Dress for success

Shefali Karani

Have you ever had the experience where your outfit is just bothering you the whole time and there’s nothing else you can think of? Let me tell you something; you’re not alone! As much as I like wearing trendy outfits and clothing that looks fabulous, I don’t like sacrificing my comfort or the way I feel when wearing an outfit. I love to dress the way I like, wear comfortable yet fashionable clothing, and wear clothing that looks good on me.

Dress the Way You Like

When I was a sort of overweight teen in high school, I totally disliked the way I dressed. I wore clothing that made me feel even worse than I already did, and that really took away from my self-esteem. Once I started dressing up the way I liked during college, I reinvented myself. I found a new identity and gained a sense of love for fashion. I also figured out how to buy clothing that would last for a few years and not end up being thrown away.

During college, I dressed very preppy, which matched my intellect and popularity at the time. Once I graduated and started to go to work, I had a wardrobe overhaul; I created a more corporate yet fashionable look. The rule of thumb for any event, whether work or personal, is to dress the way you like. If you like what you’re wearing, you’ll automatically become more confident. You’ll also be able to focus on the important things going on around you, instead of whether you feel alright or not wearing the outfit that you are.

Comfort Meets Fashion

Fashion can be comfortable! Recently, when I did a TV interview a couple of months ago, I chose a beautiful designer black lace dress that was so comfortable to wear that I didn’t mind being dressed that way the whole day. Mind

you, I was in New York for the show, and it was cold outside, but I managed to wear the dress with matching lace stockings and heels, along with a gorgeous purple overcoat when I was walking outside the studio. Because I was so comfortable the whole entire day and felt great, the interview also went very well. I was so in my element and at ease that you would have never known that this was actually the first ever televised interview that I had ever done in my life.

Clothing has the power to make or break your self-esteem. If you’re not comfortable wearing that outfit but it’s trendy, it’s not worth it! You can definitely find an outfit that is comfortable and trendy. After all, you might as well spend your money on something that you would like to wear again and again, and not just for the sake of it.

See What Looks Good on You

There were a few times that I’ve made a fashion faux pas and I learned a good lesson from that: always see what looks good on you before you decide to wear an outfit. Something that might have looked good on you a few years ago may not necessarily look good on you today. I recently went to a store, and I was not exactly feeling the greatest that day since I was exhausted from travel and work. I literally chose whatever I found in my closet along with a pair of flip-flops to go to this store. As soon as I entered the store, I was ignored and no one wanted to help me. As soon as I mentioned what I wanted to buy and all, then only did someone come up to me. But they were still quite rude. I then realized that I wasn’t exactly being very confident because I hadn’t worn something that looked good on me and hence I didn’t feel good in general. Although everything was sorted out after that incident, I decided that this was an important lesson that I had learned.

If you don’t feel good about yourself then no one else is going to be good to you either! So, do yourself a favor and always wear something that looks good on you. Even if you’re wearing jeans and a t-shirt with flip-flops and you feel good about what you are wearing because you know that the outfit looks so good on you, go for it! You’ll be surprised about how much confidence you’ll have and even more surprised about how people will treat you. You can even be wearing pajamas and walking outside, but if you feel like you’re a rockstar, your confidence will show. Remember, in order to dress for success you have to dress for yourself. You should dress the way you like, find a comfortable yet fashionable outfit, and see what outfits look good on you. When you wear what you like, you’ll feel more confident and learn to be more comfortable in your own skin. You learn how to be YOU and that’s what fashion is all about!

Shefali Karani is the author of “Own It! Love What You Already Have” of which all book proceeds go toward good causes. She is an executive at her family’s business, and board director for two other companies. She’s an alumna of Columbia Business School in NYC and Drexel University. She lives in Dubai with her husband and continues to travel for work. To learn more, visit shefalikarani.com