How to be More Confident in Your Clothes

*images via vocast / cphfw*

“Never be afraid to stop traffic.”
*Iris Apfel*

For most of my life, I’ve been the person who admires Fashion from a distance. I used to get mesmerised by the bold outfit choices of people on the streets walking by so sure of themselves, their personalities so well represented by their personal taste. It was not just the outfit that caught my attention, but mostly the confidence of the person wearing it. I found myself thinking every time “How in the world did this person build up the courage to dress like that?”.

In these moments, I would also reflect on myself, on what I thought complimented my features and matched my personality. Very quickly I developed a habit of looking at clothes and deciding whether or not I would wear it, but never actually doing so. It was not Fashion sense or personal taste I was lacking, but confidence.

In these past years, determined to become one of the stylish people I admired from afar, I’ve been experimenting a lot with Fashion, stepping out of my comfort zone when it comes to clothes, which has allowed me to expand my personal taste.

Like every other self-knowledge journey, building up confidence and finding your personal style comes in a process, and although I think I’m still working my way into that pathline, I definitely picked up on a few things along the way.

Nobody cares about you as much as you do

People usually are not really interested in us because they’re so busy worrying about themselves instead. The truth is we’re so invested in how we are perceived we barely notice that other people are only thinking about themselves too.

No one cares that much about what you’re wearing as much as you do. Even if you make a bold decision about your outfit, people might get stuck with it for a second and never think about it again, so you might as well make an impression!

Fake it ‘till you make it

Trust me on this one: even if you don’t feel confident, pretend like you do. Confidence is all about believing in it: you fool yourself into thinking you’re confident and, from the outside, people won’t be able to tell the difference, and, soon enough, neither will you.

Dressing up is a form of expression

Colours, patterns, designs, trends: all of this can tell us a lot about a person. Fashion can be used as a form of art and a form of protest, you could use it to reveal your interests, your personality, your creativity and your mood. As cliche as it sounds, the way you dress is a reflection of who you are, and your outfits can sometimes speak before you do.

From one Fashion lover to another: don’t rush it and enjoy the process. I find that the best way to engage in a new habit is to gradually incorporate it into your life, so start slowly, little by little styling your clothes in a way you wouldn't usually style. When you actually go out, you’ll see it is not as big of a deal as you think, and it’ll become easier with time, I promise.