It’s another new morning. You’re standing at your closet, trying to pick out clothes to wear today, dreading getting dressed at all. It feels like you go through this secret struggle every single day, and you constantly wonder why it looks so effortless for other women to dress confidently and rock their outfits. Sound familiar?
Your secret struggle isn’t completely secret – it’s actually common! So many of us deal with inner conflict when getting dressed for the day, battling with thoughts like nothing I have feels comfortable enough to spend an entire day in, and I don’t see anyone anymore, why even bother getting dressed? Or the ever-so-common, I have nothing to wear!
As a stylist, I know these internal struggles better than most. Not only have I experienced them first-hand (yes, really!), but I’ve been working with clients for years who have come to me with many of these struggles at the forefront of their wardrobe and style issues. So how do we tackle them?
Let’s jump into some ways to overcome these common frustrations so you can make friends with your clothes and your closet again and take the dread out of your morning!
- Clothes are uncomfortable. My number one suggestion here: go for stretchy fabrics! This doesn’t have to mean your worn-out sweats or pajama pants every day, this can include elevated sweatpants, yoga pants, trousers with stretchy waistbands (yes! We love whoever thought these up!), or pieces in denim supple fabric.
- I don’t know what to wear! This one comes from pre-Covid times: what to wear has always been a question, hasn’t it? The thing to remember is that the answer has changed a bit during Covid times in order to accommodate our new working conditions and lifestyles. Your best bet is to keep it simple! Create a non-fussy formula for outfits that you can follow daily. My go-to is a solid top or sweater with yoga pants, leggings, or comfy jeans (perfect for Zoom!). Be sure to keep a scarf or blazer handy to spruce it up whenever you need to.
- Why bother? No one’s looking. I’m not going anywhere. Yikes! Let’s talk about this thought process. This is the kind of self-talk we want to move away from, it breeds low energy and even lower motivation. Get dressed for yourself! Get dressed for the feeling you get when you look at yourself in the mirror and feel put together. Get dressed for the possibilities that come with it: taking yourself out for a walk, making a coffee, fitting in a run, or maybe even just having a FaceTime or Zoom catch-up with a friend because you look presentable! The possibilities are endless! And at the end of the day, if you just simply feel a little better about yourself, isn’t that a worthwhile reason to get dressed on its own?
Don’t let these struggles bully you into staying in your pajamas day after day! Take some time to address each one and gain the confidence and extra pep in your step that comes from putting yourself together in the morning and feeling good about how you look!