How I Dress to Impress (Myself).

Hello, friends! Happy Friday to you! I hope that it’s going well so far. I’ve had three cups of coffee today and I feel on top of the world, haha! I just hope that I can fall asleep tonight. I didn’t go to sleep until quite late last night. I found a new Instagram account for this woman who has the most impeccable style. It really inspired me this morning when I got dressed. I chose to wear a smart little vintage dress. It’s short sleeved with the most darling collar. It’s red and white striped on top and then it flares out to a skirt that goes beneath the knee. I bought it at an antique shop when I was in high school and haven’t really worn it since. For some reason, I thought that it wouldn’t suit me anymore, but I was pleasantly surprised when I put it on.

Which brings me to the topic of today’s blog: figuring out ways to dress that give us confidence. I think that I could make a little series of this, maybe go over accessories, footwear, jewelry, makeup, and hair. I feel that dressing in a way that makes you feel confident goes hand in hand with self-care. I’m sure I’m not the only one, but I used to wear clothing sometimes that didn’t make me feel good, just so that I would be encouraged to lose weight. Which is not nice to do to yourself, nor is it effective.

I think it’s wonderful that people are experimenting with fashion and trying styles that, until recently, may have been deemed “unflattering” to their body shape. I think that one should dress in a way that makes them feel confident within themselves. Clothing can bring out what one feels like on the inside and that confidence can come from many different styles of dress.

I thought that for this blog, I would go into detail about ways in which I dress to feel confident.

First things first, the shape and silhouette. I have fairly strict rules for the silhouettes that I choose to wear, but I’ve sort of honed in on which of them make me feel my best. For example, when I choose to wear a skirt or dress, I tend to lean toward a-line ones. The smallest part of my body is my waist and I like to emphasize it. In addition, I prefer my skirts and dresses to be an inch or two past my knee. I have fairly short legs, so I find that maxi skirts or dresses kind of swallow me whole, but the midi skirts, or skirts a little bit shorter flatter me the best. I know that for some shorter girls, they prefer a shorter length as it makes their legs seem longer. This would also be a good approach, I just personally don’t feel my most confident with too much leg showing. It’s all personal preference!

Another thing that I find to be very important is the color of what I’m wearing. I prefer to wear more muted colors, one of my favorites being baby blue. I also really enjoy wearing a light pink or a lilac. I find that lilac compliments my green eyes quite nicely. I  also enjoy wearing an intense red color, as it goes nicely with my skin-tone and compliments my blonde hair. I wear a lot of dark green as well, which, again, goes well with my green eyes. I also like going quite neutral with black, white, navy, and creme. Some colors that I find myself avoiding are neon ones, I don’t care for them on me. I also don’t wear much grey. I don’t find it suits me whatsoever. You just have to figure out what you find to flatter yourself, because what flatters you may not flatter others and vice-versa.

I also tend to balance out the fit of my clothes. If I wear a tight top, I’ll wear a looser bottom. And vice versa. I think that for me, this gives a nice balance to my outfits. If I wear a dress that’s more flowy, I’ll pair it with a tight cardigan. If I wear a tighter shirt, I’ll pair it with a looser skirt. For my personal style, I like a real classic look, I find that utilizing this method embraces that. Again, that may not be what makes everyone happy, but for me, it works.

As someone who likes a more classic look, I tend to stay away from more trendy pieces. I try to fill my closet with timeless pieces that I know work for me. I suppose I’m a little boring in that regard. I used to be much more wild in my dressing when I was younger, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized what pieces work for me and what makes me feel the most confident. I like a very classic style, most of my inspiration coming from Audrey Hepburn and even some from Grace Kelly. Both very timeless and simple. I like to dress simply, but put-together. I admire those who are a bit more funky with their looks and I love following them on Instagram!

I think it’s important that we are not so strict with fashion rules and we instead listen to ourselves. I think that fashion rules are good for guidance, especially if you don’t know where to start. I just want to tell all of  my lovely readers that they need to express themselves in clothes that feel right. Confidence comes from within and clothes are such a small part of it, but I do feel as though they’re an important part. It’s important to like what you’re wearing, otherwise you won’t feel confident. You could be wearing the most expensive outfit in the world, but if you hated it, you wouldn’t look your best, because you wouldn’t be feeling your best. And the whole point of fashion, besides making sure we’re not strolling around naked, is to feel our best!

Thank you so much for reading my friends, I hope you have a lovely weekend!

XOXO,

Mattie Mae