The JOY of Dressing Up If you’re someone who enjoyed playing dress up as a kid, you might remember how endless the possibilities felt. You could be a mermaid, a firefighter, or, in my case, the most sparkly pink princess around. I would spend hours in costume, bringing my wand and tiara with me wherever I went. In recent years, there’s been a lot of focus on inner child work- the idea that empathising and connecting with the little human you used to be can teach you to be kinder to yourself, and improve your happiness in an adult world. This can involve taking part in activities you used to love when you were young: and I think that having fun with fashion is a great way of exploring this concept within your everyday life. Have a look at your wardrobe and imagine you’re playing dress up again - who do you fancy playing today? Maybe a powerful business woman, or a tomboyish farmhand? How does it make you feel when you’re dressed up that way? I’ve found dressing up in the morning is so much more free when you’re treating it in such a playful way. I find it can be powerful if you’re in a rut with your personal style (the saying ‘dress for the job you want, not the one you have’ comes to mind). It’s helped me develop a stronger sense of taste- to work out my clothing values and find a more unique way to dress myself. Another way of incorporating this mindset into your wardrobe could be to go through everything, and ask yourself if this would make your younger self happy. I’ve made sure to always have a couple of sparkly necklaces on hand for whenever I need a little childlike joy in my life. Of course I can’t know for sure if this’ll work for you. Clothing is something deeply personal to the wearer, whether they realise it or not. It can be a source of comfort or confidence, so I can’t simply tell you that this’ll fix your wardrobe crisis. But there’s no harm in trying it out- maybe a fresh perspective was what you needed all along. Let us know if you have any ways of using fashion to bring yourself joy! Kisses from PD Dolly Sasha xxxxxxx