Clothes Maketh the Woman

Chapter 2

Clothes Maketh the Woman

Dear Chicks,

How we dress is a visual summary of who we are, what we do, where we are going, how we feel about ourselves, and that’s just the start. As sad as it sounds, we live in a superficial society filled with people who are really quick to judge.

That’s why what we wear — that is, what can be perceived about us right away — contributes so much to making the right connections for our future success.

We all start out the same and come into the world in our birthday suits. Over time, we add articles of clothing along the way, with each piece playing a role in creating our overall look. As girls, we’re lucky to have many different permutations of packaging (or clothes) to choose from. We have the power of choice to create our outfits — but that doesn’t mean anything and everything that’s available in the malls and shops will suit us! A successful ensemble is a combination of the right top, bottom, accessories and even hair and makeup to top it all off. It’s an entire package that helps us look our very best. So we’ve got to sift out what works and what doesn’t, to find the packaging that best represents us.

Part of the process of finding the right packaging involves seeking guidance from our parents. They’re the people who brought us into the world and nurtured us to become who we are today. Besides nurturing, they often share the same nature as us, because our behavior and traits tend to take after our parents…and that means our parents have a lot of relevant insights to share with us. Trust me, I learnt this the hard way, after years of thinking I knew better, only to realise at the end of the day, that if I had just listened to my parents, I would have saved myself a lot of time and a lot of heartache. Any examples you could share to drive home your point?

Much-needed advice (from experienced grown-ups like our folks) are like the “clothes” that will make you the woman you’ll someday be. Like how clothes shield us from the elements (what are ‘elements’?), guidance from our folks offers us protection from the dangers of the world. Quite often, muddling through the teen years without the proper support is like wearing one bad outfit after another. Just as the wrong pair of jeans makes your butt look twice the size of your actual derriere, heeding the wrong advice — or winging it on your own —can sometimes spell disaster.

Love,

Jacyln

[Anecdote Box]

First impressions and film trailers

To drive home the importance of first impressions, let’s think about film trailers.

Yes, we’re talking about footages that showcase the best a film can offer to entice movie-goers to shell out (money) for a cinema ticket. Our clothing, like movie trailers, should flaunt the best we have to offer. Since impressions are made almost on the spot, we need to make those precious few seconds to work for us.

[end of box]

The full package

Have you been walked by a supermarket or beauty store counter stocked with cutesy Japanese products and was just hypnotised? And how often have you shelled out for a kawaii box of chocolates or lip balm — even though you never planned to buy these items in the first place — because you were so seduced by the packaging?

Packaging is never more important than what’s inside (how often have we opened a beautifully wrapped gift to be disappointed by the contents?), but it is absolutely crucial to ensuring that those we meet are receptive to getting to know the fabulous creatures we really are! Great personal branding and packaging is important because it draws people to your substance — your amazing personality and intelligence may not be discovered if others weren’t drawn to you in the first place.

But remember, no matter how skilled you are at grooming and styling yourself, you always have the responsibility to deliver what you portray. We are the aggregate of our choices, and every little fashion choice we make adds up to our identities.

Power of choice

Many of you may feel like you have a closet full of clothing, but why is it that you sometimes feel you have nothing to wear? Often, it boils down to racking your brains to put together a new get-up that you haven’t already worn to death. It boils down to choices — to deciding on the best pieces for the perfect outfit. In other words, you are the sum of your choices. If you don’t like what you see in the mirror, you can change who you are today.

Unfortunately, everyone, regardless of age, can’t help but fall into the gnarly clutches of Envy. We all get days of insecurity when we look around us in a roomful of people and think, she’s so much more stylish than me, or he is so comfortable in his own skin and confident. But the first thing you need to do is to stop comparing yourselves with others. You need to realise that God created you and He is proud of His creation. There’s no point whining and over why she has a better body or why he is richer. It’s like what Tim Gunn on Project Runway says, “make it work!”

I like to see life and its challenges like a race on the track. You have to run in your own lane. To me, this is

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Many people, including myself sometimes, attempt to run into other people’s lanes to try to win their friends or opponents’ races instead of theirs. So you need to choose to get over yourself sometimes and just keep your eye on your prize — the prize being your heart-warming purpose.

Get out of the rut

Most of the time though, change doesn’t happen overnight: It’s a continuous process of choices that you have to keep making every day. Like how you can sometimes be stuck in a style rut and one day realise that you’re your entire wardrobe comprises of black pieces! Sorry sister, adding that one token pink top won’t get your out of the rut. You have to keep filling your closet with new colours — even prints that you once thought you’ll never wear – one at a time, and before you know you it, it’ll be hello, who’s that new you?

Life’s like that all-important wardrobe. Think of each life choice like one of the threads you own. Every choice is a step towards or away from your purpose, just like how every top, pair of pants, sock or hair piece adds to your overall look. We all started off the same, but whether you ultimately advance to the head of the race or score your own personal purpose, depends on you and how you decide to present yourself to the world of opportunities.

Don’t let your past hold you back. You can not only look great but be a much better you if you choose to be.

It’s all interconnected: When we are successful and when we do good, we also feel great about ourselves, and it shows in the way we look and the clothes we wear. When we feel good and look good, we also attract good things into our lives, like good opportunities, good people and good times. It’s a cycle worth perpetuating if we want success to come our way…and it starts with our parents, it starts with us (our personality and our gifts), and it starts with the wardrobe!

Now that I have a few more years under my belt, I have the perspective to say for certain that parents are the true stylists of our lives’ wardrobes — they can provide the essential clothes (and accessories) to dress us for success.

So you go, girl! Show the world your new style.

[QUOTE OUTS]

“Everything you do adds up to the person you are today. The first thing you need to do is to stop comparing yourselves with others. Change doesn’t happen overnight. You have to keep working at it every day and every minute.”

— Jacy