Why You Should Be Reinventing Your Style This Summer

I wrote about Style Resolutions at the beginning of the year, and I talked about transforming your style to be more reflective of who you are. If you’ve ever wanted to change your style up but have been apprehensive or haven’t gotten around to it, let me suggest reinventing your style this summer!

Why reinvent your style?

Maybe you made some style resolutions this year that you didn’t follow through on. Or maybe you’re going to college for the first time this fall and want to show off a new look. Maybe you want to start dressing in a way that better reflects your personality. Or maybe you’re just bored with your current style. (It happens to the best of us!)

Reinventing your style can be a great way to not only break out of your comfort zone but also gain inspiration and confidence. It ban be lots of fun as well. Even if you don’t end up sticking with the changes, transforming your style can give you a new perspective on your clothing choices and on yourself.

Why Summer?

Summer is the PERFECT time to reinvent your style and change up your look. Why? Because you have time on your hands and aren’t stuck in your usual daily grind. It’s most likely that during summer you’re out of school, away from your normal September to May academic life, and have more free time than usual during the summer.

Summer break also offers you a great timeframe to achieve a goal – three months. It’s enough time to give you room to plan, but it’s short enough that it forces you to take action.

Transformation Ideas

So what part of your look do you want to change? Here are some possibilities.

If you’re a high school grad going to college for the first time, consider making a fresh start and dressing the way you’ve always wanted to. After all, we all know how boring & restrictive high school fashion can be!

Maybe you’re in a style rut, wearing the same type of look all the time. Vow to end your slump and branch out by adding accessories, new colors, or styles you’ve never attempted before.

If you’re looking to join the corporate world and your current style is a little young and unprofessional, you could work on cultivating a more professional and classic wardrobe.

Maybe you used to be an angsty high schooler who wore lots of dark clothing (raises hand), but now you’re ready to branch out and start wearing a little more color before you get to college.

These are just a few of my ideas – I’m sure you have lots of your own too. What would you like to change about your style? How have you always wanted to dress? Think about that and make it your mission to change this summer!

Tips for Transforming Your Look

Here are some tips on how to take action and transform your look this summer.

Have a goal in mind. Think about what you’d like to change about your current style and make a goal to achieve it by a certain date. Maybe you want to stop being obsessed with labels, or accessorize better, or dress with a vintage flair. Whatever it is, write it down somewhere and make a plan to get where you want to go.

Don’t be afraid to play around. Just because you’ve always dressed the same way and shopped at the same stores forever doesn’t mean you have to stick with one single look. Don’t be scared to go for something totally different from what you’re used to. Change is good!

Remember that they’re just clothes. We’re not saving lives here, and perfection is NOT the goal. There’s nothing wrong with testing out lots of different looks to see what works for you, and even more importantly, what doesn’t. Making mistakes is how you learn, and even if you wear something hideous one day, you can always dress better the next day. No fear!

Take it slow. You don’t have to start dressing completely differently overnight. Make small changes like adding a new color to your wardrobe or experimenting with wearing heels or dressing up once a week. You’ll be more likely to stick to your new changes and feel more confident if you take it slow.

Ignore negativity. One of the reasons some people get scared to express themselves via clothing is because they’re afraid of what people might say. There are definitely some creeps out there who dislike anything that’s outside the norm, but they’re the exception, not the rule. Anyone who doesn’t like your new style has no place in your life. For more on combatting negativity, see How To Deal With Fashion Haters.

Move toward your goal in increments. Do something every week to get yourself closer to your goal. For example, you could visit your local vintage store weekly to look for new pieces, or replace one piece of clothing a week with something that’s more “you.” Or you could plan to dress better one day the first week, two days the next week, etc.

Will you be reinventing your style?

Is there anything you’ve always wanted to change about your style? Will you be transforming something about your look or working towards a style goal this summer? Leave a comment and let me know what you think – I’d love to hear your thoughts.