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When it comes to clothing and confidence, feeling good about what you wear is so important. Clothes can help to improve your mood, boost your self-esteem and show people a bit about your personality. 

Growing up, I wasn’t always confident in what I wore. I had to learn that skill gradually. I remember testing out different types of looks no matter how ugly or cool they were. 

Back in grade school, I got teased a lot for what I wore but it later toughened me up to not giving a damn about what people thought about my outfit choices. With time, I was able to consciously pick out clothes that fit my body well, clothes that showcased my personality, and clothes that made me feel confident in dressing well.

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AMANDA LEAH PHOTOGRAPHY

Building self-confidence with your clothes doesn’t happen overnight. However, when you begin implementing these baby steps I’m about to teach you — hopefully, it can make the task a little less daunting! 

How to Dress Confidently as a Woman

Sometimes, women get a lot of flack for dressing however they want or wearing things that are not quite deemed as being appropriate in other people’s eyes. 

Self-confidence is something that is built, not torn down and shaken over. That’s why when people are too busy tearing down a woman’s confidence about what they choose to wear on their body, that’s not cool. We are all different people with different personalities and have different ways of expressing ourselves with our clothes. 

I honestly respect high prolific women like Rihanna and Gwen Stefani for their confidence in fashion. They, to me, are the epitome of feeling and dressing confidently in whatever you wear. 

Bad Gal RiRi

Back in 2005, Rihanna was at the Teen People Listening Lounge wearing a cropped top with low rise boyfriend jeans. You could tell (even then) that this was someone who felt very confident in the outfits she chose to put on her body. 

Fashion for me is another way I get to express myself creatively. It is one of the fun things I get to do: to play dress-up, and create outfits and looks that aren’t typical. I am an artist, so I like creating things. Shoes are my favorite thing.  – Rihanna

Now as we fast-forward to present day, Rihanna is the ultimate trendsetter, the fashion risk-taker, and the first black woman to own her own major luxury fashion house. 

The thrill in fashion for me is taking a risk and daring myself to make it work. Even when I go shopping, I always buy something twisted and I know I have to figure out somehow to pull it off and make it my own. – Rihanna

Now, if that doesn’t scream confidence, I don’t know what does.

No Doubt About Gwen

When Gwen Stefani first stepped on the scene, her fashion sense was unapologetically unique! She was successfully able to transform her look from an influential pop-punk rocker to a badass fashion designer. Gwen launched her own fashion label L.A.M.B. back in 2003. The label showcased a wide collection of leopard prints, plaid skirts, oversized pieces and so much more.

I’ve always loved fashion – it’s a reflection of your personality. – Gwen Stefani 

Gwen’s punk aesthetics also took on Japanese Harajuku inspirations and meshed them with tartan prints, colorful tulle skirts, and oversized floral details. At this time when Gwen embraced the Harajuku style, she faced a lot of criticism for taking on stylistic influences from the Japanese culture. Even with the controversy, her L.A.M.B line made over $100 million in sales in just the 3 years since it launch. 

It’s (L.A.M.B.) my passion and distraction from life. The music is challenging but the designing is just so much fun, and while both are creative in their own ways; when I sit down to do L.A.M.B., it’s therapeutic. – said Gwen Stefani in an interview with WWD.    

For these two confident women — Rihanna and Gwen — it seems that their fashion creativity and the idea of having fun helps to fuel their confidence and makes them feel good in what they wear. 

The Importance of Building Self-Confidence With Your Clothes

Clothes do an amazing job at painting a picture of how you want to show yourself to the world. If you like a lot of bright colors, you can incorporate colorful prints and textures to express that you have a bright and lively personality. 

On the other hand, if you like dark colors, you may opt for black and moody colors to show off your deep and mysterious personality.

This is why using your clothes to build up your self-confidence is so important. You want to be able to show the world the things that sets you apart from everyone else. When you dress confidently, you easily feel confident as well. 

The best way to practice building self-confidence with clothes is through job interviews where first impressions are everything with your clothes. Job interviews give you a chance to dress professionally and look your best.  

Through the way you dress, you can channel a feeling of confidence because you not only look good, but you also feel good too! 

Clothes also help to elevate your vibe and personal style. The freedom to wear whatever you want in this day and age should give you the complete confidence in choosing the types of clothes you want to see on yourself and show off your best self. 

8 Tips on How to Boost Self-Confidence With Your Clothes

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AMANDA LEAH PHOTOGRAPHY

Be Mindful

Being mindful about the clothes you put on your body should be just as important as eating healthy or exercising. If your clothes don’t flatter you in a positive way or make you think highly of yourself, please do not put that piece of clothing on. Make sure to dress yourself like you got some sense. You are expensive royalty and gold! 

To dress confidently means you have to think in the fact that you can pull off whatever you feel confident in wearing! This has a lot to do with how best you think you can rock the outfit and confidently knowing that you can.  

Feeling confident in clothes is kind of like choosing the perfect wedding dress; If you put on a dress (or wedding dress) and immediately think oh yes, I.got.this! This is so me then you’re in the right mindframe. But if you put on a dress, and think oh hell no, it doesn’t fit well, then it’s not for you. 

It’s all About a Feeling

Along with mindfulness, you have to actually feel good about what you put on your body. It’s all about feeling comfortable with what you got on. If you know that something doesn’t look good on you and you don’t really feel confident in wearing it, then don’t wear it. No one is forcing you to wear something you don’t want to wear.

You have to feel and believe that what you got on is bad (as in good) and your going to rock the world by storm. Also, don’t give anyone permission to make you feel like what you got on is trash — especially when you love it. 

Being unique is so rare these days. Everyone just wants to go with what’s on trend. Do not fall victim to that. Rather, feel free in showing off pieces that interest you and pair those pieces with other items you own to make a well rounded outfit.

Begin With What You Already Own

Please do not go out and buy a whole new wardrobe because you want to dress up in clothes that scream confidence. 

Instead, try to work with what you already have in your closet. If all you have are some plain clothes, figure out different ways to jazz them up  or upcycle them. Take this time to do a little diy project to clothes and add fun pin buttons or patches to that boring jacket you got or even tye-dye that old t-shirt you got laying around. 

Also, decluttering your wardrobe and getting rid of old clothes that don’t fit anymore can help you begin fresh and find clothes that actually do fit and make you feel good in the process. 

I’m a big fan of going through my dad’s old clothes because I often find some cool looking big sweaters that can totally give a new twist to my outfit, which brings me to my next point.

Create & Experiment

Don’t be afraid to tap into your creativity and go outside your comfort zone to find some clothing inspiration. During my free time, I like to go window shopping in malls and thrift shop at Salvation Army to get some outfit ideas for different photoshoots. 

It gives me a chance to analyze what I already have and how I can mix different patterns and outfits together to create a badass look. I also like to imagine and snap different outfits to wear to certain events like weddings, church, work, and other outings. If I end up not having the money to purchase a particular outfit online, I just create or wear something similar from what I have in my closet.

Don’t be Afraid to Accessorize, Darling

Sometimes, I feel like the power of accessorizing an outfit is so overlooked because we’re so worried about the outfit itself that we forget about the accessories. Now granted, some outfits can do just fine without accessories and some just need a little help. 

When it comes to accessories, you have so many options. Jewels, shoes, scarves, headbands, makeup and even nail polish can be a great accessory. My favorite go-to accessories are scarves, shoes and my favorite red lippie.

Knowing when to accessorize is so important because you don’t want to over do it and overpower the eye. The right balance with accessorizing is when to do it and not doing it. 

If your outfit looks dull, try pairing it with a jewel that doesn’t clash with anything you’re wearing but smoothly works its way into the color scheme of your clothes. If you prefer to add a lippie, go with a color that brings the outfit together, not a lipstick that feels out of place with the rest of the look. If you prefer to accessorize with shoes, try a pair that has the right color tone and fits the theme of what you’re trying to go for.

Related Post: 5 Tips on How to Dress Better

Make Sure to Have Fun

If anything, remember this. Go out there and have fun with your clothes. Apart from formals and interviews, clothes are not all that serious and if you want to boost your confidence, you need to learn to have fun with the idea of dressing up. Try picking a fun theme for each day and bring up ideas beforehand of the kind of clothes you will be wearing for that day. 

For instance, if you have a preppy day, choose your best preppy outfit and snap a pic for your memory board. Remember to try your outfit before the day you wear it, so you can make sure the clothes actually go together and fit the theme.

Discover Your Sense of Style

With so many personal styles out there, it’s so hard to choose which one is right for you. Continue to experiment with what you like to wear or like to see on your body. A good place to start is to take a personality fashion quiz of some sort so that you can see what style you gravitate more towards.

Here are some outfit styles that you can experiment with:

EDGY STYLE:

This style is one of my favorites looks. It’s so cool and rebellious. It makes you want to go out and conquer the world. Try on some ripped tight jeans, a clean white shirt, leather jacket, and some rocking boots. 

PREPPY STYLE:

The preppy style screams classy, posh, and lots of peplum tops to me. This style sort of reminds me of Victoria Beckham. The look can be professional, clean, and sophisticated. Along with peplum tops, you also have the choice of wearing your sweaters over solid blouses, covering it up with military coats, wearing pencil skirts, and accessorizing the outfit with pearl necklaces and loafers.

FALL STYLE:

I absolutely adore fall outfits. Here, you are presented with a lot of scarves, over the knee boots, long sweaters, tons of rustic orange sweaters, dark jeans and olive green jackets and brown boots. 

BOHEMIAN STYLE:

Bohemian outfits are so magically and free-flowing. Cover up with a lot of frilly crop tops, off-the-shoulder tops, silky dresses, paisley maxi skirts, wide-leg pants, and accessorized with a ton of turquoise and brown jewelry. 

CASUAL STYLE:

Keeping it relaxed and spontaneous over here. This is your typical everyday style with a basic white shirt, flannel light sweater, blue jeans, and van sneakers type of look. You can also try a striped shirt, some ripped boyfriend jeans, and simple flats or boots to match. Try incorporating a nice solid tan coat, purse, or a cool cap to finish the look if you want. 

MINIMALIST STYLE: 

This style is all about keeping it simple with the basics, playing with symmetry, and choosing a small number of colors to wear together. A lot of people usually go for the white, grey, black look when it comes to this style. You can also play with beige hues and other neutral colors with this look as well. 

There are so many more outfit styles that would take another post to cover lol. Make sure to subscribe down below and I’ll let you know once I compile a list of other outfit ideas I think you’ll love.

 If you don’t like any of the styles presented here, you can definitely come up with your own style and rock it with confidence!

Related Post: How To Find Your Personal Style

Love the Body You’re In

If you don’t remember anything from this post, please remember to do this! I cannot emphasize this part enough. This is major to obtaining self-confidence in whatever you wear. You need to fall absolutely in love with the body that you’re in before you can feel good about whatever you put on it. Do not let anyone’s words or perception sway you on how you should feel about your body! It is not their temple to live in.

Like I said before, you are royalty and gold and you need to start treating yourself as such. Take care of yourself from the inside out/outside in and your body will start showing you great results. Also, feel free to wear clothes that accentuate your favorite parts of your body tastefully. If you like your legs, wear over-the-knee boots to elongate your legs to make them look longer.

Related Post: 25 Amazing Drugstore Self-Care Products You Need To Own

Common Questions About Dressing Well and Self-Confidence

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AMANDA LEAH PHOTOGRAPHY

How Can I feel Confident in My Body?

Feeling confident in your body requires a total mind shift in my opinion. Figure out what triggers are causing you to feel doubtful about your body. Were you watching or reading something that made you feel less than enough? Were you on the internet/social media listening to someone body shame others? 

If so, please cut those things out of your life right now and begin focusing on positive body affirmations about yourself and how you should accept you, for you. No one should have the power over your thoughts, especially on how they make you feel about yourself unless you give them that access. Start to take your power back and remove all obstacles or distractions that make you feel little about yourself.

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How do Clothes Empower You?

Clothes can empower you by giving you that extra boost of confidence you need. As mentioned before, when you wear professional clothes to an interview, it instantly makes you feel like you’re on top of the world. When you prepare beforehand for the interview, knowing that you dressed well will give you that extra push to give it all you’ve got in the interview. 

Also, wearing your favorite cap or a piece of clothing that was handed to you from your loved one, may aid in empowering you to feel more confident and also enlightening others about the item of clothing with confidence.

Does Your Clothes Define You?

Though my clothes do not define me, they give others an insight into my sense of creativity and personal style. I often like to try different styles and rock different outfit looks. I get bored sticking with one outfit style. As clothes are materialistic to me, I’m not really sure how people would let their clothes define them.

Maybe the definition might be a reflection on their materialistic lifestyle that they let define them. It almost sounds like a time back in high school when kids were obsessed with name brands and the kids who didn’t wear a particular brand were made to feel less than or inferior to the ones who did. So silly, I know.

How does Fashion Boost Your Self-Esteem?

As a child, fashion has helped to fuel my creativity and has opened how I see the world artistically. I see fashion in everything: the sky, the trees, the birds.. you get the point. Fashion is all around me and because it’s everywhere, I feel confident that I am also fashion. I embody and respect the fashion that I see everywhere else. Everyone is unique and it’s up to us to tap into our own fashion sense and see what comes of it. 

How Does Fashion Make You Feel?

When it comes to fashion, I feel very powerful — especially when it comes to styling a personal look. It makes me feel confident to know that my sense of fashion is not dependent on brands or on how much a piece of clothing costs but is dependent on how well the clothing makes me look and feel and how well I can pull it off. It also makes me feel free in knowing that I can confidently rock any style I choose.

How do Clothes Affect Your Confidence and Personality?

Whenever I go out, I always like to pick outfits that help me dress for the occasion. In whatever I wear, I want it to exude confidence and show off a little part of my personality — because that definitely goes a long way.

As a Ghanaian, I often try to incorporate african prints into my outfit choices because I like the colors and I feel confident in wearing my country’s colors with pride. Dressing well definitely affects your attitude and confidence because if you decide to dress in dark colors, your mood might be a bit mysterious and reserved. And if you opt for a more neutral aesthetic, your mood might be more laid-back and mellow. 

But no matter how you choose to dress, doing so with confidence puts a bold imprint into the world and lets everyone know how you want to be seen as an individual. From today, I challenge you to work on being more intentional with how you can dress more confidently.  

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Now Let’s Discuss:

How do you dress confidently with your clothes?

Please let me know down in the comments below of any tips/tricks you have in dressing well with confidence.

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