Summer Confidence

Summer is the main time of year where the sun comes out and so do the shorts, dresses, bikinis etc. and it can be really hard to be confident at the same time as being comfortable.

Sometimes the summer heat is very hot, even in the UK it can be very warm *she says sarcastically* no, it can sometimes to be honest. So, as a result of the warm weather, we have to wear clothing that keeps us cool. I think this is really hard for a lot of people because sun and heat often means showing off a little more skin than usual and that's hard for everyone. There's always a time when everyone has thought or felt they didn't look good in something, or didn't want to show their legs or belly for whatever reason. So, I want to discuss today how to stay confident and comfortable in summer! Because although we want to feel confident in what we're wearing, we also have to be comfortable and wearing all black everything sometimes isn't the best in the heat!

How Do I Stay Confident In Summer?...

I think a lot of people assume that I'm an extremely body-confident person because in summer, and sometimes in the cooler months, I wear skirts, shorts, crop tops etc. However, there are times when I really don't feel that confident in what I'm wearing, even if I look it. If I don't feel 100% confident in a crop top, shorts, dress whatever, I try to ignore it and just get on with it and tell myself I do look good and that outfit will keep me cool and get me a tan at the same time. Often, that's enough to get me out the door and feel good in it. However, having said that this doesn't always happen. Girls are known for changing their outfit 4 and 5 times before finally deciding on one outfit, sometimes even more, and that's what I do sometimes. 

I think it's important to try and make yourself feel confident in an outfit, but at the same time you shouldn't push yourself to wear something you aren't comfortable in. If you go out in a pair of shorts you feel shows off too much of your legs and can't get that thought out of your head, whatever you are doing that day will suck because all you'll be thinking about is how you look. Wear what you are comfortable in, but make sure it is weather appropriate. 

Another way I stay confident in summer is exercise. I have recently been going to the gym quite a lot and I have also frequently been doing ab exercises and work outs at home in my bedroom. It might not sound like it would bring confidence, but you'd be surprised at how much it helps. You may not notice any physical changes, but mentally you know that you've worked hard to wear that dress, and you look damn good in it. Sometimes just knowing you've tried to tone up or whatever you wanted to do is enough, even if it hasn't worked as well as you'd hoped. My plan this summer was to have a fully toned stomach, I've worked for it because I've done more ab workouts than I've ever done before, but it hasn't exactly shown the results I had seen in my head. But, you have to remember sometimes the vision you have in your head of how you want to look isn't possible. For example, I still look at models in magazines and say 'I wish my stomach looked that good' and then I remember, theirs probably doesn't even look that good. I guess the key to what I'm saying here is to mentally boost your confidence, with a few physical changes. 

What Outfits Do I Feel Comfortable And Confident In?

So in this section of the post, I'm going to select a few random photos from various times, even various years, of summer outfits that I've worn and felt confident in and hopefully this will show you how you can stay cool, and be confident all at the same time!

So here's the first outfit which I wore a couple of weeks ago when I went to the beach with my friends for the day. Here all I'm wearing is a little white halterneck crop top from Primark and a pair of thin cotton floral shorts, also from Primark. I'm starting off in the deep end here with a crop top and shorts but I feel really confident in this outfit because I think the top goes with the shorts really well and I generally like the outfit all together. If you like it, why are you contemplating wearing it? 

Okay so this is quite an old photo of me - really going through the old Facebook profile pics for this - but I think it's a really good one for confidence and comfort in summer. The Jack Daniels tank top is quite covering, just a little bit of arms and chest on show and having it tucked into my denim shorts from Primark, which I no longer own, makes it feel and look like it's covering even more. I also put tights on with this which means my legs aren't on show but it also means they don't get too hot!

Another really old one, apologies you can't see my face, although I'm not entirely sure that's a bad thing... Anyway, I love this dress but sadly it doesn't fit me anymore, this photo was taken about 2 and a half years ago! It's a super cute floral pattern and the frills make it look even cuter! It was quite a short dress but it was super comfortable and it kept me cool when it was really hot so it did it's job! 

So, there's a few outfits that I felt really comfortable in but also very confident about myself!

How Can YOU Stay Confident AND Comfortable This Summer?

So finally I want to just give some general tips on how to be confident and comfortable just to sum this post up! 

If you like an outfit, wear it. You wear clothes for yourself, no one else.

Be mentally confident. You do look good, I promise.

Only wear what YOU feel comfortable in. If you really don't, don't wear it.

Try to step out of your comfort zone at least once, even if it's only a little bit.

Stop thinking about it.

Do something that will make you feel better about it, e.g. exercise or healthy eating.

Do some research about your figure, work out what figure you have and find clothes that suit that style! I find it really helps!

And that's about it I guess! I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope it gave you some confidence to step out of your clothing comfort zone this summer!

What do you do to stay confident?

Love, Becca

-xoxo

This post is part of a little blogger series I'm taking part in called the "Secret Blogger Project 2015" run by teen bloggers Emily, Rebekka and Charlotte. About 30 of us will be writing twice a week on selected little lifestyle topics and you can also go onto the Twitter and Instagram hashtag "#secretbp2015" to have a little chat and view everyone's posts. If you would like to join or know more (we'd love to have you!) Instagram DM @theperks0fbeingemily or if you don't have Instagram, send a quick email to rebekkarosebeautyxo@gmail.com.