Dressing to boost your confidence




Hello again! It's great to have your company, so thank you for joining me. Today I want to chat about what makes me feel confident, clothes-wise. It's not an easy thing to feel happy in your skin all the time and I certainly have periods when I struggle with the person I see in the mirror and how I feel about what I see. I think we've all had such a tough time of late with the less-than-normal life we've been subjected to over the past 20 months. For some we may have struggled with our mental well-being and for others it's been a battle to keep fit and trim when our lives were in lock-down with all its restrictions. With life still being far from back to normal it's understandable that our self confidence has taken a knock. Covid19 has a lot to answer for!




For me, confident dressing boils down to wearing clothes that make me smile. At the time of purchase when I try on a new item of clothing if it makes me want to do my happy dance then it's a winner. Whenever I'm felling bit low then I always make a bee-line for bright colours to lift my mood. My mood and self confidence pretty much go hand in hand; they both rocket up and down within the same scale. If I feel a bit lacking in body confidence then my go-to remedy will always be to pop on a dress as it can hide a multitude of sins. A loose fitting dress that skims over tum and hips can be a real confidence booster as well as making you feel very feminine. See the maxi dress I wore recently here. It's already a mainstay for work. 




Another new joy in my life is this Joe Browns Timeless Tea Dress, a perfect everyday dress for any time of year. It's currently on sale so do follow the link to grab yourself a bargain! I'm delighted to finally showcase this crochet cardigan by Karen Millen as I've been waiting for the perfect partner and here it is. I found this beautiful rust and brown and sludge green zip cardi in a charity shop a couple of years ago for the ridiculous price of £2.50! Layering is the best way to extend the life of what may be thought of as a summer frock; you could even add a thermal top underneath for a bit of extra of warmth. The tea dress is indeed a timeless classic and a real winner when created in such a pretty pattern with this warm palette of colours; green, orange and pink lend themselves to all sorts of happy mixing and matching. I've worn the dress previously with a long orange v neck sweater over the top which left the collar peeking above the neckline. A polo neck could be worn over the frock for warmth with a stylish twist. 




This is a new coat I was also gifted by Joe Brown's - it's called the Statement Checked Coat and does live up to it's name. Beautifully shaped to flatter the figure it's gem of a piece for the winter ahead. It ticks all of the boxes to make me smile and raise my confidence. Bold in pattern and bright colours mean it's a cheery find when I open my wardrobe. It's a good length for keeping the nether regions warm and also looks great with trousers. Of course, I'll show you that another time.




The big collar is perfect for keeping out the chills without the need for a scarf (I always seem to forget mine) and it's all the prettier for these flower shaped buttons. The check coat and floral dress team up so very well thanks to the harmony of green and orange in both. I do love a bit of pattern clashing and yet this is hardly a clash in my view.




Another of my confidence tricks is to create an outfit in my personal style; what particular style will definitely depend on my mood of the day. Quirky, more often than not, but other times I'll be channeling my rock chick or a touch of hippy chic or even an elegant, stylish and very grown up version of myself. I love to be a chameleon; to change up an item again and again is a joyful challenge for me and makes for an interesting life. And the easiest way to make a strong style statement is by adding accessories. Mine are more often than not from charity shops which serves my purpose well, bringing together items from all sorts of sources as well as different fashion eras. The belt, perspex rings and necklace are all very old and from vintage or charity shops. My sunglasses are from Radley London. Mixing old and new is a simple way to create a unique style and that makes me happy. We all want to be seen as individuals after all.




A bright belt draws the eye to the waist, a good indication that today I'm not suffering from tummy bloat or feeling too wobbly around the mid section. That may have been helped by the fact that only an hour previously I'd had my first sea swim for some time (howling gales have prevailed of late). I'm delighted to say that it wasn't too cold at all which was a lovely surprise. I was basking in the afterglow, the result of submersion in a calm, silky sea during a break in the clouds. It's totally life affirming, but I'm sure I've told you that many times before!




I've only recently purchased these Asos wet-look boots and must admit that they too make me smile. In my teens wet-look boots were soooooo in fashion and here they are again. The platform sole helps to make the high heel more comfortable and golly, how I love with them! I knew that they'd work so well with my new Joe Browns clothes - it's the main reason I bought them. 




I'm on a gradual clothes clear out currently and although I'm featuring quite a few new items here it's all part of my master plan. The clothes excesses are going, leaving only pieces that I love, and that goes for all of today's outfit. The gathering over the years of clothes that I thought would be useful or might come in handy - well, that's what I'm going to be turfing out first of all. Likewise anything that doesn't fit. I can't hope to lose weight forever nor hold onto things that are too big either in case I need them again. No, life is about today and my clothes have to be what works now. I'm working on creating a clothes collection worthy of my happy and confident self. My best me is who I want to be which starts with clothes that reflect my state of being. 

My coat and dress were gifted by Joe Browns but all comments are mine.

                                                                                                 Anna x

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12 comments

  1. You have done such a great job combining these patterns. I would never have thought they would work so well, but seeing them on you, they work splendidly. I'm glad you're acknowledging how Covid is still affecting us all. Here in the states, it seems like everyone wants to just pretend it's over and have life as normal and anyone who is trying to live safely is seen as a worry wart! It was nice to visit again Anna!

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    1. How lovely to hear from you again Julia! Pattern play is always a joy for me and something that makes me feel good when it works.

      Covid is far from over as we'll see in the forthcoming months I'm afraid. I've worn a mask from the start and will be doing my best to keep myself and my family safe.

      Take care,
      Anna x

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  2. The floral dress is adorable and how gorgeous is your boots!
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

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    1. Thanks Lovely! Oh how happy I am with this outfit - it's an absolute joy!

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  3. The cardigan, coat and boots are *chef's kiss* to me, Anna! I love the unusual cut/fabric of the coat, that cardigan is amazing (I just found a Karen Millen cardi a couple of days ago!), and the boots are so fun. Isn't it great when the platform does all the work?

    I love that you're only keeping the joyful clothes. I also keep a bunch of things that are useful, but I'm okay with that - I need things to go with my "orphans." Glad you made it out for a swim.

    Looking fabulous, darlin'!

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  4. It's great to have your feedback Sheila as I know who similar our tastes are. This is pretty much a core outfit of my new collection around which I'm building a working wardrobe - I can't call it capsule as it'll never be that small.

    Great to have your support as ever!
    Love
    Anna x

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  5. I love this whole outfit, you always style things together so well. Happy December Anna. x Jacqui x

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    1. It's a star of an outfit, I must agree Jacqui! Happy December to you too x

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  6. Hi Anna, good to read, that you are back to your swimming routine. And the new clothes are well selected! But I'm in love with the wet-look boots. Yes, here too wet-look shoes are back. I'd love this material (we call it "Knautsch Lack" means "crumple patent leather") in the seventies. Often the shoes were two-tone. Ah, how fancy I felt ;-)
    Sunshine today in Cologne, happy christmas season for you and your family!
    Susa

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    1. It's so lovely to have your input Susa. I rang my friend in Portugal the other day to tell her about these wonderful boots and she promptly bought a pair too. How we love these retro looks, don't we?

      Wishing you a fab festive season too x

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  7. Beautiful, vibrant colours Anna.. you look great. X

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    1. Thanks Phyllis. These colours are a real mood lifter aren't they? x

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