As a style consultant, the basis of my work is to guide customers on their journey to become their own Style Icons. To help them develop an honest, unprejudiced gaze in front of the mirror, and to discover their own voice without external interference. Discovering how we genuinely are, how we feel, and how we think is the first step towards knowing exactly what we want to project with our image. Making people have the right impression of what our values are and how we feel.
Self-confidence is not acquired, it’s built from within.
Many times people come to me talking about “defects” and “problem areas”, looking for clothes that make them “feel confident.” The problem with that approach is that they are all rooted in wrong assumptions about the body, and an overestimation of the role that clothes play on personal image fed by swarms of influencers, beauty gurus, and misconceptions that stem from the person’s work or family environment that are alien to their inner experience. The critical issue with the aforementioned points of view is they neglect the one key aspect to achieving a fulfilling relationship with personal image: that it forges from within.
In a world that indicates to people that everything must be shared on social media to be true, connecting with the inner self is harder than ever. This is why it’s essential to take a moment, a few minutes a day, every day, to look at and listen to ourselves.
How do I start?
First, accept your body. Appreciate it as a whole. We all possess something that we don’t completely admire and many times, that feeling does not come from ourselves but from other people. It required years of me to accept this harsh truth.
I was bullied during my childhood and teen years because of my complexion (pale skin with extremely dark eyes and hair) My self-acceptance process became when I stopped missing the forest for the trees. It’s challenging to think there isn’t anything “wrong” with you when everybody points at it every day with mean remarks, but still, complexion can’t be changed. That was my turning point. I started looking at my complete self and observe my proportional body, acceptable height and a lean yet muscular build that allows me to train and take long walks without feeling sore. How can you do this? Stand in front of the mirror and look at your body from head to toe without stopping. Focus on its shape, build, and reflect on everything it allows you to achieve as it is (playing with your children, swim, sing, dance, getting a nice tan) and thank yourself for that. A conscious, healthy look in front of the mirror marks the beginning of mastering your appearance.
Second, connect your body with your thoughts and feelings. For that, I suggest you establish a journal. Simply and spontaneously, register whatever you go through during the day. Before completing your day, pick a notebook with a cup of tea and your chosen music and answer the following questions:
What am I doing right?
How do I feel?
What did I learn today?
What wins did I have today?
After that, write down what you wore that day: clothes, accessories, shoes, make-up, and fragrance.
This is a simple yet powerful exercise that, after a few weeks, will set you on the right path to becoming your style and beauty guru. At the end of each week, read your answers for that week. Those things that spark your curiosity contain the keys to Conquer Your Style™. I’ll gladly be there to guide you in that epic journey of becoming the master of your image.