Do you ever have days when you wake up, you’ve got tons of responsibilities, and you feel like you’re barely able to function? On days like this, you just want to get through the day, and you don’t really care how you look while you’re doing it. Whether you’re a busy new mom, a mid-lifer, menopausal, stressed out, overworked, tired, insomniac, or whatever is causing your bad day, I’m here to tell you that you can possibly turn around a bad day by the outfit you choose to wear. I know it sounds shallow, but if you look better, you’ll feel better. What you wear does matter. It matters in how people see you and how you see yourself.
A couple days ago, I had a bad night’s sleep and had to be somewhere the next morning. I knew I was going to feel bad and tired, but I really wanted to at least fake a good night’s sleep and look presentable. So, I wore an outfit that always makes me feel good, in my favorite colors, a few pieces of classic jewelry, and I felt better that day. It helped my mood. I felt awake and alert. I even felt more productive, all day long.
Today, I’ve got tips for how to look great, or at least better, when you’re having a bad day.
Basics to looking put together every day.
- It helps to be prepared ahead of time. By that, I mean, keep your closet reasonably organized on a daily basis. Every season, go through your closet and clean out and organize your clothes for the season. See my post, How To Organize Fall And Winter Wardrobes, How To Plan Your Fall And Winter Wardrobe, How To Organize Spring/Summer Wardrobes, and How To Build A Spring/Summer Wardrobe, for how to do this.
- Have everything in categories so that it’s easy to pick out outfits.
- Have at least three outfits that are simple, don’t require ironing, comfortable, and always make you look and feel great, no matter how little sleep you’ve had or how much overeating you did the day before. These are easy, emergency outfits. For myself, this is my most useful tip ever!
What To Wear On Bad Days
- Wear clothes that fit like a glove. These should be things in your closet that fit great, even if you had a little too much food the day before, the wrong time of the month, or whatever. On bad days, pull out the “good stuff”. Don’t save it for later.
- Wear clothes that hide your less flattering areas. Maybe you had too much to eat last night or you’re just feeling flabby and blah. Pick out clothes that hide those areas that you don’t feel good about. If you do this, you won’t have any reason to feel self-conscious all day. Wear tunic style tops to cover your tummy, skirts for heavier thighs, or longer sleeves if you have heavy or flabby arms.
- Wear colors that always look good on you. You can cover up a lot of bad choices just by the colors you wear. Most of us know there are certain colors that just look good on us and we get compliments when we wear those colors. Well, today’s the day to pull out those colors and wear them. Your flattering colors can make you look more awake, make your skin look softer and prettier, and make your eyes look brighter. It really works! For me, it’s pink or light blue. For you, it might be a bright red or fuchsia. Experiment and find some clothes in your best colors.
- Wear accessories that flatter. These could be scarves worn close to your face in your best, most flattering colors. Also, try jewelry that has shine to brighten up a tired face. Pearls help in the same way. When you really need to cover up dark circles or bags, you might want to skip wearing contacs and instead wear a stylish pair of glasses. You’ll look stylish and nobody will even know you’re really trying to disguise tired eyes.
- Wear a flattering hairstyle. Most of us have a couple different ways we wear our hair. For a bad day, keep it simple and easy. This isn’t the day to pull your hair back off your face. That can just highlight a tired face. Instead, try a softer style worn down closer to your face.
- Wear soft makeup colors. First, be sure to use a good moisturizer and eye cream. Then, for a bad day, don’t pile on extra makeup. Instead, use just enough to smooth out your skin tone and give a little color to your face. Of course, these should be colors that make you look more awake. Your goal here is just to look pretty, fresh, and awake.
Remember, when you’re having a bad day, to just be nice to yourself. Don’t pressure yourself to look gorgeous. For now, just go for looking pretty, respectable, presentable, and awake. Wear clothes and accessories that lift your mood as well as a second, or third cup of coffee. Wear what makes you feel confident, comfortable, and put-together. You’ll get through the day just fine and, most of all, you’ll probably be motivated to look your best every day, whether it’s good or bad.
Let me know if you’ve got some more great tips for looking good on bad days, or even how to fake a good night’s sleep. I could use it!
Till next time, have a wonderful day!