The clothes we wear are often chosen because of the image we wish to portray to the rest of the world. Aside from garments selected because they are suitable for a specific task, like exercising, most people choose items they like the look of or garments that make them feel confident.
Do we dress for ourselves or for other people? Well, if you’ve ever asked “how do I look?”, then you will have cared about what others think of your appearance at some point. But I wonder why on earth we should care.
I have never really seen myself as fashionable. Despite having a love of fashion since my childhood – where my favourite toys were Barbie and my Fashion Wheel – I have never been a follower of trends. I can spot them easily enough, but I can also see when they won’t suit me, so I pick and choose garments based on personal taste.
As a teenager, I was surprisingly comfortable with dressing differently to my friends but, in my 20s, I wasn’t quite as bold with my choices. Once I reached my 30s, however, I slowly began to find my own style.
Now that I’m comfortable with my body, I have become more aware of what suits my shape. Since a personal style consultation a couple of years ago, I now find it easier to spot garments that will look good on me, making shopping trips easier and more fun. I’ve rediscovered the joy in fashion and it seems to show, if the number of compliments I receive is anything to go by!
The strange thing is that, these days, I really don’t dress for other people’s approval. So… how do I look? Confident, relaxed and perhaps a little bit quirky. Rather a lot like how I feel, actually.
Photography by Leng Montgomery.
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Getting to the point of being comfortable takes a while but I'm quite comfortable that my 'style' is… pretty middle of the road to be honest. Suits me!
Good post – how did you find a personal style consultation affected your self confidence, both at the time and in the long term? Also, how on earth do you find a good personal style consultant?
My style consultation helped my confidence loads as I was reassured that it was relatively easy to look good, plus I acquired some useful 'rules' to use when shopping for clothes in the future. I found Laëtitia because I read her blog, however, she no longer works as a style consultant.
My write up on it is here: http://www.lori-smith.co.uk/2009/08/mademoiselle-style.html
Ahhhh, Fashion Wheel, I'm sure that's where it all started for me. I spent hours making up outfits and colouring them all in. Loved it. I LOVE that outfit too, beautiful colour combination. If you're at all intersted, I think you look fabulous! L -x-
I'm not the only one who had a Fashion Wheel then? 🙂
Thanks for the compliments, Lottie!