ADVICE ON GETTING BETTER CLOTHES

Having decent clothes is one of the biggest factors in looking better. It's also a bit more complicated than vowing to take good care of your skin. This site's readers are too diverse for me to try to recommend any specific styles, or stores, or labels. I'm not enough of a fashion maven to get away with doing that anyway.  

 

 

Here are just some more general pointers:

• For many people who are only semi-motivated, the hardest part about getting new clothes is getting themselves out the door and to the store. After they've picked up some nice new outfits they're usually happy about it, but it seemed like such a hassle beforehand to take a few hours to go shopping.

    

• You may think you don't know much about fashion, but you likely have an idea deep down about what looks good. A rigid self-image can make it hard to admit to yourself that you can wear these attractive clothes yourself. 

  

   

• Go to a store that sells good clothes and start trying items on. You can use the staff's knowledge and style to your advantage by asking them to help pick out some good outfits for you.

 

• Don't judge anything until you try it on and see if it looks good on you. Many clothes look a lot better than you'd think from just seeing them hanging on the rack or sitting folded up on a table.

 

• Your self-image or a sense of discomfort with change may pop up here and make you think things like, "That's not me, I'm not the type of person who wears this stuff" in response to styles that truly would look good on you. Try to ignore these thoughts and push out of your comfort zone. You may be surprised at how within a few days you're totally comfortable in outfits you initially dismissed as "not me". 

 

     

• You may have some emotional baggage around certain styles, even though you think deep down that they look good. If you don't like the people who wear certain styles (e.g., jocks, preps, hipsters) the idea of dressing like one of 'them' may seem traitorous to you. 

There are two broad paths you can take when it comes to getting better clothes. One is to just dress like your peers (the ones who look good that is). This is cheaper and easier. Yeah, you're not being a one-of-a-kind trailblazer, but you'll still come out looking a lot better than you did before.

  The problem is your clothes will go out of style sooner rather than later and you'll have to get new ones.

       The second option is to go to hip, higher-end stores and buy some slightly more unique items. This is more expensive and there's a higher risk that you'll accidentally buy something that isn't a good fit for your personality.

• Like anything there's a learning curve involved in picking out your own clothes. You get better at it with practice. As such, I'd recommend not blowing too much money your first few times out. 

• Some people don't have a problem with paying more for what they feel are good clothes. However, it's totally understandable if that's not your thing. It's totally possible to look good and not kill your bank account.

 

• If in doubt lean, towards (relatively) plain and conservative clothes over flashier ones. Flashy clothes can backfire and make you look gaudy and like you're trying too hard if you don't pull them off properly. 

   

• Don't forget about accessories like a fun pair of sunglasses, a stylish watch, or a necklace. None of them have to be disgustingly expensive. As a general rule though, you want to lean towards wearing fewer accessories rather than overdoing it.

   

• Get some nice shoes. The standard advice for dressier shoes is to have a good pair each of black and brown ones.