Why You Don’t Look Good in the Clothes that You Like

I’m sure we’ve all heard that advice before, right? Well then, what do you do if you are wearing the clothes you like, but you feel you don’t look good in them?

The first thing you need to do is figure out why you don’t feel good in the clothes that you like. There may be more than one reason, but once you figure it out, you’ll be able to make some changes.

In this post I’m going to go over 6 reasons why you may not feel good in the clothes you like, and I’ll also give some advice on how to fix things, so that you can begin feeling satisfied with your clothing choices.

1. You’re not dressing to your body type.

Our bodies come in all different shapes, lines, and sizes, and it’s important to make sure that we’re dressing to our body types.

How do you know if you’re not dressing to your body type? Simply, because your body doesn’t look as good as you know it could.

However, things are rarely simple. We may think we look good just because what we’re wearing is trendy, and anyone who’s wearing something that’s in fashion will look good, right? Wrong.

Even if the clothes themselves look good, they may clash with your body when you wear them. This can make you look as if you’re wearing clothes that belong to a different person, rather than clothes that suit you.

How to fix this:

Spend some time looking at your body and figure out what you are in different systems. If you find that the traditional system of just analyzing the shoulders, waist, and hips doesn’t work for you, then consider giving the Kibbe system a try.

The Kibbe body type system is made up of 13 body types, and is overall more holistic than other body typing systems, so if you want to find out which type you are, here’s a test.

When you do find your body type, try on some of the suggested clothes for your body, and see if you feel more comfortable in those lines. If you do, you may be able to elevate your style to one that suits your body better.

2. You’re choosing colors that clash with your skin’s undertone.

Everyone has an undertone in their skin, which will affect how colors look on us.

I tend to stick to a simplified four season pattern, where a skin’s undertone falls into one of four quadrants:

• winter (cool, bright)
• spring (warm, bright)
• summer (cool, delicate)
• fall (warm, delicate)

When you wear colors that don’t match with your skin’s undertone, you tend to look washed out, or even sick. It also makes any discoloration on the face (such as red patches, or dark bags under the eyes) look more prominent.

How to fix this:

The best way to figure out what your skin’s undertone is? Do a draping test. Find some fabrics that are bright blue, bright yellow, grey, and beige. Then choose which color makes your skin look the best.

• If bright blue looks best on you, you are a winter.
• If bright yellow looks best on you, you are a spring.
• If grey looks best on you, you are a summer.
• If beige looks best on you, you are a fall.

I’m a summer, so I look my best in cool and delicate (desaturated) colors. I do like to throw in bright red into my wardrobe though, as it’s a true neutral, and I find that it makes my eye color pop.

If you’re interested in a blog post about all of the colors for the seasons, please let me know!

3. You’re not getting clothes that fit you.

Another reason why you might not feel good in the clothes that you like is because your clothes don’t fit you properly.

When it comes to getting clothes, I’ve found that it’s a good practice to detach yourself from the sizes. Sizes are a good starting point when looking for clothes, but if you normally wear a medium, and the medium sized top is too small, then go for the large.

This especially applies to thrift shopping, as every brand seems to have a different way of sizing clothes. I’ve found size 0 items that are too big on me, but I also have a size 8 top that fits me perfectly.

If it fits you, it fits you.

How to fix this:

If you have a lot of items in your closet that are slightly too large or too small, it’s worth it to learn how to alter clothes, or to bring them to a tailor to get them altered. Especially if you’re a thrifter like me, you’ll often find that clothes look great on you, except for a couple of areas that are too loose or too small.

4. You’re trying to mix too many styles at once.

Don’t feel bad if you’re trying to mix too many styles at once, I’ve been there plenty of times too.

When I’m considering my style, I keep three Cs in mind:

• Consistent
• Cohesive
• Classic

I want my clothes to have a consistent style, so that I can mix and match pieces easily. I want them to be cohesive with my body, so that they compliment my features and fit well. And lastly, I want my clothes to be classic pieces that won’t go out of style in a few years, months, or even weeks.

How to fix this:

If you love a bunch of different styles, then try to narrow things down when curating your wardrobe. Find three to five words to describe your ideal style, and then only keep the clothes that match up with those words, so that your overall aesthetic is cohesive and consistent.

5. Your clothes don’t match your lifestyle.

One of the biggest mistakes I see people making is not matching their clothes to their lifestyle.

If you’re a business professional who works in an office with other business professionals, then your wardrobe can’t be made up of just athleisure outfits. You need to throw in some dress shirts and blazers into the mix.

If you live in a climate that stays warm throughout the year, then don’t stock up on bulky sweaters and fuzzy boots that you can’t wear for more than five minutes at a time because of the heat. Instead, invest in some pieces of clothing that are light and breath well.

How to fix this:

Sit down and write a list of things that describe your lifestyle, from your job and hobbies, to the climate that you live in, and then research what’s appropriate to wear for your lifestyle.

You should also check to see if your place of work has a dress code. For some places ‘Casual Friday’ means jeans and sneakers, in other places it means you’re allowed to take off your tie.

6. You’re trying to dress like someone you’re not.

We’re all our own person, with our own personality traits, flaws, interests, and quirks. Dressing to be someone you’re not isn’t going to make you feel happy.

Figuring out if you’re trying to dress like someone you’re not can take some time and introspection, so take things slowly.

How to fix this:

If you’ve figured out that you’re trying to dress like someone you’re not, take some time to figure out who you are and also who you want to be. Sometimes we buy clothes that are for an idealized version of ourselves, and not who we really are.

I hope that these tips have helped you figure out why you don’t feel good in the clothes that you like. I also hope that you’ve learned how to fix some of the apparel problems you’re having.

If you did find this post helpful, please leave a like or share it with someone else who’d find it helpful. Thank you, and I hope that I’ll be seeing you around!