Style Therapy

In this video, I wanted to talk about style therapy. And it’s this very real idea that fashion is a great form of self-care. The clothing we put on our bodies is just as important as the other health and wellness self-care practices we use every day like a yoga class, going for a walk, cooking a healthy meal or having a spa day. All of these acts of prioritizing ourselves helps our well being and our headspace. Something as simple as being mindful about the clothes you wear can give the same benefits of improving your confidence and your joy. If you’re wearing something that makes you feel happy, confident or powerful, you’ll exude that and it’ll do wonders for your self-esteem.

Before we dive in, I’m Emmaline Chappell and I’m a certified personal stylist. I have my own business here in Richmond. I help busy women elevate their style by rediscovering the joy of dressing to look luxe for less.

There’s many studies that show this theory that the clothing we wear affects our emotions. At the core fashion has always been about self-expression. So when you start looking at our clothes in this way and recognize the connection it has with how it can make us feel, you can utilize style to be a form of self care in your life.

The first style self care tip is to intentionally dress up. You’re probably in the routine of throwing on whatever you can find in your morning rush. Try to put in the effort to set aside 10 min either the night before or in the morning to put a completely thought out look together. Ask yourself how do I want to feel and dress for it. When you dress down, you’re subconsciously telling brain that today is not worth dressing up for. Intentionally dressing up tells your brain today is great day, I’m going to achieve my goals and feel confident. Think about a time you got dressed up, went our and felt really good about yourself. Your outfit gave you that fuzzy feeling and you held your head high. You can experience that every day when you intentionally take the time to get dressed up.

Tip two is to edit. Cleaning out your closet is definitely a form of self-care. You feel super refreshed afterwards and more in control of your life. Get in the habit of assessing your closet little by little and getting rid of pieces that don’t fit, have tags on and haven’t been worn in years. You want your closet to be a space that is filled with pieces you’re happy and love to wear.

Tip three is to step outside of your style comfort zone. For most women, we get stuck in wearing the same thing over and over. But pushing yourself just a little bit to step outside of that can feel liberating and fun. Buy the top you’ve been eying online, look on social media at different influencers to get inspired and then make yourself experiment. A great method I use is planning an afternoon in my room. I put on some music and make myself get creative with my pieces. I try different pairings together and a lot of times, you’ll find that you’ve put together some new outfits from experimenting.

Tip four is going shopping. We’ve all heard the saying “I need some retail therapy” and this reins true for some women. Taking an afternoon for yourself to browse through some of your favorite stores, maybe get yourself something sweet to eat while you’re out, can all be super therapeutic.

Tip five is hiring a professional. You may be in a rut with your style right now and all of these different style self care methods feel like a chore and you don’t have the time to do it yourself. Hiring a style expert, like a personal stylist, is a great form of self-care. A personal stylist can step in and give a fresh set of eyes to show you how to feel more confident in your style. For me, my process highlights a lot on self-care. My services are a time to focus on you and elevating your confidence in your clothes. It’s about having fun with fashion and creating a style the reflects your individuality. Just recognizing that you’re tired of DIYing it and hiring a professional for your style is a liberating self-care practice.

Those are some of tips on how to use fashion as a form of therapy for your daily life.

If you have any questions about this video please leave a comment or send me a direct message and I’ll answer you asap or if would like any help with your personal style or your wardrobe, reach out through my website.

Work with me! As a personal stylist and style coach, I believe you deserve to feel amazing in your clothes and have a wardrobe that you love to wear. With my guidance and expertise, you’ll have a closet that works and a style that makes you feel confident and fabulous!