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Style Roadblocks (and how to bust through 'em)

My last post described ways we can start prioritizing our style, but I didn't go too deep into why we might be avoiding it in the first place. There are lots of reasons we slip into our personal style ruts, and not all of them are crazy dramatic. Sometimes we just wake up and realize that we've been wearing the same cardigan-over-top iteration for 10 years, or sometimes we see a stylish person on the street who makes us wonder if we could look like that too. It's important to listen to these pangs of style consciousness, to reflect on what's holding us back, so we can push through to style discovery.

This week I'm going to focus on identifying and addressing the 3 biggest style roadblocks or misconceptions that I see come up for my clients, and how to start reframing these beliefs in order to acheive style freedom (WOO HOO)!

I'm waiting til I like my body more

Personal style basically forces us to think about our bodies, and sometimes that's not really what we want to think too much about. Lots of us struggle with weight changes which make our clothes fit us differently. But the whole line of thought around waiting to to improve your style til you've lost that 10 lbs or gotten back to your previous size can be a big roadblock. Your style may change in the time it takes to get back to your old size, and you'll have to start over anyway. Why not make a few updates to get you feeling more into the body that you have, so that you can start feeling more stylish and aligned right now? It might even inspire you to think about your body in a whole new, positive light.

I need more money

Ah yes, the age-old financial roadblock. This can be pretty legit, but it can also be an easy excuse for not investing in your style. If you truly value the benefits your personal style can inspire (I'm not sure how you ended up reading this if you don't), then there are some ways to invest in your style without spending a ton of cash. First, you can spend some time streamlining and getting inspired while you wait for that windfall. You can also get clear on your shopping strategy so that when you do decide to invest, you've got a solid approach to employ when you hit the stores. Of course, you can always invest in a stylist to help you zero in and make sure your hard-earned dollar goes toward the exact right pieces for you.

I'm not Emotionally Ready

But maybe your style has been placed on the back-burner for more complicated reasons. Maybe you're in a good place financially, and with your body, but you just aren't exactly sure who you are right now, and nothing you wear is making you feel all that inspired.

Perhaps you're struggling to get over a relationship, a career transition, or are entering a new decade in your life and you're suddenly questioning EVERYTHING. If this is a case, you've gotta deal with the emotional piece, give yourself some time, and dress without pressure. Perhaps wearing comfy sweats for a while is exactly what you need to do while you re-think the story you want your style to tell when you emerge anew like a gorgeously self-aware butterfly. When you feel like you're starting have a clearer sense of who you're becoming, it's probably a good idea to begin thinking about your style again. You don't want to wait so long that your style starts holding you back from getting out there, which can truly roadbock your full transition.

If you've got a good grasp on who you are, but you aren't sure how to translate this into your style, contact me. I've got some cool tools for style self-discovery and I am SO ready to share them with you. Let's butterfly it up together!