January 21, 2013

Fashion.

I am the only person in the office wearing a suit today.

There might be one or two other people dressed up beyond a shirt and slacks, but I haven’t seen them; I look a little out of place with a suit and cufflinks and a pocket square and a handmade custom tie, but I’ve become used to being overdressed these days.

I quite like it, actually. I like wearing clothes that fit well, look good, and give off some elegance. The clothes I own are not fancy or expensive, but they are meticulously curated and tailored to make sure they work best for me.

I’ve always had a penchant for fashion, but never for myself. I used to watch fashion shows realizing that those clothes would never fit someone of my body type. As I’ve slowly shrunk in size, I’ve been able to take the looks I’ve seen on runways and adapt them to my shape and style. I’ve always loved fashion, but have only recently begun dressing well.

Here’s what I’ve learned from taking the time and care to dress really well: when you feel good about what you wear, you feel good about how you look, and when you feel good about how you look, you feel good about who you are. It may sound superficial, but it’s true: a lot of our self-image comes from the way we portray ourselves to others.

I’ve been struggling with my self-esteem and self-image a lot recently — the events of last year dealt a particularly vicious blow to any kind of confidence I may have had before — and I’ve found that taking care of my physical appearance has helped with my mental state.

The way I look surely doesn’t define who I am and my value to others, but it sure helps articulate those two things when I need to do just that. It has been a fun ride, learning that lesson, and learning to find my own style.