Allen and I have had brief conversations about the connections between how you show up for the day and how you dress yourself. The way he described the inspiration for his particularly dapper outfit on a random Monday morning was that he felt “Blah” and needed an energy boost. Putting on something super clean, well styled, and almost upscale helped him to feel more ready to get things done. I agreed with the implication that if you’re not feeling your best, that’s actually when you should wear your best looks.
During the height of the pandemic, I was dedicated to doing my makeup and hair on a daily basis even if I was only getting ready to sit in my living room. Something about the routine of it chased away my anxiety and increased my optimism. I continue to have this habit to an extent, now that outside is open again. During times of great stress in the office or in moments of being completely ungrounded in my personal life, my hair and my makeup (and a great fragrance) will be the things that I’ll focus on to help me to feel “normal”. Even if my attention to detail doesn’t always make it to my clothes, the face card will be TEA, therefore the day will be HANDLED.
If we’re to examine what this can actually do for you long term, we’ll find studies that show “feel good” endorphins are released during self-care activities, and can even give you a sense of accomplishment, improving your outlook on what is coming next. Think of any celebrity or successful entrepreneur who has publicized what their day-to-day looks like. They usually aren’t going anywhere without looking clean and groomed, in whatever style that is for them. Based on this, I’m comfortable saying that a huge part of being dope and feeling dope is actually looking dope too.
I get it, when you have little to no energy, it can be hard to put together a fire outfit. So here are a few of my suggestions to get you prepared for when those lowly days hit:
1. Pick one thing today that you feel is the easiest for you to do. Maybe that’s your hair, maybe that’s moisturization and smell-goods, jewelry, or a new lipgloss color. Just do that one thing every day so that it’s already in your normal routine. It’s even better if you do it in front of the mirror. Eventually you can build on it, no matter what your mood is.
2. If you don’t have statement clothing pieces in your wardrobe that bring you joy, then focus on bringing some in so that it can be easy to just throw on that crazy blazer with a pair of jeans. The fit will be easy for you to pull together, and you’ll actually really like it because it makes you happy.
3. Just wear one color! Especially if you have a lot of black clothes (like me). Just pick a few items of the same color to wear, and I promise you’ll look sleek. It’s something about solid-color coordination that makes you look and feel organized, and it doesn’t take too much thought.
Hope this has inspired you to dress up the next time your mood is low. Who knows, the extra effort put on your fit may skyrocket you into a $1 MILLION day.
