December 5, 2023
It’s Thriftmas at Arc’s Value Village!
Thriftmas is in full swing at Arc’s Value Village! If you’re not familiar with Thriftmas, here we go:
Each Arc’s Value Village location (New Hope, Richfield and Bloomington) collect donations year round, which if it’s holiday related, they collect and collect until November each year. When it gets to the time where they need to put it out, they curtain off a portion of the store and strategically place items on the shelves in groups.
Holiday Decorating and Your Mental Health
There are multiple articles and studies out there dating back several years that state decorating for the holidays can boost your mood – The holidays aren’t always a joyous time of year for everyone. There are even studies that have been done and even more articles that have been written that say if you decorate the outside of your home it helps create a more approachable presence to your neighbors.
Now what about clothing?
Clothing and Your Mental Health
If you know me (and/or have visited my website from previous blog posts), you know that I practice fashion as a self-care component. I found fashion as a mental health booster and now I’m paying it forward. Whether you work with me through my own personal styling company or you book an appointment with me at Arc, I treat and teach all my clients the same thing: Fashion is Self-care! Whether you’re having a bad day and need to mask it on the outside or if you’re feeling empowered and want to showcase that you’re feeling great, clothing can do just that.
Now who’s to say that if you combine the studies of the holidays and your mental health to clothing and your mental health, that won’t boost your mood?? There are no studies or articles written to prove this (at least to my knowledge or from Googling), but from my 20+ years of being in the fashion industry, I personally believe there is a link and there is a benefit!
Society and Fashion
I’m sure we all agree that there is a lot of pressure put on us from society when it comes to fashion, especially for women. There’s a common phrase out there that asks, “What is your style?” I’m going to tell you what I tell all my clients: Don’t feel pressured to have a style.
Some people have 1 style and that’s fine. Sometimes they have 2 styles, one for work and one for everyday/weekends. Or maybe you even have 3! Being a professional personal stylist and shopper, I’ll be honest and say I don’t even have a style! I dress for how I feel that day. Just yesterday I had a boho outfit on. Today, I’m feeling sporty casual. Tomorrow I could feel chic and classic or maybe even edgy.
With that being said, I thought I would send over some holiday outfit ideas so you could dress how you want to feel (or maybe what your style is, if you have one) while also paying attention to your mental health this holiday season. Whether it’s a tradition to wear jammies or you want to actually put in some effort compared to other people in your friend group or family, I got you covered!
Holiday Outfit Ideas
And for all you men out there reading this, don’t think I can’t come up with some holiday outfit ideas for you too!!
I hope this helps and I hope you dress how YOU want to feel this holiday season. If you want more ideas, Sarah (the program manager for Thrift Stylists, the personal shopping program at Arc’s, and stylist with me at MH) as well as myself are hosting a virtual event called, ‘Our Holiday Picks & Trends’ this Thursday, December 7th at 7pm-8:15pm. It’s free, open to the public, Thrift Stylist clients, MH clients and again, it’s virtual so you can log on in the comfort of your home. You must register in order to attend: Register here
Hope to see you around at the stores or at our event. Happy Thriftmas!
-Melissa
MHstyleconsultants.com / IG: @MH_style_consulting / Facebook: @MHstyleconsulting
If you would like to book your FREE personal shopping appointment at any of our 3 locations, visit: https://arcsvaluevillage.org/shop/personal-shopping-service/