When did dressing become such an effort? Gone are the days when we would just put a simple skirt and shirt on. Now, we as women are forced into a psychological nightmare most mornings when dressing for work. We know there is a recognized clinical connection between dressing well and the feel good factor. Slowly released in the brain is a hormone called serotonin, which creates a feeling of well-being and comfort, crazy to think dressing well, can do this to us.
Sad to believe but over 70% of women would like to change something about the way they look, either their noses, their bust or even their butts. Psychologists have put this down to constant exposure to the “Body Perfect”. Created over time, the fashion, beauty and advertising industries have forced women into believing that if they are not 5’7” and the perfect size 6 then they aren’t worthy of being called, or even feeling beautiful. Constant exposure to fashion magazines, television shows featuring the perfect woman and such like, are known to induce a negative body image to the majority of us, and in extreme cases this can lead to depression and certain conditions such as anorexia and bulimia.
What Body Image is and Why it Matters?
Our body image represents our feelings and thoughts towards ourselves. It’s imperative to maintain a positive body image if we don’t it can have a detrimental effect on our physical and psychological wellbeing. A positive body image indicates self-acceptance of whom we are which allows us to move forward with ease and confidence in all aspects of our lives.
It’s very easy to start beating ourselves up as you don’t feel as beautiful or as thin as your friends or peers. The more we focus on the parts of our body that we dislike the more unhappy we become, so I want to start encouraging women to see their inner beauty and in time, this will shift to recognizing their outer beauty as well.
I believe very strongly that my job as a fashion designer brings with it some responsibility and by that I mean I am in a fortunate position to have some influence over some of the women whom I dress. I can choose to expect them to conform to my fashion beliefs or I can do what seems to be abnormal in our industry and I can design clothes for the real women of this world to suit their wants and needs. I chose the latter. I believe my job is to create beautiful simple elegant clothes with a twist of unique styling that fit women perfectly. Combine that with un-paralleled customer service and a feel good factor and hey presto you have women who become their true selves.
So how can we create a positive body image?
Let’s start with some key easy tools to make you feel better. The most important place to start is to focus on the parts of your body you do like. Maybe it’s your eyes, your hair or your arms, everyone has a wonderful part of them, we just never think about it as we’re too obsessed focusing on the negative. Next, buy something that will enhance that part of your body! A new haircut, some new make up. Have a play and see how much better you feel just having done that simple task. Now let’s look at the taking that feeling one stage further. Look around at women who you admire, either for their career achievements or maybe they are great mums, or a lovely friend. Notice that these women have something special about them, and I can guarantee that it won’t be their bodies. Women with confidence shine beyond belief. You can spot them a mile a way. Their inner confidence is a like a beacon of light that guides you to their side.
Once you’ve established that these women are normal! It is the time to start looking at yourself and what your true potential is. You deserve to be the best you can be and that means being kind to yourself. Constant repetitive affirmations go a long way in loving yourself in order to cement that feeling of inner confidence and beauty. I do this every morning before I leave for work, I look in the mirror and I smile and just say YES, and with that I leave knowing that my clothes and myself are ready to take on the day.
The next stage is to treat yourself to something new, something that fits beautifully and maybe that costs a little more than you would normally spend. There is a method to my madness! In my experience when you spend a little more on something you love, you respect it and care about so much more to the extent that when you physically put it on you literally grow from inside out. This is the feeling that I want our clients to experience everyday of the week, whenever they put something on that they love.
At number35 our job is to create an Intelligent Wardrobe for all women from the 30 something ex college graduate who are starting out on their early career path to a 60 something grandmother who is still working at the job she loves. The one thing all our clients have in common is that they are all strong minded women who lead their lives from the front. I’m not saying they are all confident, far from it, but they all want to make the best of themselves and feel the best they can. They have learnt that creating their own Intelligent Wardrobe has given them the tools to do their jobs and run their lives with confidence.
We, at number35 are in the privileged position of dressing some of the most amazing women in the world, not celebrities but real women, with real lives, real kids and real problems. These women juggle husbands, careers and kids as well as travel, friends and hobbies. They have learnt that their clothes empower then from within and with some simple tools that we advise, feeling insecure becomes a thing of the past.
We have also been fortunate enough to dress some of the leading actresses on TV shows, such as The Good Wife, Limitless and HTGAWM. What we find interesting is that all us women are the same. When Daniel Lawson the Costume designer of The Good Wife puts our number35 designs onto Christine Baranski (Diane from TGW) she stands a certain way, which tells Dan that she is empowered by that particular outfit. Thankfully the majority of the time when she wears something from number35 she feels that way. That is our goal: we want all women to feel that way whatever age, whatever they wear.
Our latest venture is about empowering new young Entrepreneurs. When I was starting in my career I struggled to find clothes that worked for me. All I wanted were simple elegant clothes that fit, enhanced my shape and looked chic from early morning to late evening. Unable to come across these critical pieces, I decided to create them myself. Going on 10 years now, today number35 provides simple elegant clothing that fits, for all women.
Number35’s Entrepreneurs Wardrobe is designed to give young women a helping hand to climb their ladder with an elegant wardrobe and some key tools necessary for growth and success, at a fraction of our normal sales price. I remember what clothes I missed when I started my journey so now it’s my turn to give back.
To conclude I hope some of what you have read will resonate and help you think differently about how you perceive yourself. We are all capable of growing no matter what age or stage of our life.
Designer Bio: Andrea Cecile
Andrea Cecile Cohen is an artist, entrepreneur and champion of female empowerment. Both the founder and designer of womenswear line number35, she has since 2005 made it a mission to create smart clothes that above all, are designed to fit, allowing the wearer to function with absolute ease and the utmost self-confidence. Her design hallmarks include employment of exclusive, hard-to-find fabrics, and keen attention to detail. Andrea’s pristine pieces are most common to the closets of the chic and career-focused.
The daughter and granddaughter of Yorkshire menswear magnates, Andrea had an early introduction to the importance and intricacies of “the fit”. Over time she developed a clear philosophy for her own enterprise; to provide exquisitely cut and tailored individual designs delivered by means of exceptional service.
Before going it alone, Andrea spent much of her career working in the luxury home retail sector managing product development, sales and marketing. Some of these stints included such esteemed organizations as Czech & Speake and Royal Auping.
As a successful businesswoman the wardrobe dilemma facing professional women had never been more apparent. Impassioned by the potential of this new niche market, she enrolled in clothing design and manufacturing courses, and upon completion, immediately went to work. In 2005 she opened number35 showroom in Highgate Village, followed by a second in Fulham Road, in 2008.
Continuing her crusade to encourage and empower, in 2011, Andrea introduced The Body Forum™, a comprehensive style seminar for individuals and women in the workplace, offering practical advice and tips on how to dress with confidence while embracing one’s shape and size.
Andrea Cecile currently resides in London, England.