I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a little bit extra in many aspects of my life. Going the extra mile is an essential part of my self-care routine, as it gives me a sense that I have my life together. And a big part of feeling like I have it all together is ensuring that I always look put together. Even when I’m sitting in my bedroom alone, writing content or playing cozy games. Heck, even when I’m going to sleep for the night, I want to feel pretty. Knowing that I look frumpy is not a good feeling for me, even if no one else can see me. It doesn’t feel good mentally, emotionally, or physically, for that matter. Although my frumpiest looks tend to also be a reflection of my mental or emotional state.
That said, putting in the effort to make myself look put-together has been a key factor in elevating my lifestyle. Admittedly, some days the effort that I put into my appearance is more minimal. I’m not applying a full face of makeup to go for a walk around the block; I’m letting my skin breathe. I’m also not wearing a little black dress to play The Sims on a Saturday afternoon. Most of the time, I am still prioritizing comfort. Albeit, dignified comfort with a bit of effort and feminine touch. And more often than not, it only takes a few extra moments to look and feel more put together.
1 — Only Keep Clothes that You Feel Good In
I have purged articles of clothing that I’ve worn within a week prior before. Why? Because I felt awful in those pieces. They were stained and worn down, and were not my vibe at all. Yet, I reached for them as a bizarre punishment to myself when I was going through it. I knew that it was time for them to go, so I couldn’t keep putting them on when I felt bad about myself. And so they wouldn’t keep taking up precious space in my dresser drawers. Space that could be better filled by pieces that I genuinely love wearing and look put-together in.
My lovely, I urge you to go through your closet and begin purging items that do not spark joy for you, or that you don’t genuinely feel good in. Take away the option to put on those stained and worn-out sweatpants when you’re having a rough week. Let go of those tattered pieces that have seen much better days. Free up space in your closet from those pieces that don’t feel flattering or that have a texture you’re not fond of. That way, you can make room for new pieces that you feel confident in! Or, at least, you can make it easier to access your favorite pieces.
Give yourself full permission to edit out what isn’t working for you in your wardrobe.
2 — Take Care Of Your Clothing
I must say, I don’t find that drop of salad dressing to be a suitable accessory for my otherwise lovely blouse. My favorite dresses don’t flow the same way when they’re wrinkled. And we’ve all had a sweater get caught by a loose string, and start unraveling even more. Or we got mud on our favorite shoes that managed to also reach our jeans. We’ve all had mishaps while wearing some of our favorite pieces. Some of them were unavoidable accidents. Some were the result of us being in a rush and not being mindful. In any case, even the smallest detail being out of order can have us feeling a little less put-together.
Surely, it may be a small detail that only you will notice, but that’s the thing. You know that something is off, and you don’t feel like you look as put-together as you could. This isn’t even to mention that you didn’t invest money into your clothes for them to be stained or wrinkly. Or for them to quickly degrade in the wash or unravel at the office. So with that in mind, we should be taking care of our clothes to keep them looking as amazing as the day we got them.
Treat those stains from your lunch ASAP, before they have time to set into the fabric. Read the care labels on clothing to properly maintain their structure. Mend loose bits as soon as you notice them. Steam and iron out wrinkles as part of your laundry day routine. Let’s keep our clothes looking clean and crisp.
3 — Plan Your Looks In Advance
Coordinating the perfect outfit is an art form. That said, curating your look is not something that should be rushed in the morning when you’re hardly awake. Especially when our mornings should be relatively slow to give ourselves time to ease into the rest of our day. Looking put together should not require starting your day with decision fatigue. This is why an essential part of my evening routine is to lay out my entire outfit (or outfits) for the next day. And when I say that I lay my entire outfit out, I mean my entire outfit. Down to the tiniest knuckle ring I want to wear to work. Or to the Apple Watch band that I want to wear for my home workout.
To take planning my outfits a step further, and free up some time in the evenings, I also like to plan out all of my outfits for the week as a part of my weekly reset routine. Is that extremely extra? Probably. But it certainly frees up my time to have Wednesday’s outfit already planned when I’m a bit tired on Tuesday night. Then, all I’ll need to do is lay out the pieces I have chosen for Wednesday’s look.
If you want to be this level of extra, perhaps you may find my printable weekly outfit planner to be helpful. Subscribers of my free weekly newsletter, Stridefully Magazine, get access to this printable and more for free!
4 — Maintain Your Hair, Skin, and Nails
Just as the details of your clothing can make or break your look, the details of your physical appearance can do the same. Chipped nail polish or dirty nails are likely not what you want to be looking at when you’re working at your computer. And having food residue around your lips likely isn’t the impression that you want to make when you are speaking with someone. Nor is having fallout from your eyeshadow on your cheeks. We also all know that tying up our bedhead into a knotted-up bun makes for an ouch-filled brushing experience later on.
As a matter of fact, sometimes skipping our beauty routines in general can lead to discomfort beyond feeling frumpy. Split nails are a sensory nightmare. Skipping your skincare routine can leave your skin feeling tight and itchy. Not to mention the discomfort of a breakout because you slept in your makeup. Let’s make sure we’re keeping up with our self-care routines to avoid all of that!
Clean under those fingernails, and refresh your polish as it starts to chip. Trim those split nails before they get snagged on your beautiful sweater. Stay on top of your skincare routine, no matter how tired you are. Keep a compact mirror handy to ensure you don’t have food or drink residue on your face. Care for your hair based on your hair type, and keep it neat and styled. Do what you need to do to maintain your glow.
5 — Carry Yourself with Pride, Dignity, and Confidence
You could be wearing the most gorgeous outfit that looks tailored to your body type and complements your skin tone perfectly. Your makeup may be flawless. Your hair, skin, and nails? Immaculate. But if you’re slouched over, keeping your head down low, and dragging your feet, your poor posture alone will be working against you. And not only is all that slouching causing you to look less put-together, but it’s also doing a number on your neck and back. We certainly don’t want to inadvertently convey the message that we have low self-esteem, while also walking around with a stiff neck and sore back.
So stand up tall, my lovely. Roll those shoulders back and hold your head up high. Walk with confidence. Speak only positive words of yourself, as well as of others. Not only will it have you glowing from the inside out, but it will make you more magnetic. And if you’re not a naturally confident person? Fake it. Fake it until confidence becomes a genuine part of your identity.
Conclusion
While looks certainly aren’t everything, the way we choose to present ourselves says a lot about us. Whether we’re presenting our business pitch to investors, attending our first in-person yoga class, or just enjoying an evening of cozy gaming, we want to feel good about ourselves. When we look put together, it is much easier for us to glow from within and put our best foot forward. And it doesn’t always have to take a lot of effort to look like you have your life together. Sometimes, all you need to do is make sure that the small details are maintained and in order.
What are some of your tips for ensuring that you always look fabulous? How do you spruce up your look when you don’t feel the need to have a full-glam moment? What do you like to do to glow from the inside out?
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