By Candice Pirie

Ever heard of the term “Dopamine Dressing”? I hadn’t before I started my style journey and now that I have, it’s something I believe in 100%. Dopamine Dressing is a scientifically proven concept that explains how certain clothing can alter our state of mind and make us feel happier.

Of course, this is a broad concept and there will be other factors involved, but to keep it simple, from a style and personal image perspective, the way you feel in the clothing that you wear can largely influence your mood each day. In other words… Your mood (and confidence) will be influenced by the clothing you choose to put on your body and how you choose to groom and take care of yourself.

How do you feel when you put on your favourite blouse, a pretty dress or your favourite lipstick? Good right? Think about that special item you wear that you know you always receive compliments in… Got it?

Feeling good with the way we look goes a long way when it comes to our confidence levels and accepting ourselves as we are and therefore putting ourselves out there in the world… So why don’t we do this all the time? Just a little effort, a fresh hair-do, a bolder colour or a great silhouette can shift our energy and boost our confidence.

As you know, self-confidence is not permanent and doesn’t come naturally to almost all of us, so just like we practise strengthening our physical, as well as mental muscles regularly, we also need to practise strengthening our self-love and self-acceptance ‘muscles’ if we want to build our confidence and go after our dreams. So why not make sure to take little actions as often possible, to empower ourselves and make sure we are moving in the right direction. We all deserve to feel good in our skin!

A lovely reminder for you is to remember that other people are not more confident than you because they’re prettier / better at something. The truth is that they just BELIEVE they can do the things you feel you can’t.

So the only person that really needs to believe in themself, is YOU!

Once you learn to embrace your uniqueness, you will have a better relationship with and more positive appreciation of yourself.

So how do we embrace ourselves more and boost our own confidence?

Here are my tips

Identify your assets & acknowledge your flaws:

Finding fault in our bodies is easy. But we need to learn to accept these parts of our bodies that we don’t like to not let them hinder us and know that a “great” body is not a prerequisite to geat style. You can learn to illusion dress your perceived flaws and this will help you not to notice them as much e.g. wearing a busy smaller print can flatter a tummy, or wearing tonal colours elongates. Most importantly, we need to do find and wear what we feel best in, and the best way to do that is to know what you like about your body and learn to highlight those parts always.

Wear some colour every day:

There is a lot of research on the psychology of colour and as for branding and home decor, the same applies to our clothing. This doesn’t mean you have to wear bright colours all day every day. Just add some form of colour into your outfit every single day, especially when you’re feeling low and need a mood boost.

It can be a hint of colour in the print of a blouse or dress, your jewellery, an accessory or even a nice lipstick in a good shade for your skin tone.

If you’re comfortable with colour already, wear your best colours closest to your face to give the best effect. You can look younger & more vibrant if you choose well! Black, Grey, Beige and White do not count here!

Put make-up on:

It’s no secret that we feel better after we’ve showered and freshened up our faces. Even if it’s just a good moisturizer, SPF and some mascara that we’ve put on. So stick to the basics if you like and you’ll be good to go.

These are my basics which will help you feel fresh and ready to tackle the day:  1) Tinted Moisturizer & SPF 2) Eyebrows 3) Mascara 4) Cheeks, and you’re done!

If you like to wear more, go for it but don’t overdo it either, a little really does go a long way! You still want to look like yourself! Lipstick is always a great addition, especially for a business meeting or zoom call.

Good underwear is key:

You’ve heard me say this before but go and buy yourself some staple, quality, well-fitting undies. Underwear needs to fit your body in the right places in order to make you feel secure and for it to do what it is meant to do. So book yourself a professional bra fitting! Finding the right bra will literally change your life… And waistline! Trust me!

Accessorize:

Accessories create a finished look and show that you’ve put in a little effort which is important, especially when doing business. It signals a level of respect. Just don’t go overboard and wear everything you own. As a start, layer 1 extra piece on top of every classic outfit you wear or just put on a nice pair of earrings.

You can read about my go-to jewellery staples here

Self-Love and Mirror Work:

Self-love is a concept that has really started to gain momentum in recent years. As women, we’re finally realizing how long we’ve been at the bottom of our priority lists and how important it is to change this in order to juggle the many roles we play in our modern lives without feeling deflated, inadequate and constantly burning ourselves out.

We have to get comfortable with where we are and accept ourselves as we are to allow ourselves the freedom to put ourselves first and slowly build back our elusive self-confidence.

A great way to start this process is to look at yourself in the mirror. Stand up tall, shoulders back and repeat out loud “I love and accept myself just as I am, right now” and then smile at yourself. Do this as often as you can.

Another thing you can do is write down at least 2 things you like about your body (e.g. ‘I love my legs’ – hair/smile/eyes etc) and then practise gratitude for these parts of yourself that you love.

Getting comfortable with who we are doesn’t happen overnight, and will never be 100% all the time. We all have low days and that’s totally ok, as long as we try, it will get easier.

Present yourself how you want to show up:

I’m sure you’ve heard the terms ‘Dress for success’ and ‘Fake it till you make it’ before. Both are valid in their own right. I like to call it dressing intentionally. When we dress intentionally, we send a message to ourselves and others, that we respect and value ourselves and that we are ready to get what we want. In life, we don’t receive what we don’t ask for right? So when it comes to success, you need to start showing up for the life you want to live and how you want to feel now!

These are my tips and while there are many more, they are the most important that you can implement starting from today.

Remember, just like the law of attraction, what we put out in the universe we get back. If you feel good in what you wear and how you look, you will naturally project more of your personality, self-assuredness and vibrance, and be more approachable, and this is exactly what will be projected back to you.

“When you embrace yourself, others will embrace you too!”

Go for it and reach for those goals! Do the things you know are good for you!

And feel great!

SNEAK PEAK!

Follow me on Insta (@candz_pirie) to stay tuned for the details on my new private FB group ‘Styled To Succeed’ launching soon!

Also Keep an eye out for my FREE 5 DAY CHALLENGE where you’ll get daily prompts from me to help you: Get comfortable with your body, explore your style & start building your confidence

Let’s stay accountable together!

To get in touch with Candice you can visit her website www.inspiredbycandz.com