We all know that having confidence is important. At its core, confidence is our belief in our own abilities and ourselves. Although it sounds easy confidence does not come naturally for everyone. In a previous article we had discussed why we need confidence and having confidence is critical to how we interact with others. There are many things that we can do to help boost confidence. One step that is often overlooked is dressing with confidence.
Dressing with confidence looks different for every person but we all want to feel comfortable and confident when we present ourselves to the world. It is important that we make ourselves a priority before we give to others. When we dress confidently it helps us to feel our best and be confident in ourselves. This post will provide you with tips that will help you learn how to dress with confidence in both your personal and professional life.
Look the Part
How you dress and present yourself to others will leave an impact on their first impression of you. This does not mean that it is ok to judge someone for their appearance alone but it is stands true that people will see you before they learn anything about who you are. It is important to consider how we feel in our clothing but also to consider what our clothing represents.
Try to imagine that you have been pulled over by a Police Officer. His shirt is wrinkled. His pants are too big and he has food stains all over his uniform. Would your initial reaction be to take this person seriously? Would you be inclined to respect the authority that he represents? You would likely still give the Officer the respect he asks for but you may find his appearance unprofessional and might even consider filing a complaint.
When we look at people in uniform we expect them to look a certain way. We expect them to look the part that the uniform represents. A uniform doesn’t have to be something as visibly recognized as a Police Officers. A uniform can be the suit you wear even if it isn’t required.
It is important to consider what we want to present to others. If you want to land a new job, take time to consider what a successful employee looks like in your own mind. Dressing the part will make you feel like you belong, boost your confidence, and start you off with a good first impression.
Get the Right Fit
Often, we are inclined to choose clothing that makes us feel comfortable. Sometimes this can lead us to purchase clothing that is too big for our bodies or is in a size that we are emotionally attached to. Break free from this habit and look for clothing that fits your body best. A good fit can take an outfit from looking “just ok” to amazing!
If you are a man you have likely experienced going to purchase a suit at a tailor. A tailor will guide you into choosing the right style for your body but will then also address any issues with fit. Having pants hemmed to an appropriate length, or getting a jacket taken in makes all the difference in helping the customer look sharp.
You don’t need to buy an entire new outfit to get the best fit. Consider taking the clothes you already have to a tailor to help you get the perfect fit for clothes you already own. Consider that when you do go shopping next that you pay more attention to how something fits. Hiding your body in loose clothing may feel comfortable but it may not help you look your best. Try to find clothing that accents you instead of hiding you.
Show Off Your Personality
Have you ever found a new shirt that you just had to have because it was so you? Did you love its colours? Did it make you feel great? Wearing it likely made you feel confident. It is important to wear what we love when considering the other tips mentioned above when trying to dress with confidence. If we don’t like what we are wearing, we will never be able to feel happy and confident wearing it.
Even in a professional setting we can find ways to show our own personality and boost our confidence. If you are required to wear a relatively plain suit consider dressing it up with bright socks, colour shoes, or accessories that stand out. If you feel good about your personal clothing choices it will help you to feel confident when you are interacting with others.
Try experimenting with different colours to see what looks good on you and makes you feel good. Get inspiration what you see others doing but as TheEveryGirl suggest make sure you don’t wear something just because everyone else is. Consider accessorizing and look for small to show off who you are with what you wear. If wearing a bright coloured dress or shirt makes you feel good do it! Although it is important to look professional it does not mean that you must be boring.
Put in the Effort
As with many things it is important to remember that dressing with confidence may take time and practice. The points mentioned above are great starting points to consider when going shopping or choosing an outfit to wear to an important meeting.
Developing a style that is truly your own and makes you feel confident in both your personal and professional life is worth it. Try to remember that you do not need to make all these changes at once. Work towards making small changes over time and you will become more comfortable with choosing clothing that makes you feel good. When we apply changes to how we dress to be more confident it can help us boost our confidence in other areas of or life as well.
Always remember that when we feel good other can see it to. Make yourself a priority and choose to dress for confidence. You won’t regret how good it feels to dress for what you want to achieve and others will notice the difference too.
