Level Up Your Wardrobe to Level Up Your Life

I love talking about leveling up your life because even small changes in your daily routine can make a very noticeable difference in your quality of life. Taking a moment to drink a good cup of tea in peace in the morning might do that for you.

But some changes take much more effort and will likely take you years to complete. Sometimes the work is in doing a lot of thinking and taking your time to figure out what exactly it is that you want and need.

This applies to many a thing in leveling up, but this time I want to talk about clothes because that’s what I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. It’s honestly hard to find the exact right pieces you need and love, for me at least. I want to find a new wool coat that’s just right, but it’s proven to be extremely hard, even if you pretend you have no budget.

You need a new wardrobe

I’m not saying your clothes are hideous or that you need to replace everything you own. But if there are new heights on your horizon, you need to be prepared.

If you have any old clothes that are past their prime or that you don’t feel good wearing, or if every once in a while you feel like your options for certain kinds of events or activities are a little subpar or embarrassing, you’ve got work to do.

You need to have the right clothes for your dream job and for the events you dream of going to. If you would start applying for those next-level jobs now, would you feel out of place already in the interview?

Where will your future self frequent?

Forget about who you are now and what you have lined up for this year. Ask yourself what your dream self will do, what she does in her free time, and what kind of people she spends time with.

If you, for example, love food and would enjoy some fine dining in the nicest restaurants in the city, would you have something appropriate to wear there already? Or would you feel out of place because your clothes are from H&M?

Or maybe you dream of working for a top law firm. In that case, you probably want to have good-quality workwear that looks smart. How will you ever succeed in a competitive field if you feel less-than already when you leave home in the morning?

Even if you feel like your real self, still trapped somewhere inside you, is someone who is very athletic and outdoorsy, you want to be prepared. Do you own any clothes that make running more fun? Or something that would make you feel like you belong at a gym?

One other thing I want you to ask yourself is: who are your kind of people in this world? If you were suddenly transported into a room with them, would you feel out of place wearing what you usually wear, or would you feel at home and equal?

The right clothes will make you feel like your best self

The clothes you wear have a huge effect on how you feel about yourself. You already know how much better you feel when you’re wearing clothes you really like and that feel like you. They make you feel more confident, stand up straight, and stop worrying about what others are thinking about you.

There’s nothing stopping you from feeling like that all the time. Of course, it’ll take a while to build that dream wardrobe that will allow you to feel superb all the time, but trust me, it will be worth it!

You deserve to feel good about yourself, which is already reason enough to go shopping, but you also need to stop letting those old dingy sweaters and shoes you never really even liked hold you back. It’s time to let your dream self make an entrance and take the reins.

What exactly will you need to get?

It’s all too easy to see people on social media and then think that whatever they’re wearing is somehow what you should be wearing. Of course, there’s no such thing!

I’ve never even been someone who loves shopping and clothes and all that, but sometimes a small voice inside my head still spouts nonsense about how I should dress like someone I follow on Instagram or like one of my favorite actresses. Doesn’t make much sense, does it? Especially when we are of completely different ages and they have completely different body types.

That’s why you need to clear your head and think about what you will need in the future. What is it that your future self wants to have in her closet? What does she wear in summer? In winter? At home? At work?

Get as specific as you can because simply knowing what styles you like won’t get you far. You need to know all the pieces you need to get, like what are the shoes you’ll need for different occasions, how much you’re willing to invest in them, and so on. Get detailed.

And get all the trends and all those other people out of your head. You’re not them. You need to do you.

Start today because it’ll take ages

Trust me, I’m the last person to want to discourage you, so I’m just saying this to point out the obvious: it’ll take time to decide who exactly you want to be and what you want to wear. Even after you start understanding what style (or styles) are right for you, it’ll take a lot of effort to find the shops and brands that sell exactly the kind of clothes you need in your closet.

I mean, long wool coats are my thing, but almost none of them look ‘just right’. I love Hobbs, but even then, most of their coats aren’t quite what I’m looking for. And of course, the one coat I want is currently out of stock.

In any case, you can start today by googling new shops or by starting a new Pinterest board for some inspiration. Or perhaps there’s a second-hand shop in your city that you might find a gem or two in.

Even if your favorite brands are on the expensive side, you can always wait for sales and discounts, or save up to buy a couple of pieces that would be perfect for you!