What to Wear?

Dear Jill: I constantly find myself drawing a blank as to what to wear each day. Is there a system to making this decision?

One word: Prioritize! Are you dressing for function, fashion, reaction or passion?

Function – Is your physical comfort important for your day? Are you sitting at a desk, playing with young children, or running errands in the rain? Start from the floor up: happy feet, happy day! If you’re chasing kids, comfy shoes become top priority. Choose pants that give you flexibility to bend your knees and a shirt with extra “wing span” to allow lifting and hugging. Tolerating heels while sitting is easy, but consider the next section up—are your slacks comfortable? Running in the rain means rubber-soled shoes or boots, legwear that won’t show mud and that Minnesota staple … a cute hooded raincoat!

Fashion – Mary Kay Ash once said, “While clothes do not make the woman, I believe they have a strong effect on her self-confidence—which I believe does make the woman.” When you look good, you feel good. Whether it’s a wedding, class reunion or a special lunch, wear your best colors and the styles that skim your body. Start from the top down. People notice the upper half of your body first and foremost. Your tolerance for slight discomfort may be higher as you consider undergarment support systems and higher heels.

Reaction – “Outcome based dressing.” This means dressing to achieve a positive response from those you encounter. A job interview with the potential move into management will require wearing a suit with a crisp, notched collar, straighter lines and a strong contrast between the jacket and blouse colors. If you are counseling a friend, try light/neutral colors (beige, pink, tan) and soft textures with curved lines. These will make you approachable. Some days you need to be left alone; a black and yellow combination will cause people to back away.

Passion – Dressing from the heart makes a personal statement. There are two ways to approach this: “Mood dressing”—wearing what makes you happy emotionally may be interpreted by using a touch of romance or a dramatic flair. “Mindful dressing” means dressing for your convictions, such as ecological consciousness, important social issues (human trafficking, fair trade, animal rights), or wearing a red dress (heart disease) and a pink ribbon (breast cancer awareness).

Choose your primary priority for the day, assemble all components to make an outfit, accessorize with a smile and expect to look and feel fabulous!

And most of all, “Let the Lord Jesus Christ be as near to you as the clothes you wear” (Romans 13:14a, CEV).

Need a speaker for your next women’s event? Image Consultant/Author/Speaker Jill Swanson works with individuals and organizations, helping women discover how to look Simply Beautiful—Inside and Out. For Jill’s book, Simply Scarves DVD or more fashion tips, email jill@jillswanson.com or visit jillswanson.com.