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My Aunt Got Me This Sweater…

Posted by on Dec 26, 2013 in Blog, Personal Power | Comments Off on My Aunt Got Me This Sweater…




Mark Darcy Sweater picture

Happy Holidays! It’s that time of year again – gifts have been exchanged and you are fitting them into your closet, dressers and other storage units. Amidst that wonderful gift giving, did you receive clothing or an accessory item that you know you will never wear (well, at least until you see that person again), yet feel a sense of obligation to keep, or worse, to wear?

This fashion no-no has been poked fun at in many films. If you have seen Bridget Jones’s Diary you may remember the scene when Bridget’s mother wanted to introduce her to Mark Darcy at a Holiday gathering. Bridget first sees Mark from behind and says to herself “Ding-dong. Maybe this time Mum had got it right…maybe this is the mysterious ‘Mr. Right’ I have been waiting my whole life to meet”. When Mark turns around the camera focuses on Mark’s odd reindeer sweater and Bridget says to herself “Maybe NOT”. Later on in the film we find out Mark’s mother had bought the sweater for him and he felt obliged to wear it.

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had a client tell me that they have kept or wear a particular clothing or accessory item because their Mother, Mother-in-Law, Aunt, Cousin etc. got it for them as a gift. These same clients also indicate that they know the item doesn’t suit them, but, they must keep or wear the item anyway.

Here are some key questions to ask yourself when entertaining the idea of keeping or wearing an item that was gifted to you that you know doesn’t show off your best energy:

– Who is in charge of your appearance choices? (in other words, who decides your clothing choices?)

-Does the person who gifted the item to you know your colour palette and style – and how you want to dress to maximize your body type, lifestyle and personality?

– Would YOU rather wear your clothes/accessories OR have YOUR CLOTHES wear you?

– Who is in charge of what goes into your closet, dressers and other storage units?

– What opportunities could bypass you if you wear the item that does not suit you? (in the example above Mark could have missed out on a romance opportunity).Many times we are so busy trying to please other people that we give up our personal fashion and image power. The reality is if the person who gifted you the item knew how you truly felt about the item, they probably wouldn’t want you to keep it anyway.

Regardless of whether you are going to wear the item or not, always thank the gift giver for the item. Ideally, make sure if you have a gift receipt, return the item. If you don’t have a gift receipt, if you know that item is in a friend’s colour palette and style, either gift it to them, or donate the item to a charity

You have the power to take charge of your appearance choices and your closet. There’s no time like the present to put a stop to the mindset that just because your family or friend got you this sweater, you must keep it and wear it. 😉

I hope this article inspires you to wear your authenticity!

Carol Brailey

Image Consultant and Hairstylist