2 Steps to Fix Your Style (Without Buying a Single Thing)

If you want to dress better in 2026, don't start with your credit card. Start with your head.

"Reset, Detox, Change." That is the vibe every January, isn’t it?

I know it can be exhausting and overwhelming, especially coming off the back of a "holiday" period that, let’s be honest, is rarely a holiday. (If you are a working parent, you know exactly what I mean: it’s logistics, not leisure).

But here is a cold, hard fact: feeling rubbish about yourself saps vital energy. And what you say or think about yourself has a direct correlation to how you feel in your clothes.

This isn't a groundbreaking revelation, but I am here to tell you that if you want to ‘fix your style,’ you have to start with your mindset.

The Logic: Why your feelings affect your fashion

You might wonder why a stylist is talking about feelings rather than fabrics. Here is the reality of how our brains handle our wardrobes:

1. Stress = Bad Style Choices When you’re feeling tense, self-critical, or under pressure, it’s much harder to make good decisions. That’s often when shopping becomes rushed, reactive, or driven by comparison. It is why new pieces can end up feeling wrong once they’re actually in your wardrobe—because you bought them to fix a feeling, not to fit your life.

2. Calm = Intentional Style Taking a moment to steady your mindset isn’t about being overly or annoyingly positive. Instead, it’s simply about creating enough mental space to choose more intentionally. When you’re calmer and less judgmental, you’re better able to notice what actually suits your life, your body, and your preferences rather than reaching for what you think is expected of you.

So, for 2026, I am not asking you to purge your closet. I am asking you to try these two mental shifts.

Step 1: The Daily Anchor

Your first mission is simple. I want you to overwrite the internal criticism with something neutral or positive.

The Task: Write down one positive thing to say to yourself about how you look or feel, and repeat it for a whole month.

How to do it:

• Say it daily: At least once a day.

• In your head is fine: Out loud is better, but if you feel silly, saying it internally works too.

• Habit stack it: Attach it to something you do every day so you don't forget. Write it on a Post-it and stick it to your bathroom mirror. When you brush your teeth, say the words in your head.

Need inspiration? Pick one of these:

• I am allowed to take up space exactly as I am today.

• Getting dressed can feel supportive, not stressful.

• My body is not a problem to be fixed.

• I am learning to trust my choices, one step at a time.

• I deserve clothes that feel good and look good.

• I can show up without being perfect.

• Small shifts create real change in how I feel.

• I do not need to rush to make myself feel great quickly.

• I am proud of myself for trying to make a change to how I feel.

• I am building confidence through care, not criticism.

Step 2: The 10-Minute Swap

This is where we move from saying to processing.

The Challenge: Swap 10 minutes of phone scrolling for 10 minutes of journaling.

The Skeptic's Note (Please Read!): If you are an "anti-journalist," then this one may sound hard. I get it. I used to live in my head so much that the thought of "bloody journaling" was a joke. Who has the time? And it won't make a difference to me because I already have too much on my plate!

I completely understand if this is you, but I promise I am a convert.

Why it works: Journaling helps because it slows your thinking down. When thoughts stay in your head, they often feel louder and more critical than they really are. Writing them down creates space and perspective, and this awareness makes it easier to make choices.

The Payoff: Apply this to your wardrobe and it will ease stress. You will start to choose looks that suit your life, your body, and your style, rather than reacting out of doubt or habit.

Your Goal for January

Your goal is not to have a perfect wardrobe by the end of the month. Your goal is simply to be mindful of the way you are thinking and feeling.

That's it. No diets, no spending sprees. Just a little more space for yourself. Small shifts create real change.

It is a cold hard fact that what you say or think about yourself has a direct correlation to how to feel - This is not ground-breaking revelation, I know, but I am here telling you that if you want to ‘fix your style’ you should start with your mindset.

Love as always,

Jess

p.s. Feel free to book in for a free chat to discuss how you can imbed these practices - I’d love to help you.