\This is a guest post by Janice Johnson
A picture speaks a thousand words.
Within seconds of seeing us, people start forming opinions based on our appearance – how we put together our hair, makeup, clothes and accessories. It might not be fair, but it’s human nature.
Take my simple little test and you’ll see how naturally it works.
You have to hire an accountant based on the shoes she is wearing; this is all the information you have. Pick the shoes your future accountant wears.
What words came to mind when you selected your accountant’s shoes? Did you think of words like: smart, competent, tasteful, classy, sporty, traditional, trendy, outrageous, casual, feminine, old fashioned, qualified or unqualified? Regardless of the words you thought of, you labeled or branded a pair of shoes and to some degree, the make-believe accountant wearing them.
While there is no “right or wrong” shoe, in your mind there is a shoe that shows off a particular image or brand better than another. And the shoe you expect your accountant to wear may not be the shoe that I expect my accountant to wear. The point is certain styles give off certain vibes to different people.
Try the exercise again but this time, what shoe would you pick if you were hiring an interior decorator. Interesting how the shoe changes, huh?
Now put the shoe on the other foot, so to speak. What if someone is judging your shoes?
Want to ensure you don’t lose out on potential work because of what you’re wearing? Here are three simple tips you can follow:
Tip #1: Choose clothes & accessories that are true to you & your brand.
In reference to the late Steve Jobs –
“His products are instantly identifiable, his logo is one of the most recognised and even he is branded head to toe with that infamous black turtleneck and blue jeans.”
I gotta be me, I gotta be me.
If you aren’t the blue pinstriped suit and white shirt entrepreneur, then don’t be.
If you are more comfortable in your skin wearing a relaxed blazer, simple slacks and flat shoes, that’s totally fine. The same is true if you feel better in your little black dress, fashionable platform high heels and hair pulled back in a sleek pony tail. There are all sorts of styles that allow you to look professional yet YOU!
But that doesn’t give you the right of way to dress inappropriately – sometimes the boardroom calls for a more formal look.
Although once established, you can pull off just about any look you want; I’m sure no one ever threw Steve Jobs out of their office for wearing his infamous black turtleneck and blue jeans. But until you get to be as famous as him or Oprah, dress appropriately for the occasion.
Be you. Be your own brand.
Now you might rebel and say, I don’t give a rat’s ass about what people think of me so whatever comes out of my closet that fits is what I’m putting on. I’m intelligent, skilled, and I want to be known for that, not my look.
That might do if you’re gardening or walking your dog or playing with your kids in the sandbox, but there comes a time when we all have to get dressed up to go out in public, especially if you want to show off your particular brand to meet a client, get a loan from the bank manager or attract people at a networking event.
Just remember that when you go out in public dressed like you’re taking the trash to the curb, you’re speaking volumes about your personal brand. Unless your job is municipal waste management, words associated with taking out the trash probably aren’t the words you want associated with your image.
Tip #2: Check yourself in the mirror every morning and ask: What brand does this outfit reflect?
Look at what you’re wearing right now. What does it say about you and your brand? How would others brand your outfit? Do you like the sound of your brand? Does it match the brand of your service or product you’re marketing? If yes, good for you; you’re wearing your right style for your brand.
If not, it’s not that hard to dress to match your brand. Apply the same words that resonate with your brand to the description of the clothes you buy. For example, some of my key brand words are: straightforward, problem solver, organized, approachable, creative and sassy.
So I need to translate my brand words into outfits that have an overall put together look that says organized, approachable, not stuffy, creative, not too confirmative, sassy and fun, yet still professional.
Let me tell you a little about my little personal branding story. One night I showed up at a restaurant to meet a bunch of girlfriends; they kept saying that something was different about me. “Is it your haircut”, they asked, “a lighter hair colour perhaps, or new glasses, what is it?” Then one of my friends piped up and said, “You’re not wearing your usual humongous earrings.” I felt my lobes and she was right, the earrings were missing and for the rest of the night, I felt “naked”. Now that’s a trivial example, but just the same, my crazy earrings are part of my brand and when they’re missing, I feel “wrong” and I look “wrong” to people who know me.
Tip #3: Let your style reflect your soul
As an image consultant specializing in personal style, I do believe that style is everything as defined so eloquently below.
Style is everything
Writing style. Speaking style. Leadership style.
Fashion. Art. Architecture. Athletics.
Style is the way you say it, the way you do it, the way you live it.
Sometimes it is an appearance. Sometimes it is an attitude.
Style is the lighting of life.
It accentuates, delineates, and conceals.
At its best, style reflects the soul.
~Style Statement, c 2008, Carrie McCarthy & Danielle LaPorte
I can’t say it better so I won’t, at its best, style reflects the soul.
Don’t sell your soul short. Be your brand. Wear your brand.
To recap:
Tip #1: Choose clothes & accessories that are true to you and your brand.
Tip #2: Check yourself in the mirror every morning and ask: What brand does my outfit reflect?
Tip #3: Let your style reflect your soul.
About Janice Johnson::
Trained as an Image Consultant at George Brown College and in New York City by Stacy London of TLCs What Not to Wear, Janice’s straightforward, no-nonsense approach will solve your style and wardrobe problems lickety-split while having loads of fun at the same time.
You can learn more about Janice Johnson here.
