Tuesday Styles #8: 10 ways to change your mood (by changing your look)
It’s Tuesday! And you’re here because you know that your style matters.
- We have a ritual of checking in with what we are wearing (and why), and what’s going on with our living and work digs because it tells us something about what’s going on with us –
- and, THEN, we can then feel better INSTANTLY by making some little changes to our wardrobe or our bedding or whatever.
Instant gratification! Hip hip hooray.
10 ways to change your mood by changing your LOOK.
You may be thinking, “Uh, I have a look??”
The answer is: yes, darling. You definitely have a look. And changing how you present yourself can make you feel good.
No matter whether you consciously intend to (or not), you have a look.
And here’s the part that you may not want to hear, but I gotta tell you the truth:
if you’re answer is, “I don’t really care about what I wear!” Your look is “I don’t really care about myself“.
And that’s really not your best look.
This is stupid! What’s a “LOOK”, anyway? And why does it matter?
I know, admitting that you care about how you look feels dorky. It’s cool to not care, think it’s stupid to put effort into your image and be “low key” or something non-trying-ey.
But, basically, everyone does care, it’s human nature — and I mean like part of the way your cute lil’ human brain is wired.
Your look is just the message you are giving off to the world about who you are and what you’re about.
It’s like there’s a sign above your head that’s the verbal translation of the clothes you’re wearing and how, um, clean you may or may not be.
Think about it:
- If someone with a scruffy beard, dirt on his face and worn out clothes and very beaten up old Nike Pumps was walking down the aisle in a grocery store, what would you think? You’d think, I wonder if this man is homeless.
- What if that guy instead had artfully messed up hear and was wearing skinny jeans, Vans and a plaid shirt? You’d think, he’s probably into the Indie music scene/kind of an artsy dude.
- Or, what if it was a woman wearing a track suit? So what if she had, moments before, been wearing a paint suit — you’d see her differently depending on the suit she was wearing.
Being aware of the message you’re sending is a powerful tool to use to your advantage. Decide if the message you’ve been sending lately is the one you want to be sending to everyone — because you will be sending a message whether you want to or not.
And, you’re telling me that if I change this “look”, it will change how I FEEL? Crazy lady.
It’s so true. Just play with some of these suggestions or things you’ve secretly always wanted to try (side bun a la Kim Kardashian? Ashamed to admit, I just watched this entire, 8 minute video).
You’ll find that when you play with how you put yourself out there, adding stuff, seeing how you feel and sticking with what you like, you will feel happier.
Go with the suggestions that feel and sound like fun to you. Experiment.
So! What you got going on today?
Give yourself a once-over right now, and if you’re like, this is NOT what I want to putting out there, here are 10 easy ways to change that, and how you FEEL, without spending much moolah.
(1) Find your style icon.
Find an icon and copy the hell out of him/her. There is some celeb or person at your office that you think wears the COOLEST stuff. Consider your favorite outfits or looks this person sports, and straight-up copy them. I like Rachel McAdams because she sports lots of different looks, but her clothes never wear her.
(2) Add color to your wardrobe.
Pick a color, any color, and go for it. If you wear all neutrals, put on that bright pink shirt that your significant other gave you for Christmas. If you wear colors all of the time, wear one you almost never choose. Go to Old Navy or Zara (they have great sales) and just buy a random royal blue dress. And then, wear it with pride.
(3) Change your hair color at home.
I know this can be dicey, but just do your internet homework before applying permanent color to your entire cranium and you should be fine. Some tips that I’ve heard from the pros are:
- Test a pencil-thick piece of your hair first. If the box says, leave on for 30 minutes, leave the color on for 15, wipe it off and see what you think. If it’s not quite “there”, reapply and leave for the remaining 15 minutes and check again.
- If you’re going lighter, choose a color TWO SHADES darker than what you really want.
- If you’re going darker, choose a color one shade lighter than what you really want.
- Don’t be scared to blend two different colors to get the shade you’re after (again, test first, less tears later!)
If you’re really nervous about doing this yourself, go to the salon. It may be worth $100 for your piece of mind.
(4) Be kind to your skin.
Healthy skin makes you look your best, it’s just true. Healthy hair and healthy skin make you look radiant — more so than dropping 5 pounds or getting a new outfit, for sure. And you don’t have to invest in anything fancy.
- It’s free to drink a lot of water, and this is the best way to hydrate your wintery complexion.
- Also, use lotion on your face AND neck. Use oil-free if you break out, and a richer lotion if you’ve got dry skin.
- Use self tanner. I swear by Clarins’ gel-based tanner. I use it on my face and body (and I have sensitive skin).
- Get a facial once a season. I hate that this is true, but it really makes a world of difference. Four times per year is not TERRIBLE so join me in sucking it up and getting one.
Taking care of yourself projects self-confidence. It shows that you feel like you’re worth the time and effort.
(5) Wear leggings — but, the right way.
This is a pet peeve of mine. Leggings can be worn by any body type — but not in any way for any body type. Keep the bottom of your top below your crotch (not to be too graphic). No one needs to see the contours of that part of your body, be you man, woman or beast.
(6) Only wear (and buy) clothes that fit you right now.
It’s so, so tempting when you want to lose weight to buy and wear clothes just a teensy bit too small. This actually, ironically, makes you look fatter than you are. Curses! So, if it doesn’t look good TODAY, don’t buy it TODAY.
(7) Make over your brows.
This is a lesson I could seriously use. I hate dealing with this detail. But I pledge to get them taken care of and you can hold me to it. Ask someone with non-scary-thin but normal looking brows where they go, and just go there. Your whole face will brighten.
(8) Accessorize.
Pile them on! Go to some cheap place like H&M or somewhere at the mall and buy some crap that looks like fun to you. Don’t worry if you don’t end up loving it, this is an experiment to see what new stuff you may enjoy.
(9) Reinvent your hair (WITHOUT changing the color).
Do you always wear your hair in a pony tail? Try out a chignon or a bun. Do you always wear your hair down? Braid a few sections. Have you always had long, straight hair? Get some layers.
(10) Experiment with scarves.
Scarves are a toughie for many people — they seem so intimidating! You don’t want to look like a bag lady. The upshot is that when you know a few easy ways to wear them, scarves can add anything from class to irreverence to your look. Here’s a helpful guide.
Like I said, even if you’re not conscious of creating a message, you are still creating one when you get dressed. Why not CHOOSE the message you’re sending? It’s your message, you’re the master — it’s always your choice.
You’ll find that this is very empowering to play with and be aware of. You’ll feel terrific once you are conscious about how you present yourself.
Got any more suggestions? Throw them down in the comments, anything goes!
