I wrote this blog for my gorgeous Mum friends – it first appeared on the Stay At Home Mums website.
This may burst a few bubbles but our personality isn’t the first thing people see!
I know … imagine if our kind hearted, compassionate, loving self was visible to all and the barrier that is our vessel (body adorned with cloth and decoration) was irrelevant.
Well, it’s not! That’s why dressing to reflect our personality should never reflect laziness!
We are not lazy, we are busy people – mums, wives, carers, caterers, lovers, mediators etc. and we do not have the luxury of lazy – lazy is not even in our vocabulary.
So why does our personal style become so lost and, dare we admit it, lazy in our lives? Why do we ditch our physical personality when we become Mums?
Most Mums will refer to their style as non-existent, frumpy, comfy, loose or discombobulated.
STOP IT – that’s negative and that’s not how it has to be!
The more we forget about our personal style the less confident we become, the lower our self-esteem becomes and that is not what we want to teach our kids.
Don’t forget that, in most cases, we are the Director of First Impressions of our families. What do you want to impress upon the world?
I want people to see I am happy, confident and in control (well most of the time) and I want the little humans in my life see that I care about myself as much as them.
So let’s talk about how time-poor Mummas can make some small changes to improve self-esteem and personal style for the benefit of all.
The 5 P’s – Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance – every night before bed I flat lay or hang my entire outfit for the following day (including underwear). It’s also a short meditation and creativity session. It is a few quiet minutes styling your outfit and gathering your thoughts. Then if all turns to shit in the morning you know you’ve got all you need laid out to throw on before you race out the door for school drop off.
Wardrobe Edit – there are businesses like The Full Feather that offer this professional service but here are some tips to get started;
Remove every item from your wardrobe.
Throw out anything discoloured or damaged (including underwear).
Donate items that don’t fit, don’t get worn, don’t reflect your personality or you don’t love.
You now have the base of your wardrobe. Get a friend or professional to come over and go through the remaining items to workshop styling options.
Wardrobe Staples – ensure you have the basics that will carry you through the seasons and trends. Start with this list as we head into Autumn;
Black T-shirt / White T-shirt – I love bamboo T’s for comfort, luxe look and washability – Lou Lou Australia have some great options.
Great fitting jeans – shop with a friend for jeans and walk, sit and stretch in the fitting room to ensure functionality.
White sneakers – not runners but cool casual kicks like a pair of Adidas Superstars or Converse Chuck Taylor Low Top All Stars (try Sportspower Noosa) . These can be worn with dresses and skirts too.
Basic Black Dress – fitted knee length or swing shift to the knee or maxi (again Bamboo is great to wear and, again, Lou Lou Australia have a huge selection for all shapes.). Team with sneakers or sandals or heels.
Blazer – you can op shop some cool styles in unique fabrics or invest in a good quality blazer to team with jeans and dresses.
Sandals / Slides – for warmer months ditch the thongs and invest in a great pair of sandals or slides to team with all the staples is essential. These will last the year (or more) so you’ll get good cost per wear out of them. Ditch the thongs and get a pair of slides , espadrilles or sandals. Feet First Noosa have some great brands like Ecco and Frankie 4 Footwear for shoes with health benefits and Alterior Motif, Bow and Arrow Trading, Stitch Piece Loop and Parallel Culture
Accessorise – Now you have the basics you can start to share your personality through colour and print in scarves, earrings and bags. On that note; ditch the tired, stained baby bags and totes and treat yourself to a new one. You might be tired but your style shouldn’t be. Treat yourself to a pretty head wrap by Madame Melanie or a bold pair of colourful earrings.
GET UP, DRESS UP (cos you organised your outfit the night before) and SHOW UP (feeling amazing and authentic because you are!)
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