Style: Recent Episodes
Inside Out Style
In This Episode
Since what you wear communicates non-verbally a lot about you - from your values to your personality and beliefs, and because the science of enclothed cognition has found that what you wear impacts how you feel on the inside and behave on the outside - when you dress in a way that that feels like a stretch, think of it like you're practicing the role of the woman you're becoming until you do become her.
So what are your clothes attracting? Are they helping or hindering you?
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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What has your style got to do with your worth? Well as a kid wearing my brothers and others hand-me-down clothes made me feel not-worthy, or that I was not valuable enough to spend any money on.
This is why I'm so passionate about helping smart women find their own style as I know that it has a positive impact on their whole lives (not just their wardrobes). And this is why I've developed my online style programs - from my entry level Visualise Your Style program (only $27 https://insideoutstyleblog.com/visualise-your-style) which is a great starting point, right up to my complete style education program that answers all your style questions 7 Steps to Style ($497 https://insideoutstyleblog.com/7-steps-to-style-system). I want to empower you to be in control and in charge of your style so that you stop wasting money on the wrong things and your style gives you the confidence you crave to be able to do the things you want to do without holding yourself back, like I did as a child.
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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Unlock Your Fashion Confidence with My Outfit Masterclass Imagine a world where getting dressed is a breeze and every outfit you put together reflects your unique personality and makes you feel incredible. With my Outfit Masterclass, this dream becomes a reality. Imagine having a personal stylist at your fingertips, ready to guide you through the art and science of putting together stylish ensembles that reflect your individuality, rather than simply copying someone else’s style. Through engaging video lessons, a comprehensive workbook, I will reveal the simple principles and techniques that will revolutionize your approach to fashion. No longer will you feel overwhelmed or uncertain about your outfit choices. Instead, you’ll gain the confidence to effortlessly create stylish ensembles that turn heads and leave you feeling like the best version of yourself. Integration Week Style Challenge But that’s not all! In addition to the Outfit Masterclass, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in the Integration Week Challenge from 17th to 21st July 2023. This is where the magic truly happens. For five days straight, I’ll be right there with you, providing daily teachings, tips, and answering your burning style questions LIVE on Zoom for 30 minutes each day. Imagine having direct access to a seasoned fashion expert, ready to assist you in real-time and help you improve your outfits immediately. I’m dedicated to providing you with unparalleled support and guidance throughout your style journey. Additionally, you’ll join a vibrant and supportive community of like-minded individuals in the Outfit Masterclass Facebook Group. Here, you can share your outfits, receive feedback, and draw inspiration from others. It’s like having your own personal stylist and cheer squad in your pocket, ready to assist you whenever you need it.
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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Question: for the last 20 years (since retirement) I have attended a theatrical production several times a week and i wore long flowing dresses, hat and heels. now due to age and tripping, I am restricted to runners and pants. I’m very petite with long torso, a bit of a belly, and very short legs. What suggestions do you have for generating a new ‘signature style' If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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In This Episode0.08 I’m struggling with my style now that I’m Older have gotten overweight and find, physical shopping difficult, but I also keep waiting for a miracle weight loss. Use to be more hour glass, now frumpy middle weight.Embrace The Body You Have Todayhttps://insideoutstyleblog.com/2020/12/align-your-wardrobe-with-the-person-you-are-today.htmlhttps://insideoutstyleblog.com/2022/11/make-the-best-purchasing-decisions.htmlhttps://insideoutstyleblog.com/2019/02/best-tips-for-stylish-outfits.html3.30 In a nutshell I struggle with summer dressing with layers. I like to wear wide-leg trousers and need something slimmer on top to balance out my big hips and legs.However, since menopause, I have changed shape. I used to be a pear; with a small bust, delicate shoulders, and wide hips. However, now my tummy is bigger and so are my arms. My shoulders which used to look narrow, are now in line with my hips, (although my bust is still smaller than my hips). The bigger arms seem to have balanced out the hips, which has confused me when trying to work out which new shape I fall into.Also, I have no idea which type of cardigan would look good on me. I have big arms, so I am not sure if I should wear a classic crew neck cardigan as clingy arms look terrible. I am contemplating buying a cream shorter jacket to go with darker trousers, but I don't like the boxy jackets that are in fashion now and think something more shaped would look better. However, I don't believe long jackets look good with wide-leg or palazzo pants when you have prominent hips and a small bust.my biggest style challenge is how to dress a larger body than I used to!I was the tall, slim, hippy/boho chick, generally a size 12, sometimes a 10. (No surprises that I’m a “Relaxed Personalty Style” from your quiz).Understanding Balance Pointshttps://insideoutstyleblog.com/2017/11/balance-points-and-clothing.htmlhttps://insideoutstyleblog.com/2014/04/using-yin-and-yang-in-clothing-design-to-balance-your-appearance.htmlhttps://insideoutstyleblog.com/2018/05/ideal-value.htmlhttps://insideoutstyleblog.com/2022/01/principle-of-volume-body-shapes.html8.31 I’m now a curvy size 14-16. I’m more comfortable in black and dark colours, and stretchy clothes, but I don’t feel really great; I don’t enjoy getting dressed or shopping. I’ve started to accept that buying a larger size will be more comfortable and even more flattering, but it’s depressing. To compound that challenge, I’ve started a job this year where the dress code is smart casual in “pale, neutral colours - like white, beige, linen and sand - and sage and olive greens”. I love green so that’s great, but wearing pale colours makes me uncomfortable.I’m petrified of getting dirty but more than that, I feel like the Michelin man! Every spare tyre and lump and bump shows up and I feel huge. I can’t wait to get home and climb into my leggings and oversized jumper and hide.I’m out of my depth as to how to dress as a larger woman, which pale colours within the work palette suit me and how to wear them, and how to put together a pale outfit that’s complimentary to my shape and relaxed boho style that’s still suitable for a resort reception job and still speaks to my styleFinding the Right Neutralshttps://insideoutstyleblog.com/2018/04/wardrobe-neutral-basics.htmlhttps://insideoutstyleblog.com/2018/08/your-best-colours-will-change-your-life.htmlhttps://insideoutstyleblog.com/2020/12/how-do-i-find-the-right-neutrals-to-act-as-an-anchor-for-my-wardrobe.htmlIf You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your ColoursIf you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style.Subscribe to my PodcastYou can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episodeApple PodcastsGoogle Play
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Are you stuck on style rules? Do you follow style rules closely or do not believe in style rules at all, that everyone can wear anything they want?Both of these are extreme views, and I believe that your best personal style sits somewhere in the middle.I don't believe in rules, I believe in principles and the science behind why something does or doesn't work, and these are then guidelines or suggestions which you can try on for size, and then decide what does or doesn't work for you.You get to be in charge as it means your style aligns with your personality, your lifestyle, your colouring and your unique body.Everything I suggest should be seen as a handrail, to help you get to where you want to go. Not handcuffs that keep you boxed in or feeling like you don't have any choice.If you'd like to get a solid style foundation, to have a handrail that you can use to assist you to uplevel your style, then I'd love to have you in my 7 Steps to Style program which will give you the style education you never got at school. You'll discover your best colours, how to create harmony with your body using clothing styles and expressing your personality as well. That way you feel both comfortable and confident in your style and will have the courage to do whatever it is that you want to do with your life.I can't wait to be your style guide!
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your ColoursIf you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style.Subscribe to my PodcastYou can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episodeApple PodcastsGoogle Play
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In This EpisodeI have a question--I just read your post about wearing your good clothes every day and its effect on how people see you as well as how you feel about yourself. I work at home. People see me from the waist up. How important is it that I wear a full-on "good" outfit every day at work?If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your ColoursIf you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style.Subscribe to my PodcastYou can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episodeApple PodcastsGoogle Play
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In This EpisodeWhat you wear is a powerful form of non-verbal communication and research has shown that how you appear, your personal presentation, and attractiveness have the power to impact your income in positive or negative ways. Have you thought about what your image is saying and the impact it may be having on your career? Babies Prefer Attractive FacesEven tiny babies prefer to look at attractive faces for longer, it's an innately human thing to enjoy beauty, according to research. And global studies have found that more attractive people earn between 10-25% more (depending on the country) than unattractive, without working harder or getting an additional degree or more education. This is why the beauty image is worth billions.Why is this? It's the 2nd Hand Car Principle.Imagine you're buying a 2nd hand car, and you're comparing two - same make, model, and mileage, one is pristine, it's spotless, and appears to be in great condition, the other is dusty and dirty and there are old takeaway food wrappers and junk all over the seats. Which would you pay more for?You assume that the car that's well maintained on the outside, is also better maintained under the bonnet, so your assumption would be that the pristine car is worth more than the car full of old chip wrappers and smooshed sultanas. It's all in the packaging. Fortune 500 CEOs have said all other things being equal, they will always employ the candidate with better personal presentation over the one who is not presenting as well.Your Clothing is Your Packaging and Your Personal Brand ImageYour clothing and image are a powerful form of non-verbal communication and 93% of communication is non-verbal. Your image is an important part of this and what you wear and how you groom yourself indicates information about your self-esteem and value, and it's human nature to assume that if you're packaged well, you also have the wherewithal to do a better job and so are more valuable as an employee. Yet you're not taught what to wear, how to wear it, what works for you or how to create a powerful personal brand image by leveraging your style.Improve Your Style Improves Your ConfidenceWhen you have more confidence it opens doors and gives you access to more opportunities. More confidence means you are more likely to speak up and interact with people, building relationships and connections. It means not second-guessing every decision and worrying about how others will judge you.Confidence gives you more courage and charisma to stand out and be seen and have more influence and impact.Unleash Your Personal Brand by Uplevelling Your StyleThis is why I"m so passionate about helping women uplevel their style, getting the style education they need to use this form of non-verbal communication to their advantage, as I have seen time and time again just how influential and powerful it is and so often overlooked as fluffy or frivolous and unimportant.You're invited to my new free video masterclass to help you take advantage of the power of your personal brand image - join me on 27 March (26th March Northern Hemisphere) to Unleash Your Personal Brand by Uplevelling Your Style - register now.If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your ColoursIf you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style.Subscribe to my PodcastYou can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episodeApple PodcastsGoogle Play
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This is really common and there is a good reason why you're not feeling consistently stylish - and I have a solution for youCheck out my new masterclass - it's free! If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your ColoursIf you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style.Subscribe to my PodcastYou can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episodeApple PodcastsGoogle Play
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I lack the confidence to trust my own judgement on style.Seems like I’m always trying to balance between comfort and what looks great and not sure whether I get it right.It doesn’t help that I’m often asking my husband who would say “you look great” if I was wearing a potato sack. :blush:I need to learn to trust myself. Have you any tips on doing this?Find out more about Evolve Your Style A brain based style program designed to get you out of your style rut and increase your style confidence https://insideoutstyleblog.com/evolve-your-styleIf You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your ColoursIf you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style.Subscribe to my PodcastYou can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episodeApple PodcastsGoogle Play
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I have noticed different attitudes towards the value of style and how men and women often see it differently. What are your thoughts and experiences?Watch the new free masterclass now! If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your ColoursIf you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style.Subscribe to my PodcastYou can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episodeApple PodcastsGoogle Play
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Sign up for my new masterclass here.If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your ColoursIf you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style.Subscribe to my PodcastYou can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episodeApple PodcastsGoogle Play
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In This EpisodeMany years ago (aka 2004) just after I'd completed my image consultant training course and launched my personal styling business, I was out shopping at a local boutique. I walked in the door and started looking around at what was available, immediately, I as approached by a sales assistant who said "I've got the perfect thing for me" as she thrust a grey marle hoodie at me.I looked at her in surprise.I looked down at my shoes, a pair of pointed-toe patent boots with a stiletto heel, then at my skirt, an asymmetrically cut, unusually constructed item and wondered, what on earth made her think "grey marle hoodie" when she looked at me?There was nothing about my outfit that even whispered "sporty is my middle name".I realised that she either knew nothing about style (most likely) or was trying to offload this hoodie to anyone who walked through the door (also possible).I'm lucky that I knew about the influence of my personality on my style and could easily say "not for me thanks" but I know so many other women who are not so lucky, as they don't have the education in personality style to be able to identify what is and isn't them, and can easily get talked into buying something that then sits in their wardrobe unworn, week after week, year after year until it finally gets given away.How Does Personality Influence Your Style?https://youtu.be/N-245hvDqWg What is Your Style?This is something I get asked about a lot - how to figure out what your style is so that you can make the best purchasing decisions, as it goes way beyond body harmony (or figure flattery) information. I trained a boutique owner in the skills of personal styling, who was keen to understand how she could help her customers find the clothes that were "them", as she told me, I show people items or they try things on and then they say it's not me but that can't tell me what me is."Being able to communicate what you do want really helps you find the clothes and get the assistance you need. To start defining your style you need to decide what it is about your personality you want others to pick up on. This is something I love to teach as it makes such a huge difference as suddenly all those mistakes in your wardrobe become clear.What Are The Clothes in Your Wardrobe Telling You?When you look at what you already own that you don't wear, what is it about these items that you don't like? If you don't know why you've made style mistakes then it's hard not to repeat those same mistakes over and over.You may have bought a garment because it looks good on you, because it fits your body shape guidelines or it's the right colour palette for you, but if the style doesn't speak to your personality, then you'll never feel comfortable or confident wearing the garment.It doesn't matter if you know your best silhouettes and shapes, hemlines, and necklines if you don't know what suits your personality. There are so many choices to make beyond figure flattery rules, from the selection of prints and patterns to kinds of fabrics, that are all related to personality style (check out this post on 10 ways personality is more important than body shape).What you're not wearing tells you so much about your style preferences when you know the right questions to ask.There is no point in holding onto all the clothes you're not wearing, there is no magical item that will suddenly make them work, but it's worthwhile understanding why you don't wear them so you don't make the same mistakes again and again.This is why I'm so passionate about assisting smart women to build the wardrobe of their dreams, because I know they don't want to keep on wasting time, energy, money and the planet's resources on clothes that don't make them feel confident and attractive. There is copious research that shows that your style impacts on your whole life and can have positive or negative ripples (depending on whether it makes you feel and look great or awful). If you'd love to learn how to confidently select clothes that feel flattering and understand more about your style, I'd love to invite you to watch my free masterclass so that you can discover the reasons your wardrobe is in the state it's currently in and the changes you can make to improve it. Your Personality + Your Style = Match Made in HeavenWhen you combine the information about what suits you physically along with your personality and how you want to express it and your values through your clothing, you then can so much more easily curate that wonderful wardrobe that works for you every day.It's so key to get all the aspects of your style sorted out so that you can get up, get dressed and get out the door each day with a confidence that allows you to go out and achieve your goals and dreams.If you've realised that it's an investment in you to get your style sorted out - please to join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the style education you've never got anywhere else. If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your ColoursIf you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style.Subscribe to my PodcastYou can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episodeApple PodcastsGoogle Play
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In This EpisodePeople talk about having superhuman strength in times of crisis to do things like lift a car off someone to rescue them. Yet some people do this for fun so I discovered recently.My son and his girlfriend recently competed in a Strongman competition for the first time. I've never been to a competition before or had any experience with this sport. During this competition, they competed in four different events.* The first was towing a car up a hill. * The second was holding a car to stop it from rolling down a hill * The third was deadlifting a car as many times as possible within a minute * The last was doing as many clean and presses (overhead weighted bar with tires and additional weights) within a minute.
The competition was held outside a small gym in the car park (since cars were involved) and the competitors mingled with the spectators while they waited their turn to compete.Now you may be wondering what a strongman competition has in common with improving your style, but what struck me, is that one aspect of the Strongman competition was one of the reasons I see so many of my 7 Steps to Style and Evolve Your Style program members improving their style.Watch to Hear My Thoughts on What a Strongman Competition Has to Do with Improving Your Style The Power of EncouragementEncouragement helps people go the distance and to achieve feats they didn't think they were capable of.This is what I witnessed watching the Strongman competition and what I see every day when I see how the community aspects of my online style programs really assist people in not giving up and to keep on trying.It's very easy without any encouragement to just give up. Yet time and again during that Strongman competition I saw people who thought they'd give up, stop and give it another go because of the belief and encouragement they were getting from the community that surrounds a Strongman competition.It's the same experience I see and one of the huge values of doing an online style program, you get a community of people, on the same journey as you, who are all cheering you on, giving you tips (just like my son was being given tips on how best to approach each event by more experienced participants to help them succeed) our online style communities also really want the best for you and will give you useful feedback, tips and ideas on how to improve your outfits.Community Can Be The Key to Faster SuccessSure you can do it all at home alone, by yourself. But it's all down to you figuring everything out on your own.When you have a community of people, some more experienced than you, who are further down that path, they will have lots of great suggestions to help you, things you may not have thought of, sometimes big changes, other times small tweaks, that can help you improve your style in giant leaps instead of just baby steps.It's very hard to see ourselves objectively in the mirror in the way others see us. Plus the benefit of having people who are there supporting you, and giving you positive reinforcement that you're on the right path can help you keep on trying each day, instead of falling back into old habits and your old style rut.So many of my program members will tell me that the community has been so key in helping them improve their style, and that they get so much enjoyment from it as well, that they can both receive tips and feedback as well as share their own tips and ideas with others which in turn helps improve their own style.As the people who have studied how adults learn, when you can teach something, you are actually embedding your own knowledge and it means you really grasp a concept. So even though you may not think of yourself as a teacher in this sort of environment, that sharing of ideas is actually assisting you in becoming more knowledgeable about style which is why it speeds up your own style education. Are You Too Close to Your Own Problems?Most of us have so many body image issues and thoughts, we have messages that we have internalised from our childhood onwards and there is a lot of "stuff" that can get in our way and stop us from getting to where we want. This is why having a community of women who understand but have more insight and objectivity than we have, can help us see ourselves in a new light that opens up new doors to alternative options that we may never have considered before. Taking Photos of Your Outfits Is More than Just a RecordThe value of taking outfit photos can't be underestimated. So often women will say that they still feel they have a long way to go with their style, yet I see massive changes from where they started. I recommend taking photos so you can look back and see just how far you have come along your style journey. YOu may not have made a wholesale change overnight (your wardrobe is unlikely to have completely renewed itself overnight -there is no fairy godmother that does this), but over time all the small incremental changes you make will make a massive difference to your style.Just as if a pilot sets the course of the airplane 1 degree off the intended destination, within a few minutes the plane is off-course and headed to a completely different destination. We don't notice incremental changes, they don't feel as exciting or impactful as a "makeover show" style change, but they do make big difference to your style.As Ellen said a month after joining 7 Steps to Style:"On the very first day I took a photo. I like to go back to it sometimes because when I see that mousy plain looking person I know that it’s me but already I am starting to feel like someone different."And just recently, Heather, one of my fabulous members sent me an email with these photosand this is what she said in her email:"I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for your programs. I came across this old photo before 7 Steps to Style. The difference between what I used to wear on an ordinary Friday morning, is striking.I feel so much better about the way I look now, and it feels so much more like me.It’s been such an enjoyable journey and my wardrobe is shaping up nicely!"Would You Love a Style Community Cheering You on?If you can see there may be some value in having a style community that is there generously sharing their knowledge and experience, as well as cheering you on, then I'd love to invite you into my amazing, supportive, non-judgemental one. I've just recorded a new on-demand video masterclass How to Confidently Select Clothes that Feel Flattering with tips to help you improve your style and insight into my style programs and you'd like to know more you can find out more and watch it here (it's totally free) now.https://insideoutstyleblog.com/register-masterclass-how-to-select-flattering-clothes-ev03-wbhttps://insideoutstyleblog.com/michelles-7-steps-to-styleIf You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your ColoursIf you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style.Subscribe to my PodcastYou can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episodeApple PodcastsGoogle Play
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Want to make some changes? Take my life-changing style challenge and make those tiny changes every day that will have a big impact on your style in only 31 days with Evolve Your Style. If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your ColoursIf you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style.Subscribe to my PodcastYou can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episodeApple PodcastsGoogle Play
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I called my blog Inside Out Style because I've found when you align your outside with your personality - who you are on the inside - you feel your most comfortable and confident. That said, not every day do we feel like the best version of ourselves which led me to think about Outside In style (and Inside Out style in a different context which I'm discussing here.Let me ask you a questionDo you use your clothing to enhance your mood or to illustrate it? Do you know how to use your clothing to change your mood? https://youtu.be/MrxfsCtVmTc Enclothed Cognition"What you wear directly influences how think, feel and believe. It’s a phenomenon we call enclothed cognition." Mojo Adams, PhD, Management Professor, NorthWestern University USA, it's a phenomenon that has been termed Enclothed Cognition.Clothes invade the body and brain putting the wearer into a different psychological state. For example, formal clothes make you feel more authoritative and powerful whilst athletic clothes make you more likely to exercise.Bright clothes make you feel more joyful and dark clothing can make you feel less vibrant.What is great, when you start to understand this, is that you can use clothing like a magic wand to change how you feel each day, depending on what you want.You can use your clothing to control your emotionsThere are two ways you can do this:1. Mood Illustration Dressing - Inside Out Style 2. Mood Enhancement Dressing - Outside In Style
Mood Illustration Dressing - Inside Out StyleLet's look first at Mood Illustration Dressing - the Inside Out version of deciding on what you're going to wear.You can illustrate how you're feeling by dressing to suit the mood you're in. Feeling alive and vibrant, wear bright colours, and fun patterns in fabrics that move with your body.Feeling powerful and strong, dressed in more structured clothing such as a blazer or crisp shirt with tailored pants that heighten your feeling of being in charge.Feeling down and depressed, well you're most likely to reach for your worst-fitting jeans and sloppiest top, why do you do this? Because you're not feeling "good" enough to wear your "good" clothes, so you are dressing to illustrate how bad you're feeling on the inside. Mood illustration dressing is great when your mood is good, but it's not so good when your mood is down or depressed. It's at these times rather than reaching for the clothing to illustrate your mood, you should use Mood Enhancement Dressing - the Outside In version of style.Mood Enhancement Dressing - Outside In StyleCognitive behaviour therapy is a psychological tool you can use to improve your mood and change your behaviours. In essence, you become how you behave when you keep on practising that behaviour.Outside In dressing is a way of altering your mood or psychological state. If you're feeling down then don't reach for the sloppy, frumpy (or as we in Australia call them, the daggy) clothes, instead, reach for something that will enhance your mood.Think about how you'd like to be feeling:* Powerful * Happier * Energetic * Romantic * Sophisticated * Approachable * Fun * Relaxed * Insert the emotion or mood you want to feel here
This list is endless, you choose how you want to feel ideally then dress in a way that helps you achieve this feeling. Use Mood Enhancement dressing as a tool to help assist you in deciding what to wear each day or for any occasion.If I want to feel more vibrant and energetic, I might do something like put on a warm bright colour like red or hot pink as it helps to lift my mood and bring more joy.\I've seen how impactful dressing in an outfit that makes you feel good can be, when I shop with clients and we hit on a fabulous outfit I see their whole body posture change, they stand up straighter, shoulders go backwards and you can see they are liking what they see reflected in the mirror and it's making them feel great.When You Wake UpAssess your mood. How are you feeling? Do you want to illustrate your great mood, or do you want to enhance your mood and make yourself feel better than you are currently feeling?I know from my own experience, that if I'm feeling down, that mood illustration dressing (dressing in sloppy clothes) won't help me, and in fact, it can make me feel worse over the day as I catch sight of myself in the bathroom mirror. Whilst if I take a little care, and dress in an outfit that I know is stylish, I will start to feel better. Sometimes when you're down it can be hard to think about what the ingredients are in a stylish outfit - which is why it's so useful to have some "go to outfits" or your own personalised style formula or guidelines for putting one together (want to know how to do this? Check out my Outfit Masterclass).Even if nobody will see you except yourself in the mirror - getting dressed in something that makes you feel even a little more stylish can help enhance your mood.Mood Reinforcement DressingWhy not keep on reinforcing a great mood, or particular feeling, by dressing in outfits that give you that feeling each day! Once you figure out what is working for you, that makes you feel and look fabulous in the way that you want, then dressing that way repeatedly will help to reinforce that mood, and will help to create new behaviours and more positive feelings in yourself as you are using this Cognitive Behaviour Therapy technique to create some new habits as you use style as a form of self-care. When you get dressed up in stylish outfits every day, you actually become that person, as research shows that it gives you more confidence and improves your self-esteem. Style as an Act of Self CareAs you can now see, you can use your style as an act of daily self care, to help improve your mood, or reinforce your mood, so you do feel more confident every day.What are you going to wear tomorrow? If you're unsure of what to wear and what will help you feel better, do join me in my 7 Steps to Style program, which gives you the foundational style education you never got anywhere else, plus it includes my Evolve Your Style program that will get you out of your style rut and into more stylish outfits every day, and has been described as life-changing as it really does help to enhance your mood every day for a month (reinforcing a better mood). I can't wait to get to know you! https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2020/03/if-nobody-sees-you.html https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2022/04/why-style-isnt-shallow-improve-confidence.htmlhttps://insideoutstyleblog.com/2018/08/more-joy.htmlIf You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your ColoursIf you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style.Subscribe to my PodcastYou can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episodeApple PodcastsGoogle Play
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What’s the difference between inauthentic versus unfamiliar style? How do you know when something is authentic, just unfamiliar, rather than it being inauthentic? Watch the Video Where I discuss the unfamiliar and the inauthentic (and authentic).
Unfamiliar Style Unfamiliar can be anything you don’t wear frequently. It can be patterns, colours, styles of clothing, outfit combinations, accessories, jewellery, shoes … really anything that’s not in your usual outfit rotation. But if you enjoy wearing florals (familiar) and then decide to wear paisley (a stylised floral) this is likely to be unfamiliar, whilst still authentic as they are related prints, versus if you’d decided to wear a large check pattern this may be inauthentic as it’s a very different style of print and may not be a good expression of your personality.
Anything unfamiliar can become familiar with time and frequent wearing. One of the reasons you get into a style rut is because you’ve gone all for things that are too similar and too familiar and you become bored with your style (which is why I developed my Evolve Your Style 31 day style challenge, as it helps you to try out unfamiliar items (garments and accessories) and see if they are something you want to try including in your regular wardrobe and style – making them feel more familiar as you work through the month. You will also discover as you do this challenge that some items will be authentic, and others inauthentic. The more you try things outside your current style the larger your comfort zone becomes and so what was unfamiliar can become familiar quite quickly.
When I first learned about the power of a large scale necklace to make my large bust look smaller, I was keen to try it out, and what was once unfamiliar, has become something completely familiar and an integral part of my authentic style.
Large scale jewellery is a familiar and authentic part of my style now but it used to be unfamiliar
Authentic Style Style that is authentic feels truly comfortable on you (and you need to define what comfortable really means for you – there is physical comfort, emotional comfort and mental comfort to consider – you can read more about them here).
When you feel truly at home and comfortable in your clothing, you will forget about it, but know that what you’re wearing looks good on you and that gives you confidence and courage to tackle your goals and dreams. This is why I’m so passionate about helping you discover your authentic style and how you can express this best. We can all appreciate the style of others, admire them for their style, but if you’ve ever copied an outfit that you’ve admired on someone else and felt like it was all wrong on you, it’s because that outfit was authentic to the original, but on you, it’s a poor imitation and a costume rather than an expression of you, as you are not a clone of that person.
Your style won’t be authentic either if it’s not an expression of your values as these come deep from your core. If you value “freedom” you will have a very different style (most likely) from someone who values “conservatism”. I’ve developed a process in my Visualise Your Style mini-course to help you both tease out your values and then take them and turn them into garments, outfits and a personal style – that you’d actually wear and feel great in.
I’ve never worn a lot of sequins, they are not a regular part of my style, but when I spyed these sequin boots in two of my signature colour in a floral pattern (both of which are both familiar and authentic) I knew that these would become a favourite item and be a great expression of my authentic style.
These are my very first, and only pair of sequin boots
Inauthentic Style When what you are wearing is inauthentic, it’s because it’s not a representation of your personality and so it can feel like a costume that belongs to someone else quite different from you or that “it’s just not me”. Wearing outfits or clothes, no matter how much the suit your body or colouring that are inauthentic, will never make you feel great. This is why the people who have had a makeover on a TV show end up back where they were pre-makeover if their personality was not included in the decisions about what they should wear, as someone else’s choices are not their choices and they just don’t feel right in the new look. I’ve also seen this many times with clients who have been shopping with personal stylists who are not trained to understand the impact of personality on choices, they end up with clothes in their wardrobe that they never wear because they are inauthentic. Playing Dress Up When you do this in a fun way, a way that is authentic to you, this allows you to expand your style horizons and try out different things that may be currently unfamiliar to you. Taking a style challenge (like Evolve Your Style) is a great way to play dress-ups in a slightly structured way so that you get the most value from your experiments and through the program materials you will discover what is just unfamiliar but authentic and what is inauthentic and something you never ever have to wear again should you choose not to. Your Personal Brand Image is Authentic When clothing matches your personality, you appear more confident. When you dress consistently with your personal brand image in mind, you are putting others at ease as they can read who you are, and what you stand for (your values, your personality) and it is a shorthand non-verbal language that communicates this quickly. This was key to Queen Elizabeth’s style and is something you see in many other strong personal brands and why style is not shallow.
Want to discover how to express your personality, your values and try the unfamiliar to figure out what is authentic and inauthentic in your style? You can find all this inside my 7 Steps to Style program and it takes you through a series of steps to figure this out for you (plus all the details you need on what harmonises with you physically as well – the colours, shapes and styles of clothing that make you shine) – find out more here and join now.
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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Send me Your Questions Please email me your questions to be included in my Q&A Lucky Dip!
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
Apple Podcasts Google Play
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Send me Your Questions Please email me your questions to be included in my Q&A Lucky Dip!
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
Apple Podcasts Google Play
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Send me Your Questions Please email me your questions to be included in my Q&A Lucky Dip!
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
Apple Podcasts Google Play
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Send me Your Questions Please email me your questions to be included in my Q&A Lucky Dip!
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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Send me Your Questions Please email me your questions to be included in my Q&A Lucky Dip!
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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Send me Your Questions Please email me your questions to be included in my Q&A Lucky Dip!
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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Send me Your Questions Please email me your questions to be included in my Q&A Lucky Dip!
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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One reason there are so many mistakes are made shopping for clothes, and why so many have a wardrobe full of clothes yet nothing to wear, or just feel dissatisfied with our style is that we haven't defined the starting point to your style. Just like when you plan any journey, you need to know your starting point before you can plan your route. The same can be said for your style, if you don't know where you are now, and what your criteria are that you need to focus on to make the best shopping decisions. If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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It's not what is the same, it's what is different, and we often perceive those differences as flaws to be hidden not uniqueness to be celebrated. It's time to embrace the Japanese concept of Kintsugi and taken what you perceive to be broken and instead realise how resilient you really are and see the beauty in those metaphorical scars. If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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If you aren’t sure about your body shape, try my Body Shape Calculator Quiz. Once you’ve figured out your body shape you will know where to add detail and interest to your outfit, where to keep boring, plain and free of detail. You will discover in your Body Shape Bible where to add vertical lines to lengthen and slim your body, and where to add horizontal details to highlight or balance your figure. Click here and take the Body Shape Calculator Quiz now! If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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Send me Your Questions Please email me your questions to be included in my Q&A Lucky Dip!
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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Reader's question: "I’m am at a weird place in life where I get to 'start over' with my wardrobe after kids and losing almost everything due to black mold exposure. I am trying to have a plan for how to start on a wardrobe that better reflects the real 'me' to the world.
I am a mom, but also a lead singer/songwriter and web designer. I have sung as a lead singer for rock bands, but I am not much into the skulls and crossbones/snakeskin stuff. I love natural materials (cotton, wool) and my coloring is medium in value.
My question is: how do you dress more Rebellious when black all over is a little overpowering for your coloring? Do I stick with black on the bottom and grays up top? I still love rock band T-shirts, leather stuff, metals, etc. but I don't want to look like I'm trying too hard. I also have elements of Creative, Natural personality styles and am a hopeless romantic. I am a hodgepodge!"
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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Reader Question: "I struggle with aligning how I feel inside with what my external image is meant to convey. It makes me doubt many of my intuitive wardrobe decisions! Help"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smg08hNgzn8
If you sometimes feel this way too, here is a simple process to follow to help you figure out what the disconnect may be (and you may discover there isn't one!).
- What Should Your External Image Convey? What are the characteristics that you feel that your external image should be conveying? This may depend on what you do or where you work and the required dress code (if there is one), or what you perceive to be the requirements of that role. Here is a list of words that can help you get started on this process - it's by no means exhaustive (feel free to add in your own words).
Confident Powerful Attractive Youthful Independent
Modern Competent Professional Successful Artistic
Exciting Reliable Approachable Sexy Charming
Rebellious Cultured Elegant Sophisticated Brilliant
Exciting Vibrant Alive Fun Scintillating
Eclectic Friendly Feminine Comfortable Urbane
Fresh Sporty Stylish Creative Vivid
Dynamic Edgy Casual Striking Playful
Unconventional Quirky Individual Simple Sensitive
Dramatic Bold Understated Sleek Genuine
Put-together Innovative Mature Conservative Adventurous
Out-there Poised Polished Retro Unusual
Bohemian Free Mysterious Effective Inventive
Alluring Smart Efficient Carefree Adorable
Mysterious Modest Earthy Effervescent Glamorous
Bohemian Independent Thoughtful Curious Persuasive
Once you have this list - say 3-6 words move on to step 2. 2. How Do You Want to Be Perceived What do you want people to pick up about your personality and your values? What traits would you be really happy for people to think that they sum you up?
Using the above list (and any other words you like) fill in this sentence:
Oh there's XX INSERT YOUR NAME HERE, she's so ..... (FILL IN THE BLANK)
Again, you only want 3-6 words - the most important 3-6 that really sums you up as a person. 3. Compare Your Lists Let's figure out if there is a disconnect between the image you are wanting to convey, that external image, and who you are on the inside - it's time to compare your first list with your second.
If they are very similar then you are probably feeling fairly aligned, the more they are different then there is something going on here that needs to be further investigated. External and Internal Don't Match If this is the case, why is this so? Are you unhappy or don't feel you fit into the role that you are currently in which is why your external image is not meshing with your internal image? Are you in the wrong environment for your personality? Or maybe your expectations of your external image are no longer valid in some way? Does it need updating?
If you're not sure why this is where getting some professional image advice can really help - to get an outside perspective or a more in-depth style education to help figure out what's going wrong - you'll get to understand much more deeply the relationship between your personality and your style and outfit choices as well as how your values - both clothing and personal values impact on your style too all inside my 7 Steps to Style program. 4. Costume Your Character You have a list of personality traits and values that feel truly aligned with who you are on the inside. I want you to imagine that you are dressing a character with those exact traits for a movie, what clothes and accessories would you dress them in? What kind of grooming? Hairstyle? Makeup?
You may want to head to Pinterest and collect some images on a board that represents this character's wardrobe and style. How do you know if you've gotten it right? As you select each garment or outfit, ask yourself if you would describe it with your set of words " Is this carfree, alluring and unusual?" (if that was your set of words). If you say yes, then great, if it's a no, then that outfit or accessory doesn't go onto the board. 5. Photograph Your Outfits Get into your wardrobe and take photos of your current outfits - what you wear day-to-day. Do at least 2-3 weeks of outfits so you have quite a few to compare.
Look at these outfits and note down what are they conveying (you may want to look at the list above.
Does what you do wear align with what you want to convey? 6. Compare and Contrast Then compare what you do wear with your costume board - do they look similar and aligned or is there a big disconnect between what you are currently choosing and how you'd dress the character of you?
You may find some similarities and you can see from the costume version that adding in some tweaks is all you need (you may get some styling inspiration from doing this). You may find that the costume version doesn't relate to your body shape or colouring in mind - as to what really works for you (if you're not sure, again, get your style education here so you are empowered to make the right choices), redo this step with your own physicality in mind and see what you come up with.
If you've started to realise that you're not shopping well, that you are making mistakes in stores (and there are all sorts of reasons for this) jump onto my new masterclass 5 Things You Should Stop Doing to Instantly Improve Your Style and find out where you're going wrong (and why) so you can start making better purchasing decisions straight away.
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2009/08/the-movie-of-your-wardrobe.html
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2015/08/why-actors-wear-costumes.html If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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If vanity is a sin then is caring about your style shallow?
I don't believe so (at all) and wanted to share with you some of my thoughts on why I believe this and I've got some research to back my beliefs up! Watch the Video https://youtu.be/x9x9Gt-DK1M Do You Want to Feel More Confident and Improve Your Self-Esteem? Did you know that research shows that those with higher-self esteem tend to have a more congruent self-image - they present on the outside who they are on the inside.
And that when you improve your personal image and style, this improves your self-esteem. And when you have higher self-esteem, you present a self-image that is more congruent with who you are.
So it's a win-win circle!
In fact, higher self-congruence is associated with better psychological and social adjustment, such as feeling less anxiety, depression, and loneliness. As well as having a better self-image can help with other aspects of your life, such as getting the job you want, making new friends and meeting a new partner, if these are things that you want to have in your life. Enclothed Cognition This is a fascinating field of study called enclothed cognition, where they have found that by wearing certain sorts of clothes, that it can improve intelligence, or even make you exercise more, as by wearing these clothes you identify as being "the kind of person who does ... (whatever it is that you are wanting to do).
When you wear clothing that makes you feel stylish it helps you to present as more confident, and in the long term, you embody that confidence as it changes how you perceive yourself for the better.
Knowing that if you can improve your self-esteem, that improves your confidence, which improves your self-congruence and this has a snowball effect that ripples out to your whole life.
When I shop with a client and we find them a great outfit, I see them physically change before my eyes, their posture improves and I can see the new and improved version of them starting to emerge before me. Improve Your Self-Esteem and Confidence If you want to improve your style, you need the style education to give you the power and will empower you to develop your own personal style, one that is congruent with who you are so you present an authentic and aligned personal brand image.
This is why I've developed my online 7 Steps to Style program (and other style programs) as I want to make it possible for you to get the very best style education, no matter where you are in the world, and put yourself in the driver's seat of your style and empower you to make the best decisions when shopping for clothes and putting together outfits every day. Getting a style education will have a long-lasting effect and improve your self-esteem and confidence.
My passion is to help you find and express your style - find out more about my programs now - and please do join me in my new style masterclass 5 Things You Need to Stop Doing Now to Instantly Improve Your Style
I'm here to help you find your authentic personal style!
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2022/04/aligning-your-style-from-the-inside-out.html
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2020/03/if-nobody-sees-you.html
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2019/05/expressing-your-style.html If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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Let’s talk about shopping for clothes. Watch the Video
People are going out again or back to the office after years of staying at home.
Not everyone loves to shop. Some ladies find it stressful and frustrating. We all want to look good, but sometimes it’s difficult to find the right clothes. Sometimes too, the current season trend is minimal. And if you want something specific, it's not out there. Everything is just casual and has limited colours.
Without realising it, even though you’re an intelligent woman you’re most likely making common style and shopping mistakes that are stealing your style and holding you back from feeling like the most confident and attractive version of yourself.
Having style education will give you an added boost to finding and developing your style. It will help you need on the “what suits me” element of style, discovering the colours, contrast, and other physical elements, as well as giving you detailed assistance in understanding how your personality influences your style choices.
There is so much fluff in fashion it’s hard to know what’s great advice and what should be avoided which is why I’ve put together my new style masterclass to share with you. A Personal Invitation... I'm inviting you to join me at a special online event where I will share with you how to overcome the annoying fashion mistakes that are holding you back and finally look and feel like the most confident version of yourself. To learn more, sign up here now! In this Masterclass, you'll learn:
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Why shopping for clothes is so frustrating and exactly what you’re doing completely wrong when you’re in the stores (or online) and coming home with either “it’ll do” clothes 😫 or empty-handed.
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Which of your current clothes shopping strategies are really harming your style and making you waste a heap of money on all the wrong things!
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Exactly why you should ignore most of the fashion advice you ever see, hear or read about regarding what you need in your wardrobe and why that advice is making you waste a lot of money.
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One thing you may be overlooking that is holding your style back in a big way.
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Why this one common thought is the reason you have problems with your style and how you can change your perspective and think about it in a few easy steps! I can’t wait to share my insights and decades of experience with you to get your style back on track! See you there!
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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Have you watched the Netflix series, Inventing Anna? It's the story of Anna Sorokin/Delvey who steals hundreds of thousands of dollars from a variety of people and institutions before getting caught.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65xa8TG2G8o
Watching this series you really can see just how Anna used her image, the clothes she wore, her hair and accessories as tools to create her persona of German Heiress that was believed to be true by many she came into contact with. Watch the Video
Clothes as a Tool of Personal Brand Anna had a superb use of clothing to express her personal brand as a German Heiress of a huge (billionaire type) fortune. Wearing what appeared to be designer clothing and speaking down to those who didn't have the same sense of style and describing them as "basic" gave her a superior air, that may have made those born into money feel that she was an authentic heiress rather than the real story of her regular upbringing. Clothing Communicates As a teenager, Anna realised just how clothing and image communicate after she emigrated from Russia to Germany and found it hard to fit in. Anna became a keen study of Vogue magazine as a teenager, learning about designers and designer looks and emulating them in her outfits. Her accessories were key, wearing identifiable luxury brands, Chanel ballet flats, Dior handbags, Celine sunglasses. Wearing athleisure leggings by Alexander Wang gave her the appearance of wealth (who else but the super-rich spend that kind of cash on designer leggings?) which meant she could potentially pull off a "similar look" luxe for less items as though they were the originals.
Anna knew how powerful her clothing and image were and that we are so often judged on external factors that relate to what we wear and carry because we all do judge books by their covers (and some people more than others). She knew to succeed she had to blend-in to the crowd she wanted to convince that she was a part of. Curating Her Brand and Reinventing Anna Every time she moves on to a new victim she changes up her image like a chameleon. To start she's youthful fun with graphic loud floral prints and much more youthful garments. Then as she starts talking to lawyers and bankers and realises that she's not being taken seriously, she starts curating a much more businesslike and conservative image to be seen as more professional (and it works for her). The process of reinventing Anna into a new guise begins with her wardrobe and image. She has the ability to blend in amongst whoever she's trying to befriend and scam.
Not only does she start to wear more mature and conservative clothing, but she also dyes her hair from blonde to redhead as another sign.
Anna knew she has to dress to be the kind of person she was playing, clothing as costume in her real-life drama. Protecting Her Brand Anna was keen to protect her image at all costs - not wearing court-supplied clothing or clothes that are not freshly cleaned and steamed. She would rather be seen as a criminal than ruin her image, and isn't that the secret of the long-range con - that you can never slip out of character? Who knows if she wasn't looking to the future, that she wanted to rebuild the same kind of life she had. How You Can Apply The Lessons of Creating a Personal Brand Image Rather than creating a character that is not authentic to you (and please, none of this advice is in aiding and abetting criminal activity), you want instead to look at who you are, your personality and character traits, the ones you want the world to easily and readily see, and then start crafting your personal brand image around these aspects of you.
There is a strong relationship between personality traits and personal style, what we do naturally like and dislike, and it's something that I cover in-depth in my 7 Steps to Style program (as well as my style consultations) as it's so integral and key to finding and developing your personal style, the one that feels at home. I want your clothes to feel like a fabulous second skin, rather than an uncomfortable costume that you are putting on to play a part.
When you are dressing from the inside out to express the expert you know you are on the inside, you will feel more confident and this confidence gives you more courage and charisma to help you step out into the light, to be seen and heard for your genius.
Your style can be a powerful tool. You can choose to harness its power or ignore it! Level Up in Style If you're interested in reinventing your image and creating a strong and powerful personal brand image that allows you to express your personality through your style, I'm currently in the process of creating a new program to assist you in doing exactly this. With a focus on entrepreneurial and professional women who realise that they want to have more confidence and feel that their style is holding them back in even the smallest way. If this is something of interest to you - please do contact me and let me know and I'll send you more information.
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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Send me Your Questions Please email me your questions to be included in my Q&A Lucky Dip!
Reader Issue: My biggest challenge is creating a cohesive style when my wardrobe is made up of extremes: very boring and very outrageous, very feminine and very androgynous, too youthful and too ageing, and I hate shopping too! There are many answers to this question, and I did follow up with the reader about her issues and she shared more about how she's become so inconsistent which I share in the video below. It got me thinking about WHY the reader has this issue, as I know it's a pretty common one, as I've heard from many women that they feel their style is not cohesive, it's scattered, and they have a wardrobe full of clothes but still nothing to wear that makes them feel really great (or just one or two outfits, but the rest isn't quite right). When thinking about this topic it brought to mind the impact and importance of having a consistent style to have a strong personal brand that helps you succeed in life.
https://youtu.be/Bli0srp03EE What's a Personal Brand Anyway and Why Does it Matter? A personal brand is something we all have, it's the impression we have about people, as Jeff Bezos of Amazon has said "A personal brand is what someone says or thinks about you when you're not in the room". It can help open doors for you in life, whether your work life or your personal life, and it can also slam doors shut in your face as well if it's not projecting what you need it to project. Your personal brand is made up of: * Your image and personal style * Your behaviour and actions * Your values * Your voice and how you communicate
When you think of identifiable personal brands, such as Oprah, or Greta Thunberg, you know who they are, their values, what they stand for and what area they have expertise in. A great personal brand can help you become the 'go-to' person for a particular area or topic and so can help you succeed in your life and at work, whether you work for yourself or you work for someone else. Consistency is an Important Aspect of any Personal Brand (as it is for any business brand). Consistency makes it easy for people to figure out where to go to find answers, who is the expert, or which is the right product or service. If you think about businesses, the branding of Target is very different from Dior's and the price point is also very different. There is copious research that shows that being seen as more attractive, and your style and image, including grooming and clothing, is an important part of this equation, can have you earning more money, without having to do any additional work. It' truly is an example of working smarter, not harder! Sure the genetically blessed have it lucky, but we can all get a good haircut, do some grooming every day, and put on an outfit that is stylish and suits our body as well as the activity or occasion. Why Having an Inconsistent Style is Hurting Your Personal Brand So if you have an inconsistent style, whether it's like my reader who told me about this style struggle of hers, where she feels like she's different people for different parts of her life, and hasn't yet figured out how to integrate herself and define her style, one that works for all aspects of her life, or it's because some days you can be bothered and other days you can't, having an inconsistent style is hurting your personal brand, that impression you leave on people.
I've worked with many managers who tell me about members of their teams at work who because they are presenting themselves poorly at work, are being overlooked for opportunities and promotions. Inconsistency communicates that you're not in complete control of your life (your wardrobe is speaking volumes) in some way or another. These managers have told me too that they can't promote team members who present themselves poorly to any kind of public-facing or client-facing role because they can't trust them to be a great ambassador for the business' brand. Yet these team members don't realise why they are being overlooked for such opportunities.
When we think of great brands, there is always consistency. Someone like Richard Branson, who has had a strong public personal brand for a long time, is one such example, you know exactly what you're going to get. High-Quality Personal Brands Not everyone wants to get the corner office, but if you are wanting to move ahead at work, and it's particularly important if you are an entrepreneur and self-employed, because you are the face of your business, creating a high-quality personal brand is imperative.
If you want to be paid more, you have to look like you're worth it! This is why a luxury car has leather seats rather than fabric. This is why we'll pay more for a well-kept 2nd hand car than one that is beaten up (even if they have the same mileage).
Now you don't have to go and dress in designer clothes (unless this is something you want to do), but you do need to put yourself together each day in a way that says that you are in control of your image and style, that your style represents your personality and values, and that it's working in harmony with your body, as this shows great self-awareness and attention to detail, which are both important characteristics. Your Personal Brand Image This is made up of: 1. Your personality and values - who you are, your personality traits, what you stand for, what you value 2. How you want to be perceived - what you want the world to know about you and to pick up quickly and easily about your personality and values 3. The roles and activities you have in your life - what you do, your work, the various activities you undertake in your life, the roles you take on
There needs to be congruence and consistency and your personal brand image also needs to be authentic and genuine, as people see through inauthenticity, maybe not immediately always, but when things don't add up, when it feels fake, then questions start to be asked. The Foundations of Your Personal Brand Just like you need strong foundations when you build a house, you need strong foundations for your image and style. Your values, your personality and your why are all part of the foundations. This is why in my online programs (7 Steps to Style) personality is the first step, before body shape, before physicality, and colouring, you need to understand how your personality is impacting on all your style choices. And it's why understanding your values is also an important aspect of building your style. What You Wear - Your Style - The Outward Expression of Your Personal Brand Image The actual garments and accessories you wear is the outward expression of your style, just like the exterior of a house. Whether it's a Tudor style or a California Bungalow or Victorian cottage or a Mid-Century Modern, the cuts and colours you wear, the fabrics and accessories, your grooming and how you behave and communicate are what people are seeing that are representing the inner you, those foundations that the house is built upon.
Creating a personal brand is a proactive way of controlling how you are perceived and gives you the power to influence. What's great is that you're in charge. You are the CEO of your own personal brand! Focus on Your Uniqueness What makes you different and special? What are your values and points of view? Even when you are inside a business that has a dress code, you can still be expressing elements of your personal brand personality through your image and style. You don't have to go for boring, bland, and blending in (and in fact, this is the worst route to ever succeeding as you'll easily be overlooked). Instead, it's important to start to combine those different parts of you into one whole package. You may want to bring in small elements of the creative you that still fit within the confines of the dress code.
It's what makes us different that makes us memorable. Before You Start to Transform your Style Ask Yourself These Questions 1. What personality traits do I want the world to know and see? 2. What roles and activities do I do and what is appropriate for each of these? What kinds of clothes do I really need? 3. What are my values? 4. What is my why?
Then look to how you want to express this information: 1. What clothing details and styles express my personality? 2. What styles and kinds of clothing and accessories? 3. What colours and contrasts? 4. What are my outfits communicating? 5. What is consistent in the expression of my image?
You may want to start a Pinterest board as a way of collating this information in one place, to start creating something that represents you. You may also need to get assistance to actually figure out the answers to these questions, as understanding all the elements of style isn't something you were taught at school and isn't something you'll learn from fashion magazines or Instagram, you are not a failure in any way if you feel out of your depth when shopping for clothes or trying to figure out what works for you. This is why my 7 Steps to Style program covers the different aspects of image and style and gives you a solid style education (in fact it teaches you more than most personal styling courses teach people who want to be stylists).
When you understand what it is you are wanting to project, what actually suits you and how your personality influences your style choices, shopping becomes so much easier as you know what to say yes to and what to put back. Knowledge really is power when you are shopping for clothes and if you've been making shopping mistakes it means you don't have the style education you need to make the best style choices for you. Consistency is Key Remember that creating a consistent style and personal brand image isn't about wearing the same thing every day, like a uniform, it's just creating a consistent thread that runs through all the different ways you express your style. Ensure that the most important aspects of your personality and values are in every outfit, not just a few. It doesn't matter if you're dressing more casually or more formally, for the exercise or presenting at a conference, there needs to be some sort of identifying thread that runs through your image and personal style. This is where the right style recipe is key to delivering this for you! Creating Your Personal Brand Image If you're an entrepreneur or professional who appreciates how improving your image can help you get ahead at work (and in life) and you want to really get to grips with your style - and develop a strong and authentic personal brand image, I'm currently developing a new program to help intelligent visionary women just like you to do this. If you're interested in doing this with me in a fun and supportive group program with lots of hands-on love and advice from me, I'd love to hear from you to let you know more! Please do email me or let me know in the comments.
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
Apple Podcasts Google Play
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Send me Your Questions Please email me your questions to be included in my Q&A Lucky Dip!
In This Episode How often do you buy clothing and accessories? Is it rarely or frequently? What's the reason for these purchases?
Did you know that every time you buy something your brain gives you a little hit of dopamine (a happy hormone) that gives you a short rush of feel good chemicals, but quickly wears off, which is why it's easy to become addicted to this feeling and buy things even when you don't need them.
Did you know that October is buy nothing new month? And unless your wardrobe is bare (or full of clothes that are holey or worn out) then most of us can easily go a month without buying anything new. If you know that you can barely go a week without buying something new, it could be time to take a break and take part in buy nothing new month. Pause and Think Before You Buy It's the global movement for collective, conscientious consumption. Of course, buying nothing new doesn't include food, hygiene products, and medicines, instead, it's about being more conscious about how you consume and just taking one month off and thinking "do I really need it?" and if you do "can I get it 2nd hand, borrow it, rent it?" It's about thinking about resources and where our stuff comes from and where it goes when we're done with it (frequently landfill) and what are some of the other ways of getting what we need without always buying something new.
Taking a moment to pause and think before you buy anything, I always recommend you rating the potential purchase out of 10 - and it has to rate an 8 or more for it to be something you even consider buying. Remember that we find it harder to let go of stuff we own, so making good decisions before you buy is so important if you want to be a more conscious consumer. Have a Swap Party I see so many overflowing wardrobes with less than 20% of what's inside being worn. Instead of buying new, why not hold a swap party with friends and see if you can keep your clothes in circulation rather than sitting unworn and unloved in your wardrobe by swapping them for something you will wear. Remember, it's not just clothes, it's also shoes, scarves and other accessories that could find new homes where they will be more loved and worn than they are being in yours and swapping means you get to take something home too, just because you're not buying anything new, doesn't mean you don't get to partake in the fun! Fashions Change Clothes are like milk, they go off over time - fashions change so if you've bought something you're not wearing (and not because it's the wrong season) then there is probably a good reason for this. Why you're not wearing it is something that I help you discover in my 7 Steps to Style program, that is all about becoming a more discerning and conscious shopper by getting the style education you need to make the best shopping decisions (as well as learning how to build a wardrobe that works for you and expresses your personality from the inside out).
But there is not point in holding onto something you're not wearing, because it doesn't fit or flatter in the way you'd like, because it's the wrong colours, because you have nowhere to wear it, because it doesn't reflect your personality, because you have nothing to wear with it .... this list can go on. Instead of keeping it, why not release those unworn and barely worn (and can't actually see yourself wearing again) garments while they are still potentially fashionable and let someone else get some joy from them. Here are tips on deciding whether you should keep something or let it go.
You can also buy and sell clothes and accessories second-hand - from eBay to Poshmark and a million other options in between (consignment stores, Facebook Marketplace, Rebag, The Real Real and so many more). Plus of course, there are wonderful charities, such as Dress for Success and charity thrift stores you can donate items you don't wear to, and also pick up something amazing as well if you like to have a fossick to find the gold that is possible to find in them (here are tips on how to thrift like a pro). Upcycle or Refashion If you're not wearing something but you truly-wruly love it, but it's just a bit wrong in some way or other - how can you upcycle, embellish or refashion it? From a small alteration, a repair, or overdying to a fabulous colour for you, to a major overhaul in some way or other, maybe having a month off buying new will give you some time and inspiration to turn your unworn into something new and loved and you'll actually get some wear from it.
Do a Style Challenge to See What You Have Taking a step back from shopping can get you a new and fresh perspective on what you have (why not try and wear everything in your wardrobe rather than reaching for the same favourites over and over, if you need some assistance and inspiration, take on my Evolve Your Style challenge as this gives you the framework to a deeper understanding of your style and your wardrobe. Recruit Your Clothes and Accessories Well Jill Chivers and I discuss the concept of recruitment with regards to shopping in the video here, as it's a great way of thinking about making better shopping choices. It's expensive to hire and fire employees, and the same goes for your wardrobe. The average woman wastes over $900 per year on clothes she doesn't wear (that adds up to $9000 every decade!). Don't you want to use that money for something else? Getting that style education is the key to not being average and instead, being better than average! It's the education you never got in school, but one you use every single day of your life as you get dressed every day.
More Tips on a More Sustainable Fashion World https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2020/04/building-a-more-sustainable-fashion-world.html
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2018/07/shopping-individual-style.html
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2011/03/are-you-a-weapon-of-mass-consumption.html
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2019/04/the-art-of-overdying-your-clothes-frequently-asked-questions-2.html If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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Stitcher
Send me Your Questions Please email me your questions to be included in my Q&A Lucky Dip!
In This Episode Dress Yourself With Kindness With many of us having put on some weight during the past 2 years due to the stress of living through a once in a 100-year pandemic I've been getting swathes of emails from women who are dissatisfied with their bodies and feeling "less than" or "not good enough" or somehow their body is failing them and their sense of style. What I noticed in these emails is just how easy it is to be negative about ourselves and our bodies and thought it was a good excuse to bring up the topic of body image, self-acceptance, and kindness, because we can all do with more kindness, whether to and from others as well as being kind to ourselves.
- Ways to Improve Your Body Image and Become More Self Accepting Start by thinking about how you can have a positive relationship with your body instead of a negative one
Even starting to notice that you are criticizing yourself is a great first step. So much internal dialogue goes by almost subconsciously, yet we need to start to bring those thoughts into our conscious and then question ourselves and ask "Would I speak this way to a friend? Would I say this to someone else about their body?" If the thought of saying to a friend about their body, what you are saying internally to yourself horrifies you, then it's time to stop saying those things to yourself. 2. Be kind – stop criticizing yourself! It's time to also relinquish the idea that not having a model body or the body you used to have will make your life perfect. Nothing in life is perfect. Accept imperfection as beautiful (I love the Japanese concept of Kintsugi, where the flaws of something broken are embraced and celebrated with some gold leaf creating an even more beautiful piece). Why not start to see how you can apply this concept to yourself and your style and you'll feel a lot better about yourself. I loved the comment I read once on my 7 Steps to Style program forum about how seeing a wide variety of women and bodies had helped this member feel better about herself as she could now see that all women were beautiful in their own way and that this idealized "model body" is actually no longer what she saw as the only beautiful kind of body. 3. Remember you deserve to be loved and accepted in the body you have today You are an amazing human being. You are perfect just as you are. You should not be contorting or twisting yourself into knots to try and be someone or something that you are not. The best people will love you just as you are and don't want you to change. Your body deserves to be loved just as it is. You are alive! Your body is doing amazing things to let you have the life you have and do all the things you do each day. It should be appreciated for what it gives you and what it allows you to do. Love your body just as it is. You have no flaws, everything is an asset! 4. Stop Judging Stop judging other people’s bodies – if you criticize others then you are criticizing yourself – we all deserve to be loved and accepted just as we are. If you're criticizing others' bodies, this will have a negative impact on your own self-esteem and body image. See if you can start picking up on when you do it, and instead reframe your thoughts to find something beautiful and accepting about that person's body. Find the assets don't focus on "flaws". 5. Get rid of the SHOULDs I really hate the SHOULDS, it's another way of criticizing yourself and as we've just discussed, this is not good for you and your mental health. Who says you SHOULD be anything other than exactly who and what you are? Wo says that they in the right and you in the wrong? You should not be younger, slimmer, firmer, prettier than you are as there is no age or size limit to style. 6. What Do You Consume? This is not about what you eat, but what media you consume. There is much research that has found mainstream and social media can have a negative effect on your body image. So cleanse your social media of unrealistic bodies (airbrushed anyone?), avoid the fashion magazines if they make you feel "less than". Stop following people who have an unrealistic body type. Look instead for people who are more like you and be inspired by the wonderful array of amazing and stylish women who look nothing like supermodels. 7. Appreciate your body for what it can do for you This is a great one for helping you to start appreciating your body and improve your body image. Write a letter to your body (instructions here) and print it out, put it up somewhere you can see it, and read it daily until the message really starts to sink in about how amazing your body really is. Mine grew two humans - how amazing is that! That's just the start of what it's done for me. It's been around the world with me, it's taken me to all sorts of places and let me taste all sorts of delicious foods and drinks, and every day it cuddles my family. I wouldn't be without it. How about you? 8. Practice gratitude for your body each day If you've been living under a rock somewhere you may not have learned yet that practicing gratitude has huge mental health benefits. So why not add in 3 things your body has done for you each day to that gratitude practice so that you start to really appreciate daily how truly amazing you and your body are! Learn to say I love you to your body (tips here).
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Dress Your Body With Affection Dress your body with affection – focus on highlighting rather than all about camouflage – treat it as worthy of love and attention. Find the clothes that harmonise with it, the beautiful colours that make you shine, the fabrics that feel great on your skin, the cuts that highlight your beauty. Style can be a form of self-care. Taking a few minutes each day to appreciate your body by selecting stylish outfits that express who you are from the inside out, that make you feel authentic and the best version of yourself is so worth the time and effort.
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Snap to Attention Speak to your body in a positive way, if you find it hard to stop, try this little experiment for a week. Get a large rubber band that fits around your wrist comfortably (one of those thick ones) and then every time you catch yourself having a negative thought or self-talk, snap it against your wrist. Yes, it hurts, but so do those thoughts, and you will find you start snapping yourself out of those negative thoughts quickly as you then reframe them into something positive (as I talked about a little earlier).
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Practise Self-Acceptance You may have noticed in the video that I started to cry and I decided not to edit it out. I was surprised by my emotions and I started to into "fight/flight/freeze/appease" mode and very nearly turned off the video and wanted to delete it, felt totally helpless and wanted to apologise profusely for crying, but then I took some deep breaths (I was feeling like I'd start wailing and lose complete control) and managed to keep going with a pause. My thought pattern went something like this ...
"OMG DELETE, DELETE, DELETE, SHUT THIS VIDEO CAMERA DOWN NOW IMOGEN!
Crying is a sign of weakness and you are supposed to be the strong one guiding others...
Oh no, you're going to start ugly crying, that's not a great look...
Wait a minute, here you are talking about self-acceptance and you need to accept yourself first, you have to practice what you preach
Just breath deeply and look up, you have been told looking upwards helps to stop tears
Yes you can do this, you can get it together and you are being authentic, true to your emotions and how you're feeling, you've had a tough couple of years and this is a tender subject
Talking about this topic is more important than worrying about a few tears ... everyone cries, you're a human and you're OK being imperfect and not always in control is a normal part of being a human.
I got this... I can keep going now"
As someone who has a deep psychological need to be in control and charting my own course, having emotions rip through me and throw me off balance in a public forum like making a live video is really uncomfortable but I also believe that vulnerability is an act of strength and courage and showing your human side helps others to show theirs as well.
How are you going to be kinder to yourself and practice self-acceptance and improve your body image? I'd love to know. Share in the comments! More Tips on Improving Your Body Image https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2017/12/vulnerability-courage.html
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2016/08/how-your-language-impacts-profoundly-on-your-style.html
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2016/10/words-matter-style-self-esteem.html If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
Apple Podcasts Google Play
Stitcher
Send me Your Questions Please email me your questions to be included in my Q&A Lucky Dip!
Melbourne, Australia will soon be the No. 1 in the world for being the city with the most number of days in strict (stage 3 and 4) lockdowns since the pandemic started 18 months (or so) ago, by the time we are looking to lift lockdown restrictions on 26 October, we will have endured 267 days (fortunately not all in a row). And as much as people wished away 2020 for 2021, the pandemic didn't miraculously disappear with the end of one calendar year and the start of the next, and even now 3/4 of the way through 2021, it isn't over and wishing this year away will make no difference as there is no real end in sight as only a small proportion of the world is vaccinated and new mutations are arising.
Given this, I'm not feeling as fresh and invigorated or energetic as I used to, to say the least. Though, I'm also one of the lucky ones for a myriad of reasons: * I already worked from home, so that didn't change, and I'd been doing business online for years so was well ahead of others in my field on that perspective * My husband's work is also stable, so no job losses or big financial stressors * I live in a great house which has space for us all so we are not on top of each other and can work in separate spaces * My kids are not in primary school so don't require constant supervision to home school * I live very close to large parklands that I can walk around each day * As an introvert, on the whole, I don't mind lockdowns as I like being at home (in fact I love not having to be Mum Taxi).
I have no FOMO (fear of missing out), instead, I enjoy a more constant state of FOGO (fear of going out ... though it's not a fear, I just enjoy staying home and spending time alone more than my extraverted friends and family members). That said, this past 18 months of the pandemic have still taken a toll on my mental and physical health and I'm feeling really tired and lacking in inspiration and energy, plus like many others, I've put on weight due to comfort eating and lack of incidental movement as well as less intense exercise. I was listening to this episode of Brene Brown's Dare to Lead Podcast with an interview with Amy Cuddy about Pandemic Flux and she put into words just what I'm feeling and why. It's because my surge capacity is depleted. I'm not depressed (I've had depression and I know what it feels like and it's not that). I may be languishing a little bit (which Adam Grant talks about in his pocast here) as I'm feeling much less motivated and energised than normal. What I do know is that my surge capacity is completely depleted, which I think is why I'm feeling the way I'm feeling. Devitalised, Depleted, De-energised - When Your Surge Capacity is Spent According to Ann Masten, PhD a psychologist and professor of child development at the University of Minnesota, "Surge capacity is a collection of adaptive systems - mental and physical - that humans draw on for short-term survival in acutely stressful situations, such as natural disasters." Sadly pandemics are a long-term event, rather than a short-term one and there has been no way to renew your surge capacity because of the never-ending stress of living through this. And because most of the damage is internal or not in our faces (unless you work in the healthcare field and are experiencing the impact of Covid first-hand) it can be hard to appreciate just how tricky psychologically what we are all negotiating really is.
As Masten says, “It’s important to recognize that it’s normal in a situation of great uncertainty and chronic stress to get exhausted and to feel ups and downs, to feel like you’re depleted or experience periods of burnout.”
Surge capacity is great for short-term stress, but what do you do when you are in a state of suspension, how do you adjust to the "new normal" which is going to be indefinite uncertainty? This pandemic is like an invisible war where you can't see the enemy but the fighting will go on for years and years and years.
I've always prided myself on my resilience, developed from highly stressful situations in childhood and into adulthood. Yet now I feel my resilience at an all-time low. So I've been looking into how I can rebuild my surge capacity and my resilience bank account even though I'm still stuck in this liminal state with no end-date (there really is no such thing as a freedom day to look forward to). When you have no control over so many of the things you're used to having control over, and you have no control over an invisible virus, or control over the behaviours of others that also cause a lot of stress to many of us who live with people with underlying health conditions (which is estimated to be around half the population). 10 Strategies I'm Using to Cope During the Pandemic
- Expect Less from Myself I'm lowering my own expectations of myself. I'm learning to put less on my work plate, it's taken me 18 months of the pandemic to realise this, but I just can't keep going at the pace I normally work at without burning out completely. So there will be less blog posts and less videos and less produced for a while until I feel I have more energy again (and I feel less like crying). I know as an introvert I gain energy from time spent alone, so even though my husband who is an extravert needs me to spend time with him so he can recharge, I know that I have to carve out time to myself when I'm not working to just spend time with myself so I too can recharge.
- Appreciate the Small Things I've really been leaning into this in recent months. The really small things, those tiny moments that normally go unnoticed. The breath of fresh air when you get home and get to take off your mask. The smell of the jasmine flowering at my front door that I stop to inhale and appreciate each time I take out the rubbish. The spring flowers blooming in gardens as I go for my daily walk. The hugs from my kids and husband. The fun antics of my whippets.
- Acceptance of Grief Yes, we are grieving for the life we used to have. The trips we'd take, the holidays and even the small everyday things (I really grieved about the loss of having the house to myself when the pandemic started and suddenly I was surrounded by people, even though they are my family and people I love, never being away from them and being in a totally empty house, just me and the dogs, took some serious adjustment). Those stages of grief, such as anger and denial can be seen everywhere. There is the grief of not being able to plan anything. The grief of not being able to see people in person, go out and do the things you normally do, enjoy the holidays and celebrations that you take for granted. There is anger that it's been taken away. Rather than being angry about something you can't change, I've relaxed into acceptance, a far kinder place.
- Build-in Breaks I've not taken more than a couple of days holiday since before the pandemic, and even then, because we planned to take a decent holiday mid-year last year, I had taken very little holiday since April 2019. Of course, the pandemic and being in lockdown put paid to our holiday plans for last year and this year too. And because I work from home, if I haven't been able to get away anywhere, then I just keep working and I'm now really discovering that this is not good for me. I'm now working at taking my work-life at a slower pace and taking more time to not work, taking a proper lunch break and taking a day off here and there to do nothing with no expectations of productivity. Take time to smell the flowers.
- Not Beat Myself Up It's so easy to beat myself up about eating more than I 'need' and putting on Covid Kilos (as they are called), but this isn't helping my psychologically so I've decided just to be kinder to myself and accept the weight gain for what it is, a layer of comfort in a time of great psychological distress. I've also not cleaned out the linen closet or my wardrobe even though I may have technically had the time to do it. These are things that just feel like more work and require more energy than I have right now.
- Do Things I Enjoy
Rather than clean out cupboards and do chores, I'm taking time to do things that I enjoy that nourish rather than deplete me (I know that cleaning nourishes some people, but I don't get joy from it). I've done a lot of paint-by-numbers (pictured above) whilst listening to podcasts and watching Netflix. Seeing something appear out of some squiggly lines whilst not having to actively think is something that I'm finding really helps me take those breaks. I've been going to bed early and reading lots too. And I've been searching out and enjoying shows and movies that make me laugh and cry but also show me how to be human, and a better kind of human, such as Ted Lasso (Apple TV) and Our Friend (Prime).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u7EIiohs6U 7. I Let Myself Cry Rather than try and snap out of it, I let myself cry when I need to. I use those TV shows and movies to help me let those feelings out rather than keeping on bottling them up and holding them in. Studies have shown that crying can help relieve stress and improve mood. Tears remove toxic byproducts including cortisol and adrenaline which is why it can help you feel better to shed a few.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioC5pzJuaMc 8. I Use Style as Therapy Rather than dress in my sloppy comfort clothes, which I so easily could, since I'm not going anywhere. I've found that when I dress in a way that makes me feel stylish, it does improve my mental state for the day. Style can be self-care. There is research that shows when you wear your good clothes you feel better about yourself. When you wear your crappy/sloppy/I've given up clothes you feel more depressed. Putting on an outfit that says I haven't given up, doing some basic grooming (hair and makeup) set me up for a better day. Sure, nobody but me and my family may see the accessories or outfit I've chosen for the day, but it doesn't matter, I'm dressing to make me feel good.
- Be Grateful for What I Have Rather than focussing on what I haven't got, or can't do, or who I can't see, or where I can't go. I'm really just focussing on what is good, what I do have and what I can do. I can enjoy daily walks around the park with the dogs. I can enjoy putting on some music and bopping around the kitchen as I make dinner. I can enjoy chatting with friends and family on Zoom. I can enjoy the feeling of the sun on my skin, the smell of flowers, the taste of a gin and tonic with fresh limes from our tree. I'm eternally grateful too to all the health care workers who put their lives on the line every day and who are really feeling the impact of this pandemic and can't escape it in the way I can. I'm grateful for the slower pace of life, it suits me, lockdown has made me realise how much I really dislike the pressure to be here, there and every'effing where that was pre-pandemic life.
- I Look After Myself in Small Ways I'm making sure I get a good night's sleep, eat a healthy dinner, and appreciate the joy that my dogs and family bring me. I avoid watching the news, I don't need more negativity in my life further depleting me. I avoid conversations that are toxic to me, this includes people whinging and whining about the current lockdown and conditions for more than 1 minute, I know spending time in the vicinity of that kind of negative energy does my mental state no good. Instead, I look for things that make me laugh, that bring a smile to my face, that bring me joy. Each small thing I can do for myself helps to keep me going and to hopefully start to refill my surge capacity and resilience tanks. Pandemics are emotionally exhausting and self-care is even more important during this time than ever. It can feel like you're fighting an invisible enemy with no sense of how much you're succeeding or failing.
How are you coping? What have you found to help you improve the way you're feeling? Here is a podcast with resilience expert Ann Masten, PhD who I mentioned earlier in this post all about the role of resilience in the face of Covid-19, how to build it in yourself and your family.
If you'd like to use style as a method of self-care too and are feeling like you're not sure where to start - then please do check out my style programs - 7 Steps to Style which will give you the style education to figure out how to express your style through your clothes and what actually works for you (the information you were never taught growing up) and it includes my Evolve Your Style program which assists you in getting out of that style rut that it's so easy to have gotten into during the pandemic! If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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Apparently, internet years are a bit like dog years, where each standard Gregorian year is equivalent to 7 years on the internet because technology moves so quickly. Today Inside Out Style turns 13 (in human years) and 91 in internet years, which makes me feel like quite the granny as a blogger!
As a thank-you for coming here and reading, I'm giving you the special offer of 30% off ALL my Masterclasses! Use the coupon code LUCKY13 at the checkout to claim your discount!
3 Things I've Learned About Style from 13 Years of Blogging About It
- There is No One Way to Be Stylish Yes, I already knew this but having witnessed the style journey's of so many women through my online programs (Evolve Your Style and 7 Steps to Style as well as Your Type of Style) I've seen firsthand just how impactful finding your authentic style can be on the entire lives of the women I work with. That until you find your authentic style you won't feel stylish in the way you want. If you're trying out style by copying other's style, or following "must-have lists", then you will feel flat and uninspired, or just not you. We can be inspired by others, and appreciate other's style, but copying exactly is not the way to go.
You are an original, not a copy. Your style should be original to you as well.
This leads me to another important point ....
Comparison is toxic.
Comparing your style (or your body) to others is a recipe for unhappiness and discontent about your style.
Style is deeply personal. The clothes you wear touch your skin and need to be comfortable for you in both physical and psychological ways (which I've written about here).
This is why finding your personal style is important, it's when you'll feel completely at home in your clothes as they reflect who you are on the inside, on your outside. 2. Dressing in a Way that Makes You Feel Stylish Has a Positive Impact on Your Whole Life Some people think caring about your style is shallow. Yet the feedback I get from many readers over many years is that so frequently, feeling and looking stylish ends up having a positive impact on their lives. Here are just a few of the inspiring words I've received from women around the world who have found this to be true.
"My husband is also thrilled with my new style. My confidence has improved and it has motivated me to improve other areas in my life." Carla
"Thanks so much Imogen. I've never regretted joining your class. In fact, I'm happier, every day, to be in your 7 Steps to Style. I've learned so much more than I ever dreamed. The personality aspect alone has revolutionized my life and interaction with others, even my family!" Karen
"I've not only learned so much about the elements of style, I've gained so much in self-confidence". Dorothy
"It's not an exaggeration to say you helped me bring back my confidence, my money, and most importantly ME :) Thank you." Janaki
"I am so thankful I found your blog. The second day after reading and following what you said the cashier at the grocery store told me "I like your outfit. It is so color-coordinated" Wow, people notice!" Doris
"I would say that I go to my local Starbucks here and there, not even once a week. One of the cashiers is a young girl who always looks so irritated that (including today), I think to myself, "oh no, not her..." Anyway, after she took my order this morning, she leaned in and almost whispered, "Can I ask you something?" I said of course but had no idea what it would be. She asked, "Can I ask what your job is?" I told her and then asked, curious as to why -- was she looking for a career? She actually smiled (!) and said, "Oh no, I don't want to be a speech pathologist -- I just see you here and always notice your nice professional clothes and all the colors, and I wondered where you get to wear them." Katie
"I have to share with you – it seems silly, really, but I feel so connected with you! I know…we can see you, but you can’t see all of us, but let me tell you – you are making AMAZING changes in our lives – literally, in such a beautiful way!!!" Katherine
"This past weekend I was away and recently saw pictures of myself posted by friends and family on FB. For the first time in a long time, I thought - Who is that gorgeous almost 50 year old in those pictures?? She looks fabulous. Her skin is glowing, she looks really happy, and boy those colours look good on her!! Wait a minute, that’s ME." Valerie
"I have tears in my eyes as I write this because of the profound effect your teachings have had on me already!! You’ve touched my life in such an amazing and “colorful” way!! I cannot wait to gobble up the rest of what you have in store for me with the rest of the 7 Steps!!! Imogen, if you ever doubt that what you do makes a difference, here is just a bit more proof to the contrary, from across the world. Again :)" Pam 3. Taking Outfit Photos Is a Fantastic Way to Improve Your Style
This is something I'd never really thought about until I started taking my own outfit photos for this blog which allowed me to start seeing how I really looked in my outfits and then seeing all my Evolve Your Style and 7 Steps to Style program participants and their photos - and just how much faster you can improve your style when you get that more objective perspective that a photo brings. I've written a few times about the value of outfit photos and here are some more words from readers who have also discovered their power.
"I have become more objective about how I look because photos don't lie! Also, I have become more intentional about what I wear so that I am dressed for success." Nancy
"Not only does seeing yourself in a photo help you in evaluating yourself but looking at other people and their outfits starts to train your eyes to look for certain things like value contrast, proportions of upper half to lower half or colour of shoes for example." Ulrike
"And taking selfies has turned out to be illuminating. I was surprised by how different outfits look in a photo as opposed to the mirror. I know none of this is news to you but it has changed the way I look at my wardrobe and the pleasure I get from it, so thank you." Lorraine
I do recommend you take outfit photos - you don't have to do them every day, but each time you create a new outfit, take a quick snap in the mirror (I've got lots of tips on how to pose and the simple technology you need) so that you too can gain the benefits from having these photos. Plus the added benefit? You've got a record of your most fabulous outfits so when you're having a morning where you just have no brain space to think about putting an outfit together, you can refer to your photos and have all the elements of a stylish outfit in that photo for you to quickly put together. Tell Me Your Top 3 Style Tips I'd love to know, what are the 3 most useful or enlightening style tips or strategies that you've learned from Inside Out Style that have had a positive impact on you? Please share in the comments! If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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Think knowing your face shape is all you need to consider to choose a flattering cut and style? It's so not true! In fact there are 4 other things you want to consider BEFORE face shape to help you find the best styles for you.
- How Much Time are You Prepared to Spend Doing Your Hair Everyday? How much time are do you want to spend doing your hair each day? Styling hair can take time and some of us are happier to spend more time and some less. In fact, if you are a wash-and-wear kind of woman then you need a hairstyle that is totally wash-and-wear.
I know that I'm a 3 minutes or less per day kind of woman, so this is one thing that has impacted my hairstyle choices and why I've had so many sensible bob hairstyles over the past 20 odd years because they are fast and easy for me to do with my hair. 2. What Will Your Hair Do Easily? What is your hair texture? Have you got curly or straight hair or something in between? Do you have natural volume or flat hair? Thick or fine? Lots of hair or just a little?
What your hair texture is will impact the kinds of styles you can even start to choose from (unless of course, you're happy to spend a lot of time, energy and money creating a style that goes against your hair's natural way of being).
So as much as you may love the look of a hairstyle, chat to your hairdresser about whether or not your hair is the same texture as that of the person in the image you're showing them to find out if it's even possible for you, and if it is, find out how much time it will take to do each day. Then run this answer past point one above!
- Consider Your Facial Features Do you have facial features you want to highlight or distract from? If you have a larger nose or a soft jawline you may not want these features to be highlighted by your hairstyle, so make sure that your hair doesn't "point" to them and draw attention.
I have quite wide-set eyes and now that I know this I finally understand why I hated every hairstyle I was ever given where they had short layers of hair that the hairdresser brushed onto my face - as it made my eyes look like they were right at the edges of my face.
If you have asymmetrical facial features, consider an asymmetry in your hairstyle.
Also, how are your features place on your face? Mine are all in the centre, rather than being spread out more evenly, which makes my oval face shape work like an oblong (and I have to use oblong recommendations for hairstyles etc).
- The Impact of Your Jaw and Forehead on Hairstyle Choices Do you have a more prominent forehead or a very low hairline. Both of these features will impact hairstyle choices.
Have you ever wanted a short haircut, even a pixie? I tried in my 20s the pixie cut and found that I never felt feminine in it and so had to add more makeup every day til it grew out. I've discovered after doing much research, that the reason is the length of my jaw (measure from the base of your earlobe to the bottom of your chin). John Frieda has come up with the following formula. If the measurement of the jaw is 5.5cm (2 inches) or less, then you can more easily sport a pixie or very short hairstyle. If it's longer (mine is around 7cm) then you need some hair around your jaw to soften your jawline.
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2012/07/who-suits-a-pixie-haircut.html 5. Face Shape Flattery for Hairstyles And finally, we get to your face shape. Rather than obsess about squares, ovals, diamonds and hearts, think about your face shape in a more simple way.
Long faces (more than 1.5x the width of your face) need either volume at the side to broaden the face to balance or use a fringe/bangs to shorten it.
Short faces (less than 1.5x the width of your face) need height or length and no volume at the sides to balance. Avoid heavy blunt fringes, side-swept ones work well.
Unbalanced faces (hearts/triangles/inverted triangles) need the body at the opposite end of the face to the widest part, or the prominent area to be covered by the hair so it's camouflaged.
Simple really! Hair and Makeup Masterclasses If you want more tips and advice, on choosing hairstyles, embracing your grey, how to deal with frizz and so much more, check out my Hair and Makeup Masterclasses.
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2017/10/5-essential-questions-to-ask-yourself-when-choosing-a-hairstyle.html If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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In This Episode
- I received this email (and I get many like it, so you too may relate), so I wanted to talk about waiting to lose weight.
I am not your typical female with a closet full of clothes. - I'm 54 and have had issues w/ my body since I was a kid and have mostly felt uncomfortable shopping AND always waiting to shop for clothes until I lose '10 pounds' so I have a very short list of clothing items that I wear.
- My goal is to stop waiting and start shopping which I've wanted to do for months now but can't seem to do it - when I actually go online to shop for clothes I'm there for hours trying to find things that I would feel comfortable in as well as look good and I just don't have that time right now.
Any suggestions?
If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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In this interview with Jill Chivers, we take look into how she became a shopaholic and how she overcame her shopping addiction with the publication of her new book Shop Your Wardrobe, which chronicles her 12 months without clothes shopping and what she learned in the process, plus tips on how to use her strategies to become more stylish.
You can grab your copy of the book here
In Australia
Have you ever had family photos taken? Or need to have some sort of group photo taken (and we’re not talking about one of those boring staid work group shots) but have no idea what to wear? Then watch this video where expert photographer Elizabeth Marx of Almond Leaf Studios shares her expert advice from years of taking beautiful photos.
Will it Be on a Holiday Card or the Wall? If it’s going to be on a holiday card or going to be a photo that is used for a short time, then wear the latest trends or whatever fun thing you want. But if you want to have the photo on your wall and it’s going to be there for some years then it’s worth thinking about wearing colours and fashions that are more timeless and classic so that you’re not cringing in five years time because of your now dated fashion choices! What Colours to Wear The old standard of everyone wear a white shirt or a black shirt is old and dated. Plus those colours really don’t suit everyone, so why emphasise double chins and under-eye bags with that black tee?
Instead, think about creating a harmonious look with those who are in the photo with you.
Neutrals are always good but rather than just black and white, think about your best neutrals.
Cameras will make dark colours look darker and light colours lighter. Very dark colours will lose all contouring as you won’t see any shadow, plus dark colours add visual weight and you need to be careful about having too many dark colours in outfits. Lean into a Neutral that Co-ordinates within Every Outfit Say you choose grey as your neutral for the outfits. You don’t all wear head to toe grey. Instead, one of the kids may have grey jeans on, and then another person is wearing a grey jacket and you may have on a grey necklace so the colour leads the eye from person to person in the photo. Stay Away From Bold Patterns Be careful of very bold prints and patterns as they can overpower you in the photo. You want the face of each individual shining through. Your clothes should support that. Lay it All Out How are all the colours, tones and textures in all the outfits working together?
Lay out everyone’s outfits on a bed, then see where your eye goes. Is it drawn to something in particular? If something is grabbing attention change out that item for an alternative and have another look. Can you put each of the outfits next to each other and they work as people will be moving around in photos most likely won’t always be next to the same person in every photo.
The human eye is wanting to be drawn to other eyes. We want to be looking into the eyes and that is where your focus is drawn in the photo, rather than the outfit. What’s Your Decor? If you are having a photo taken that will go on a wall, what is the room decor? What’s the background colour? How will the colours in the photo harmonise with that decor? Where are You Taking the Photo? Is it in a studio with a neutral backdrop or outside in a lush garden? This will impact on your choices. Do you want to blend in with the background or stand out from the background? Choose an Outfit You Feel Comfortable Wearing If you feel uncomfortable in the outfit, this will come through in the photo.
And wear the Spanx and shapewear under your clothes if this is going to make you feel more comfortable on the day so you don’t have to spend the whole time sucking in your stomach. Try on the Outfits and Take Some Snaps Some outfits look great on you, but don’t work as well in photos. So it’s worthwhile trying on your outfit and taking photos from multiple angles so that you feel comfortable when you’re in front of the camera. Hair and Makeup If you need help with hair and makeup do get professional help!
With makeup, it tends to look 2-3 shades lighter in a photo than in person. So a brighter lipstick, a bolder blush colour and the like can make your features stand out in a photo, otherwise, you can appear to not be wearing makeup at all.
Don’t try out a completely new hairstyle or something very different from what you normally wear if you want to look like yourself. Check with Your Photographer If your photographer is open to giving you some advice about wardrobe choices, they may be able to give you some good tips to ensure that you get the best result for you and your family. If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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In This Episode
How do I combine what I like with what suits me?
This was a question I received and give you tips on how to marry up what you love with what suits you physically so you can create a style you love.
Life hacks are all the rage... I mean, don't we all want to be able to do things more easily, faster and well, just better?
Pinterest is a fabulous tool for finding inspiration as well as a bunch of life hacks, whether it's decorating your house, cooking a meal or putting together an outfit.
That's why when I'm stuck for ideas (yes it even happens to me sometimes), I just reach for my ipad and hit my Pinterest app and type in a garment type that I'm thinking about wearing - it could be "chambray shirt" or "leopard print scarf" or even as broad as "office outfit" and up pop masses of ideas that others have shared on how to style these garments and accessories.
Whatever your garment or accessory, there is inspiration aplenty for you on Pinterest.
We all get stuck in our own style ruts (which is why I created firstly my 31 day Style Challenge, Evolve Your Style) and then more recently my Ignite Your Style Genius 12 month style program, as I know that it's just so easy to wear the same outfits week in week out without really thinking, until you get to the stage where you want to scream at your image in the mirror with boredom.
There are literally thousands of ways to style scarves and with the internet and Pinterest, it's so super easy to find lots of ways to wear them.
So next time you're thinking "what will I wear with this classic white button down shirt?" type "white button down shirt" into Pinterest and see what it comes up with.
So what are you waiting for? The inspiration you need is at your fingertips! If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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In This Episode How to part with sentimental items or those expensive ones if you find it hard to let go!
Some of my clients are serious 'cullers' they empty their wardrobe each season of clothes they no longer wear. They keep nothing in their house that they don't love and cherish and use regularly. They have mastered the art of 'Kondoing' their surroundings.
But then there are the clients who are sentimentally attached for some reason to garments. They may no longer wear them, but they keep holding on. They know that this item no longer works, is out of fashion or doesn't fit them, but have difficultly in letting go. There are a few reasons why: 1. the garment may have been expensive when purchased and they feel they are throwing money away if they get rid of it 2. the garment has specific sentimental value from an important occasion (or it may have belonged to someone dear who is now departed) 3. the garment is from a past aspect of their lives and it reminds them of something that is currently missing and they want to keep that feeling, that possibility close to them
Are you holding onto garments or outfits from your past because you want those aspects of your life back?
If you are, what do they represent to you? It's important to figure out if you are missing something from your life now. It could be: 1. a feeling 2. an activity 3. part of your personality
If you spend a little time thinking about what it is that is missing what have you discovered? What are the emotions that come to the surface when you look at these old garments or outfits? If it's an activity you used to do and enjoy can you bring that activity back into your life?
Ideally you want to let the old garment go (space is expensive and clutter is not good for your health). If the garment is from a specific sentimental experience - can you pack it up and store it somewhere safe? Remember that your wardrobe should be treated like a kitchen.
Once you've figured out why you don't let these garments or outfits go how can you add those elements of that life into your wardrobe now so that you can let go of the old garments but find that aspect of your personality or lifestyle again in your life?
I've had clients who have completely repressed their creativity as they have gotten bogged down in "adult responsibility" and sometimes finding a new creative pursuit, or adding in creative elements to their outfits has made them feel so much happier in the now, rather than wishing for the past.
Some have felt they had to repress their femininity as they entered a male dominant work environment or became mothers and ended up in the 'sweatsuit' uniform for practicalities sake when their kids were tiny babies, but never got out of it again as they grew up. Adding in feminine elements to their clothing has made them feel more whole and stylish. Learning how to add femininity to a more masculine set of attire has made them feel like they are themselves again, rather than playing a part.
What is holding you back? Why are you holding onto those garments? How can you bring back that feeling into your life? If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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In This Episode When answering style quizzes or determining personal style, should you do that based on "ideal world…
More tips on personality style https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2019/08/why-personality-key-to-style.html
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2018/08/express-your-personality-style.html
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2016/10/why-mostly-right-is-super-stylish.html If You’d Like to Define Your Style and Discover Your Colours If you’re sick of wasting money on clothes that don’t work and you know there is a better way, then join my 7 Steps to Style program and get the right information for you and your style. Subscribe to my Podcast You can now get these videos as podcasts subscribe and never miss an episode
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Send me Your Questions Please email me your questions to be included in my Q&A Lucky Dip!