colorful clothesIs your style is even more stale than leftover Christmas fruitcake? Make a New Year's resolution to shake up your look! (It's a more achievable goal than losing 50 lbs. by swimsuit season, anyway.) You don't have to get as outrageous as Lady Gaga - just stepping a bit outside your comfort zone is enough to do the trick. Try these easy tips, and you'll feel like a whole new you in no time.
1. Look in the mirror.
Ask yourself: Am I doing this for me or to please someone else? If it's about you, keep going: How do I want to present myself? What do I feel good about? What do I want to update? Let the changes you make reveal the real you. (Have an outgoing personality? Try some bolder colors!)
2. Clean out your closet.
Make three piles: one for items that fit well and make you feel great, one for items that need tailoring, and one for items to donate or toss. Clearing out clutter helps you assess what you still need and makes room for a hot new wardrobe - and lets you appreciate what you already own.
RELATED: The Painless Way to Clean Out Your Closet
3. Find a fashion mentor.
Share your mission with one of your stylish girlfriends. Ask her to dish her secrets: What designers does she love? Is she free to take you shopping? If you hit the mall solo, get advice from a chic store clerk about what silhouettes and colors might look good on you.
4. Experiment.
Give yourself permission to try a look that you may think "isn't you." Once you step out of your wardrobe safety zone, you'll see your fashion possibilities in a whole new way. And if the look doesn't feel quite right, ask yourself which parts did work. You may find a single new element to make your own.
5. Don't give up.
The best thing about a style change is that if you don't love it, you can leave it. New jacket looks a little too funky? Return it! Haircut a bit short? It'll grow back! As you develop your look, you'll see what clothes and makeup bring out the best version of you - and build confidence along the way.
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