Solimeo Studio

There’s a particular discomfort in standing in front of your wardrobe and not knowing who you are dressing for.

Not in a dramatic sense- but in the quiet, everyday way. The meeting that feels undefined. The date that could go anywhere. The phase of life that hasn’t fully taken shape yet. Clothing is often expected to project clarity, but what happens when clarity isn’t available?

Getting dressed without certainty is a skill rarely discussed. Fashion imagery suggests conviction- strong silhouettes, decisive styling or a clear point of view. Real life is less resolved. Most days exist in the in-between: shifting roles, evolving identities, changing priorities, quiet thoughts. The pressure to appear cohesive can feel disproportionate to how settled you actually feel. And majority of the time, I usually feel unsettled.

In these moments, clothing can either amplify the uncertainty or steady it.

Some people respond by overcorrecting- dressing louder, sharper, more intentionally than they feel. Others retreat into neutrality, hoping invisibility will compensate for ambiguity. Both are understandable. When you’re unsure internally, it’s tempting to let your outfit perform certainty on your behalf.

But there is another approach.

Instead of dressing for a fixed identity, you dress for alignment. You choose pieces that feel physically grounding- fabrics that sit well on the body, silhouettes that allow movement, colours that don’t compete with your mood. The focus shifts from projection to presence.

Uncertainty, after all, isn’t failure. It’s transition. And transition doesn’t require a costume; it requires flexibility. The most useful wardrobes are not the most dramatic ones, but the most adaptable. Clothes that can hold different versions of you without feeling like a contradiction.

There’s also honesty in dressing simply when you feel unsettled. Not minimalism for aesthetic effect, but ease for emotional clarity. When you remove excess decision-making, you create space to pay attention elsewhere.

Over time, you realize that certainty is not a prerequisite for style. In fact, some of the most authentic expressions of personal style emerge during periods of change. When you stop trying to impress an imagined audience and start dressing in response to your actual life.

Getting dressed without certainty isn’t about lowering standards. It’s about recognizing that identity is fluid. Your wardrobe doesn’t need to declare who you are permanently- it only needs to support who you are today.

And sometimes, that’s enough.

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