If you’ve been living in t-shirts and jeans for longer than you can remember, wearing more daring styles can feel scary. Even wearing a nice blouse with an interesting pattern or saturated color for the first time can spark panic.

You might be so accustomed to blending into the background that you’re scared people will react poorly to you in your new clothes, asking you why you’re so dressed up, or “who do you think you are?”

You might be worried that everyone will give you funny looks or talk about you. You know you want to dress more authentically, but you’re not sure how to gain the confidence to actually do it.

I personally experienced this when I started wearing my season’s lipsticks (which were darker than what I had worn before), and to a greater extent, when I started dressing for my archetype. After living in the most basic Target tees with poorly-fitting jeans for years, putting on a half-circle skirt with a colorful blouse, a belt, earrings, and cute shoes felt BOLD. It was scary, and I experienced a heightened self-consciousness while adjusting to my new style.

But just as quickly as the panicked feeling came, it passed.

I began to feel more confident in my new clothes than I ever felt in my old clothes. My new clothes felt like ME, which made me feel safe. Who cares what anyone else thinks about them?

I've learned that other people rarely care about what we’re doing or wearing as much as we fear they do. The people close to you may notice changes in the way you dress and carry yourself, but over time, these changes will become normal.

Feel free to start small! If you’re not confident wearing the clothes that scare you to work, that’s okay. Wear them to the grocery store or coffeeshop instead. After you’ve conquered these low-stakes situations, wear them to your hair appointment. Wear them on a dinner date with your BFF who always hypes you up.

The more you wear the clothes that scare you, the more comfortable they’ll feel. It’s okay to fake it until you make it! The only way out is through.