What percentage of the clothing in your closet fills your heart with joy? Conversely, how much makes you think, ‘meh’ or feel even less enthralled?
While having a wardrobe of your dreams may be your ultimate goal, it’s easy for a ‘good enough’ wardrobe to sneak up on you over time! It starts out innocently enough with one shopping trip that results in buying something that isn’t quite right, but you didn’t see anything you liked better, so you got it anyway. Maybe the sales woman talked you into it or you were in a hurry and just needed to get something NOW!
Whatever the reason, if you settle for good enough often enough, the results are insidious and cumulative and you eventually find yourself staring at a sea of clothing that’s ‘ho-hum’ at best. Not only do these clothes take up valuable space physically in your closet, but they also dampen the energy of your heart and soul every single time you get dressed.
What happens next? You…
- Begin to doubt yourself and your ability to look good.
- Question your style and wonder if you even have a style!
- Feel like you’re the only one who can’t figure out how to put an outfit together!
- Feel badly about your body, your age or your budget or all of the above.
- Feel resigned to always only measure up to good enough and not beyond!
Of course, you want to love everything in your closet and wear it all with joy! When this doesn’t happen, it makes settling for good enough, and all its euphemisms, feel worse and you bear that burden on a daily basis.
The truth is you CAN have a wardrobe that makes you excited to get dressed and feel less likely to settle for good enough, but how do you do that?
Pam Argandona shares, “I learned so much about color and styles/patterns from Ginger. I even had fun shopping which I have always dreaded. I could spend hours looking and come up empty handed with only an awful headache to show for it. Now I feel a sense of excitement, and real joy looking for new pieces using some of the great tools Ginger has provided me; my color palette, formula fit guidelines, and my Inner Beauty words.”
How did Pam (and many others) accomplish this? They follow three absolutely crucial steps in creating their best wardrobe and you can do the same:
- Wear colors that look amazing on you! This makes you feel more radiant, simplifies your shopping experience and helps you mix and match outfits from your wardrobe more easily.
- Never compromise on fit. Sleeves that are too droopy or wide will make you feel messy or frumpy. A top that’s too short or too long can do the same thing. Understanding your body and what fits you both vertically (the Fashion Fit Formula can answer this for you) and horizontally (choosing styles that honor your body shape) will make everything look and feel better to you.
- Choose clothes and accessories that reflect who you are (a.k.a., express your inner beauty). When you choose clothing that doesn’t feel like you, you’ll never feel at home in what you wear. This doesn’t mean you have to feel restricted to one style, it means you always check in to be sure what you’re wearing feels authentically like you! For instance, I would LOVE to have a bohemian vibe to my style, but I’m so NOT bohemian and when I try to wear something that is too bohemian, I feel out of sorts (in my next life I’m coming back as bohemian…haha!). Instead, I celebrate and reflect who I am which has more of an elegant, structured vibe to it and those choices always feel right for me.
When you have a handle on these three wardrobe elements getting dressed will begin to feel easier. There will be fewer variables to try to manage because you’ll have addressed the three most important ones right off the bat.
To get started, ask yourself these questions:
- What are MY best colors and are those the colors I have in my closet?
- Do I understand what fits properly for my body and personal style?
- Are my clothes and accessories truly reflecting who I am at my essence (inner beauty)?
If you get a no to any of these questions that’s the first place to begin to move from a wardrobe that is good enough to one that makes you smile every time you get dressed.
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If you are stuck and need help understanding what these 3 concepts mean for you, let me know. My ‘Create Your Personal Style in 6 Weeks’ (https://totalimageconsultants.com/services/create-your-personal-style/) class has helped hundreds of women and my VIP program (https://totalimageconsultants.com/create-your-personal-style-vip/) can as well. If you’re unsure where to begin, let’s set up a time to chat and explore the possibilities: https://totalimageconsultants.com/booking/ (or email me to set up a time to chat). Imagine how you’ll feel when you can get dressed with more confidence and joy!
