Dressing Beautifully Every Day for Well-Being

One of the things that I try to do every day to support my well-being is to dress beautifully. This doesn’t mean I’m in skirts or blazers daily because that wouldn’t be practical. But, I like to begin my day by choosing clothes that I feel beautiful in. It is a small thing that I do to support my overall well-being. 

Dressing beautifully will mean something different for everyone. It could mean a button-up shirt and dark jeans. Or, if it is a hot day, it may mean a t-shirt and shorts. The biggest key is that it needs to feel great when you put it on.

What’s In Your Closet? 

Do you have items hanging in your closet that never seem to get worn? I know that I do. In fact, after my breast cancer diagnosis, I went through a phase where I didn’t want to wear a bunch of the church dresses I had in my closet. I would get dressed in one of the vintage-style floral dresses that were my favorites just a few months before. I would take a look at myself in the mirror and need to take it right off. Getting dressed for church was a real challenge as I was going through treatment. I didn’t feel beautiful in my dresses anymore. 

Some mornings it would take 4 tries for me to find something that worked. I was so frustrated. I kept apologizing to Dave because it was taking forever for me to get ready. He said, “You’re going through identity trauma during this treatment. It’s ok. Take your time.” 

I ended up settling on a church wardrobe that was a little more businesslike during my treatment. The dresses had a higher neckline and allowed me to cover up some of the redness I experienced during radiation treatment. I enjoyed using scarves to accessorize and try to tap into my inner French woman. 

I’m not sure if I will retire my pretty floral dresses permanently or if this was just a temporary challenge during treatment. Once we can return to church, I will try them again and see if they fit my post breast cancer personal style.

Personal Style:

Dressing beautifully is a very personal choice. Over the years, I have developed a personal style that works well for me. I have a basic wardrobe that I can mix and match daily, and I enjoy wearing. I also have some signature items which I like to add on for an extra touch of femininity. My clothes fit well, and they also work with my daily routines.

Personal style is one of the most essential components of dressing beautifully. Our clothing can be a way in which we express ourselves to the outside world. It took me many years to develop a personal style.  

When I was a student, I wore t-shirts and jeans most of the time. I never really considered my wardrobe unless I was going out on a date or an interview. I had several dresses that I would wear to church and a collection of black concert attire. That was critical since I was a music major. Every concert I was in required concert black.

I was a little lost once I graduated and entered the workplace. As a young teacher, I needed a professional wardrobe. T-shirt and jeans were not going to work. My sister-in-law took me out for several shopping trips. She was much more stylish than I was and was an enthusiastic shopping partner.  

It was on our shopping trips that she got me out of my style rut. She encouraged me to try new things and was honest with her feedback when I came out of the dressing room. I ended up choosing some new items which I wouldn’t have even tried on without her encouragement.

Try Things On and Be Flexible

One of the most important things to do when deciding on a personal style is to try new things on. The more types of clothing you try, the more you can determine what you like and what you don’t.

I didn’t center in on my personal style during that first shopping trip for work clothes. It took several years for it to develop. Once I had finished having babies and nursing, I made more permanent clothing choices.  

If I had to name my personal style, I would call it classic chic. But, I don’t think that the name matters at all. What is important is that I can look through a catalog or clothing rack and figure out what would work for me and what wouldn’t. Sometimes, I will try something new just to broaden my style. That can either be a success, and it will be added to my rotation, or it will drift to the back of my closet and never get worn.

Our personal style will evolve over the years as we change sizes, get older, have new work or home responsibilities. Embracing a style doesn’t need to be permanent, but it should be something that makes us feel good as we get dressed in the morning.

Basic Wardrobe for Mixing and Matching

When we have a basic wardrobe of staples, it is much easier to get dressed. Our clothes can be mixed and matched to create a variety of daily outfits. If we only have one shirt that goes with a particular skirt, that skirt won’t get worn as much as it could.

One of the books that encouraged me to create a basic wardrobe is “Lessons from Madame Chic” by Jennifer Scott. In this book, she describes some of the things that she learned while living in Paris as a student. I really resonated with the chapter entitled “Look Presentable Always.” The lady of the house, who is referred to as “Madame Chic,” was always dressed well. She didn’t have a large wardrobe, but she was always put together. Jennifer describes in detail the types of clothing Madame Chic would wear. She also describes several scenes where Madame would critique Jennifer’s choice of attire. 

I didn’t have a Madame Chic in my home to critique me, but I could look through my closet and see whether I had an essential wardrobe that suited me for my current stage in life. I wanted to have a selection of clothes that I could mix and match to create outfits easily.  

I have worked out a few standard “uniforms,” which make getting dressed easy for me.

1. Morning Workout or Recovery Outfit: When I get up in the morning, I put on some workout pants and a t-shirt. I’ll do my dog walk and workout in this outfit. I make sure that the workout clothes that I have are flattering and that I enjoy wearing them. I want to feel beautiful, right from the beginning of the day. When I was recovering from surgery, I would stay in this outfit all day because it was most comfortable to relax in.
2. Standard Daily Outfit: On most days I will wear dark jeans, a camisole, and a cardigan. Sometimes I mix it up with another top like a turtleneck or a button-up shirt.  
3. Summer Attire: If it is hot, I will wear shorts and a t-shirt. It has been a challenge to find shorts that are just right for me. I like mid-length shorts. I can sit down and still feel comfortable in them, but they are not so long that they make me look too short.  

Flattering Colors:

 I have figured out which colors look the best with my skin tone, so I try to stick with those colors in my wardrobe. I don’t look good in pastels, so there are not in the rotation. I highly recommend that you figure out which colors work best for you and center your wardrobe around those colors.

Practical:  

It is essential that the clothing we choose is practical for our lifestyle. All of my clothes can be washed and dried at home. I don’t select daily wear that needs to be dry cleaned. That isn’t practical for me.  

I also choose dark colors for my staples. Dark pants don’t show stains, and dark-colored sweaters will hide any mishaps that occur during cleaning or cooking. When I had small children at home, dark clothes were necessary to hide all of the messes!

Comfortable and Well Fitting:

Our clothes need to feel good when we put them on. I try to avoid items that are stiff and scratchy. I think that is why I enjoy my sweaters so much. They feel lovely on my skin. I like my clothes to fit close to my body, but not to be too tight. I want to be able to move freely and feel comfortable when I’m sitting down. I also want my clothes to fit me well. My pants need to be the right length, which can be challenging because I’m petite. I have many sweaters that are three-quarter length sleeves because they work well on my shorter arms. Sometimes I need to retire a pair of pants or a shirt because my weight and body composition has shifted. If it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t belong in my closet.

Signature Items:

I love pretty jewelry, and I make sure to add it to my daily outfits. I will either wear a strand of pearls or choose from one of my other sparkly necklaces. One of my favorites is a beautiful necklace made of a pink sapphire that Dave got me to celebrate the completion of my breast cancer treatment. Putting on my lovely jewelry makes me smile every morning.  

Another signature item that I enjoy are my Flexi clips. I have a collection of these that I use on days where I’m wearing my hair up. They are pretty and practical!

I also enjoy wearing scarves with my jackets. These allow me to stay warm and add a touch of French chic to my errand outfits. I don’t typically wear them around the house because they get in the way of my homemaking duties. I also love bringing scarves with me on vacation. They can add a touch of variety to my wardrobe. I can bring fewer items of clothing if I have scarves to add variety.

One of the signature items that our entire family wears is a flat cap or hat with our family tartan. Dave began this style many years ago when he bought a Douglas flat cap. Then, the boys got their own tartan hats in smaller sizes. Dave has passed his hats down over the years to the boys, and they all wear them to church. When we were traveling together in Europe a few years ago, I was asked where my hat was. The whole family had matching hats (which made it easy to keep track of them), but I didn’t. Shortly after that, I bought a hat of my own with the Douglas tartan. It is great fun to get dressed up and wear our family hats. 

Signature items like jewelry, hair clips, scarves, and hats add flair and personality to our wardrobes. 

Why I Dress Beautifully, Even at Home

Even before the pandemic, I spent most of my day at home. One of the questions that I wrestled with as a young stay-at-home mom was, “Why bother getting dressed if I’m just staying home?” That was a question I had never asked myself before. This was the first time in my life that I might go the entire day without seeing anyone outside my home.  

I was encouraged by several wise voices that I would feel better about myself if I got dressed, even if I wasn’t going to leave the home. One of the first places I read that was through  flylady.net. She encourages her readers to get dressed to the shoes every day. I took that advice to heart, and I did feel better. I found that I took my job as a stay-at-home mom more seriously when I was in my jeans and a clean shirt. When I caught glances of myself in the mirrors, I would smile because I was put together. I didn’t need to worry if the doorbell rang. I was ready for it!  

I enjoyed the perspective of Flylady and the encouragement from Jennifer Scott in her book about “Madame Chic.” My days go better when I put on clothing that I feel good in and add a signature item that makes me smile.  

Dressing beautifully will look different for everyone. While a cardigan, camisole, jeans, and a strand of pearls feels just right for me, you may have another style that works for you. Whatever that is, embrace it, and take the time each day to dress beautifully for your well-being.