This months Style Story is in a little different format where I’ll be sharing some of the stories we tell ourselves when it comes to our style. Over the last three and a half years I have worked with hundreds of clients on their personal style. And over those years I’ve heard certain stories and struggles repeated again and again. We can often be pretty tough on ourselves and these stories start to impact how we show up through our personal style.
So here I’ll be sharing 5 of the biggest stories we tell ourselves and how to break free from them!
If you resonate with these or have others to share I would love to hear them.
1. ‘I don’t have the body for that’
Our biggest misconception when an item of clothing doesn’t fit us or suit us is that there is something wrong with our body. Clothing is something we use to adorn our body, to act like a second skin, to protect us from the elements whilst showcasing glimpses of our personality and uplifting our day.
Clothing is not there to put us into boxes, make us feel bad about ourselves or make us feel less than. When something doesn’t quite work for your body shape, its most likely to be something wrong with the clothing and not with you. It might not be the right fit or cut for your shape. It might not be made from the right fabrics or maybe it hides all of your amazing features.
But never is it the case that your body is the problem. There are many ways in which we can start to get to grips with our body so that we can start to love and respect them. Tools such as meditation and words of affirmation can help. Also working with a personal stylist to begin to understand your body shape in more detail, your proportions and the fits and cuts of clothing that work well for you and why.
Lets say goodbye to those body stories.
2. ‘I’m too old for that’
Age truly is a number! As we age it doesn’t mean we have to lose our sense of style or how we dress. If you’ve always loved colour, then carry on wearing the colour. If you love strong silhouettes and lines, continue to wear them with pride.
You may find as you move from year to year or into another decade that your style evolves and changes. This could be according to how your likes, interests and inspirations have evolved, what your lifestyle is like and what you need your wardrobe to do for you or how the functionality needs of clothing for you have changed.
This doesn’t mean you are too old for anything. It just means your personal style has evolved and you need to ensure that your wardrobe caters for these changes. Once we change these stories around age it can transform how we view our personal style.
3. ‘I have nothing to wear’
If I had a pound for every time someone has said this to me, myself included, I would be pretty damn rich! With the rise in social media and influencers telling us we need to have the latest trend with their never ending hauls, no wonder we feel overwhelmed when we look in our wardrobes. It’s not a case of not having anything to wear but about learning what styles work for you, for your body, what colours will make you sing and how to combine pieces together to make outfits.
The moment we step away from trends, cleanse our wardrobes and get realistic about what we need for our lifestyle, that will be the turning point where you will never say that again!
4. ‘I can’t wear colour’
Everyone can wear colour. When someone says they can’t wear a specific colour it may be more about a personal preference as opposed to it suiting them. This is where colour analysis comes into play. Colour analysis is all about finding the right tints, tones and shades of colours that will work for the individual. We take into account your personal characteristics such as your skin tone, undertone, hair colour and eye colour along with contrast levels.
We can all wear every colour, but it’s all about understanding the colour harmonies and how colour reflects onto the face. What often doesn’t help is uninspiring colour palettes we see in stores. But again moving away from colour trends will make this become easier. Lets shift those colour stories!
5. ‘I don’t have style’
We all have a style. Whether you love floral prints or a structured line, we all have a personal style whether we know it or not. A lot of our personal interests can also dictate how we like to dress. Getting to the route of your style can take time and research.
One of my favourite places to start is with Pinterest and three of the key words that would describe you. Type this in along with ‘street style’ and see what comes up for inspiration!
This is one of the stories that stops people in their tracks but once you start looking for inspiration this can totally change.
Have you been telling yourself any of these stories? If so let’s talk and see how we can change the narrative! Book in for your free 20 minute Style Call today!
