Guest Post - Taking on the world with your wardrobe

Our physical appearance plays some part in attributing how others perceive us. Whether it’s a subconscious judgement or not, how you dress will influence the impression you make on others.

Studies have proven that appearance matters – perceivably attractive people on trial are known to get lighter sentences, and one study found that babies that were rated as cuter received more attention from other adults. Another study found that there is an irrational belief held by many people that attractive people are more confident and intelligent, which is a good reason to take pride in your appearance.

How you appear to others, as clichéd as it sounds, stems from self-belief. Dressing accordingly, whether you need to feel brave, confident or stylish is vital so that you can exude self-confidence outwardly through your appearance. Whether it’s the belief that you’re the right person for a job, or that you’re capable of the day ahead – dress accordingly.

Job interview

How you feel can have a big impact on your interview – feeling confident will make all the difference when it comes to impressing the interviewer with that curveball question. The best question to ask as you get ready isn’t what looks the smartest, but what will make you feel most confident. Your smartest outfit might be a skirt that rides up and a shirt whose buttons have a tendency of coming undone.

Choose something that fits well and accentuates your best feature, but only subtly. Dressing to suit your body shape, with a colour that suits your skin tone is advisable. For a first impression, hiking your skirt down isn’t a good way to go.

Saving Money

Wanting to maintain your style when you’re on a budget isn’t as difficult as it may sound. There are three options: either spend your spare time looking through outlet stores to find expensive clothes at cheaper prices, go second-hand, or go for quality over quantity. Vintage and charity shops are a great place to find women's clothing at bargain prices, as are clothes swaps. The more time you invest, the more likely you are to find the hidden gems. 

Alternatively, opt for simple, staple items when updating your wardrobe. A good quality dress can provide week’s worth of outfits, by refreshing it with scarves, bags, shoes and jewellery.

Work

Studies have shown that happiness is linked to success – so by wearing something that makes you happy could give you a more positive approach to work. For a happy and productive day at work, try wearing something you were given as a present or something that stirs up good memories. Alternatively, one can never be unhappy in a brightly coloured dress and heels.

Dressing to impress

Whether it’s a first date, meeting your partner’s parents for the first time, or in fact, meeting anyone for the first time – you want to give a good first impression. The trick here is colour – blue is said to have calming effects, as well as radiate vibes of trust.

Dressing to feel better

If a day that you’ve been dreading has come around – whether it’s a dentist appointment, giving a presentation at work or anything in-between – you need something daring to wear. Whether it’s the playsuit hanging in the back of your wardrobe or just a pair of statement earrings, wear something bold in order to remind yourself throughout the day that you can do it!

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A big thank you to Argos who sell a range of clothing online from brands including O'Neill and Billabong for their guest post and styling advice.