How A Wardrobe Upgrade Can Boost Your Confidence

Confidence is a tricky feeling to master; so many different things can impact it, most notably, your appearance. A great deal of what contributes to how confident you feel about your appearance is the clothing you choose to wear on a daily basis. 

If you are someone who doesn’t buy new clothes regularly, you might begin to feel uninspired by your wardrobe and overall look. This may lead you to subconsciously feel less confident in yourself. This is not to say that constantly buying new clothes all the time will make you feel confident- not at all. But, regularly taking stock of what clothing you have that makes you feel your best, as well as incorporating a few new pieces into your wardrobe every now and then can help you maintain or even improve your self confidence.

Refresh Your Underwear Drawer

An often forgotten area of your wardrobe that should be refreshed regularly is your underwear. It is suggested that you replace your underwear every six to twelve months to help improve comfort and prevent any potential for infection. While it is unlikely that you would get an infection from wearing an older pair of clean underwear, the risk cannot be completely ruled out. Not to mention, wearing old, worn out underwear isn’t exactly comfortable either. 

Start your new year off with a few new pairs of stylish yet supportive underwear. Not only will you feel more comfortable throughout the day, but that comfort can quickly turn into confidence too! Feeling secure and confident in your underwear can make you feel like the most stylish person in the room, and that is sure to make you feel good! 

Upgrade Your Everyday Shoes

When you live a busy lifestyle, you want a pair of shoes you can rely on that are both stylish and comfortable. After a while, your favorite shoes will start to look worn out and eventually, you might not feel as confident when wearing them. Treat yourself to a new pair of shoes at least once a year to ensure that you don’t let your favorite pair get completely ruined and lose their appeal. 

A new pair of shoes like basic black boots or clean white sneakers can be paired with nearly any outfit and are classic enough to work with your wardrobe for years. In order to keep your feet comfortable and your confidence strong, be sure to upgrade your shoes from time to time.

Find Your Perfect Pair Of Jeans

Finally, if you’re looking to upgrade your wardrobe and boost your confidence, the perfect pair of jeans is sure to do just that. A pair of jeans that fit you just the way you like and go with a variety of outfits is arguably one of the most efficient ways to feel confident in your clothing. If you don’t have a go-to pair just yet, make finding your perfect pair a top priority. 

If you aren’t sure how to find the right jeans for you, here are a few tips to get you there. In general, you should have an idea of what your body type is and what cut of jeans you most prefer. Don’t be afraid to try on denim from a variety of stores and don’t worry so much about trying to fit into a specific size.

Keep an open mind while searching for the perfect pair. It can be easy to beat yourself up during the shopping process if you find that you don’t wear the same size you used to years ago, or that maybe you just can’t find a style that suits you. Try your hardest not to let those thoughts creep in. Remember: clothes are meant to fit and flatter you! Not the other way around.

Appearance isn’t everything, but confidence sure is. If you’re looking for a new way to boost your confidence going into the new year, try upgrading a few pieces in your wardrobe to feel more inspired and more like you.

STYLE EVOLUTION

Overalls at 32 feel awesome. If you have ever been on the fence about buying some try these Levi's (on sale right now). They are cropped, so you don't need to worry about getting the right length.

I play hard in them with my kids, but you can also dress them up with a black turtleneck and heels. Today, I'm wearing them with a high collared white blouse. 

I have also been loving this fringe jacket (similar) and fringed handbag from Fossil. It's just the bag I need when I'm not toting my diaper bag. Blue goes with everything just as much as black does. Give it a try this summer.

I really feel like I've embrace my comfortable easy style these days. I'm looking forward to sharing my style evolution at the Phoenix Art Museum Story Tellers event. Please check it out and come! 

Photos by Rennai Hoefer; This post contains affiliate links.

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I SEE YOU

I've been reading and hearing this phrase, "I see you," a lot in the media. I've heard Michelle Obama use it, and, most recently, Viola Davis in her tribute to Meryl Streep. It implies a deeper seeing than the surface. It refers to a true understanding and knowing of someone and their motives. It also means that you are not ignoring their voice or actions. I love this phrase and it's meaning so much, especially in this visual digital world where we scroll and consume and read, but we aren't truly listening or understanding one another. 

It makes me sad and angry to know that it takes marches of thousands of people around the world to be heard, seen and understood. And I can't help but think about this on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and with the women's march approaching (January 21st, 2017). 

If I had one super power it would be to help people truly understand one another's desires and needs. And if I could eradicate one problem it would be selfishness. This way we could help meet one other's needs on this earth, and there wouldn't be a person left out (hopefully). But here's the truth: we can actually do have this power - to understand one another and deny our selfishness. 

I know this because this is the main challenge of a marriage. Ryan and I are together every single day, and have been for almost 10 years. We know each other extremely well, but there will never be a day when I know exactly what he is thinking 100% of the time. At the root of the fights that we have as a marriage couple is misunderstanding. What we have learned through marital counseling (everyone should go, btw), is that we need to ask follow up questions before responding with answers. Some example of that are:

"What I am hearing you say is...." repeat back what you have heard the other person say.
"How does this make you feel?" try to understand their feelings behind what they are saying.
"What do you need in this moment?" Most often there is a request or a need behind the discourse.

And then once we make sure to eliminate misunderstanding with clarifying questions we can respond. That doesn't always mean we can meet each others needs, but that usually leads to some sort of compromise.

We as a society can't even get to the point of a compromise. We are just shouting back and forth at each other right now. Let's seek to truly see each other and understand each other right now. Let's ask these questions to our friends and community that we don't see eye to eye with, and love them because they are living, breathing people God has made. 

Photos by Rennai Hoefer; glasses by J. Mclaughlin  

NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE

It's that time of year! The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is easily the store's best sale all year long, with major price cuts storewide. What makes this sale extra special is that all of the sale items are brand new arrivals. Pretty crazy, right? Since the sale hits at the end of summer, I always use it as a chance to kickstart my fall wardrobe. 

The sale's early access for cardholders started late last week, so I shopped the sale and rounded up some of my very favorite style steals under $100. If you aren't a Nordstrom cardholder, the sale will become available to you on July 22. However, I'd definitely recommend becoming a cardholder. Nordstrom has a great rewards program and even offers a debit card option, so you never have to worry about your shopping getting you into trouble. 

Some things that I've already picked up are this affordable and chic bag by Sole Society and these gold hoop earrings. Both of these accessories go with everything and they were at the perfect price. You can shop them below, as well as some other picks. 

Photos by Sarah Waggoner 

SILK PANTS

I'm still working on getting my body back into shape after having Levi. I'm definitely making progress having lost about 25 pounds now, but I still have 10 more to go. Until then I'm avoiding spending a lot of money on jeans I'll only wear for a couple of month. Instead, elastic waistbands definitely come in handy for transitioning body because they can, obviously, expand and contract as my body changes. 

I found these comfortable and cute silk printed pants at Nordstrom Rack the other day. I don't know if it's the 5am wake up calls or not, but this PJ inspired outfit is one of my favorite go-to's right now. I love wearing simple t-shirt with these pants, and adding a blazer and slipper flats to complete the look. (If you need help with styling prints, check out Monday's post).

To dress up the outfit I like to add mules from Sole Society and my favorite diaper clutch from Petunia Pickle Bottom. 

Clothes that you can run around in and chase after kids that are stylish seem hard to come by, especially things that are machine washable too. So, take my word for it, these are a great buy if you're in a similar life stage or even if you don't have kids. 

I can't say that men are all to keen on these pants, but, hey, that's what they say about maxi dresses and I still can't live with out them in my life. Wear what makes you feel confident and comfortable because that's how your beauty will truly shine.

Shop the look: Silk pants (similar), black t-shirt, white tuxedo jacket, black suede blazer, black mule heels, black slipper flats, clutch.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer