Stuck in a Style Rut?

According to research just out two thirds of us British women are stuck in a style rut because we lack the confidence to change our image. There were some fascinating finds; we’ve focused on the key ones.

Let’s start with the top 10 style barriers for us:

Current style is comfy
Can’t afford salon trips
Worried it won’t suit me
Not enough time to style myself
Don’t want to risk cutting hair another way
I’ve always had this style
I’d be nervous trying a new hair colour
I love my current style
I’m not confident styling myself
I don’t know how to create new styles

The most interesting points from the research are as follows:

The average woman has had their current hairstyle for a staggering six years and 153 days, while nearly half have had the same hair style since they were a teenager.

One in three said they were suffering a ‘hair rut’, while sixty per cent feel they never changed the way they dress or do their makeup.

Over a third fear they won’t be able to pull off an image change, with many worried about how their partner might respond or whether other women would judge them.

Most women keep the same hairstyle for work and play, with 75 per cent admitting they sport a similar style for different occasions like business meetings, parties or even dates.

70 per cent believe the right ‘do’ makes them feel more attractive while a quarter were convinced it could help them to be taken more seriously as a professional.

Many are convinced image plays a big part when it comes to success- a quarter of the study thought they had been held back in life by a lack of confidence to change their look, either for a job interview or date.

Seeing themselves in old photos has caused four out of ten women to re-think the way they look, while many others have been rocked by comments from a friend or partner.

So, what advice can we give you…

Confidence comes gradually, and with happiness. The first hurdle is to make yourself happier by changing the way you think. Start exercising, lose a few pounds, commit to fix whatever you are unhappy about and get to it.

Hiring a personal stylist for an initial session or download your personal online style guide and you’ll start learning the secrets to dressing for your body shape. Once you start appreciating the style theory and experimenting, you’ll start to gain a little confidence. Sometimes it’s easier to put your style into a professional’s hands – not all of us have that creative eye, enough to appreciate what looks good and bad anyway.

Change your image because you want to, not because you feel you have to.

Don’t think that by buying expensive clothing that you are going to make all the difference, that’s not how it works… certainly not in the long term anyway. Understand what shapes, colours and styles suit you and more importantly, you feel comfortable in and then hit the shops.