How Fashion Influences Confidence: What Confident People Know

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It’s often said that fashion influences confidence for the worst-but, I’m not sure I agree completely with that statement.

There’s no doubt that we live in an image-obsessed society. Every day, we’re bombarded with messages on how to appear “perfect” on the outside in order to hide any imperfections we may have, real or imagined.

This has caused many to assume that those who put so much effort into their appearance are simply trying to mask their insecurities, using vanity as a cover-up. While I can’t say that this assumption is completely false, I can say that this is the exception, not the rule.

Truth be told, putting effort into your appearance isn’t about faking self-confidence. Fashion influences confidence for the better, if you use it properly. This is how:

We all have the ability to use fashion as a tool to communicate how we feel on the inside. Further, whether you’re aware of it or not, we already use fashion to communicate how we feel about ourselves on the inside.

Personally, I used to be very insecure about my figure- and my clothes reflected this. I hid my curves behind oversized t-shirts, dull colors and minimal effort. I was trying my best to get others to look away from me and remain hidden. However, as I got older I finally made peace with my body and, once again, my appearance reflected that. My clothes started to actually fit. I embraced color. I settled on my favorite shade of lipstick. I had a spring in my strut and a sway in my hips. These days, I see a woman that looks just as beautiful as she feels. Even on the days I don’t feel all that great about myself, I still put genuine effort into my appearance; doing so reminds me that I am beautiful in my own way and I am worth the effort.

You, too, are also worth the effort. Using fashion to boost your self-confidence is not about pretending to be “perfect” or becoming a slave to the latest trends. It’s about reflecting your own inner beauty and personifying the fabulous diva that lives inside of you.

So, I leave you with this question: If your self-confidence were a person, what would she wear?