Happy New Year!  This is the time of year where many people feel the need to make a New Year's resolution.  Whether it is to start something new, or to change something about ourselves that we are unhappy with, it is still a time to reflect on how we are all very lucky to be healthy and among family and friends. It is also a time to look forward to many things: A better economy (hopefully); Vacations; Warmer weather; And spring fashion! 

What colors will be popular? What accessories will be in? And, will we finally figure out if our jeans should be boot-cut, skinny or wide-leg?  Although these are all pressing topics, nothing is as important as being confident in yourself.

Self-confidence is the best accessory you can add to any wardrobe.  The price is right and it will never go out of style.  It can change an overall appearance in a positive way that makes anything you wear look better.  You've heard the saying, "It's not the clothes that make the person, it's what's inside that counts." It may be a bit corny, but it is true, and a great place to start when trying to improve your look and your wardrobe.

NO ONE is perfect.  We all have insecurities of some type.  The person that appears to be "all that" is probably the most insecure of all.  It can be hard work to put on the happy face and start each day with confidence.  As I did a little research on this subject I was surprised at how many helpful hints I found on the topic, and how many I intend to incorporate into my own life.  On a personal level, I have always struggled with my own self-confidence and envied the woman who could own the room, holding conversations with anyone.  I wanted to be just like her, and I wondered, "How does she do it?"  (I think I have just determined what I need to work on in the New Year.)

I hope you find some of the following tips as helpful as I have.  You can find these and others in two great websites I found:  www.lifescript.com and www.wikihow.com both proved to be very informative and offer great ideas for improving you in 2009.

*Be positive, even if you don't feel it at times.  Never allow others to make you feel inferior.  Speak positively about yourself and others at all times.

*Look in the mirror and smile.  Seeing your smile can encourage your brain to make you feel that way. 

*Fake it.  As with your smile, acting confident may encourage it.

*Stop worrying about what other people think of you.  Take a risk now and then (with your fashion) to help build your confidence.

*Be yourself... never be the shadow of another person.  Everyone is beautiful in their own way.

*Never forget who you are and don't try to be something you are not.

So, all that being said, make one of your New Year's resolutions to start feeling more confident and better about yourself.  Fashion changes, thankfully, but how you feel about yourself should only change for the positive.  In the end, it's the person you are inside that counts the most.  The jeans, the shoes and the accessories are just frosting on the cake.

By Kathleen Sullivan

Kathleen Sullivan, a self proclaimed lifelong lover of clothes, lives in Marshfield and works as the manager and buyer for The Clothes Line in Scituate.  With several years experience in retail, Kathleen applies a sharp fashion sense to help women of all sizes, shapes, and attitudes discover their own personal style.