There is power in what you wear, and you can harness it to change your mood
What do you need from your outfits?
“Well you look…festive.” The bells on her reindeer antlers jingled disapprovingly as she gave my all black outfit the up and down. My bold red lips were all the festivity I could muster that day, and I was clearly the Wednesday Addams to their tinsel sweaters and Christmas light headbands.
But wearing that outfit was the only way I was going to make it through ANOTHER holiday party with 100 people I barely knew. Admittedly, I wear a LOT of black in December. I find it very soothing, and it’s how I cope with the overwhelm of too much fun.
Some parties I do love to dress in colors more appropriate to the occasion, but that night, wearing something bright and cheery would have made me feel even worse, and I would have probably had a mini meltdown. Instead I was able to find comfort in my color-free outfit and use that energy to make nice during the party.
This winter and holiday season will be unlike any other, and to beat the winter blues, I will likely resort to black sometimes for the opposite reason. Instead of too many activities to rush to, I’ll miss some of the holiday festivities, I’ll mourn the sense of normal, and I’ll long for the traditions we can’t do.
On the other hand, I’ll also dress more festive than I have in any other December to bring some holiday cheer to my days. For me that never includes reindeer antlers or tinsel sweaters, but I do have my own version of festive.
HARNESS THE POWER IN YOUR OUTFITS
There is a lot of power in what you wear. It affects what people think of you, sends signals (like stay away from me or I’m approachable), and how you feel. The thing about power is you can harness and use it to benefit you, or it can be an uncontrollable force of destruction.
Color, pattern, and all the other elements in my outfit can have different effects on me on different days. They can brighten my mood and help lift me up and out of a funk, soothe and calm me, or they can overwhelm me and drive my anxiety to new heights.
Learning which types of outfits help me on different days has been key to harnessing the power of my clothes.
I use my clothes to help me in a lot of ways, but one particular way is by dressing to affect my mood. Right now we are all having a variety of emotions and needs, and these tips will help you harness the power of your outfits to feel better, and the Stunning Style Classic Wardrobe Guide includes four special sections of outfits to harness these moods so you don’t have to guess.
Cozy and Chic
Getting dressed doesn’t have to mean you dress for the runway. You don’t have to do the full 2-hour get ready option, especially when we are likely to be home a lot this winter. But putting on actual clothes will make you feel better. You can be cozy and chic in comfortable jeans and a cute sweater. It’s functional, comfortable, put together, and just as easy to put on as pajamas.
Brushing your hair, a little makeup, even a pair of earrings can make you feel like a million bucks. A lot of the things you usually do to feel better may not be an option soon, but this is.
We are all experiencing a range of emotions right now, from grief to anger to depression and loneliness as we head back into stricter social distancing. Getting dressed is one thing you can choose, control, and use to feel better. Even if you aren’t going anywhere, a cozy and chic outfit will make all the difference.
FESTIVE and colorful OUTFITS
When I need a boost, the first thing I do to lift my mood with my outfits is intentionally wear something brighter to lift my spirits. I do this when it’s been too gray, cloudy, rainy, and dark for too long. I can’t make the clouds part, but I can wear some colors of the rainbow to brighten my day. What color does that for you? I love a good dose of punch-you-in-the-face pink to perk me up.
This winter I’ll also do it to channel some festive vibes to get me in the holiday mood. I’m a creature of habit, and instead of sulking about the holiday traditions we can’t do, I’ll choose to put on something colorful and festive, and create some new holiday fun for my family.
I don’t force myself to wear anything that makes me feel uncomfortable. The point is for me to feel great. My version of festive may look very different from yours, but all that matters is it makes me feel festive.
This is a great time to have fun and experiment with style, makeup, hair. Give yourself permission to wear what you love if you’ve been living with the shoulds. No worries about what others will think. Get into that makeup drawer and try something new. If you have more time because you’re staying home, take some extra time to play around with style. It’s a fun thing to do.
RECOVERY OUTFITS
Does that mean I’ll be wearing the rainbow everyday? No. Black will still be on the menu. When I feel overwhelmed, stressed, tired, anxious, sad, or overall just DONE, I often retreat to what I call Recovery Outfits. I need soothing, calm, and peace. When I cannot control the chaos going on around me, I can control the chaos on my body.
I wear these outfits during or after stressful periods. Even good stress is stress, so being home as a family all day every day, helping 6 kids with distance learning, refereeing the cabin fevered crazies, and remaking all the holiday traditions can leave me worn out.
Recovery outfits are made up of my comfort colors, which for me are black, white, and blue. It can range from a column of black or navy to a combination of those colors. These outfits are no fuss, which means typically minimal pattern, minimal layering, minimal contrast, and minimal accessories.
A recovery outfit for you could be entirely different. Your comfort colors might be other neutrals or colors that soothe you. Comfort might be your top priority.
One and Done Outfits
One thing we all learned during the last lockdown is that we are still busy. Life goes on, jobs still have to get done, and we need to be productive. On those days I need fuss-free, simple and chic.
Staying home doesn’t mean you have nothing to do! Life continues and can be even busier than ever! You can dress simple and stunning with one and done outfits. What does that mean? It means no layering (other than a coat if you’re actually going somewhere). No-fuss, simple outfits that have all the interest you need to look put together, but are easy to wear no matter what you have on your calendar. One layer, simple jewelry, and no extra distractions.
HOW TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
Ask yourself these questions each morning:
Do you need a boost or a break?
Do you need some calm or a lift?
Whatever you put on should feel good, you should feel some relief, or some energy, or a lift.
The Stunning Style Classic Wardrobe Guides do all of the work for you to help you dress for your mood with a special section of outfits for each of these moods and needs.
The Winter Guide includes a curated selection of 40 pieces that I used to create 100 outfits. Each month members get an outfit calendar so they don’t have to pick their outfits, and I strategically place outfits from these special sections on the calendar for you so you can get just what you need.
Members also get access to a custom shopping portal with these and other great items I’ve selected to give you the options you need to find just what you want.
Each Monday we take a Style Step together to create your seasonal wardrobe, and we start by shopping our closets first! I create the Guides around classic wardrobe pieces you likely already have, and add a few special items to refresh and update your wardrobe if needed. Some members are able to shop their closets exclusively, others thrift or make their clothes, and the options in the shopping portal are there if you need them.
Join the Society today to make sure you have the outfits you need to beat the winter blues!
