Birthday suit

It’s my birthday! And I am more than a little proud of my clickbait title. However, today’s post is not about the naked form. After a brief period of not posting, I’m back with my best outfit of all time. On birthdays we tend to really jazz up what we’re wearing- it’s something really nice and something you feel really special in. Clothes aren’t the most important things in life, but they can make you feel really, really great. Recently I’ve been feeling less than the special little snowflake I am, but today’s ‘birthday suit’ (slightly misleading, apologies) has really picked me up. So let me show it off and tell you how the smallest of things can go a long way in picking your mood up.

The three items that make up this outfit (bought by fabulous loved ones yesterday) are all from Zara. Now I’m a WOMAN IN HER TWENTIES (WIHT) Zara has become bae (it has crossed my mind that as a WIHT I may have to drop ‘bae’ from my vocabulary). It is slightly more expensive than I can really afford but that’s what makes it so special. I picked a jacket, shirt and trousers, which I wasn’t expecting to work together but they really do

I love this outfit. I would wear it all the time if I could. There’s a cleanness to it that I have never managed to achieve before. Now I realise some readers would pay to not have to wear this, but I’m not here to tell you why you should buy a long yellow coat. I’m here to say that everyone deserves to have an outfit that makes them feel like the most important, stylish, incredible person in the world. This is mine. It has everything I like- a powerful coat, floaty trousers, and a crisp collared shirt. What I love most is that each of them are statement pieces in their own right. This segways nicely into step one of little things you can wear to pick yourself up!

1) Something that’s a little bit unusual… 

Pick something bold- whether it’s a shirt with tails, a hat, or a mankini. Own it. Bold clothes make you feel bold. Bold is good. Nobody messes with you when you’re wearing a mankini. Maybe that was a bad example.. But wearing something that is a little outside of what you would normally wear can really give you a boost. When strangers look at you, you think “that’ll be the [insert bold item here]” instead of “Oh God I have half a can of soup all over me again don’t I”. The soup thing genuinely happened. I go to bed every night grateful that it hasn’t happened again.

2) Walk Tall

Heels are my besties. When I wear them I don’t walk, I prowl. Whatever the heel height, making you just a little bit taller can put the pep back in your step. This morning I had a pair on with my pyjamas and dressing gown, and boy did I feel fabulous. Because heels are generally associated with more formal outfits, it gives you that smart edge, even if you’re still wearing your onesie.

3) Bling up

Jewellery makes a look feel finished. It’ll polish up any outfit. There’s also something sentimental about it, whether it was a gift or something you bought for yourself. This watch makes me feel good because I bought it from a shop I was working in, doing a job I loved, using money I worked hard to earn. It’s a reminder to me that if I want something, I go out and get it.

4) Put some slap on

If you’re not familiar with the term ‘slap’, it’s makeup. I very rarely do my whole face, because I am inept with a makeup brush. Over the course of a few years though I have learned how to put lipstick on. Lipstick makes me feel fierce! Like either a successful drag queen or a celeb. It can transform a half-arsed jeans and jumper look into OH MY GOD WHO IS THAT DO I KNOW HER FROM SOMEWHERE?!? Or at least that’s what it feels like, and that’s what’s important. Nail varnish, too. There’s something about a nice glossy polish that makes you feel like a Kardashian. I have spent a few months now not really being able to be very active due to an injury so painting my nails has made me feel a bit better about being almost permanently in hoodies and finding it too painful and tiring to shower. It’s the easiest, quickest way to make yourself feel like you’ve been pampered.

5) Channel something inspiring

A while back I wrote a post on channeling Mad Men characters to feel awesome. This is the same sort of idea. To me, Zara has always been the store where MI5 agents would shop. I have no idea if this is factually accurate, I suspect not. Even so, when I wear anything from Zara I immediately feel like a sophisticated undercover spy. If that’s not a little pick-me-up I don’t know what is. Whether you’re dressing like your favourite teletubby (this coat is so Lala), channeling MI5, or working the Jennifer Aniston look, sometimes appropriating what you love about someone else can make you feel a lot better.

In short, fashion can really help your mood. I find that if I think I look good, I feel great. So next time you feel a little down, strut around in your heels or paint your nails. It’s amazing how superficial changes can make a difference to the way you think.