Archives for February 2018

Organizing Makes Life Closetively Wonderful

Q: My husband and I are revamping and organizing our closets. What products or organizing tips would you have for us to save time dressing each day?

 

 

A: What a fun project to do together! I find men and women have very different “styles” in the closet, with how they approach the organizing aspect. You will be better off if you find easy ways to see what you have at a glance, so you rotate and wear everything with few repeats. Google anything having to do with closets and you’ll immediately see many options — so many your head will spin! I tend to keep it simple, and it really isn’t necessary to spend a lot.

Here are a few of my personal favorites:

  • Women tend to have a lot of accessories, such as jewelry and scarves. It’s great to keep them right where we need them, nice and neat.
  • Hanging bars that I found at Ikea can be mounted anywhere, to easily hang necklaces, belts or scarves. I use mine for necklaces — it avoids tangles, and I can see everything I own at a glance.
  • Velvet jewelry display bars for bracelets and shorter necklaces — easy to find at local craft stores, such as Michael’s and Pat Catan’s, for under $25.
  • Valet bar — perfect for men and women. I recently added a few to my closet, and on Sundays I easily pull together all the wardrobe elements for each day’s activities in the upcoming week. Saves time and eliminates dressing frustrations because you can iron everything for the week at once — no more last-minute rushing!
  • Good hangers for each purpose — Well-made wood hangers with a curved shoulder are best for men’s sport coats and suit coats to keep the best shape in the shoulders. Use wood pants hangers that hang pants from the bottom to avoid wrinkling and never hang folded over a hanger, which only creates creases that you just don’t want. I use felt-covered hangers so all my tops, tees and camisoles stay put, and the thinner profile saves space.

Whatever you do, be sure to celebrate each individual’s personality and try not to change everything all at once. Space out the organization features to gently retrain your habits rather than overwhelm from attempting too much at once.

ABOUT TRACI MCBRIDE: TRACI IS THE WARDROBE STYLIST AT TEEMCBEE IMAGE CONSULTING. SUBSCRIBE TO HER NEWSLETTER, SCHEDULE A STYLE STRATEGY CALL, OR REQUEST TEE SPEAKS TO INFUSE YOUR ORGANIZATION WITH PASSION AND STYLE.

The Most Telling Opinions About Ourselves Are Our Own

Q: Can you explain the difference between self-esteem, self-image, and body image? I hear these terms used a lot.

 

 

A: Good question and one that helps us really look at and understand more about ourselves. The more we look inside ourselves, the better self-awareness we have, which influences us in very positive ways.

Self-image is how you see yourself in your mind’s eye, and how you believe others see you. It is the image you have when you compare yourself to others and make judgments about your physical looks, your intelligence, and your personality based on how you believe others see you. Your self-image influences every relationship you have, both in your behavior and in how you feel about yourself.

Give some thought to how you both talk to and treat yourself. Do you always put others’ needs above your own? Do you have negative statements about yourself that you repeat over and over?

Self-esteem is all about how you feel about yourself. Self-esteem is dictated by your internal feelings and evaluation of yourself based on your “perceived” self-image. If you are constantly comparing yourself to others and feel like you don’t measure up, your self-esteem suffers.

Body image is:

  • How you think and what you believe about your appearance.
  • How you feel about your body, including height, shape and weight.
  • How you sense and control your body as you move.
  • How you feel in your body, not just about your body.

Body image is how you feel about your body when you look in the mirror or visualize yourself. Do you think your body image is positive, negative or a little of each? What do you think your body language is saying about you right now?

Our self-esteem, self-image, and body image are very closely interrelated and are developed primarily in childhood. All the feedback we received while growing up, both positive and negative, from our parents, teachers and other authority figures, helped create our perspective and beliefs about ourselves. As we walk through our life, we have the ability to change any negative self-images we’ve picked up. Most people never question if the negative beliefs they have picked up are their own or someone else’s, such as a parent or other adult. Many times it is the adult with poor self-esteem that has passed on negative beliefs to children.

With my clients, I work on these personal images — the focus is on loving yourself and coming to terms with your body image.

Ten Tips to Improve Your Self-Image and Self-Esteem:

  1. Journal the things you like about yourself and things others have acknowledged about you.
  2. Further develop your strongest skills, knowledge, and education.
  3. Focus on the present moment and not on your past.
  4. Practice looking into your eyes in a mirror and saying “I love you.”
  5. Replace negative “tapes” in your head with positive, supportive self-talk.
  6. Never compare yourself to others. Accept who you are or make some changes.
  7. Spend time with people who value and respect you.
  8. Make changes in your appearance, wardrobe, hair, body language or behaviors that will improve your self-image.
  9. Dress to emphasize what you like about yourself and your best assets.
  10. Learn to genuinely accept compliments.
ABOUT TRACI MCBRIDE: TRACI IS THE WARDROBE STYLIST AT TEEMCBEE IMAGE CONSULTING. SUBSCRIBE TO HER NEWSLETTER, SCHEDULE A STYLE STRATEGY CALL, OR REQUEST TEE SPEAKS TO INFUSE YOUR ORGANIZATION WITH PASSION AND STYLE.

 

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Master Your Evolving Style!

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