"I Don't Care How I Look!"

"I don't care how I look" uttered the woman I met recently at an event dressed in a chic black dress, cute heels, a fancy designer bag, nice makeup and what I could tell a trip to the hairdressers. If she really didn't care, wouldn't she have dressed in a more casual attire? How she presented herself certainly contradicted her words.

What she was trying to convey was that wanting to look good is fickle. I hear this often and I chuckle. I am here to tell you those 'fickle' statements are based on misunderstanding, misconception and insecurity.

The Misunderstanding: Now let's be clear - there is such a thing as 'fickle fashion' - ?it's in the best interests of the fashion industry to convince us that if we don't have the latest dress, bag, pair of shoes, beauty treatment we've been left behind. Fashions now come and go so fast that only the most ardent fashion victims can keep up.

On the other hand, looking after yourself and self-expressing through the careful curation of clothes and accessories that genuinely reflect your deep core, is in fact honouring yourself, it is an act of self -RESPECT. There is a beautiful sense of fun and mystery to be able to say to the world, 'hi, this is me' without uttering a word. I like to refer to it as your visual voice. We don't walk out the door naked, nor are we invisible, so let's cherish & flaunt what we have in the time we have.

Sure you can walk around in slovenly, overly casual wear all day long - only to eventually feel demotivated, lack lustre, and more than likely hinder great opportunities because you really didn't make an effort in that meeting or interview which sends powerful messages.

When you fall into a rut of continuing to not make an effort with your personal appearance, your motivation plummets as countless studies have shown and as we saw during lockdown. The opposite is true when making an effort every day - you feel more motivated, energised and confident. Ultimately you do if for yourself and your mind. Dedicating time on your style doesn't mean expensive or hard work which brings me to my next point -

The Misconception: That looking good means hard work and expensive. Not true at all. I'm in the business of encouraging and inspiring women and men to fiercely embrace their uniqueness through the artistry of clothes, effortlessly - and it's irrelevant what budget they are on. From clothes to skin care products to makeup - there are products for everyone at every budget. It is impossible not to present well.

However my belief always has been and still stands that it is how you encloth the items that makes the difference. It's about your personality, embracing your unique body shape, your lifestyle, your hidden talents, your courage and willingness to explore new and interesting ways - that when all intertwined together in some intuitive way, paves the way for individual style like no other. And in the end, it's YOU we are talking about, why is that hard work?

To say you don't care about your style, is like saying you don't care to eat nutritious food and exercise for your health. Looking after the inside is just as important as the outside because you are effectively saying you are embracing all of you and there is nothing fickle or wrong about that. Which brings me to the third reason why people often say they don't care how they look -

INSECURITY: Trends come and go so quickly that women and men are being turned off by the whole thing. Influencers sporting the latest 'it' item doesn't help. You feel as though none of it applies to you and end up rebelling, so you remain stuck in a style rut, which is not beneficial because this commences the road to losing your identity and feeling small, thus deciding it's all too hard and all too fickle.

Rather than being curious and playful, taking the time to understand what triggers your likes and dislikes which involves observing (not necessarily adopting) what is out there including the trends, you remain closed and judgemental. In opening your mind to what is out there, you are allowing creative possibilities/ideas that potentially lay dormant for years, to come to life in your style world, which leads to an evolving and confident new you. How much fun is that!

CONCLUSION: Fashion trends will always be around, that is part of life.

Perhaps what is important, in the end, is to remember that fashion is all about you - your tastes, your desires, your need for change, or constancy. You can make it go as fast or as slow as you want. You can take your time, go at your own pace. Without your choices, your wardrobe would have no interesting stories to tell about you. I say, just have fun. There is nothing fickle about that.

About Me:?I'm a personal stylist based in Sydney, travel worldwide for my clients and if in person is not possible, I conduct virtual style consultations.?I help individuals to fearlessly?express their 'visual' voice?through their style. I have an innate intuition that allows me to see what you don't about yourself. You will see when we work together, it's more about discovering or re-discovering YOU. If you want to harness your creative flair and to stand out from the rest in your own unique way, let's chat about making some 'silent' noise with your style.?

I also conduct corporate workshops within companies/businesses where I teach senior leaders/colleagues how to make their style, uniquely them and still remain inline with company values.

You can read more about me?here?and follow me on?IG @stylebygessica?where you will be inspired by my style curations to commence shifting your style boundaries and shake things up.?

Stay Stylish, and if you feel you are not, I can help you Be!

Gessica