How to Dress Boldly

Preparing

Learn to be comfortable dressing boldly. In order to dress boldly, you have to be okay with the attention that a bold style garners. People stare at those who look different and bold clothing is a way that people look different. Once you are okay with the idea of people staring at you then you can begin your journey of dressing boldly. It takes time to feel confident in how you look to the point of where you feel fine of people stare at you. Don't rush it; take it slow. You'll get there!

Find your style. When dressing boldly, you will want to have an idea of what your unique style is. Everyone has their own unique style. Whether it is a preference for dresses or pants, blue or green, or sneakers versus sandals, everyone has an idea of what they like to wear, and figuring that out is a good way to start dressing boldly! Remember that dressing boldly doesn't necessarily mean dressing crazily or wearing things you'd never want to wear. It means having confidence and being courageous when picking outfits and when wearing different looks.

Take into consideration what you already have. A lot of the time, people think you have to either go out and buy a whole new wardrobe or make new things in order to dress boldly. This however, is not the case. You can dress boldly using what you already have at home. Mixing different patterns and colors together is an easy way to dress boldly. For example, if you happen to own a bright purple shirt, instead of matching it with a basic pair of dark colored jeans, try opting instead for that pair of bright green pants that you threw in the back of your closet for a more bold, out of the ordinary look.

Go through your wardrobe. Pick a day that you have some time and go through your closet. Try on all your clothes so you know what fits and what doesn't. Pick out the pieces that don't fit and separate those into a pile that you will get rid of. For the clothing that does fit, separate those into piles based on the type of clothing. Have a pants pile, a dress pile, a dress shirt pile, a T-shirt pile, etc. Separating these pieces will make it easier for you to know everything that you own already, so pairing things up will be easier later on.

Building Your Ideas

Pair things up. An important step in dressing boldly and getting away with it is to pair things up that are bold but still work together. Anyone can mix random colors and patterns and create an outfit, but doing it well to the point where it looks good is a whole other story. When putting together an outfit, take into consideration what colors, patterns, and fabrics work well together.

Take color into consideration. Colors such as blue and orange, green and red, and purple and yellow, are just a few color combinations that work well together. A color wheel can also be helpful in determining good color combos. You can find one online easily and check out colors using that. Check out primary and secondary colors and the differences in different color shades.

Take patterns into consideration. Patterns are a great way to stand out, but only if they're paired together correctly! For example, plaid and stripes usually don't look great together. Plaid and polka dots usually go together very well! There are tons of different patterns in the world so don't be afraid to experiment. Cool patterns include plaid, stripes, polka-dots, and houndstooth.

Try out different fabric types. Leather is super fun to work with and can come in many cool colors. Silks, cloth materials, cotton, cashmere, wool, pleather, and angora are a few great textures that help dress up a look!

Avoid conflicting pieces. Usually different colors put together don't clash very much so you can get away with wearing them. However, as mentioned above, some patterns do not go well together. An easy step in preventing clashing is to limit outfits to no more than 2-3 patterns at a time. Too many patterns can cause things to get a little crazy-looking, so limiting them will give you less to worry about and will keep things more toned down and natural looking. Be sure to consider the colors of your patterns carefully as well. Use your color knowledge match patterns with colors that work well. That helps to prevent clashing and will make the outfit look more put together.

Use accessories to bring it all together. Things such as belts (either neutral colored or in bright, fun patterns and colors), jewelry, cool socks in unusual patterns, out-of-the-ordinary sunglasses, and even ties in different patterns, colors, or styles can help make an outfit look really bold and put together. Pick what accessories you like and make it your own!

Rock your look! The most important step in dressing boldly is rocking your look. When you walk confidently and feel comfortable in what you are wearing, you'll look bolder to others. Stand up tall, be proud, and smile! You look great!