3 Style Hacks To Get You Through The Holidays

The struggle is real! That’s why I put together these 3 style hacks. You’ve got somewhere to be and people to see, but when you attempt to get dressed it’s clear that you’ve got nothing to wear. Everything is wrong! It’s either too old, uncomfortable or not right for the occasion. So you rustle through your hangers creating an avalanche of NO’s. Then when a garment glimmers with possibility you wonder…

“Could this kelly green wrap skirt actually work?”

But then you realize you don’t have anything to wear it with, and it’s quickly shunned to the NO section. 

Before flinging everything from the closet to the bed, know that you’ve got other options! So to keep you from sinking deeper into your style stress, here are 3 style hacks to help you get through the holidays so you feel confident about how you look.

Unexpected Style Hacks For The Holidays

1. Focus On Someone Else

Too often the obsession of what’s wrong with our wardrobes unravels into issues around what’s wrong with us.

My clothes don’t look good because I’m too fat, or too old.

My outfits never come together because I don’t know what I’m doing.

Instead of falling into a shame spiral that’s centered on your self-imposed inadequacies, focus on someone else. 

Find a friend or family member who is having her own style struggles, and help her out!

Meet-up in-person or on Zoom and discuss her outfit needs. What parties or events does she have coming up? Go through her closet and give her ideas for what she could wear.

When you shift your focus from your problems to helping someone else, you’ll not only boost your mood, you’ll save your friend from outfit frustration. Plus the concentrated closet session may inspire you towards more creativity with your own wardrobe.

2. Focus On Yourself

In direct opposition to Hack #1, place more attention on yourself. Not to agonize on your problems, but to nourish your sense of self. Like most women, I put everyone’s needs before my own. If I’m writing a blog post, and my husband or kids come in and ask me a question I immediately stop writing to answer them. Then when I return to my post I’ll forget what I was writing.

There’s nothing wrong with prioritizing your family as long as it’s balanced by tending to your needs. This is especially important during the holiday season chaos because we amp up our giving mentality and spend more energy than we allow in. 

So when someone finally asks what we want for Christmas, we draw a blank. We don’t know what we want because we stopped thinking about it. We’ve been too busy worrying about what we’ll get for everyone else.

Then you have plans and want to feel FAB for your night out, but you have no idea what FAB looks like, or even feels like. You’ve lost touch with your style.

Finding time to reconnect to your personal preferences can be built into what you’re already doing…like watching TV! Pay attention to the characters on your shows and notice what you love about their outfits.

Carrie Bradshaw’s style on And Just Like That may be too much for your daily life, but is there anything you love about what she wears? The proportions of one of her outfits drew me in—an oversized blazer with wide leg pants. On paper this sounds like a fashion disaster waiting to happen for her petite frame. But because the pants were cropped well above her ankles, and showcase some of her legs it didn’t overwhelm her body. It looked fab! (The high vamp on the shoe helped as did the 4” heel!)

Create a note file on your phone and keep track of all the different style elements that you love. Look at colors, silhouettes, patterns, proportions, fabrics and any other fashion details that catch your eye. Then when you’re shopping or go to get dressed, check your notes and incorporate these style ideas into your looks. You’ll refresh your fashion sense and amp up your outfits along the way.

3. Find Something (Anything!) In Your Closet That Makes You Say Yes

Most women deal with a lot of NO’s in their closets. You’re probably familiar with the everyday ritual of sliding your hangers from one side to the other that highlights everything you don’t want to wear.

Where are the YESes in your wardrobe? Find them and put them on.

I recently bought a chunky, yellow sweater that I adore. It’s a YES item that’s holding strong in my regular outfit rotation. When I put it on I’m happy and energized which serves as an exciting outfit foundation.

 

Your YES item doesn’t have to be new. It can be an old story around the item that makes you say YES. Like a piece of jewelry that your husband gave you, a pair of leather shoes you got from the cobbler in Spain, or the luxurious scarf you bought after earning a big influx of cash.

Use this item as a foundation for your look. If you start your day from a place of YES, you’ll open yourself up to more possibilities in your life. When you believe you’ve got lots of options, you’ll build your confidence, and this is key to always looking FAB.

– Elysha Lenkin

Elysha Lenkin is a personal fashion stylist who helps women look current, feel confident and stay true to themselves. For over 20 years she’s worked on commercial shoots in NYC, and has styled hundreds of women in all shapes, ages and sizes including Carrie Underwood, Tina Fey and Serena Williams. Take her free style quiz to discover your IT FACTOR and show up more magnetically in life?

You may also like to read A Look At 5 Celebrities for Holiday Style Inspiration and Expert Tips: How To Score Big Shopping Vintage Fashion.