6 Wardrobe Tips To Transform Women From Ordinary to Extraordinary

One of my favorite pastimes is watching make-over shows. I sometimes cry when I see the woman who looked so ordinary step out totally transformed. Why do I react so emotionally? I used to be like one of those women. I believed that what mattered was my inner beauty. I took my appearance for granted. I paid little attention to the aesthetics of my appearance. I would wear black trousers and any top would go with it. I worked in a sector where I was not allowed the luxury of bright colors and that made it easier for me to be the way I was. My suits were black, brown or navy blue and so were my shoes. My hair was problematic and always flying around. My facial skin was perpetually oily. But I never bothered to do anything about it.

I came into the faith fold and the message was even stronger, ‘the Lord loves you just as you are’. I focused on getting to know God and understanding my new found faith. I got into service and every spare moment was spent finding expression for my faith. I did not do anything about my outward appearance. After all, He looks at the heart. My only problem was that I did not like the results I was getting in my everyday social life. I would always be overlooked, despite my inner Godly beauty, selfless service and great performance at work. They did not matter when we were out socializing or even at work. I saw other women get good things of life. I saw women I felt I was nicer, godlier and more intelligent than get along having the best life had to offer- better jobs, better dates (and eventually husbands), better opportunities and I could not fathom it.

Then I recognized what my problem was and decided to do something about it. I realized that my outward appearance would augment the beautiful, godly and intelligent inward person. I understood that they ought to go together. I did not have to give up one for the other. I changed my tactics and saw myself transform from bland and ordinary to the woman people wanted to identify with and emulate.  I liked the new me. I enjoyed this new experience. I have since become an advocate of women taking the two sides-the inward and outward, and making the best of them. That is what this article is about. These are some tips for any woman who wants to make that transition from ordinary to extraordinary. 

MAKE THE DECISION TO BECOME EXTRAORDINARY

When God created the woman He made her very beautiful. He never intended for her to be ordinary. He wanted her to look good. He always described His people as a woman. That is why even the Church is being beatified for the Lamb’s marriage feast. He referred to Israel as a woman in Jeremiah 16:8-14 and He beautified her. 'I came by again and saw you, saw that you were ready for love and a lover. I took care of you, dressed you and protected you. I promised you my love and entered the covenant of marriage with you. I, God, the Master, gave my word. You became mine.  I gave you a good bath, washing off all that old blood, and anointed you with aromatic oils.  I dressed you in a colorful gown and put leather sandals on your feet. I gave you linen blouses and a fashionable wardrobe of expensive clothing.  I adorned you with jewelry: I placed bracelets on your wrists, fitted you out with a necklace, emerald rings, sapphire earrings, and a diamond tiara.  You were provided with everything precious and beautiful: with exquisite clothes and elegant food, garnished with honey and oil. You were absolutely stunning. You were a queen!  You became world-famous, a legendary beauty brought to perfection by my adornments. Decree of God, the Master’.  

The Message Bible version makes it sound like ‘How do I look’, one of my favorite make over shows. It is His desire that every woman named after Him be extraordinary- beautiful, inside out, a woman who is able to take all the attributes of her life-the inward and outward, the spiritual and physical, and combine them to be the best she can be for God and man. God is in the business of helping His woman to make that transition every day.

TAKE A CRITICAL LOOK

Most women simply don’t look at themselves enough. This could be because they don’t particularly like what they see, could not care less or are too busy with their lives to stop and look. However any woman who has made the decision to become extraordinary needs to take a good look at herself and ask a few questions. What do I need to change about my appearance? What do I really want to look like? What do I need to do to make this desired change?  She needs to start from her head and look closely-her hair, skin, weight, face, neck, arms, hands, torso, legs, ankles, all the way down to her feet. Then she needs to take a look at her wardrobe. She should look at every item from underwear to the clothes and ask herself which of the pieces that will not make the extraordinary. 

Finally, the woman who wants to become extraordinary should have the courage to part ways with items in her wardrobe that will not compliment her new status, no matter how attached she is to it. 

PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF REQUIREMENTS 

The good thing is that though a woman may not pay much attention to her appearance, she recognizes another woman who does. That is why women like Naomi Campbell, Kimora Lee, Beyonce are recognized as beautiful, glamorous and extraordinary. Many women aspire to look like them. So every woman has a vague idea of what she would like to look like. There is more than enough information for any woman who wants outward transformation-magazines, internet, television. What kind of information are we talking about? She would need to know current fashion trends-the styles, colors, where to get them and most importantly, the best prices. 

When drawing up a list, the things to consider are your general lifestyle-clothes for work, play, cocktails, dinners etc. The list must be versatile enough to mix and match and still look good for the different occasions. 

This list should not overlook anything-clothes, shoes, accessories, underwear, make-up, hair pieces, the whole works. To look extraordinary, the whole thing must work together, nothing excessive, but just enough of everything. 

DO A BODY ANALYSIS

It is one thing to put together a list, but any woman who wants to make this transition must know what works for her body shape, hair type, facial structure, height, even her body smell. This means that not every piece of apparel, hairpiece or accessory will suit her. Not every color will work well for her. Any woman who wants to look good will have to understand what works for her body and buy clothes based on that understanding. 

A very slim woman should not wear the same clothes as a fat one. A tall woman should not really wear the same clothes as a short woman. There should be slight variations. A slim short woman who wears her hair short should get slightly different clothes from another woman who is plump, short and wears her hair long. Every woman should look out for these differences and take note of them before shopping for clothes. Sometimes she may require professional help to determine what really suits her. Then she is ready to go to the shops. 

DON’T FORGET SKIN CARE

A woman’s skin is very much a part of her outward appearance, not just clothes, shoes and accessories.  No matter how well she is dressed, poor looking skin will spoil the overall effect. So in making this transition it is important to get skin care products as well, with your budget in mind. Facial skin care would require a cleanser, toner and moisture. Regular treatments are also necessary to keep the skin glowing. Body lotions or moisturizers are required for the skin to look good. Regular manicures and pedicures would keep the extremities looking good, even if as a woman, she still has to cut vegetables wash dishes and take care of laundry. A little perfume and body spray is also part of the deal. All in all it is important not to forget that skin care is part of this transition from ordinary to extraordinary. 

TIME TO GO SHOPPING

Armed with adequate information, she can decide exactly what she wants to do, depending on her budget. It is important to remember that it takes time to build a good wardrobe on a budget. The important thing is that there is a list which is a guide to shopping. As long as a woman is not impulsive, she will eventually build a wardrobe that will make her look extraordinary. 

Fashion changes at the speed of light. So it makes sense to start with styles that are evergreen, and work despite new trends. For example the Little Black Dress (LBD) will always look good no matter the style. There are several variations of the LBD, classic and trendy. With a limited budget, gradually move towards more trendy pieces. 

Another thing to note is that shopping for good clothes takes time. Many women get to the shops and don’t really take the time to get good bargains and rare pieces. It is wise not to go to the shops after work when she is tired and hungry. It is not wise for a woman to go shopping for clothes when her children are waiting to be picked up in school, or her husband is home and has not had dinner. Being in a hurry means she won’t be able to take the time to really look for the best she can get on her budget.

Sometimes it even makes sense to just browse through the shops and come back a few days later to actually buy the clothes. That way she would have thought through the process and is truly ready to make the purchases. 

AFTERMATH OF SHOPPING

Something happens in the psyche of a woman when she believes she is beautiful. Her entire gait changes. Her style, smile and personality transforms. She walks with her head up. She can’t hide it. She becomes more confident. I don’t think it’s the clothes, I believe it is the realization that she has become who she really wants to be- the extraordinary woman. 

It is one thing to be intelligent and capable and another to be intelligent, capable and also beautiful. She just feels better about herself and so does everybody else. Her husband, children, employers, other family members like the new woman. She becomes more of an asset and everybody is proud of her. I see that all the time on the make-over shows. Some people are so happy, they cry. 

In summary, I have seen great women overlooked simply because they don’t look their best. They lose opportunities that could have blessed them. Someone could argue that the heart is what matters and I totally agree. However, the heart not getting noticed at all just because it is not well packaged amounts to wasting God given resources. Women must make the best of everything God has given them. That way we can truly determine the value the woman brings to the table. That is why God desires that we all be extraordinary. He does not want us working on the outward at the expense of the inward neither does He want the reverse, just a good balance of the two. I believe that is the only way we can truly maximize our womanhood.