Getting Dressed versus Being Styled: Top Tips to make a difference

 When you head to your closet each morning, what do you do to pull your outfit together?  Which of these sounds like your routine:

1. Grab a top, a bottom, and a pair of shoes and you're done, or
2. Grab a top, a bottom, a pair of shoes, some jewelry or accessories, and head to the mirror to make some outfit "tweaks"

If #1 is your go-to, you are getting dressed.  If you answered #2, you are styled.

Styling makes ALL the difference when it comes to stepping into your closet each day.  It is what adds personality to your looks and gives them that little something extra that makes your outfit get noticed (and makes you feel better, too 😉).

Before I get into some tips for being styled, let's talk about WHY it matters.

Our relationship with our clothes is a complex one.  There is an entire field of study all about the Psychology of Fashion and I NERD OUT on this stuff as a Certified Style Coach™!  Firstly is Enclothed Cognition.  This was a study performed in 2012 by Adam and Galinsky.  The study had several parts to it, but in one section of the study, they gave participants a white lab coat.  One group was told that they were given painters smocks and the other group was told that they were doctor's coats.  They then gave participants a series of tasks.  The end result was that the group who were told they were wearing a doctor's coat showed increased attention and they also performed better on the tasks.

Look better, feel better

The clothes we put on our body have an impact on how we feel about how smart we are and how good (or bad) we feel about ourselves.

In addition to that, the challenges we find inside of our closets are most typically a symptom of something going on internally*:

• Have "Mom" style?  Do you wear the same clothes to relax as you do to run errands or work from home? You may have lost yourself and your style.
• Wear work clothes everywhere? You may have too much of your identity wrapped up in your job.
• Closet stuffed full of clothes but you have nothing to wear? You may be going through something difficult internally and releasing clothing is too hard or causes guilt feelings.
• Stuck in a style rut or wear clothing from a past decade? Your life may be too busy or stressful and your wardrobe has become repetitive to keep that aspect "easy".
• Do you not care what you look like because you don't like your reflection? You may be putting too much value on what you see in the media or externally and you don't value yourself or your body.

Okay, now that I have shared the REASON styling yourself is so important rather than just getting dressed, let's talk about the things you can do to BE STYLED.

It's All In The Styling

The great news is that styling your outfits does not have to take a lot of extra time!  You will have to put yourself in front of a mirror to do this properly.  Before we dive into the tips, when you get dressed, I want you to ask yourself this question:  If I run into my boss, my ex, my crush, or a potential Client [insert important person], would I be confident and happy with what I was wearing and portraying outwardly?

Okay, now that you feel like you are showing up in your outfits, here are some easy styling tweaks:

• Consider Proportion.  If you are wearing an oversized piece in your outfit, this tip is important.  Make sure you are not wearing oversized pieces on both top and bottom.  Oversized Sweatshirt?  Wear a fitted bottom.  Are you wearing a wideleg pant or something oversized on the bottom?  Make sure your top half is a fitted piece.  
• Add a tuck. Whether you tuck your top in fully (all the way around your body), a half-tuck (just the front), or a simple tuck (one hand to tuck in your top near the front or slightly to the side of your pant), this is a proportion trick too. It helps slim your figure and gives you some styling cred.
• Add a sleeve cuff. Showing some skin on your arm tricks the eye to make you appear slimmer.  And WHO doesn't want THAT?!  Here is a picture to demonstrate "The J.Crew Cuff".

• Add a pant cuff. If you are wearing a Boyfriend jean or a Skinny jean, this one adds an element of style that also allows your pant to play well with your shoe. One single wide cuff, a double cuff, or a single cuff with a half roll up.
• Add a belt. This is quite simply like jewelry for your waist.  It adds a level of interest to your outfit.  It stops the eye, so make it a pretty one. 😉
• Add a scarf. Whether you want to wear a pretty silk scarf around your neck or wear it as a bracelet, or even as a belt, it's a great way to get a pop of color into your outfit and add another point of interest (are you seeing the theme?!)
• Add some jewelry. Whether your bling is sparkly and get noticed or a bit more simple, just add some!  If you are wearing more simple jewelry, make sure you wear at least two:  a necklace and earrings or a necklace and a bracelet, or earrings and a bracelet.
• Footwear matters. Your shoes can make or break your outfit.  What is the "vibe" of your outfit?  Are you trying to go with a sporty look?  Wear a stylish sneak (not your workout shoes)!  More of a dressy look?  Throw on a heel or even an on-trend ballet flat with a pointed toe. 
• The Third Piece Rule.  Have you heard of this one before?  It's a goodie!  ALWAYS, ALWAYS have on three pieces of clothing for an elevated look.  A sweater, cardigan, blazer, or vest is the absolute KEY to a fully styled look.

There you have it! Choose one, maybe two for your outfits each day and you will be taking a step in the right direction. Some simple tweaks you can make that will take a couple of extra minutes, but will make ALL of the difference in your appearance.

What styling tip do you plan to try out?  Let me know in the comments!

Stylishly Yours,

 

Interested in knowing more?! Snag my free guide on my Top 5 Tips to Look the Part right here!

*Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner "You Are What You Wear What Your Clothes Reveal About You"