There is a learning curve to Dressing Your Truth! The learning curve is not in understanding the basic program of the 5 elements of Dressing Your Truth; the curve is learning “your way” within DYT. How to listen to your beauty sixth sense and bring your style together in a way that truly expresses you, true to your Type.
To help you move through that learning curve with more grace and ease, I asked each of the Dressing Your Truth Experts to share “what they wish they knew when they started Dressing Your Truth.” Share in a comment what you wish you had known and what you loved learning from your Type 1 Experts. -Carol
1. When you started Dressing Your Truth, what aspect of dressing true to your nature was most challenging? Looking back, what kind of advice would you give to someone in the same situation?
- Jaleah: The aspect of finding my own personal style. I really did not have a style before Dressing Your Truth. Clothing was more so a function of my day, rather than something I looked forward to or a way to express myself. My advice would be to take your time finding what YOU like. What aspects of Type 1 are perfect for you, and where do you need to implement your secondary Energy Type? It’s trial and error, so make the adjustments over time.
- Marcy: I concentrated so much on COLOR that I mostly ignored the other key elements. For example, after a few months I started noticing all the new wardrobe pieces that I just wasn’t wearing. It took several more months and another closet clearing before I finally paid attention to why some perfect Type 1-colored clothes weren’t working for me. I’ve learned that light weight fabric, medium-sized prints, a slight texture, no extreme color blocking, and crispness (especially in tops) are just as important as the colors. My advice: pay attention from the very beginning to ALL of the design elements.
- Stephanie: I initially typed myself as a Type 4, rather than the Type 1 that I am. Looking back, I realize that I spent several months “trying” to be a Type 4, and oftentimes seeming to succeed; and yet, I could not seem to reach that culminating moment in which I felt resolutely, in my soul, that this was who I am. It was not until I had an intuitive moment that I am actually a Type 1 that I understood why; and at that moment, my experience shifted from “trying” to be something to just being that which I already am. I will say, though, that I am grateful for the time I spent trying to be a Type 4 because I learned valuable lessons about myself during that time. So I would say to anyone in the same situation, it is absolutely okay to take a detour or two on this journey, because every step is an opportunity and a potential learning experience.
2. What aspect of dressing true to your nature was most exciting or came most naturally?
- Jaleah: The gold! I had a lot of silver jewelry, but I never loved those pieces. Silver was just “in”—so I bought silver. But knowing that gold was best for me and not worrying about what was “in” was very freeing.
- Marcy: The design lines. I had been feeling that things like rounded toe shoes and ballet flats, flared and flirty skirts, and bright colors weren’t “age-appropriate” for me anymore. It was so liberating to fill up my closet and drawers with “cute” stuff and wear it all with no apologies.
- Stephanie: Tints, tints, tints! I remember the day that I tried on a Type 1 blue-green blouse at a local store just shortly after coming to my realization that I was a Type 1. When I saw how much my face lit up in the mirror just from wearing a beautiful Type 1 tint, I actually remember thinking to myself: “Hey there, gorgeous! I’ve missed you! I was wondering where you’ve been!”
3. What advice would you give to a Type 1 woman who is just getting started in her Dressing Your Truth journey?
- Jaleah: Join (or remain with) Lifestyle, and watch the basic essential videos and written pieces that we created. These will give you such a great head start and make the transition so easy!
- Marcy: I think the most important thing on the road to Dressing Your Truth success is doing the WHOLE PACKAGE, right from the start. Don’t focus only on the clothes and decide you’ll think about hair style and color, accessories, and make-up later. The program works so much better when you invest the time and money to do it all. You can start with a minimalist approach and build on that—just get the basics. But do it head to toe.
- Stephanie: Be patient with yourself!! Dressing Your Truth is so much like learning to drive a car. In the beginning, you might feel like you are spending a lot of time just trying master basic skills, all of which are provided in the course materials. As you practice these skills, however, and as you practice applying these components of style in your life; you will find that Dressing Your Truth will start to become second nature to you. In the meantime, please be patient with yourself! You’ll get there!
4. What advice would you give to a woman who has been dressing her truth for a while now, 2+ years? How can she continue to develop and expand her style? What has helped you continue to develop your style over the years?
- Jaleah: Trial and error. Realizing that there are no SET rules. Just the rules that work for us. I love symmetrical stripes; that’s a Type 4 quality of pattern. But it works for me with my secondary 4! So I wear it often, and I love it! Also I don’t love colored pants. I want just clean, darker denim. I tried all the colored pants because I knew it was good for Type 1, but it wasn’t good for me. So I dropped it! Ah, freedom!
- Marcy: First, every so often take a look at what you wear most of the time. Do you have a favorite, most comfortable outfit that has become your go-to choice? If so, think about what you like most about that combo. Is it the color? easy maintenance? comfort? flattering cut and design lines? Chances are, what you come up with will be answers that include something from all or most of the elements of Dressing Your Truth. Next, be intentional about looking for more of the same, but in different seasonal options and different levels of dress. Make a long-term goal of acquiring at least a dozen of the basic clothing articles (shirts, pants/skirts, shoes, handbags) that you would say are a “10” on the awesome wardrobe scale! Keep the things you like, of course, that aren’t quite at the “10” level, but have a long term goal of eventually having everything in your closet a “10” – that will take more than a couple of years. I’m still working on it!
- Stephanie: One thing that has helped me to develop and expand my style has been to allow my secondary nature to support my primary type—both in the way I live my life and in my own personal, ever developing style. As a Type 1/2, this has translated stylistically into specific preferences within my Type 1 wardrobe. For example, this Type 1 loves a closet filled with Type 1 florals, cardigans, and soft, flowing materials —all in my favorite Type 1 tints— and I am finding myself investing less and less in stripes and tailored blazers in my own personal style. So feel free to personalize your style by accenting your secondary as well as your primary type.
Extra resources to support your Dressing Your Truth journey:
Hi! I think in the last question, Marcy’s and Stephanie’s answers are the other way around. Just to give you the heads up! 🙂
Marcy, I thought you were a 1/4. Did I remember that wrong?
Yes, she has always said she is a 1/4. I’m wondering if she has changed her mind or if that was someone else’s response that was incorrectly labeled as Marcy’s. I know I noticed that right away and wondered what was going on.
I think that they just accidentally switched Marcy and Stephanie’s comments. The last comment that’s marked as Stephanie’s sounds like something Marcy would suggest.
It does!
I love this, thank you! But I have a feeling that the answer attributed to Marcy for the last question was not actually Marcy!
I learned that the details are important. I realized that my jewelry was kinda-sorta Type 1 – the colors were right, but the size and design lines weren’t quite T1. So I went back to the T1 course and studied the jewelry section closely. Making the change to truly T1 jewelry made a huge difference in how I looked and felt as a Type 1.
Also, my hair wasn’t quite Type 1, even after I’d gotten a T1 pixie cut. My thick hair made it the pixie look like a heavy helmet. I wound up using thinning / texturizing shears to make my hairstyle light and with upward movement. What a difference that made in feeling and looking like my true Type 1 self!
One other thing that may make you feel like Type 1 isn’t working right on you: You may be working with the wrong secondary type. I thought my secondary was Type 2 for several months – and I felt tired, depressed, and finally realized that everything Type 2 is actually very unflattering and uncomfortable for me. I was trying too hard and couldn’t get my outfits to work on me. Once I realized my secondary is Type 4, it was the difference between night and day – it just feels intuitive and natural for me – and like everything is very open and clear now.
I hope this helps, if you’re struggling! 🙂
These are great tips! I am in my 2nd month of dyt so these are all very helpful tips! I especially liked Stephanie’s insights as a fellow 1/2. Maybe I won’t get a blazer, I’ve been feeling like I should try, but not really wanting to, ha ha. Everyone’s tips were great!
I think most challenging is finding T1 tints vs. T4 hues. Sometimes they’re just so close! Also, the often typical T1 tendency of second guessing our type, and thinking maybe we’re a different type because we do some aspect of life or style like one of the other types. I would also say if you’re just starting, focus on your primary energy type, allow your secondary to just pop up on it’s own.
Thank you so much for these thoughtful responses and tips!
Marcy gave the perfect analogy, that doing DYT is like learning to drive a car! It seems hard at first, but eventually you get the hang of it. And, thank you for the wisdom in your responses, Marcy — you are helping a LOT of lost T1s who have learned to behave as T4s to “fit in.”
I loved Stephanie’s response about incorporating your secondary energy into your style, and how she finds herself drawn less and less to certain T4 elements. I’m a 1/2 and totally relate. Living as a T4 for most of my life, I used to wear a lot of stripes, high-contrast outfits, and structured blazers. I’ve been doing DYT for more than a year and am still, even now, discovering that certain bold stripes just don’t honor my energy, but soft, flowy tops DO honor it. DYT is truly an ongoing learning process, even for those of us who have studied the material for a long time! Thank you for validating this, Stephanie!
I also related 100% to Jaleah’s answer about gold jewelry. I’ve always secretly loved gold, even as a kid. Cultural trends and familial messages made me choose silver, though. How freeing it was to finally give myself permission to wear bright, shiny gold again after discovering DYT! <3
Vada, we are so happy to hear that you are enjoying all of the tips and shares from our experts! So happy you are here!