What to wear when you struggle with body confidence

Deciding what to wear can be tricky when you struggle with body confidence.

Perhaps you waste a lot of time trying to pick out outfits for work or social events?

Maybe you worry about what others will think about how your body looks in what you’re wearing?

In this post, I’m sharing three strategies to help you decide what to wear when you struggle with body confidence.

Specifically, you’ll learn:

• How to create a clutter free wardrobe that reduces overwhelm and negative body thoughts.
• Why the physical comfort of your clothing is important to the way you feel about your body.
• The importance of style over fashion when deciding what to wear.

Deciding what to wear when you struggle with body confidence

Some of my clients find it difficult to decide what to wear when they’re struggling with body confidence. Whether they’re getting dressed for work, an evening out or a wedding, they can spend hours worrying about what to wear and what other people will think. 

And sadly, if the worry is too great, they’ll pull out of an event or call in sick.

Clients say they hate how much time, energy and head space is wasted worrying about what to wear.

Plus, all this worry takes the joy out of socialising.

So, how can you decide what to wear when you struggle with body confidence?  And what can you do to make getting dressed easier or even enjoyable?

I’ve got three strategies to get you started:

De-clutter your clothing

One of the things that contributes to the stress of choosing an outfit is overwhelm.  If your wardrobe is filled with too many clothes, you’ll struggle to put together outfits.

And, if your wardrobe is filled with a lot of clothes that don’t fit you, or you don’t like, seeing them daily can trigger negative thinking about your body. 

So, if you’re hanging onto clothes that are too small hoping you’ll fit into them again, how do they make you feel?  Like my clients, they probably make you feel like a failure, or that your body isn’t ‘acceptable’.

To reduce overwhelm and negative thinking about your body, clear out the clothes that don’t fit and that you don’t like. 

Once you’ve had a good clear out, you’ll be better able to see what you have in your wardrobe. 

Have a go at putting together outfits from the clothes you have remaining.  Make a note of any clothes you need to buy to complete outfits.

Once you’ve completed your clear out, promise yourself that you will only ever keep clothes that fit, that you like, and you feel comfortable in from now on. 

Wear things that are comfortable

Comfort is important to the way you feel in your clothes.  I hate wearing clothes that I can’t move in, eat a proper meal in or that make me itch!

When you feel self-conscious about your body, you don’t want to be wearing anything that creates additional discomfort.

So, choose clothes that you feel physically comfortable in.  Don’t feel that you must wear the latest fashion. So many fashionable clothes are far from comfortable! 

Don’t be a slave to fashion

Just because something is in fashion, it doesn’t mean you have to wear it.  Putting pressure on yourself to wear the latest fashion is just another way of bowing to societal expectations.

Instead, find your own style.  Style is about knowing who you are and expressing that through what you wear.  This is completely different from fashion, which is about conforming to the latest trends rather than personal expression. 

When you dress in a way that truly expresses you, you’ll feel more comfortable and confident in your clothes.

Decide what clothing is YOU and wear it! Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t wear based on your body size or shape.

I’d love to know if these strategies help you decide what to wear when you struggle with body confidence. Please leave a comment below.