In thinking about this month’s theme, “Celebrating Yourself,” I asked myself how I, as an image consultant and wardrobe expert, could help people celebrate their lives on a daily basis. And suddenly I remembered a great book I had read, When You Eat at the Refrigerator, Pull Up a Chair, by Geneen Roth, which explores the link between emotional eating and dieting and deep-rooted personal issues that go beyond what meets the eye and the scale.

Like so many people, I find that I feed or ‘fill’ myself with food when I’m really not physically hungry at all. The reasons we do this are personal and different for everyone. The instinct may stem from boredom, loneliness, attempts to avoid certain feelings—the list goes on and on. One of the recommendations for readers to find other ways to ‘fill up’ is offered in chapter #26: ‘Wear Your Special-Occasion Clothes Any Old Day.’ What a perfect, simple way to celebrate!

This is something many of us can relate to—having a few gorgeous and slightly (or very) expensive pieces in our closets that we save to wear only on the few ‘important’ days a year when the occasion warrants ‘dressing up.’ I’ve also noticed that many of my clients, particularly the women, keep clothes piled up in closets and drawers that are for ‘running to get the kids’ or to ‘wear around the house.’ On a day when you have tons of chores lined up, do you put on sweats or cruddy, unflattering jeans, or do you put on a flowing skirt or fantastic pair of jeans that hug your curves in all the right places?

The next time you reach into your closet, ask yourself this question: Am I not worthy of feeling gorgeous and special every single day? I’m not suggesting that you wear your new Armani blouse to clean the house, but why not wear it to a casual lunch with friends, or for a solo stop in a café, or to run a quick errand? Why do we have to dress ourselves down and therefore feel, well, down?

When I read the Special-Occasion Clothes chapter I made a resolution: I would never leave my house not feeling good about what I was wearing. As I adopted this resolution for myself, I began to offer it to my clients and friends as well. One client came to me in a rut, feeling like she was wearing the same things every day and that none of them made her feel special. She was a stay-at-home mom with two young children, so dressing in skirts and heels was out of the question, and as a petite woman she found it difficult to find cute solutions to this problem.

We made our way into her closet and began the process of weeding out the items in her wardrobe that were contributing to her dowdy appearance. While holding onto the necessary basics like jeans, cute tees and sweaters, we were able to see what was needed to create several new looks. By adding accessories like belts, stylish, comfortable shoes and the right day bag, a whole different feeling emerged from her wardrobe. Without compromising who she was or ignoring what her lifestyle called for fashion-wise, I was able to show her how to dress comfortably while expressing who she was (a fun, energetic mom) and looking, and therefore feeling, great.

The effects of celebrating your style are endlessly positive for both your self-image and your inner spirit. Making the decision to treat yourself well (and yes, this includes wearing things that make you feel like the fantastic woman you are) can change the way you go about your entire day. You may find yourself eating better, finding time for fun with friends, even taking trips you’ve always wanted to take!

I myself am a woman of comfort. Having lived in Manhattan for the last five years, I am not one to limp around on four-inch heels when I have an entire day (or even half a day!) of work or errands ahead of me. I am forever the girl in flip flops in the summer and UGG boots in the winter. However, this does not mean I don’t feel good in what I am wearing with them.

A simple change here and there can convert your everyday comfortable clothes into stylish outfits. It’s about accessorizing appropriately: wear your jeans with sleek flats or sneakers and a cute casual jacket; put on a great dress with a sexy neckline; if you love your legs, let’s see them in a skirt and flip flops all summer long! Wear the things that compliment the parts of your body that you feel best about. There’s a solution for every person, body type, personality and lifestyle.

Yes, clothes are designed to cover your body, but every outfit is also an opportunity to treat yourself with care. If you’re going to put something on, make it count! Let yourself feel beautiful and special every time you get dressed. And feel free to wear the four-inch heels every once in a while too—they’ll help you appreciate the flip-flops!

Carla Nemiroff is the founder of Carla’s Closets, an image and wardrobe consulting firm based in New York City and Los Angeles. During college, Carla’s passion for fashion and eye for design made her in-demand with friends since she was known to whip up a fresh new outfit from a closet filled with seemingly stale choices (and eliminate any ill-fitting or unfortunate choices that had been sitting on the closet floor since 1996). Today, Carla works with men and women to create wardrobes that are stress-free AND fashionable. Find out more at www.carlasclosets.com.