Building Confidence with Your Appearance

Did you know that not only does your appearance affect how people see you, BUT it also affects how you see yourself?

If you’re distracted by your clothing, if you’re worried about how you look, then you won’t be fully present— at work, on a date, with your kids, shopping, church, hanging out with your friends - you get the picture.

So, let’s make sure you aren’t distracted by your appearance and take a look at the clothing in your closet. Grab an item and ask yourself:

1. Does it fit me
2. Does it flatter me
3. Does it show wear and tear
4. If I saw it in a store would I buy it again
5. Do I feel good when I wear it
6. Does it spark Joy

If you answered “no” to any of those questions it’s time to donate it and go shopping! Wahoo!!!!

But, before we go shopping, let’s talk about Decision Fatigue.

The average adult makes 35,000 decisions per/day. That’s A FREAKING LOT - It’s partly why we’re exhausted. So let’s not add to that decision fatigue by worrying about our appearance.

Here are my strategies:

• Create a uniform
  • I’m not saying the same crisp white button down and jeans every single day - but if you feel comfortable (and it’s appropriate) wear jeans and a button down every day. Buy that same outfit in multiple colors, from different labels ESPECIALLY if you feel confident and comfortable wearing it

• Create a color palette
  • Shop for the colors that look best on you, that you’re most comfortable wearing
• Accessorize easily by creating a style mark
  • A style mark is something you wear nearly every day
  • For me it’s jewelry - specifically what I call a “wrist-party” you’ll rarely catch me without it 
  • Other style marks besides jewelry could be a color, scarfs, hair clips etc - whatever fits you and makes you feel comfortable

• Use a formula to create the perfect outfit
  • Color, Pattern, Texture, Shine - When you include all/most of these elements in your clothing and accessories, you’ll be wearing the perfect outfit!

For example in my headshot picture you’ll see:
Color

​my jewelry
One more quick thing to consider when shopping. Cost Per Wear.

To explain what this means, let’s think about a wedding gown. One can easily cost $2,000 and you only wear it once. So the cost per wear of that wedding gown is $2,000.

How about your designer handbag? Lets say it cost $200 but when you use it every single day for 6 months - it will have cost you $1.10 to wear it each day.

What’s the better value, that $2,000 wedding gown or your $200 purse?

So, when shopping, consider splurging on a $100 pair of jeans especially if they bring you joy and you will wear them 1-2x a week.

That $89 bracelet you’re dying to buy (from the new 2020 Spring Touchstone Crystal by Swarovski line) could be a really good appearance investment, particularly if it’s versatile and you can wear it multiple times a week. WINK

Things to remember

• You can impact the way others see you by the way you see yourself - a super easy place to start is in your closet
  

• Go through your closet and only keep the things that spark joy

• Take away decision fatigue by creating a uniform, color palette and style mark that fits your personality and job 

• Create perfect outfits using the formula Color, Pattern, Texture and Shine

• Spend more on things you’ll wear and use frequently

​By Amanda Quast, Touchstone Crystal by Swarovski

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