Feeling Better, Looking Better

Perceptions of what’s considered “attractive” change over time. A few hundred years ago, women were plucking their hairline to achieve a high forehead; of course, those women who were naturally “blessed” with a higher hairline were in for less pain. Nowadays, though, those same women would probably opt for bangs. In the 80’s, you were lucky if you had curly hair that didn’t need a perm; today, the straighter, the better. And that’s just hair alone! Still, whatever the standard, there’s no doubt that some people will be born fitting it more easily than others. So what about the rest of us?

Well, you can try to ft the “look” of the moment. There’s no doubt that fitting into a certain “scene” will probably make you look more attractive to other members of the same scene. But what if that’s just not you? How can you amp up your attractiveness factor without being a slave to the fashion of the day?

Put simply, it’s confidence. Self-esteem. The better you feel about yourself, the better you look. And, of course, looking better makes you feel better about yourself... It’s a happy little cycle of confidence, if you can get it going. And here’s a few tricks to help you along.

First, get clean and pulled together. Why muddle the hair you slept on into something decent today when you could just start fresh? You don’t have to go all-out, but having your hair combed, feeling clean and fresh, and with fresh clothes all do wonders for both your attractiveness and how you’re feeling about yourself.

Next, move on to your closet. Now, everyone has clothes that they know are more flattering, that make them feel more confident, and sloppier clothes that they wear around the house. For some mysterious reason, the more flattering clothes are often less frequently worn. The question is, why? No matter your personal style, why do we wear the clothes that make us feel worse more often? “Well, I’m just running to the grocery store,” we might say. And we don’t deserve to feel nice at the grocery store?

Whether your version of looking “nice” is just a more flattering pair of jeans and a better-fitting t-shirt or something more inventive, try to wear what makes you feel good, regardless of that day’s destination. Is it a tiny, tiny baby step? Yes. But over time, it really does add up. Even if we don’t naturally fit the trend of the season, we can still present the best version of ourselves.