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(Image credit: The Style Stalker)

If I don't feel good, I'm pretty sure I don't look as good as I know I could. Whenever I wear that one skirt that's a little too tight, those shoes that make me walk funny or that dress I'm always fidgeting with, the last thing I exude is confidence. Surely, you too have those few key items in your wardrobe that make you feel weirdly off or uncomfortable, and today, I'm here to share mine.

I realise this list of items varies for everyone, but hopefully, you'll be able to relate to a few of the pieces I've learned to avoid in my wardrobe. In addition to all the negative talk, I'll let you in on some of the pieces that give me the most confidence.

Go on to find out which items I never feel confident in, plus the pieces I always want to wear.

Items "Everyone" Has

Don't get me wrong, I love following trends, but there is something that makes me feel like a fraud when I wear what everyone already owns. I end up questioning whether or not I even like the item, or if I was conditioned to like because "everyone" has it. I always feel much more confident when I follow a trend but take it a little off the beaten path via my own discretion. For example, I love my black Vans trainers (the ones you probably own, too), but do I feel confident when I wear them? Not necessarily. Instead, I wear my rose-gold metallic pair. They're still on trend, but they're unique to my personal style and always bring in some great compliments.

Anything Awkwardly Revealing

When I say "awkwardly revealing," I mean anything that inevitably ends up showing my bra or bra strap, is too sheer when it's not supposed to be or generally causes me to fidget. You might wonder why I would even wear these pieces in the first place, but for some reason, those are always the items that look the prettiest on the hanger. After learning the hard way, I have vowed to only wear items that fit as close to perfect as possible so my confidence level remains at an all-time high throughout the day.

Tarnished Basics

You probably have that one T-shirt you swear is the best thing since sliced bread—so do I. So what happens when that shirt gets a stain or hole? Up until recently, I would just keep wearing mine, as I desperately tried to convince myself that this was an okay decision, that no one would notice whatever was wrong with the shirt and so on. This only led to hours of unnecessary paranoia and a drastically dropped confidence level.

Basics typically aren't the most exciting pieces to buy, but they're the most valuable. A killer white T-shirt can be the holy grail of compliment receivers, but one that is stained, ripped or stretched out won't be. If you relate to that in any way, I recommend taking the time to reevaluate your basics to see which ones need some replacing. You'll be surprised by how confident you'll feel in that crisp new tee of yours.

Something I Directly Copied From a Friend

This one is different, and it makes me feel weirder than the category of "items everyone has." This has to do with blatantly purchasing something just because I saw my friend wear it. Now, this doesn't mean I don't love the item on my own terms, but it does mean that when I finally wear the piece, especially around the friend who owned it before me, I feel kind of insecure.

To preface, I am a huge overthinker, so this scenario is my personal nightmare. Will people think I don't have any personal taste? Will that friend be upset that I copied her? To avoid all of these (probably crazy on my end) feelings, I try to use my friends' recent shopping purchases as inspiration for my own. You never know what you'll be able to find if you follow your gut. Get inspired by the piece, but buy a version that's unique to you.

Dramatic Sunglasses

I am an anomaly when it comes to sunglasses—I feel overtly unattractive when I wear them. This is a personal issue that my co-workers and friends poke fun at me for, but it's an issue all the same. I still wear sunglasses when necessary, but they're always minimal. In other words, nothing overly dramatic. Since I already feel like a poser while wearing them, sunglasses that intentionally make people stop and stare make me want to hide under a rock. Classic shapes like cat eyes, round frames and aviators make me feel as good as I can in a pair of sunnies.

Scroll down to shop the items I feel the most confident in:

Lauren Eggertsen
Editorial Director

"Copy (200 words): Lauren Eggertsen is currently the editorial director of Who What Where and has worked at the company for nearly seven years, where she started as an associate editor and has since worked her way up. Lauren has over 10 years of experience in the fashion editorial space, starting her career with internships at Marc Jacobs, Marie Claire, and The Zoe Report, where she was later hired as their editorial assistant. Lauren has worked in the Los Angeles and New York Who What Wear offices but currently calls L.A. home. It is here where she leads and manages Who What Wear's fashion team and oversees all day-to-day editorial content and large tentpole moments. This includes all of the runway, trend, and shopping-driven content that ultimately helps to build a strong brand reputation within the industry. Lauren's role also includes helping to set the fashion direction for all original photo shoots and often styles many of the celebrity cover shoots, including big names like Sydney Sweeney, Lindsay Lohan, and Megan Fox. 


She has also attended multiple fashion weeks, including New York, London, and Milan, where her personal style has been featured on sites such as Elle.com, HarpersBazaar.com, and Vogue.co.uk. She prides herself on discovering and supporting small brands and on her knack for a good vintage shopping find. When she isn't working, she enjoys researching and dining at reputable restaurants around both her neighborhood and the globe.