Secrets to Get Out of Your Style Rut
5 EASY (AND SURPRISING) SECRETS TO GET OUT OF YOUR STYLE RUT
Article by Eyenie Schultz
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #29
One of the biggest complaints I hear from women is, “I feel so frumpy and uninspired! I’m in a total rut with my style and don’t know how to get out of it…”
Do you ever feel this way when it comes to your clothes? Like what you wear has absolutely nothing to do with the badass you truly are inside? It sucks!
Let’s face it, between growing your business, taking care of clients, spending time with family, friends, etc., style probably doesn’t feel like much of a priority. And if you’re like most of the whip-smart and creative Overachieving Misfits I work with, chances are you sorta roll your eyes at style and think it’s fluffy, shallow and girly to care about it (despite your off-the-hook taste).
What happens when something like style isn’t given care, attention, love and energy? It gets dull, boring, heavy, and uninteresting. And when something feels this way – like more of a burden or task - we tend to ignore it or do the bare minimum. Yikes.
This is where you fall into that trance or fog, where you go through the motions without really being connected to what you’re actually putting on your body.
Well, I say BASTA! Style is way more than just clothes and fashion, it’s about how you’re showing up in the world and visually expressing who you are.
Here are 5 easy ways to shake yourself right on out of that uninspiring rut and up your style ante in a major way!
1 :: Dress with intention. This means actually giving time, mindfulness, care and energy to what you put on your body and owning it instead of just reaching for whatever’s clean or handy. It doesn’t have to take lots of time or feel daunting; in fact, we want it to feel like the total opposite. It’s more about taking ownership of and pride in what you decide to wear by seeing it as an expression of who you are and how you feel that particular day. Dress in a way that says, “I meant to do this, and I own the EFF out of it!”
2 :: Use clothes to make you feel how you want to feel. The mega smart women I work with often find themselves putting together outfits using logic and following lots of rules that they either learned from a family member or friend, or picked up along the way.
But, if you think of style as art – as a true expression of you, your emotions, energy and desires – there’s no room for thought! Get dressed from a space of feeling, and ask yourself, “How do I want to feel today?” then go from there.
3 :: Play dress-up. Go into your closet for one to two hours with the intention of having fun! Explore, discover, play, create…. Put things together in a way that doesn’t make logical sense and experience how it feels. It brings freshness and excitement to your current wardrobe. I guarantee you’ll come up with some pretty smokin’ outfits that would have never occurred to you (because again, you’re feeling, not thinking.)
4 :: Reconnect with yourself. What are some things that you love? Some stuff that makes you swoon and gives you butterflies? It’s easy to forget something as simple as what makes us giddy and floaty, but it’s super duper vital to avoid slipping into a rut and staying there.
Start paying attention to the things around you and what gets your attention – this goes for clothes! When what you wear is in alignment with what you desire and love, it feels WAY more exciting than just throwing on a default outfit.
5 :: Keep your mindset/limiting beliefs in check. Are there recurring thoughts or deeply-rooted limiting beliefs that keep you from fully expressing who you are through what you wear? If you don’t feel worthy or deserving of wearing beautiful things (even though you have kick-ass taste and really want to), you’ll keep reverting back to the standard meh outfits that communicate, “I’m not worthy or deserving.”
If you believe that you have to lose X lbs. before you can start dressing in a way that makes you feel beautiful, chances are you’ll find another excuse even after losing the weight.
Ch-ch-checkity check yourself before you wreck yourself and your style! Remember that no matter your shape, size, circumstances, budget, you deserve to feel AH-MAZING and in alignment with what you wear!
Here’s to jumping out of your rut and getting into your NEON style groove!
It’s a Sign is a compilation of self-improvement articles written by entrepreneurs seeking to bring holistic solutions to everyday problems. Read more articles from this feature.
Eyenie Schultz, the Technicolor Priestess, is Brand & Style Alchemist who helps the Overachieving Misfit entrepreneur just like you, to show on the outside who she is on the inside, up her confidence ante and stand out with her distinct brand.
Download your free e-guide, 7 Steps to Giving Your Style a French Twist to learn more about how to use your style to showcase your uniqueness.