Some of the tips I am going to be sharing in the upcoming weeks will be those that I hope you will find helpful in dealing with the current economic situation. These tips will include money-saving tips to update your wardrobe, tips in conducting a job search if you have been laid off, and more. I encourage you to share some of your own tips that you have found useful by adding your comments here. Don’t forget to become a fan of paNASH Style on Facebook @ http://twurl.nl/44tq68 .
Lori
One of the most common excuses I hear from people who want my assistance but choose to hold off on it is because they want to lose weight before going out and buying new clothes. First let me say, congratulations to those of you who have set that goal and are working hard toward it! Now, let me ask you a couple questions: why would you want to and why should you have to wait to start looking and feeling good when you can start looking and feeling good right now? Why would you want to delay that and deprive yourself of those pleasures? You are never too heavy to be fashionable.
I understand that you may have a fear that if you find clothes you like right now, you won’t be motivated to lose weight. It’s actually quite the opposite however. When you start dressing your body better now, people will think you’ve already started to lose weight because wearing the clothing that’s flattering to your current body type gives the illusion of looking thinner. These compliments and encouragement from others actually motivate you even more to lose the weight and you are therefore more successful at achieving your goal than if you were to put off dressing better. And besides, you might as well indulge yourself in the pleasure of shopping since you can’t indulge yourself with food while on a diet. And you can indulge in clothing without having to spend a lot of money (more on that in a minute).
Imagine it this way: if you had a painful illness that you had to wait three months to have surgery to permanently heal the illness and the doctor told you that there was a medication you could take for the next three months to minimize your pain while you are waiting to have your surgery, would you opt to take the medicine, or would you choose to walk around in pain every day for three months? You’re worth looking good right now! You don’t want to be passed up when the right opportunity (i.e. a job, a gig, a record deal, a potential hot date, etc.) comes along because you are putting your image and appearance on hold. Besides, looking your best has a tremendous positive effect on your human trinity (your mind, body, and soul) which will in turn attract others to you. You are already beautiful on the inside, so let it show on the outside!
There are two main things that you can start doing now to improve your appearance. First, wear clothes that fit you properly. You will look slimmer if you wear clothes that fit than if you wear clothes that are too big or too small for you. If you have the right clothes (meaning, they are of quality and they fit your lifestyle, personality and career goals) but they just need a little tailoring, then invest the money to have that done. That can be less expensive than going out and buying an all new wardrobe. Not only will you look slimmer, your clothes will also look more expensive! Ill-fitting clothing is one of the biggest fashion offenses that occur today. Men tend to wear clothes that are too big, and women tend to wear clothes that are too tight or small. Either mistake will make you look heavier than you are. Philip Dormer Stanhope was noted for saying, “His clothes fit him so ill, and constrain him so much, that he seems rather their prisoner than their proprietor.” Wear what flatters and works with your body, not what you wish you look good in.
Second, wear clothing that is age appropriate. Wearing clothing that is too young for you will make you look just as old as wearing clothing that is too mature for you. On that same note, wearing clothing that is out-of-date will also age you. You need to either wear up-to-date clothes (I’m not talking about the latest fads; there’s a difference between fads, trends, and fashions which I will explain later) or timeless classics. Getting stuck in a time warp is another common mistake I see among the fashionably challenged. Wearing the same clothes and styles that you wore ten years ago in college will not make you look like you are twenty years old again. Instead, it will make you look ten years older than you actually are (or if you’re a musician you’ll look like you’re still in a garage band)! It’s time to throw out those clothes and hire an image consultant who will help you find the look you need that compliments your current life roles and career goals while still reflecting your personality and interests.
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