Fashion Magic!

A shy and awkward little Nichole was terrified of speaking in public but your girl was never scared to pull a look. It was my way of taking up space and declaring “I am here”. As I grew up, getting dressed became a ritual and because it was such a personal act, the influence of the current fashion trends came secondary to my inner voice. Now let’s be clear, I LIVE for a good runway moment but I see the clothes as art not rules that I need to follow. Through my personal style exploration I have met friends, found my inner confidence and discovered different characters within myself that were waiting for the spotlight. If you are looking to cultivate your personal style or change the way you currently dress to better fit a new version of you, here are some tips you may find helpful:

Do Not Compare:

Let me tell you something: beauty and style is about enhancing the things you love about yourself and leaning into the characteristics that are unique to you. If you are trying to mimic somebody else then you are trying to fit a blueprint that wasn’t designed with you in mind. It’s never going to work. You can take inspiration from others! Get clear on what you like about that persons style and then play around with creating versions of it from your own closet. Don’t worry about the end result, the process will lead you to a better understanding of what you do and don’t like. 

Use Your Intuition:

I think a lot of us get dressed trying to figure out what looks good as if the answer is outside of ourselves. How does the outfit you’re wearing make you feel? Even if you’re wearing sweatpants and a tee. Does it make you feel cozy and flexible? Sometimes that’s the goal. I have a leggings and socks combo that always makes me feel super snug and like I can achieve anything. My husband calls it my superhero outfit. It’s not necessarily stylish or something that I wear outside of the house. It’s my go-to outfit when I’m working from home and I want to feel comfortable and have the ability to move from a variety of different activities. 

No People Pleasing:

A part of cultivating a soulful style is getting everyone else’s opinion out of the way. Again, I understand about the dress codes but sometimes we conflate following the policy with trying to meet someone’s expectations of us. Not everyone needs to like the way we dress. Just like healing an emotional wound, not being affected by how other people feel about you takes time. Be gentle with yourself and take it slow. Change doesn’t need to happen in a day.