When it comes to style upgrades, the general consensus is that it is a pretty awesome thing. What’s not to like about it, seeing as you get new clothes, improve your grooming, get a haircut, and develop a fresh sense of confidence? All of these sound like positive changes, and more often than not they are. But the thing that most relationships experts and numerous couples have reported and attested to is that when one partner experiences a profound and dramatic transformation, then the ensuing effects can reach far beyond the closet. Sometimes the change in question serves to bring couples together, while at other times, it bares vulnerabilities and insecurities that were initially hidden. Read on and discover what happens usually when one partner undergoes a major style upgrade right here.
Other People Start Paying Attention
One of the first things that many couples notice at first is that strangers start noticing the new and stylishly upgraded partner out of the blue. Compliments increase in frequency; attention from the opposite sex starts being heaped upon them, and even engagement on their social media accounts begins to increase. While this newfound attention is usually innocuous, it can still create confusing and unexpected feelings within the relationship and disrupt its consistent dynamic. A partner who once felt completely secure in the relationship might start to feel insecure and start thinking whether the relationship dynamic is changing in an unfavorable way for them.
Confidence Often Changes the Relationship More Than Clothes Do
The biggest change isn’t one that occurs in the wardrobe and clothes only; it is the confidence that accompanies it. Someone who starts to feel better and more confident in their appearance may start carrying themselves differently, speak with greater self-assurance, and become more gregarious and outgoing. For many relationships, this is construed as a positive development, while for some, it can create distance between two people, as one partner might see it as distance instead.
Old Insecurities Can Surface
When it comes to insecurity, even the strongest relationships aren’t immune to it. A person might start unconsciously comparing themselves to their partner when the latter undergoes a noticeable glow-up. They might start questioning their own attractiveness and whether they are still worthy of being loved or not. The style upgrade exposes the underlying insecurities in a relationship, ones that might result in its implosion under the most dire outcomes.
Friends and Family Sometimes Notice the Difference
It might come as a surprise to some, but external opinions from friends and family members, extolling the transformed partner, can also add unwanted pressure in the relationship. Although these comments are usually meant as compliments, they can inadvertently create an unwanted and unpleasant comparison between partners in the relationship.
Attraction Can Increase
Now, not all of the outcomes under this scenario need to be negative or adverse. Many couples report that the attraction between them gets significantly enhanced if even one of them starts putting more effort into their appearance. A style upgrade can signal confidence, ambition, and self-care to one’s partner, which in turn can notably elevate the level of attraction between them. It might also inspire the other partner to actively seek out improvement for themselves as well.
Lifestyle Changes May Follow
Style transformations, especially the major ones, don’t happen overnight or in isolation. They are usually accompanied by new social circles, fitness rituals, career objectives, hobbies, and so on. The real challenge actually starts from there, as both partners need to adjust to the new dynamic and attempt to attain growth in a direction that is congruent and compatible.
The Relationship Gets Tested
It is the truth that even the strongest of relationships undergo numerous and unanticipated periods of change and tests. When a partner gets a style upgrade, then it is just one of those tests. Some couples become stronger and more stable when they support each other’s growth during the course of this test. On the other hand, some couples discover that their connection weakens because of this, simply because they find themselves at varying odds and unable to grow in the same direction.
The Real Question Isn’t About Fashion
When one partner changes their appearance and style considerably in the relationship, then it isn’t only the change in wardrobe that needs to be addressed. The real issue is whether or not the two partners in the relationship can manage to acclimate themselves to the new lifestyle together. Healthy relationships are the ones that manage to grow and achieve balance, making space for the new confidence, goals, and versions of each other to fit within their lives.
Ask Me Anything