Are you ready for a new look? Perhaps you’ve been inspired by something you’ve seen online or are just getting bored with the looks you’re wearing now. Regardless, stepping out of your comfort zone can sometimes feel like a daunting do-over that’s better left for another day.

Think about it this way though, fashion is a way for you to express yourself. How you feel in your clothes is something that people notice, so it’s time to allow your true, confident self to shine through. 

Edit Your Closet 

Going through your closet to see what you already have is a great first step to take. We all have clothes that we don’t even know why we’re still holding on to them. Clearing up space can allow for more room for inspiration, and you may even find pieces that you forgot you had but definitely want to wear going forward. 

This will also allow you to reorganize your wardrobe in a way that better suits you. If organizing by item type isn’t working for you, try reorganizing by colour instead. Also, if you can’t find shirts because they’re stacked on top of each other, try rolling up your shirts and placing them next to each other. This way you can make the most of the things you already own.

Find Inspiration 

You can always find inspiration in places like influencers and celebrities or social media like Pinterest and Instagram. If you have a style inspiration already, particularly if your inspiration is a person, go through their posts to see how they incorporate different pieces into their looks. This will also help you figure out what they wear most often as an indicator that you should be incorporating those pieces into your style first. They can also help you see the steps they take when building an outfit and many of them even post links to where they got their clothes from.

If you don’t have inspiration already, Pinterest is a good place to go. You can look up styles using a specific piece of clothing, a particular colour, or using style key words so you can do more research into whether you like that style or not. Sometimes searching for something more general and narrowing down from there can really help you understand what it is that you’re looking for. Also, it’s ok to copy until you find your own unique style within the look that you’re going for.

Take it Slow 

Start incorporating your new, more daring pieces into your already existing wardrobe. This isn’t an instant makeover. This involves taking one step at a time, and often requires experimentation. Figuring out how to wear a piece within the realm of clothes that you’re already comfortable wearing is a good way to help you feel comfortable in your new clothes too. Plus, it will help give you ideas on how to build an outfit using what you already own.

Start with new accessories: jewelry, then bags and shoes, and then move onto the bigger items like your tops, bottoms, jackets and dresses. Small positive changes will inspire you to keep going and keep discovering.

Start Safe

Start out by just wearing your new clothes around the house. This way, no one can see you and you can experiment all you want without fear of judgment. This is your time to discover who you are through fashion, so your home is the perfect safe space to do just that.

Then keep taking small steps towards debuting your outfits in more and more public places. If there’s a coffee shop you like that’s practically empty during the afternoon, then try wearing your new clothes there next. Then try wearing your clothes somewhere slightly more public after that, and so on. As you do this, you will build your confidence, which is key here. Then you will slowly start to transition out of your initial trepidation for wearing a new style, to excitement to show off your new threads. 

Lily Frances | Contributing Writer