I have heard many people talk about the importance of looking nice for a job interview or the first day of class, statistics about how a person judges and forms an opinion of you within seconds of meeting you. But a more important aspect of the benefits of dressing up that I don’t feel is often enough discussed is how it can affect your self-esteem.

Something my mother really emphasized in my education while growing up was the importance of always dressing up for yourself.

I was the little girl in school with a bow bigger than her head, the one tripping over her new dress, and in later years the one that kept a hairbrush in her backpack.

This may sound shallow, but I think this part of my education shaped me into who I am today, and most importantly taught me the importance of looking nice for yourself. This has helped me focus more on what I think of myself as opposed to what others do because if I am always dressing nicely, I won’t dress up to impress anyone but myself, and that, I believe, is who I should be aiming to impress anyway!

Why shouldn’t we aim to be our best selves in all aspects of our lives, including in how we look? Even if at times I may not be feeling my best, or be satisfied with certain aspects of my body, at least I have the comfort and pleasure of knowing that I am trying, that I am actively working towards being my best self in this aspect.

I believe this actually reflects on other parts of my life and motivates me to take on more opportunities and improve myself in other aspects, and for this reason, I think that everyone should at least try dressing up all the time for a week.

And I don’t mean wearing heels or a suit everywhere, but simply wearing clothes that make you feel good about yourself, that don’t have stains or are rumpled (I know, I also hate ironing) and that you haven’t used as pajamas the night before (unless you are late for class). Who knows, you might find yourself feeling more confident and put together, or condemn me as shallow and vain for giving this advice.