“I don’t have time to go shopping and put together a wardrobe.” I hear this all the time! Perhaps you have said it yourself. Often, what you are really saying is, “I do not have time to walk around the mall or a store futilely trying things on that look terrible or don’t fit only to leave the store empty handed and miserable.” Yikes! Who would want to set aside any time for that kind of punishment? Yes, we all have super-busy schedules with work, family, a few cats or dogs, school, friends and a host of other responsibilities (take your pick) pulling us in a million different directions. True, most of us have enough on our plates without adding one more thing—especially when that one thing has historically been unpleasant and often unproductive. It’s better just to make do, tuck it under the rug and manage as best you can. Sure, this will work for a while but at what cost? It is human nature to prefer to set aside time to do something you enjoy (or that is urgent) than to do something you dislike. That is why messy basements stay messy, writing a paper for a class you do not like gets put off until the last minute, or cleaning the refrigerator doesn’t take precedence over taking your children to soccer practice or having tea with a good friend? But there is something very important to consider:Living with a wardrobe you don’t love has substantial hidden costs. Like stress, these costs add up over time and eventually take their toll. When you live with a wardrobe you don’t love, you are: 1. Undermining your spirit. Tolerating an uninspiring wardrobe takes a toll on your psyche. You get dressed every morning and sometimes more than once a day if you have more than one engagement. When you start your day off feeling frustrated, annoyed, hopeless or overwhelmed, this feeling weighs on your psyche and can affect the rest of your day. As Louise Hay says in You Can Create an Exceptional Life, “How you start your day is how you live your day.” How is your experience of getting dressed affecting your life? 2. Sacrificing your dreams. Every woman wants to feel good about herself every time she gets dressed. Some women have had that and lost it over time due to body changes, lifestyle changes or just general aging (wondering what’s age appropriate or dealing with a body that has shifted a little); others never had it to begin with. In either case, it is a dream lost. Perhaps it is just buried deeply, but it feels lost forever. 3. Wasting your time. When your wardrobe and style are not working for you, then you spend a significant amount of time trying to make things work when what you really long for is to get dressed effortlessly and, dare I say it, with joy! Uninspired wardrobes happen. It has nothing to do with your age, weight, profession, location or financial situation. A frustrating wardrobe is an equal opportunity annoyance! So what can you do? 1. Take a few minutes to jot down what having an uninspired wardrobe is “costing” you. Refer to the list above and add your own. Just let it flow. As you write and reflect, you are certain to uncover hidden costs and frustrations you didn’t realize were bugging you so much! Perhaps you aren’t attending a special event because you don’t have anything to wear–this is a much more common experience than you might expect. Or you attend the special event dressed in something you don’t feel great in and you feel self-conscious the entire time. Maybe the time you spend trying to figure out what to wear is time you would rather spend playing with your children or reading quietly before you have to leave for work in the morning. 2. Keep those notes handy (perhaps on your bedroom bureau) and add to them over the next few days or weeks as things occur to you. The more you make changes as you go through the book, the more you will become acutely aware of what toll these inner “costs” have taken over time. Once you have done this, take a deep breath, keep smiling and give yourself enormous credit for looking at this deeply. That was a very big step (so many women just live with the frustration indefinitely) and you are on your way! Here’s the good news: Creating a personal style you love can not only be fun, but can also take much less time than you think. As you learn more about how to create a wardrobe you love, those hidden costs will subside. Excerpted from Ginger’s new book, That’s So You http://www.createalookyoulove.com/ About the Author:
Over the past 26 years, Ginger Burr, believing that your image is about representing the best of you (not making designers happy), has built a remarkable career as an expert personal image consultant working with women from all walks of life and from all over the world. A notable leader in the fashion world, Ginger’s adroit understanding of personal style has been celebrated by Fox TV, MORE Magazine.com, Bloomberg Business Week, and Women’s Health Magazine and her new book, That’s So You! Create a look you love with beauty, style and grace is now available in bookstores and on Amazon.com. Website: www.totalimageconsultants.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/totalimageconsultants Twitter: www.twitter.com/gingerburr
