Empowerment Through Your Wardrobe

Getting dressed each morning can be daunting, from choosing an outfit to feeling good in your clothes. With fashion trends rapidly changing, keeping up with what is in style feels impossible.

Nancy Dilts, a wardrobe consultant in the Twin Cities, says trends are not essential, but choosing the ones that resonate with you while building your style will help you feel the most authentic and confident in yourself.

The driving force behind Dilts starting her business was What Not to Wear with Stacy London and Clinton Kelly, a reality television show where people could nominate family members or friends to receive a makeover from them on the show.

She said London’s method, in particular, played a pivotal role in embracing her own body.

“How she talked with her clients just sort of resonated with me, so I started to practice some of the things that they were talking about on that show,” Dilts said. “It was dressing myself in a way that showed that I cared about myself and that I didn’t want to be invisible.”

Since she was young, Dilts remembers having a negative body image and trying to hide in her clothes. It wasn’t until she had her daughter 20 years ago that she decided to change that.

“I realized I did not want her to have the same feelings around her body that I had for pretty much my whole life,” Dilts said.

For her daughter to not internalize the same negative messages she had received, Dilts said she needed to do the work to embrace her body. She said wearing different clothes was transformative for her and changed her mindset about her body.

Dilts works with her clients to create a positive body image using their style and a sustainable wardrobe. Before starting her business, she spent almost 20 years in environmental education and continues to practice a sustainable lifestyle. 

Making the most out of your closet and shopping at consignment stores is how Dilts helps her clients build their wardrobes. She said shopping at consignment stores allows you to get the same high-quality clothing as retail but at an affordable price and it’s also environmentally sustainable.

When building a good wardrobe, Dilts said finding the right cuts, colors, and styles that help you feel authentic in yourself is the way to go. Finding clothes that fit well on your body matters the most, regardless of your body type.

“You don’t have to only wear a certain thing just because you’ve been told your body is a certain shape,” Dilts said. “It’s about finding the right balance of lines for your unique body.”

Dilts said she is a fan of the Pantone seasonal color palettes and uses them for herself and her clients. Pantone is the industry standard for color in fashion and they create yearly fall/winter and spring/summer palettes. 

“Those are going to drive the colors that are really in style and are going to help you feel contemporary,” Dilts added.

She said to look for green, red and metallics for your wardrobe. Finding accessories and classic pieces in color can help you stay on trend without having to wear those colors all the time.

Investing in high-quality staples is essential. Dilts said you want to find clothing that will last through multiple seasons. She said to choose base garments like jeans, pants, plain t-shirts, and a quality jacket that can dress up an outfit if needed.

Dilts said it is important to find the right clothing that reflects who you are, especially for nonbinary and transgender people.

“It can be hard to figure out, especially if you are figuring all that out as an adult who has been living one way for a long time and then shifting,” Dilts said. “It’s a whole new, not just mindset, but also an understanding of ‘how do clothes fit my body?’”

She encourages her clients to try something different, whether exploring a different style or identity.

“On a day that you’re at home, where the stakes aren’t high, try wearing it for just two or three hours and see how it feels,” Dilts said. “Then you can change your clothes if it doesn’t feel right.”

As summer is approaching, Dilts shared her advice for creating a summer wardrobe that you’ll look and feel good in.

For women’s wear, she said having a fun summer dress, if that’s your style, is a great piece to have and can help you stay cool during the day.

Some necessary pieces are a denim jacket, cropped jeans, and cropped wide-leg pants. Dilts said women of all ages should embrace high-rise pants as they’re great for every body type and also branch out to get them in fun colors.

“Have fun with the tops,” Dilts recommended. “Choose some bright prints or colors, don’t be afraid to express your personality.”

Shorts with a five or six-inch inseam suit almost all body types and ages, according to Dilts.

She added, “a pair of comfort sandals, a pair of white sneakers, and a pair of fun flip-flops” are all the shoes you need this summer. Ditch the heels and go comfy!

“Wear the bikini no matter your body type, no matter your age,” Dilts added. “Do not feel like you have to hide your body.”

For men’s wear, she suggested shorts above the knee, a good pair of jeans, and light-colored chino pants.

“Choose something fun like red or a light gray, don’t be afraid to use color,” Dilts said. “Men should absolutely enjoy color just as much as women.”

A lightweight sport coat, fun print shirts, a knit polo shirt, and several short-sleeved button-up print shirts along with white sneakers and driving moccasins will set you up for the summer, Dilts said.

Although there are a lot of androgynous brands, Dilts said they are expensive, but thrifting and shopping consignment can help because even if you need tailoring, it would still be less than the retail price.

Dilts’ process begins with a complimentary initial consultation and various packages ranging from one shopping trip to a deep dive for a year.

Dilts said it’s important to her that this process helps people learn to embrace their bodies or the bodies they are meant to have. Feeling good in your clothing radiates confidence to those around you, paving the way for you to reach your goals.

“Having experienced such awful feelings about my body for so long, it’s the greatest gift for me to be able to help others,” Dilts said.