We’re almost a quarter of the way through the twenty-first century now, which means we’re all familiar with the concept of being empowered or feeling empowered. If you want to maximize your personal sense of empowerment, you’ll have to consider the power of fashion. Here are some tips for how to feel empowered in your clothing.
Don’t Know Where to Start? Pick A Model
Sometimes, even the thought of feeling empowered in your clothing can feel overwhelming because you don’t know where to start. Don’t worry; it isn’t necessary to throw out your entire wardrobe and start from scratch. Instead, you can start feeling empowered with small changes. If you are not sure what changes to make, you can pick a style icon to serve as your model. Whose style do you enjoy?
This isn’t necessarily the time for you to go out and buy $200 earrings like those of a celebrity you envy wearing couture at the Oscars. It’s less about jealousy and more about honesty with yourself: find a model of how you’d like to dress and use that to start making adjustments to your own clothing.
Of course, not everyone can pull off every look, but if you find a celebrity that you want to dress like, you may be able to copy the look, or at least its spirit, without the price tag. For example, if you love the elegant off-the-shoulder evening gown of your favorite actress, you can choose pieces with that kind of sophistication even if you are not going to a black tie event.
Follow the Trends You Like
Even when you have a model you love, you probably won’t want to wear everything that they wear. The same is true for new fashions as they come and go. Most people need a balance when it comes to their clothing: not only doing what’s trendy, not completely ignoring what’s in style, but rather incorporating the trends they see that they like or enjoy.
Finding the trends you like will take experimentation. Sometimes this does mean stepping out of your comfort zone a little. Don’t be afraid to seek fashion empowerment in unexpected avenues.
Keep Your Staple Pieces in Rotation, Replacing as Necessary
Yes, it’s good to keep up with some trends, at least the ones you like. But, remember that empowerment comes from authenticity, and that means your standout favorites are going to be the main pieces in your wardrobe, regardless of how fashion trends inevitably change.
Let your individual style shine with what you consider your staple pieces. That perfect white top? It’s okay to wear it more than once a week, and you can style it in different ways. Your fun colorblock cardigan? Let yourself keep using it without having to “save” it for a special occasion or once it’s been long enough to wear again.
Using your favorite pieces consistently does, of course, mean that you will, after a while, need to replace them. And don’t delay! If you love wearing the same pair of black heels every Monday to make you feel like you’re ready to conquer work, then when they wear out, march right to the store and grab yourself a new pair of the same or similar shoes. It’s worth acting fast to always keep your A-list clothes in the game!
Be Proud of Your Sustainable Style
Let’s be honest: not all clothing is the most environmentally friendly. When you make sustainable fashion a priority, you can be proud of the clothing choices you make, which will bring a sense of empowerment and confidence to your outfits. Sustainable style also brings the benefit of premium materials, meaning these items are more of an investment, lasting longer than the fast fashion counterparts that are cheaper and more problematic.
Eco-friendly clothing is healthier for you and for the environment, promoting safe working conditions for the fashion industry as well as better relationships with our clothing. That can compound into empowerment from the clothing you put on. Right now, do you know who made your clothes? Probably not. Are you aware of how they were made or what they were made of? Maybe not. Now is the time to become mindful of what’s behind your clothing. After all, you’re always making a fashion choice. You might as well make ones that you’re consistently proud of.
Style Your Hair
You can have the most empowering outfit in the world, but you will still probably be embarrassed or self-conscious about your appearance if you don’t do something with your hair. Some people prefer simpler styles (just a brush and they’re good), while others don’t feel really put together without curling or straightening or intensely shaping their hair.
No matter where you fall in the continuum of how much care you want or feel you need for your hair, intentionally picking a hairstyle can really affect how you perceive your overall look, including your clothing. Choose quality hair products and styles that help your hair achieve its best look. Then, you’ll feel confident in your look.
Don’t Forget the Power of The Little Touches
Accessories, shoes, and other small touches will make all the difference in how you feel about your clothing. Shoes can make or break an outfit. It won’t matter so much if you have to wear a boring uniform if you get to show your style and express yourself with your favorite boutique shoes with a bold design or color pattern.
Rings are another often-overlooked element of a put-together outfit. It’s easy to feel empowered when every time you look at your hands, you see meaningful, classy, stylish, or just fun rings. Custom rings are a great way to capitalize on this opportunity to express yourself.
Stay True to Yourself
As long as you stay true to yourself, you can feel empowered in your clothing! No longer will you have to stare at your closet blankly, wondering if there are any pieces in there that will make you feel like you look good. Take control of your style and see how far that confidence will take you!