Self-esteem can be reinforced in how we approach our appearance — and that means how we approach our wardrobe.
According to the dictionary, a wardrobe is described as a space where clothes are hung and stored, except to us women in business — and some of us who are mothers too — this space is where we go to create ourselves every single day. It holds memories, it holds feelings, it’s a reflection of where we’re at in life, it’s a reflection of our self-esteem, and it’s full of either negative or positive energy. And your wardrobe affects your self-esteem in more ways than you can imagine.
These pieces of fabric that we call clothes are affecting our self-confidence and our self-esteem more than we consciously realise. Every time you open up your wardrobe and see that pair of jeans you can’t fit into any more, subconsciously you’re being reminded how much weight you’ve put on. Or that garment that still has that tag on it that you still haven’t worn, is only bringing up the annoyance that you’ve wasted your hard earned money yet again. And that garment that you wore with an ex-partner many years ago, is still reminding you of him and his energy is still in your wardrobe. Whether that is positive or negative energy it is still holding you and keeping you in the past. And you’ve still got to ask yourself, “What is it that I’m really holding on to?” Your self-esteem is connected to all those thoughts.
What we pull out of this sacred space is affecting us more than we realise. It’s affecting how we look at ourselves in the mirror. It’s affecting what we think when we catch a reflection of ourselves on our way to work. It’s affecting the way we talk, and it’s affecting the way we walk. Your wardrobe affects your self-esteem in myriad ways, but you can break free of this vicious cycle:
Be honest with yourself
Is your wardrobe a true reflection of who you are or is it a space filled with garments that are just “this will do”? If we settle for “it’ll do” every single day we are compromising who we put forward and show the world that we are, and it is undermining all the hard work that we’re doing in all areas of our career.
Get rid of weaknesses
All those garments that don’t fit you anymore are only reminding you of how much weight you’ve put on. They need to go. All those garments that still have the tag on them, that you haven’t worn yet, you need to figure out how to wear them or get them out of there. All those garments you wore 20 years ago that are reminding you of memories of your past, need to be removed from your wardrobe and you need to ask yourself, “What is it that I’m really holding on to?” Remove everything out of your wardrobe and only put back in there the things that you look and feel great in right now.
Strategise and de-clutter
Long gone are the days of overflowing, overwhelming wardrobes. The stylish, confident woman has a small, smart and versatile wardrobe that takes her from day to night with ease. One tip to ensure that you’re doing this effectively is before you buy a garment, I need you to ask yourself, “What three things in my wardrobe do I already have that I can wear this with?” And “How can I take this look from day to night?”
It’s incredible how much time, money and decision-fatigue you will relieve yourself of once you create a wardrobe that supports you and your goals.
