Wardrobe Wellness

Anyone catch Oprah on Wednesday? It was a mommy makeover episode focused on frumpy moms who spend their lives in baggy sweatshirts, bad jeans, overalls, pajama bottoms, no makeup, ponytail – you know the look! Certainly, after Oprah’s intervention, the ladies not only looked stylish, but felt confident and vibrant. One of the moms made the comment that she realized that it’s OK and important to spend time on herself. In a funny way, wardrobe is part of wellness – I’d say emotional wellness. It’s so easy to schlep around in sweats – hey I’m just running to the grocery store and picking up the kids from school, why spend any effort on getting fixed up. I think all moms are guilty of this – me included!

Just as healthy eating and exercise gives you energy and confidence, so does fixing yourself up. I know it takes some time to blow out that hair, but after I do it, I sure do have a little more swagger in my step than when I just throw it in a ponytail. I’m super diligent about fitness and nutrition, but I admit that I can get lazy in this department. I’ve been making a conscious effort this year to routinely blow out my hair, and wear “real clothes” – which for me means non-fitness apparel. It’s so hard, but even though it seems like a pain, I’ve really started to turn the corner. I do feel more pretty and more confident when I take the time to wear makeup, style my hair and put on a cute outfit.

What’s your wardrobe situation like? I have had several giggles with girlfriends about the mom’s closest from the Oprah episode. I think our favorite quote was something like, “1987 is calling and it wants its clothes back!” It’s really about establishing a routine, just like with working out or eating healthy. The more you do it, the better you feel, the momentum builds, you feel outstanding and there’s no going back to bad old habits.