We’ve all heard the saying, dress for success, but where does this come from?

Do you ever feel energetically drained?  I’ve always been a “girly girl,” so it’s not surprising when people tell me I have a lot of feminine energy. And then, life happened. I had more life-changing events in two years, then my entire lifetime.  I went from being a stay at home mom, to supporting four boys on my own. The aftermath of three moves, starting a new business, and divorce was; exhaustion, adrenal burnout, depression and zero motivation. I put all my energy into my boys, but I neglected myself. When you are take care of others, it’s so important to take care of yourself. You have to love yourself first. Fashion has always played a big role in my life. Dressing for the day vs staying in sweats creates a better mindset almost immediately, even in moments of chaos. Learning to love yourself through fashion, or any act of self care will allow you to be the best version of yourself.

Now that I am past the initial shock (what I call the eye of the storm), I can focus on myself. and find ways to live a balanced life as much as I can.  As a single mom and business owner, I make a lot of decisions and take control of everything that goes on. Some days I’m more like a drill sergeant. My days have enough masculine energy to last me a lifetime. If I don’t balance this energy, I become burnout.

Dress for success to be the best version of yourself

Everyone has both feminine and masculine energies. Although we associate them with gender, I’m referring to the qualities and characteristics. Like Yin and Yang, the concept is dualism and not opposites. We all have the option to embrace both energies. The key lies in knowing how to balance your life yin yang, masculine, feminine energies. Your personality is what makes you, you and ultimately to be the best version of yourself.

I never realized the power of fashion until one week of physical and mental exhaustion. Most weekends my boys are with their dad, and it’s my time to get stuff done. After I dropped them off, I was so tired and over it.  I needed a mental break,  so I did.

The power of a dress and how it can create a better mindset

I spent most of the weekend watching hair and makeup tutorials on youtube. I took a bath, put on a face mask, painted my nails, and played around with different ways to style my hair. Once I ventured into my closet, I found things in there I don’t remember ever buying. I decided to try on a floral maxi dress, as I finished zipping up the back, I realized the power of fashion. It felt like an energetic shift that brought me back into alignment. I finally figured out the true meaning of dress for success.

At first, I didn’t correlate the dress with feminine energy. I knew I loved twirling around and feeling my “girly” self, but It left me wondering. Do I need material things to make me feel good? Am I shallow? My answers were a confident “no.”

How society portrays the fashion industry

Don’t let your mind play tricks on you and learn to trust your intuition.

I knew I wasn’t materialistic, but I let those thoughts get to me. And even if I was materialistic, who cares. I am who I am, and I’m proud of who I am (sounds like a rap song). When you know your “why,” everything you do is in alignment with who YOU are, and other opinions don’t matter. Whether you dress to the nineust rolled out of bed, people will talk. Unfortunately, it’s a conversation starter for some.” Surround yourself with people who talk about visions and ideas, not other people.” What matters is how you feel. A fear of judgement or labels stem from an insecurity. In fashion, sometimes we have to step outside our comfort zone. The more you put yourself out there, the easier it becomes. One of my favorite quotes

Utilizing fashion and Dress For Success

Images from left to right: Crystal Quartz Pendant, Roxanne Assoulin, Spiritual Gangster, Vanessa Mooney Evil Eve Necklace, MantraBand Bracelets , Gorjana Chakra Bracelets

More brands and stores have started incorporating spirituality into their products. One of my all-time favorites is Spiritual Gangster. If you think about the meaning of the name, it’s a great balance of both spiritual and trendy. If you think about the stereotypes of each word, they are polar opposites.  That’s what makes the brand so badass.

A mantra bracelet is more than a trending bracelet. If we use this bracelet as our daily reminder, it can be a powerful way to embrace the “being” behind the mantra. Sometimes, and at least for me, the mantra part gets lost in the busyness of our day to day lives. It should be our center point to stop and connect to our mantra of choice. It’s a way to shift your mindset and step into a different frame of mind. In a perfect world, I would own every mantra, and select the one with more meaning for that particular day.

Anytime we have an opportunity to connect with ourselves, it’s a step in the right direction and pushes us to be the best version of yourself

Healing crystals aren’t viewed as “weird,” anymore.  Most online retailers, including Shopbop, Revolve, and Nordstroms, are carrying these stones. Whether they work or not, it’s another way we can connect to our spiritual being. A lot of the times, I forget I am wearing my crystal quartz necklace. When I catch a glimpse or feel it underneath my shirt, it’s a gentle reminder to connect and shift my energy.

When you look good you feel good

There is nothing superficial about that statement, period. If you want to live life with passion, your mind is the driving force. Why is it when we go on vacation, we pack our favorite outfits? If you’re like me, you buy a couple (or all) new items. There’s a reason most online retailers have the “Vacation Ready” section on their menu. They know people shop before going on vacation. Why? The excitement is knowing you get to relax and “be.” As a society, we are stuck in “doing” and forget to connect through “being.” If you want to be the best version of yourself, you must learn to shift from doing to being.

As I write this blog post, we are in the midst of the corona pandemic. For so many reasons, this is a traumatic experience, but I hope we can become more connected. It’s been amazing to watch families on walks and bike rides together. Siblings are playing and doing things together that will bring them closer together.

Connection is so important, but what’s more important is how we connect with ourselves. Taking care of our appearance is the first step. It opens up so many channels to feeling our best. This post talks in more detail about how to shift your mindset using fashion. Fashion can be a great tool if we learn how to use it to our advantage.

Of course, there are days you are at home, in your zone, cooking and cleaning without looking in the mirror all day. We have all been there. If this becomes a new norm, your mental health will start to become affected. Image plays a role in many areas of life and within the world. As much as society portrays self-image as superficial, we base a lot on appearance. Authors put effort into their book cover because they believe in what’s on the inside.

Connect and get to know your body

Lingerie isn’t only for the bedroom. Slipping into matching bra and panties can take an ordinary day and turn into a day for your mind and your mind alone. Feeling sexy and sensual is apart of the feminine energy. You will begin to own your power. If you don’t have anyone to share it with, share it with yourself. Get comfortable in your skin, and give yourself a chance to feel sexy again. Learn how your body fits with the different types of lingerie, how things move as you move. Become familiar with your body and your flow—dance in front of a mirror or anything that will make you uncomfortably comfortable. The idea is not to resist but to face and connect with your body.

Fashion is one of the many ways to become the best version of yourself. Style can bring passion, balance, connection, creativity, and sensuality to your life. The more you play around with what works and what doesn’t, the easier it becomes to master the art of living and be the best version of yourself.

xoxo ♥

Sketched by a HAUTEmess