2017 is here! It’s a new year so why not add this to your list of new year’s resolutions? Make a commitment this year to let your wardrobe reflect the person you want to be and the goals you want to achieve.

I’m not the type of person that likes to tell you what you can and can’t do, or what you can and can’t wear. I like to say wear whatever makes you feel like your best self. If you like it and feel poppin’ in it, then forget everyone else’s opinion! Confidence is the BEST accessory!

But, when we feel like our closet doesn’t have anything we like, or it’s hard to put together an outfit, then something is wrong. Style appears to come easily to so many people, yet we dread having to stand in front of our closet each morning. We think the same things over and over…

“What should I wear?”

“Does my butt look okay?”

“Ugh, why didn’t I go to the dry cleaner.”

“Is this appropriate? Stylish?”

After trying multiple different outfits that all seems to suck, you feel like giving up. It feels like everyone got a style guidebook and they forgot to give one to you. The good news is, there is a solution. But before we solve anything, we must first identify the problem.

1. Negative Self -Talk

Our minds are very powerful, but can also be quite dangerous. The things we tell ourselves can either hold us back or push us forward in any area of our life.

The power of words, thoughts, and energy often goes overlooked. Emote positivity and optimism and like things will attract themselves to you. Allow yourself to look as good as you feel on the inside.

Your style will never improve if you keep telling yourself you can’t afford X or you will never be in shape enough to wear Y. Change your personal thoughts to positive ones and your style will follow.

2. Over Accessorizing

This is one of the worst offenses in my opinion. Why are you trying so hard? Why do you want to look like a jewelry rack? Sometimes less is more and there are definitely some good guidelines to follow when reaching for your accessories.

Avoid pairing large necklaces and large earrings with each other. Also avoid accessorizing in spaces that are too close together on the body.

Multiple necklaces? Super cute! But make sure to avoid weighing yourself down by having all long necklaces or looking choked up with all short necklaces. Switch it up in terms of length and weight!

These are just a few examples of what to avoid when accessorizing.

3. NOT Having a Signature Style

Think about the people who’s style you admire the most. Did you notice that what you liked is their style, and not one particular outfit or garment? That is because they possess a signature style. A signature style will never let you down, and it makes getting dressed super easy.

Take the time to figure out what you like, what suits your body type, and what is best for your lifestyle and goals. When you have thought about this information, you can start to create a clear vision for your signature style.

But, don’t feel like this means you have to buy an entire wardrobe that looks the same. If you like a monochrome look, go for it! But don’t feel pressured into that if that’s not your vibe. So buy what you like, but make sure you keep in mind the items you already own.

4. Forgetting To Plan Ahead

Why did we ever stop planning our outfits out the night before? Every time you try to find an outfit in the morning you always feel rushed, you feel like every outfit combination is a fail, and you ultimately end up being late.

Planning pays off! Setting aside time to build an outfit for the next day will not only make you look more stylish, it will save you a lot of time.

5. Treating Your Wardrobe Like Trash

After a long day, it’s easy to throw your clothes off and leave them sitting in the corner until the mood strikes you to hang everything up. It’s also easy to let that stained garment sit in the dirty clothes hamper instead of taking it to the dry cleaner.

We are all human and that happens, but when you don’t take care of your clothing it gets ruined. People seem to have no issue walking around wearing their stained, tattered, and ruined clothes. This may not bother you, but it certainly bothers other people and affects the way they treat and view you.

Take care of your wardrobe. Treat it as well as you would treat any other investment. Hang your stuff up, keep it clean, and equip your closet with the tools to keep you looking great.

6. NOT Tailoring Your Clothes

Clothes are not made specifically for each person’s body. Sometimes an item won’t fit just right off the rack and that’s okay! That doesn’t mean you can’t buy it. Tailoring an item can make it much more flattering for your body type and can even make it more comfortable to wear. Business Insider even wrote an article on why tailoring your clothes is important. When you look put together, you feel put together and that is a great feeling!

Pro tip: It’s easy to make an item smaller, but making an item larger can be extremely hard if not impossible. Keep that in mind when buying clothes that don’t fit perfectly right off the rack.

7. Avoiding Evolution

When was the last time you cleaned out your closet? Chances are it’s been a while, or when you did do it, you could only part with a few items.

Items that no longer serve you not only overcrowd your closet and create metal chaos, but in regards to style – they literally keep you frozen in time.

So how to do you fix this? Ask yourself this one very important question … “Does this garment support who I am and the person I want to become?” If it doesn’t, then it has to go. Sell it, donate it, or trash it but either way it has no place in your closet anymore.

As people we grow, we evolve, we change. We change jobs, relationships, friends, houses, and the list goes on, yet people don’t think to change their appearance. They took the time to improve their style once and then never again.

Don’t let your style lag behind. Keep a close eye on your life and how it’s progressing then adjust accordingly. Recreate your signature style to reflect the person you are today and who you want to become in the future!

Want a shortened checklist version of this blog post? This will allow you to refer back to the most crucial steps so you’ll implement what you learned more quickly!

How many of these 7 mistakes are you making? Could be a few, or it could be all of them and that’s okay! So many people think fashion is frivolous and silly, but style matters. Change your style, change your life.

xoxo, Arielle