The Hardest Style Lesson To Learn?
Dressing For Yourself – And Not For Others

By: Hannah-Rose Yee

There’s a switch that happens, often, when you get a little older, and wiser. You stop caring about what other people think.

Your early twenties are often a hotbed of anxiety and stress, agonising over what is right and what’s wrong, and what people will think about the decisions you make. It’s true of the choices that we make in our personal lives, in our career and in our wardrobes. Our founder here at The UNDONE, Sara Crampton, has said as much recently: she spent much of her early twenties trying to copy the fashion pack and emulate trends. The result was a wardrobe full of clothes that felt wrong, and a nagging sense that she didn’t really know who she was.

But like most things in life, it gets easier as you get older, and a little wiser. With wisdom comes confidence and conviction, and with those two comes the potential to know yourself in a deeper, more meaningful fashion. Instead of wondering what everyone else is wearing, you start thinking about what you like. Instead of worrying about what people will think of your outfit, you start caring about what you think about your outfit. You start prioritising how you feel in your clothes, and not what other people are thinking about you. (Ah, your thirties. The benefits of getting older!)

The reality, which you learn as you get older, is that most of the time people aren’t thinking about you at all. Everyone is walking their own path and navigating their own anxieties. Concerns about other people laughing at your outfit choices behind your back are, most often, completely baseless. But it doesn’t change the fact that these anxieties feel very real, and it doesn’t make them any less powerful a force to overcome.

So how can you learn one of the most difficult style lessons? That is: learning to dress for yourself and not for others?

Firstly, and it might seem silly, but with all things confidence related, it helps to have a mantra. In order to put other people far out of mind, repeat a few empowering words or phrases to yourself, such as you are enough. Remember that the only person that matters when it comes to getting dressed is you. And you are enough. You are more than enough.

From there, it’s about treading the same path we often advise here at The UNDONE. Take stock of your wardrobe and think about the pieces that bring you the most joy. What are the clothes that you love wearing the most? What is it about them that you love? Is it the fit of the piece? The silhouette? The fabric? How do you feel when you wear these pieces?

Once you have identified these emotions and these sentiments, it’s all about recreating them throughout your wardrobe. The mission of The UNDONE is to help you create a curated capsule collection of your own, full of things that feel good when you wear them. We want you to be able to reach into your closet and know that everything you’ll pull out will make you feel great, will look great, and will be part of your style rotation for years to come. We want you to have the confidence that everything you own serves a purpose in your life.

For our founder Sara, the realisation was that she felt the best in pieces in black, white and neutrals, cut in minimalist styles that were classic, understated and elegant. Through high quality fabrics and elevated detailing, these pieces were more than they appeared, and always made Sara feel confident and dressed for the day ahead. Instead of chasing the endless roundabout of trends, Sara settled into this style that made her feel most like herself, seeking out brands that offered pieces that adhered to her style creed and were elevated, yet still simple, classic yet still modern.

And these are the brands that you will find on The UNDONE today. So if you’ve been trying to settle into your fashion groove, and stop dressing for others and start dressing for yourself – have a look around the site. We believe in our mission and want to help everyone on their own fashion journey. Because once you stop dressing for others and start prioritising yourself, everything falls into place.