I have never really considered myself fashionable.  In my teens and early twenties, I tried (and failed miserably) to adopt the latest trends, but I always felt like a child playing dress up.  So, when thinking about areas in my life to tackle during the Year of Simple, style was high on my list.  But first, in order to simplify my style, I had to figure out what my style actually was.  Over the years, I made some observations about myself: according to Color Me Beautiful I was a “Winter”, it bothered me if my clothes were too itchy or flashy, and no matter how much jewelry I had to pick from I usually ended up not wearing it.

Then, in a bizarre twist of fate, I happened upon this article by food blogger Cheeseslave about Carol Tuttle and her Dressing Your Truth lifestyle.  I immediately saw myself in Anne Marie’s story, signed up for Carol’s free “Discover Your Type” course, and determined I was a Type 4.  According to Carol, all people fall within 4 energy types that coincide with the 4 elements:

• T1: Bright and Animated (Air)
• T2: Subtle and Soft (Water)
• T3: Rich and Dynamic (Fire)
• T4: Bold and Striking (Earth)

Ideas like this have existed in many ancient philosophies, however Carol has translated this information into a course that helps you choose clothing, jewelry, and accessories to enhance your type of beauty.  I know this may sound a bit strange, but Dressing Your Truth has enhanced my life in several ways.

Easy Shopping and Packing

Amazing things happened when I was able to focus only on the types of clothing and accessories I look and feel best in.  I could completely eliminate entire sections or even stores from my shopping list.  This may seem restrictive, but it was actually a freeing feeling for me.  Now I know that I shouldn’t even bother if an item has brown or gold in it.  I can look at that item and think “Wow, that would look beautiful on someone else, but not me.”  And I know that almost anything in my closet will go together beautifully.

Understood By Others

I used to be really drawn to clothing that was “cute” or “fun” or “girly”.  I thought this was what young women were supposed to wear.  The problem was that when I wore clothes like this, people expected me to be cute, fun, and girly – which I am decidedly not.  So it is no surprise that I was constantly being misjudged.  Once I started dressing my truth an amazing thing happened.  It was like people understood how I would like to be treated, before I even said a word.  I like things calm, simple, and restrained.

Getting More Attention

Here comes the disclaimer:  When you start wearing things that enhance your beauty and personality, people take notice.  I will never forget the first day I drove to Starbucks wearing my newly purchased red lipstick.  The barista in the drive thru recognized me and just about jumped up and down when she saw my new look.  She could not stop commenting on my makeup, and it stunned me a bit.  I had been making myself invisible for so long, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to be seen.

Fashionable is still not a word I would use to describe myself, but feel that I can now present myself in a way that is true to who I am and what is important to me.  I have also been able to shop more effectively for my husband and children, now that I understand their energy types.  If you find yourself needing some style inspiration, or just want to understand yourself a bit better, check out the Dressing Your Truth free course and pinterest page.

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