Dressing Well : The Transformation Effect
Written by CharlotteSTYLE // January 6, 2012 // Blogs, Personal Style // No comments
At the risk of sounding superficial, I am going to share my opinions with you about your daily dress routine. I am a firm believer that a person feels better about themselves and more confident about their day when they put a little effort into their outfit. Dressing well is what I like to call the transformation effect.
Call me old fashioned, but when did jeans and sweatshirts become business casual? Scratch that, when did jeans and sweat pants become anything except yard work attire? Now, I am the first to admit you may occasionally find me at the grocery store in yoga pants, but it’s either a midnight snack run, or I have the flu. Being a recently college graduate and new to the professional world, busy has completely redefined itself. It’s easy place your needs on the back burner when life gets in the way and I am not saying you need to look like you’re ready to step onto the red carpet every morning, but a little effort goes a long way. By taking the time out of your morning to compile a put together outfit demonstrates self discipline and demands respect of others. Not only does it nonverbally speak measures to others, it delivers that extra boost of confidence, the transformation effect. Any time I had a phone interview, I would dress up in professional attire. I know they could not see me, but it placed me into that “in person interview” mindset. I am well aware of those days you would rather not get dressed, especially after a long work week or running after children, but I throw on a pair of jeans, pointed-toe flats and a comfortable blouse. It’s just as easy as slipping on those sweats and hoodie, and easier than lacing up those tennis shoes.
In the past year I have really begun to develop my personal style and appreciate fashion as an art form and understood its importance in society. I have noticed a huge transition from the college t-shirts girl I used to be and person I have evolved into now. It is not about being superficial or spending a ton of money, it is about representing yourself as a put together individual that deserves to be taken seriously in the world.
A life-long fat girl, Sommer Johnson decided to strap on some fancy tennis shoes, wrestle into a sports bra that would likely be one size too small (they always are--that's what you get with big boobs), and go on a 38 week journey to run the Peachtree Road Race. In the midst of trying to find her healthier self, she found that her struggle was not all that rare. Between the full-figured audience of her online publication, Gemini Magazine, and friends who were rowing up the fat river with no paddle, Sommer decided to share her journey to help women like her get past their fears (and get moving--literally). A runner newbie, Insanity graduate, Turbofire enthusiast, and foodie experimenter, Sommer Johnson is a 32 year old mother of 2 and wife of 1 who lives in Atlanta, GA.
