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1. There is life after black and white
Granted, Coco Chanel cemented the LBD as the must-have item in every woman’s wardrobe. But despite her love of black, she also said, ‘The best colour in the whole world is the one that looks good on you.’
Which is not to say that everyone has to ditch black and white entirely. Adding a cheerful red bag or yellow scarf will do.
Octavia Ephraim, the founder of Octapear Image Consulting in Pretoria, says, ‘Don’t get rid of all the “wrong” colours in your wardrobe; just wear the right colours closer to your face or from the waist up.’
2. Wear happy clothes
Just like that dress you wore to a disastrous date remains hidden at the back of your closet, the sundress you bought five Decembers ago while on honeymoon gets a regular outing.
Why? Simple. It reminds you of a happy time.
Australia’s University of Queensland did research and found that quite a few participants mentioned ‘using clothes to change their mood. If they get up and aren’t feeling great, they would put on something that would brighten them up.’ As if we needed research to tell us that!
3. Go green
The Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam has found that green puts you and everyone who sees you in a good mood because of its close association with nature.
It is uplifting in the same way as a brief respite out of doors, making it the colour to wear if you need to be mentally alert.
4. Pick me up, buttercup
Psychologically, yellow is the strongest colour when it comes to boosting confidence and making us feel more optimistic.
That said, yellow is associated with anxiety too and you may want to use it in moderation – it has been found to make babies cry!
5. Think pink, or red
Imagine a flash of fuchsia or red in a sea of black. A striking image, is it not? That’s because they, like orange and yellow, are warm, energizing colours.
This applies to lipstick too.
So when you’re feeling boring and grey, put down that neutral lipstick and go for something pink or red. It won’t just perk you up, it changes the way other people respond to you.
The main thing, Octapear’s Ephraim says, when dressing to make a certain impression, is visualization: ‘Imagine how you would like others to react when you enter a room. And then work to achieve that.’ In other words, fake it till you make it.
Feeling inspired? We’d love to know what mood you’re wearing today. You could win a R5 000 voucher from Spree! Just go to skip.co.za.
Sources: dailyworth.com, bodyandsoul.com.au and Octapear Image Consulting (octaviae.com, 012 342 3413)
