(This month, I’ve invited Gaelen Abt, also known as The Style Sherpa, to write a blog post. She is a Rhode Island Wardrobe ReDesigner who specializes in bringing out her clients’ most authentic selves through their personal style.)
My definition of Style is Dressing to Please Yourself. I tell my clients to use their clothing to express who they are and to help them feel a certain way, to motivate themselves.
Clothing not only covers our physical bodies, it also has a profound effect on how we feel.
How We Feel
affects how we interact with others.
How We Interact with Others
affects how they feel being around us.
How They Feel Being Around Us
affects how they feel about themselves.
Right now, as we sit in our homes, it’s hard to justify putting any thought into what you are wearing, but you still need to get things done, to interact with others, albeit virtually. The way we interact with the world has changed, but we still need to do it. We still need to get things done, make and build connections and try to find a way to not only exist, but also maybe thrive in this new normal.
My first recommendation…put some pants on. Real pants, not sweatpants or pajama pants. Jeans, leggings, whatever you would wear outside of your house. Next, find a top that makes you feel how you want to feel (professional, fun, flirty, etc.)
Sweats…for Netflix, not work
Dressed (with pants) for work. See the difference?
And then, of course, add the accessories to finish it off! HIstorically, jewelry has been a powerful visual representation of your status in your community. Were you a Chief? A Warrior? A Shaman? Your jewelry told your status.
I think of jewelry as my decorative armor, the final touch to fully communicate who I’m showing up as today.
Am I Badass Today?
I slap on some dark metals with edgy details.
Am I a Powerhouse?
I don a strongly-defined statement piece.
Do I Need some Inspiration?
I’ll toss on something fun with movement and color.
Maybe I Need a Little of Everything
Nothing says I’m an inspired, badass powerhouse like a snake ring.
Each of these pieces tells my brain what part to play.
Your clothing is a tool you can use to make yourself feel more confident, be more approachable (or less approachable, if that’s your thing). It can make you believe in yourself. It tells the world what your status is today.
So remember…decide who you want to be, add pants, and then finish with your choice of Armor.
(Nadine’s pieces are very powerful. Each one evokes an instant response. I knew the pieces I would buy immediately. They called to me. They make me feel like a goddess…a perfectly-balanced, glimmering, fun-loving goddess. My perfect armor.)
Follow Gaelen Abt at www.TheStyleSherpa.com
