This week, I heard someone say that confidence is the ultimate fashion accessory and that resonated with me because confident is one of my 5 style adjectives. I want my outfits to say that I am classy, casual, comfortable, confident, and authentic.

I’ve written about this topic before, but I think it bears repeating. If you’re like me, you’ve heard that little voice inside your head that says, “You’re no good at this. You don’t know what you’re doing.” or “You look ridiculous! People are going to laugh at you.”

An article in an older issue of Psychology Today, defined confidence as “a belief in oneself, the conviction that one has the ability to meet life’s challenges and to succeed – and the willingness to act accordingly.” It went on to say that projecting confidence helps us gain credibility, make strong first impressions, deal with pressure, and tackle personal and professional challenges. It also helps put other people at ease. So, what does all this have to do with fashion?

Enclothed cognition is a term that relates to the effect that clothing has on the way a person thinks, feels, and functions. Studies actually show that what we wear directly affects our behaviour, attitudes, personality, mood, confidence, and even the way we interact with other people. How we look on the outside has a powerful impact on how we feel on the inside.

Style confidence involves embracing your uniqueness and finding a personal style that makes you feel like your best self. Wear an outfit because it makes you feel good, not because someone else tells you that it’s right for you.

When it comes to confidence, I’ve also found that there’s truth in the old adage “fake it until you make it”. If you dress in a way that makes you appear strong and confident, stand tall, look people in the eye and focus on them instead of yourself, you might be quivering on the inside, but no one will know. It might require stepping out of your comfort zone, but you might also experience a rush of empowerment because you’ll be wearing your best accessory!