How What You Wear Can Boost Your Confidence

Wednesday, October 02nd, 2013

What you choose to wear can affect your mood and how people react to to you, which in turn can help to boost your confidence.

Dress for comfort

People close to you will often say they love you in your most comfortable clothing – what they really mean is that they like you to be relaxed and happy and if that means tweed and wellies then so be it. If you’ve made an effort for a night out (or a night in) and look happy, confident and relaxed you’re guaranteed to receive an even more positive response! It shows the people you are with that you value them enough to make an effort.

Think about colour

Colour is a very important factor in psychological and emotional responses. It conveys a message and it is important to be aware of what colours suit you – your skin tone, eye colour and hair colour. Bright colours like yellow and pink are said to be the most uplifting, but if you find them to be a bit too bright you can go for reds and blues and greens.

Flatter your figure

Take care to frame what you already have. Highlighting your assets such as your hair and physique will boost your confidence and your appeal to others. One of the biggest steps you can make in overhauling a flagging wardrobe is to find wear the right size. Choosing clothes that fit well will compliment your body shape and others will notice. Badly fitting clothes will leave unnecessary bulges and create an unflattering shape.

Ask for help

In business, psychologists say you should dress for the role you want, not the role you have. Clothes can often give us the impetus to become the person we want to be – literally donning a costume to play a part. Whilst you should be careful not to ‘act’ like someone else, enhancing your character can help you to become a more romantic or attractive person. If you’re usually stuck in a bit of a rut clothing-wise, you can step it up a notch and ask the staff in a shop; they are always happy to help point you in the right direction with what may or may not suit you.

Invest in key pieces

Remember that looking and feeling good does not necessarily mean wearing expensive clothing. If you want to make a great first impression, feel confident or break away from your usual style then try not to go overboard. The best way is a natural progression to a more confident you. No need to start off with a full on shopping spree at Topman or suddenly changing from tweed to suits. Gradually introduce some more stylish and great fitting clothing into the wardrobe and you’ll see an encouraging transformation in the way you feel about yourself and how complete strangers react around you.