Is fashion a form of self-expression to you, a pressure to fit in or stand out, or a little bit of both?
There are two types of people - those who remain mindful of their fashion choices pre and during quarantine and those who feel like there isn’t a reason to dress to impress anymore(#teamsweatpants). 2020 has drastically changed a lot of things, one of which is the time we spend in isolation and indoors. Has that changed your relationship with fashion in any way?
If you agree to any extent that fashion is meant to be a way of self-expression rather than following trends, now is the perfect time to live up to that. With fewer social gatherings and occasions, you should be more free to explore your fashion choices and more importantly, redefine your relationship with fashion. Explore what makes you feel confident and YOU. The starting point? Colors.
To make it simple, we’ll break the article down to 3 essential steps.
Step 1 - Define yourself
What makes you you? List out some of the qualities that you’re most proud of about yourself. Are you a creative person? Are you smart and sassy? Are you an extroverted and loud party person that easily spreads happiness? Or are you that loving and caring person who anyone is glad to have as a friend? These are just a few ideas to get you started.
Tip: More inspiration on different personality traits can be found in this helpful article.. If you are stuck, it’s a great idea to talk to your closest friends and families - sometimes they know you better than you do!
It’s also important to note that your answer doesn’t have to be traits you already have. It could be traits you wish to develop in the future - as long as they make you feel like the best version of yourself. Once you have a clear answer of who you are or who you want to become, the next step is to pick colors that will perfectly reflect the message.
Step 2 - Choosing Colors that Work for You
Colors are powerful. Colors hugely impact our moods, emotions and behaviors on a daily basis without us even noticing most of the time. Implementing a color scheme in your everyday outfit could help you express yourself in the ways you defined earlier and more importantly, make yourself feel confident and powerful.
To pick colors that work for you, here are some key points to consider:
- Colors have psychological meanings. Some examples are:
Yellow - creative, fun, optimistic
Purple - glamorous, mysterious, luxurious
Green - cozy, relaxed, kind
Black - sophisticated, formal, powerful
Blue - calm, spiritual, quiet
- After you have a general idea of that, you will be able to nail down to a few colors that represent your personality. Now, let’s add YOU to the formula. Consider your personal preference. Do you like the colors that you picked? The whole idea of this article is to help you own fashion instead of letting it own you, so don’t force yourself to wear colors that you don’t even dig.
- Explore different tints of the colors that you picked. A slight change in hue could greatly alter the message a color sends. While navy blue may give off casual vibes, baby blue may come off as cute and casual, and turquoise could mean fun and classy.
Now that you’ve picked colors that speak YOU, the next step is to work them into your outfits.
Step 3 - Adding Your #SplashOfColor to Your Outfits
Here’s where most people stop. Investing new pieces of new (sometimes bold) colors can be risky. What if the color doesn’t look good on you? Most people adapt to changes best gradually, so before giving your wardrobe a makeover, here’s a pro tip: colorful accessories to the rescue!
Colorful accessories add highlights to outfits you already own. For people experimenting with new colors, wearing accessories is the best place to start. Depending on your lifestyle, you could consider starting with different kinds of colorful accessories. For instance, if you’re active and like outdoor activities, consider getting colorful sneakers, hats and jackets. For students and working professionals, backpacks, purses and tech accessories such as MacBook & iPhone cases are a great place to start. It all depends on what you’re comfortable with.
Tip: Start small. Work your way up to a killer outfit from colorful accessories. Be bold and open to experiments and soon you’ll find your perfect color.
Ending Thoughts
We hope that our 3 steps were helpful and that you have found new colors that are truly you. In a world with so many noises, fashion could easily become a pressure to follow trends, rather than a form of art or self-expression. In the heart of belkcase’s year-end campaign #MyTintMyPrint is our effort to bring back the magical power of fashion - that is, gaining confidence and looking awesome by expressing the real you.