3 Things that Happen When You Start Intentionally Dressing Well

When you look at fashion magazines, or talk about personal style, it can be easy to write off as frivolous. But surprising things can happen when you stop dismissing your clothing and start intentionally dressing well. 

The dichotomy of clothing is that it is both a necessity (we all own and wear clothing), and also a luxury (most of us own more clothing than we NEED). 

But here are three things that can happen when you decide to dress well and stop writing off your closet.

1. You dress better (obviously.)

When you start to dress better, you start to walk taller. You show up in your interactions more confident, more self-assured, more present. 

And from there, anything can happen. 

I had a client line up five interview opportunities after a single coaching session because she started showing up as more of her incredible self in her business. She started dressing like she was going to meet someone important that day. And then she met important people.

2. Intentionally dressing well takes time, so you develop a morning routine.

When you choose to start dressing well, you give yourself time to dress intentionally in the mornings. If your mornings feel rushed, and creating the perfect miracle morning routine feels impossible, your closet is the best way to sneak around that resistance. 

Being 100% present while you get dressed is one of my favorite “mindfulness hacks.”

We all wear clothes, try getting dressed while thinking about nothing but what you’re wearing. No to-do lists, no body shaming, no passive aggressive “you would look so much better ifs…” 

Send your awareness to how your body feels while you put on each garment, while you do your hair, while you put on your makeup, and while you intentionally decided to dress well today. 

You can think of it as combining your meditative-awareness practice with the process of getting dressed. (Which is why the 5 Days of Style program gives you five days of short morning audio recordings to listen to.)

3. You stop chasing trends and buying clothes you don’t need

When you stop writing your clothes off as frivolous, you begin to develop a relationship with your closet and yourself. You realize that your style was always a part of you.

From there, you can stop chasing trends – buying clothes that make you feel dumpy and that you never wear. The Council for Textile Recycling, a nonprofit “dedicated to raising public awareness about the importance of textile recycling” estimates that 70 pounds of clothing and textiles are thrown away by Americans each year.  

When you start intentionally dressing well, and intentionally thinking about your wardrobe, you can short circuit the whole buy-purge cycle by not buying the clothes you won’t wear in the first place.

In essence, intentionally dressing well is a doorway.

For all that it can feel like spending time with your clothes and on your style is time and effort wasted, your closet is also a doorway into other pieces of your life. 

This means, when you spend time and effort to bring intention to your clothes, you also improve the rest of your life too. Dressing well is one of the fastest ways to tackle confidence and personal image “stuff” that I know of. 

And these three benefits are just the beginning…