Shabby Chic Boho While you might assume you are either born with or without confidence, in reality, confidence is a trait that you can develop over time with some practice. It’s more of a practiced attitude than an inborn character trait. Therefore, when it comes to dressing with confidence, it’s about more than finding high-quality clothing items or those that fit your body well, although that is important. It’s also about knowing how to dress with confidence, no matter the occasion or the brand you are wearing. The following are some essential tips to keep in mind that everyone should know if they want to dress with confidence:
Know Your Style
More important than being on trend is identifying your style. In other words, consider what style of clothing flatters your body, what colors you wear best, and more. What style of clothing do you wear that makes you feel more confident just wearing it? Also, consider if you are more bold in terms of fashion or tend to be more minimalist in nature. If you love bold fashion, then you will like vibrant, bold colors and chunky statement pieces. If you prefer a less-is-more approach, then the clothing that makes you feel more confident will likely be understated and delicate, like a simple necklace or dainty earrings. You want to dress with your natural personal style, not against it, to gain the most confidence.
Get Rid of What Doesn’t Make You Happy
If you have clothing that you don’t have confidence in wearing, consider getting rid of these items altogether. Don’t hold onto pieces that might fit you later if you lose weight or maybe it would work if the perfect occasion came up. If you don’t like how it looks on you and how you feel wearing it, then out it goes. There is simply no place— when dressing confidently— for items that aren’t exactly what you love. We all have items we have held onto, hoping to “get back into them.” These need to go as wearing clothing that is too small or even too large can greatly reduce your confidence.
Separate Your Body Shape and Overall Style
It’s so common to feel bad about your body, your weight, your shape, etc., and then let that feeling negatively impact your confidence overall. However, it’s important to remember that dressing with confidence is more than how you feel about your body. You might not love every nook and cranny of your body or have areas you would rather not showcase, but that doesn’t mean you can’t rock an amazing look. In order to dress with confidence, separate any improvement goals you have for your body from your personal fashion style. You can still wear a beautiful fitted dress even without a flat tummy; you can still rock a crock top even if you aren’t a size zero. Simply embrace the look you love, separate from the body shape you are, and wear that look with confidence.
Be Willing to Try Something New
It’s common to feel a bit uncertain about something new. This is just as true when it comes to wearing a certain look or trend, which might be something you have never worn before. However, just trying something once and feeling like you don’t love it doesn’t mean it’s a strikeout. In fact, fashion experts recommend you try any piece of clothing styled three different ways before you make a decision that it’s not for you. Also, give it the Clueless approach and take some photos of yourself in each option to see what is and what is not working about the look.
Don’t Get Pigeonholed By Trends
Yes, the fashion industry is big into trends, the latest looks, and more. However, when you dress for confidence, this means that you sometimes have to pick and choose the trends you embrace and ones you just admire from afar. It’s fun to try new trends, so there is no issue with that; after all, we just covered not being afraid to try something new. However, sometimes, a “new” look simply doesn’t work with your personal style and isn’t a good fit for you. Don’t feel you have to force a look that just isn’t you, as this will never give you confidence.
Don’t Compare Your Look With Others
This one is hard. After all, we all naturally compare our fashion style and clothing choices with those around us, especially those whose style we admire. However, do your best to get away from the comparison trap. No two bodies are the same, so no two outfits will look identical on any two people. Sometimes, you can take inspiration from a look but then tweak it to be more in your personal style zone, which will boost your confidence and not reduce it. Remember, it’s never a good idea to compare potato chips and french fries. They are both uniquely delicious and a wonderful salty snack, but they are each valuable and stand alone. In the same way, don’t compare yourself to any other person’s look and then consider yourself less than if it doesn’t look as good on you. It might just need a bit of tweaking.
Buy Clothes That Fit
Don’t buy clothing that is uncomfortable because it doesn’t fit you properly. If you are constantly worried, for instance, about holding in your tummy when wearing a dress, then you will not feel confident when wearing that dress. Therefore, get the right size or invest in alterations, tailoring, or shapewear to create the silhouette you want. This will make you feel so much more confident overall when wearing a piece of clothing. It really doesn’t matter what size you are. The important factor is finding clothing that is sized correctly. Having clothing either way too loose or way too tight is uncomfortable and will not help build confidence.
Build a Foundational Wardrobe You Can Rock
Invest in some high-quality pieces of clothing that you can mix and match, and that fit your body perfectly. These can be blazers, suits, dress pants, or a staple white blouse. Then, you can take these base or core pieces and tweak them to be more on-trend or to attend specific events. These items are the foundation of your wardrobe and will always make you feel confident when wearing them.
You Can Dress With Confidence
No matter your size, age, or wardrobe budget, you can dress with confidence by keeping the essential tips listed above in mind. It’s not really about what pieces you choose but instead how you feel wearing them that matters. Also, don’t try to force yourself into a trend just to be in vogue. Instead, rock that confidence because it’s always in style!
Ashley Nielsen
Ashley Nielsen earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration Marketing at Point Loma Nazarene University. She is a freelance writer who loves to share knowledge about general business, marketing, lifestyle, wellness, and financial tips. During her free time, she enjoys being outside, staying active, reading a book, or diving deep into her favorite music.
