We So Worried about Dressing Up?
Are you worried that if you change your style or dress more stylishly you will get ‘the look’ or comments from friends family and co-workers? Even if these comments are complimentary?
Many people fear change. And sometimes those around us are surprised and don’t quite know how to handle the changes we make. They may be complimentary, or sometimes they may ask you what is going on in your life that you need to change. This can make some of us uncomfortable as we don’t want to have to deal with the questions or comments.
Do we fear compliments because we feel inside that we are:
- not young enough
- not thin enough
- not pretty enough
- not perfect
- not stylish enough
Enough with the enoughs!
As the old saying goes – there are 8 billion women in the world and only 8 of them are supermodels. We need to give ourselves more credit and understand that we are beautiful as ourselves, no matter our shape or age.
Often even when we get positive feedback about our appearance, we dismiss it, we are so unused to dealing with compliments or attention we reject it. We find it hard to believe, yet we take criticisms on board as if they are facts carved in stone with little issue!
For some people attention is something they shun, they want to hide in the background and not be noticed. To disappear. The reality is we are all seen, no matter how much we may try not to be, we are not invisible and others notice what we wear.
There is no such thing as an invisibility cloak.
But what I’ve noticed, and experienced for myself is that fairly quickly that those who are around you get used to the “new you”, and that becomes the new normal. Comments subside (particularly that sort of “are you off for a job interview” type), as your new upgraded duds seem to be only for a special occasion.
Now that you dress well every day, consistency is of course key, everyone quickly gets used to you being the stylish, well dressed person that you have decided to be.
The reality is we are communicating with our clothes all the time (just read my posts on Yin and Yang to understand this concept better), so why not communicate a positive message, the one that you choose to present to the world.
What I love is hearing how much so many of the husbands/partners of my Evolve Your Style challenge participants enjoy their wives new styles and the effort they go into putting on their outfits each day.
Are you ready to take the leap and show the world the new and improved you? It’s time to Dress Up! And I’m going to start a movement as so often I hear how everyone hates how much societies all over the world are dressing down so much of the time, to a level that has become inappropriate. So #DressUp and please do post photos of yourself with the #DressUp hashtag if you’re a social media user to help spread the word that it’s OK, no make that GOOD to dress up every day, not just for special occasions.
Now when I say dress up, clothes still have to be practical and work for your lifestyle, but we’re talking putting on your nicer outfits rather than saving them for “good”. Imagine you want to impress someone every day and dress to impress!
