The first time I heard these words, I was in a fitting room with a television program host for the largest electronics retailer in the nation: QVC. I was new in my role as a style director and was part of the team that managed the images of, and dressed—all 30 television personalities for the network.
“You turn my anxiety into confidence.”
For years, I had put into practice how color and style can sway thinking, improve your bottom line, and change the way we feel about ourselves. In that single moment, it all began to come together. It has been said that it takes 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become world-class in any field. When I think about it, I have over 219,000 hours in the fashion industry and 61,320 hours dedicated to personal branding, specializing in the role that your image plays.
Before the 16 years that I spent at QVC, I began my career working in leadership roles for various retail companies. Three years ago, as an award-winning fashion stylist who reached her goal to disrupt the style and image of in-home shopping, I decided to leave my corporate job.
After leaving QVC in 2016, I founded The Well Dressed Brand and wrote my first book, Secrets Of A Well Dressed Brand. In my book, I give you all the tools you need to turn yourself into a brand by creating a signature style that increases your perceived value.
The Well Dressed Brand is the brainchild of Founder and Chief Style Officer Toi Sweeney, an award-winning fashion stylist, brand image strategist, speaker, entrepreneur, certified Fascination Advantage™ coach, and the author of Secrets of a Well Dressed Brand.
Toi Sweeney is a master of Creative Brand Strategy, Visual Storytelling and Strategic Style Direction for Brands and Influencers. Story, the psychology of color, branding, wardrobe and exceptional style are essential elements that can significantly impact your business’s bottom line. As Founder of the Well Dressed Brand, Toi integrates each of these elements for her clients so they can show up and shut it down.
The Well Dressed Brand combines a masterful eye for fashion, Fascination Advantage™ training and storytelling expertise to help powerhouse brands and high-performers craft a strategic visual brand that clearly conveys their highest value through stunning, distinctive style, setting brands apart from the crowd.
What is a well-dressed brand? Brand image styling is the alignment of your brand’s visual elements with the clothing you choose. The cohesion of your brand’s visuals with your (and your team’s) strategic style helps you stand out, get noticed and increase your perceived value. This is the heart of the Well Dressed Brand—something we like to call dressing your message. Because dressing well does not mean dressing up; it’s about being a true representation of what you want to achieve, from your core brand values to your outward appearance. It’s less about making a good first impression—it ensures that you are making the right impressions.
Since the launch of my business, I have been featured on over 15 different podcasts, as well as Forbes.com, BBCNews.com, and HelloGiggles. Now, I’m thrilled to be a part of Where Women Create Work!
According to Seth Godin, author of the book, This Is Marketing, “People do not buy goods and services. They buy relationships, stories, and magic.”
What does this mean in terms of our company’s dress code, or how we put ourselves together as entrepreneurs? As entrepreneurs, we understand building strong relations with our customers is very important. People need to know us, like us, and trust us.
Businesses cannot move forward without sales. For your customers to buy, they must perceive a value in what you are selling, meaning they must perceive a value in you. Using your wardrobe as business strategy creates that relationship, story and magic!
A 2015 study completed by Microsoft showed that our attention spans have dropped by 4 seconds. This means that today, instead of having 12 seconds to make the right impression, we have 8 seconds to convince and convert our customers.
In 8 seconds, people are deciding if they like us and if they feel that they can trust us. That’s why it’s important to be intentional about your (or your company’s) dress code and the way you present yourself to the world each day.
Your wardrobe is a marketing tool. What you broadcast out into the world through your appearance makes an impression on your customers, both in-person and online. To top it off, research shows that dressing well and making the right impression with your clothing can increase productivity, fuel creativity and boost confidence.
READY TO START USING YOUR WARDROBE AS A BUSINESS STRATEGY? HERE ARE THREE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO GET STARTED.
1. DRESS HOW YOU WANT TO BE ADDRESSED.
When you dress in a way that tells people how to think and feel, you are telling a story.
Movies are a great example of wardrobe in action. Notice how each character in your favorite movie is dressed. Take note of how the wardrobe for each character helps to tell their story.
Let’s take Wonder Woman, for example. Diana Prince is powerful enough to fight evil without a uniform, but when she’s dressed as a warrior, you know something is about to go down! What’s more, the people surrounding her regard her for the superhero she is.
In order to dress how you want to be addressed, you need to work backward. Start by asking yourself what you want your clients or customers to think and feel when they interact with your brand. Then, revisit your wardrobe and create a signature look that evokes those thoughts and feelings.
Young fashion business woman in white shirt and pencil skirt walking in city street
2. UNDERSTAND THE PSYCHOLOGY OF COLOR.
Color has the power to sway thinking and increase your heart rate. People are three times more likely to remember the color that you are wearing before they remember anything else about you. The meaning of your favorite color can even say a lot about you as a person.
Be intentional about the colors you choose for your wardrobe. The same time and attention you put into creating the color of your company’s branding, logo or decor should be put in your closet or dress code.
Take a look at the chart at the right for some examples of the emotions and thoughts evoked by specific colors. Then, ask yourself whether your wardrobe’s dominant colors are sending the message you want to put across.
Yellow tells the world you are confident and optimistic.
RED
AMBITION, DETERMINATION, ASSERTIVENESS, CONFIDENCE, POWER
Red tells the world you’re courageous, driven, and you take action.
Blue tells the world you’re idealistic, orderly, and a peacemaker.
BROWN
STRENGTH, CONFIDENCE, HONESTY, RELIABILITY
Brown tells the world you’re loyal, trustworthy, warm and likable.
ORANGE
ADVENTURE, CREATIVITY, FORWARD THINKING
Orange tells the world you’re enthusiastic, a risk-taker, informal, and extroverted.
INDIGO
SELFLESSNESS, STRUCTURE, SINCERITY
Indigo tells the world you’re a highly intuitive, creative visionary.
Gray tells the world you are elegant, stable and solid.
BLACK
AUTHORITY, POWER, DETERMINATION, CONFIDENCE
Black tells the world you’re independent and sophisticated.
YELLOW
ORIGINALITY, INTELLECT, HAPPINESS, FUN
Yellow tells the world you’re wise confident, and optimistic.
PURPLE
COMPASSION, WEALTH, LUXURY, SPIRITUALITY
Purple tells the world you’re regal, set apart, and you demand respect.
GRAY
ELEGANCE, STABILITY, DEPENDABILITY
Gray tells the world you’re solid, classic, and stable.
GREEN
GROWTH, KINDNESS, LOYALTY, COMPASSION
Green tells the world you’re dependable, generous, self-reliant, and calm.
PINK
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, UNDERSTANDING, EMPATHY
Pink tells the world you’re intuitive, innocent, and hopeful.
WHITE
NEWNESS, HOPE, SIMPLICITY, EQUALITY
White tells the world you’re fair, simple, self-sufficient, and whole.
3. CREATE YOUR OWN SIGNATURE STYLE.
After you’ve decided what kind of impression you want your wardrobe to make and what colors will work best for your brand message, it’s time to create a signature style. You can do this through a combination of color, accessories and pieces of clothing that reflect the message you’re putting into the world.
One reason it’s so important to understand color, for example, is that your colors become part of your signature style. But, most of my female clients are afraid of using color in their wardrobe. When I ask them why, the answer is always the same: “I’m afraid that I won’t be taken seriously.” So everyone looks the same, wearing all black, grey or some other neutral color? This is great if these colors fit into your brand message and what you are trying to convey to your customers. But, don’t be afraid to tell a better, different story.
Other facets of your signature style are the clothing items and accessories you choose. For example, Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, is known for her signature Hermes scarves.
SIGNATURE STYLE FASHION TIPS
TIP #1
If you’re a woman who loves blazers, don’t be afraid to dress-it-up with a beautiful piece of jewelry. Pair it with your favorite jeans if you are conveying a more “casual elegance” kind of vibe.
TIP #2
Dress monochromatic with a pop of color. Dressing monochromatic just means that you are dressing head to ankle in one color.
I like to add a second color as a pop to coordinate or contrast—shoes, handbag, lipstick or outerwear items. This will level up your signature style. Dressing this way will help you create a longer leaner look. It also saves times when you have a busy day and you are running from event to event or client to client.
We can make our clothing part of our business strategy by dressing how we want to be addressed, leveraging the psychology of color in our clothing and accessory choices and creating a signature style. Think about:
1. HOW YOU WANT TO BE ADDRESSED.
2. WHAT COLORS EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE YOUR MESSAGE?
3. WHAT ITEMS WILL HELP YOU BRING THAT UNIQUE LOOK TO THE WORLD?
Are you ready to make your wardrobe part of your business strategy?
It takes guts to make your clothing part of your brand and strategy—but you’re already a female entrepreneur, and that, in itself, takes massive courage. You’ve done the hardest part, so celebrate! Now, it’s time to rock a look that takes your business to the next level.
Now, time to get started. Let’s connect on social—I want to see where you take your style!
How To Use Your Wardrobe As A Business Strategy
The first time I heard these words, I was in a fitting room with a television program host for the largest electronics retailer in the nation: QVC. I was new in my role as a style director and was part of the team that managed the images of, and dressed—all 30 television personalities for the network.
“You turn my anxiety into confidence.”
For years, I had put into practice how color and style can sway thinking, improve your bottom line, and change the way we feel about ourselves. In that single moment, it all began to come together. It has been said that it takes 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become world-class in any field. When I think about it, I have over 219,000 hours in the fashion industry and 61,320 hours dedicated to personal branding, specializing in the role that your image plays.
Before the 16 years that I spent at QVC, I began my career working in leadership roles for various retail companies. Three years ago, as an award-winning fashion stylist who reached her goal to disrupt the style and image of in-home shopping, I decided to leave my corporate job.
After leaving QVC in 2016, I founded The Well Dressed Brand and wrote my first book, Secrets Of A Well Dressed Brand. In my book, I give you all the tools you need to turn yourself into a brand by creating a signature style that increases your perceived value.
The Well Dressed Brand is the brainchild of Founder and Chief Style Officer Toi Sweeney, an award-winning fashion stylist, brand image strategist, speaker, entrepreneur, certified Fascination Advantage™ coach, and the author of Secrets of a Well Dressed Brand.
Toi Sweeney is a master of Creative Brand Strategy, Visual Storytelling and Strategic Style Direction for Brands and Influencers. Story, the psychology of color, branding, wardrobe and exceptional style are essential elements that can significantly impact your business’s bottom line. As Founder of the Well Dressed Brand, Toi integrates each of these elements for her clients so they can show up and shut it down.
The Well Dressed Brand combines a masterful eye for fashion, Fascination Advantage™ training and storytelling expertise to help powerhouse brands and high-performers craft a strategic visual brand that clearly conveys their highest value through stunning, distinctive style, setting brands apart from the crowd.
What is a well-dressed brand? Brand image styling is the alignment of your brand’s visual elements with the clothing you choose. The cohesion of your brand’s visuals with your (and your team’s) strategic style helps you stand out, get noticed and increase your perceived value. This is the heart of the Well Dressed Brand—something we like to call dressing your message. Because dressing well does not mean dressing up; it’s about being a true representation of what you want to achieve, from your core brand values to your outward appearance. It’s less about making a good first impression—it ensures that you are making the right impressions.
Since the launch of my business, I have been featured on over 15 different podcasts, as well as Forbes.com, BBCNews.com, and HelloGiggles. Now, I’m thrilled to be a part of Where Women Create Work!
According to Seth Godin, author of the book, This Is Marketing, “People do not buy goods and services. They buy relationships, stories, and magic.”
What does this mean in terms of our company’s dress code, or how we put ourselves together as entrepreneurs? As entrepreneurs, we understand building strong relations with our customers is very important. People need to know us, like us, and trust us.
Businesses cannot move forward without sales. For your customers to buy, they must perceive a value in what you are selling, meaning they must perceive a value in you. Using your wardrobe as business strategy creates that relationship, story and magic!
A 2015 study completed by Microsoft showed that our attention spans have dropped by 4 seconds. This means that today, instead of having 12 seconds to make the right impression, we have 8 seconds to convince and convert our customers.
In 8 seconds, people are deciding if they like us and if they feel that they can trust us. That’s why it’s important to be intentional about your (or your company’s) dress code and the way you present yourself to the world each day.
Your wardrobe is a marketing tool. What you broadcast out into the world through your appearance makes an impression on your customers, both in-person and online. To top it off, research shows that dressing well and making the right impression with your clothing can increase productivity, fuel creativity and boost confidence.
READY TO START USING YOUR WARDROBE AS A BUSINESS STRATEGY? HERE ARE THREE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO GET STARTED.
1. DRESS HOW YOU WANT TO BE ADDRESSED.
When you dress in a way that tells people how to think and feel, you are telling a story.
Movies are a great example of wardrobe in action. Notice how each character in your favorite movie is dressed. Take note of how the wardrobe for each character helps to tell their story.
Let’s take Wonder Woman, for example. Diana Prince is powerful enough to fight evil without a uniform, but when she’s dressed as a warrior, you know something is about to go down! What’s more, the people surrounding her regard her for the superhero she is.
In order to dress how you want to be addressed, you need to work backward. Start by asking yourself what you want your clients or customers to think and feel when they interact with your brand. Then, revisit your wardrobe and create a signature look that evokes those thoughts and feelings.
Young fashion business woman in white shirt and pencil skirt walking in city street
2. UNDERSTAND THE PSYCHOLOGY OF COLOR.
Color has the power to sway thinking and increase your heart rate. People are three times more likely to remember the color that you are wearing before they remember anything else about you. The meaning of your favorite color can even say a lot about you as a person.
Be intentional about the colors you choose for your wardrobe. The same time and attention you put into creating the color of your company’s branding, logo or decor should be put in your closet or dress code.
Take a look at the chart at the right for some examples of the emotions and thoughts evoked by specific colors. Then, ask yourself whether your wardrobe’s dominant colors are sending the message you want to put across.
Yellow tells the world you are confident and optimistic.
RED
AMBITION, DETERMINATION, ASSERTIVENESS, CONFIDENCE, POWER
Red tells the world you’re courageous, driven, and you take action.
Blue tells the world you’re idealistic, orderly, and a peacemaker.
BROWN
STRENGTH, CONFIDENCE, HONESTY, RELIABILITY
Brown tells the world you’re loyal, trustworthy, warm and likable.
ORANGE
ADVENTURE, CREATIVITY, FORWARD THINKING
Orange tells the world you’re enthusiastic, a risk-taker, informal, and extroverted.
INDIGO
SELFLESSNESS, STRUCTURE, SINCERITY
Indigo tells the world you’re a highly intuitive, creative visionary.
Gray tells the world you are elegant, stable and solid.
BLACK
AUTHORITY, POWER, DETERMINATION, CONFIDENCE
Black tells the world you’re independent and sophisticated.
YELLOW
ORIGINALITY, INTELLECT, HAPPINESS, FUN
Yellow tells the world you’re wise confident, and optimistic.
PURPLE
COMPASSION, WEALTH, LUXURY, SPIRITUALITY
Purple tells the world you’re regal, set apart, and you demand respect.
GRAY
ELEGANCE, STABILITY, DEPENDABILITY
Gray tells the world you’re solid, classic, and stable.
GREEN
GROWTH, KINDNESS, LOYALTY, COMPASSION
Green tells the world you’re dependable, generous, self-reliant, and calm.
PINK
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, UNDERSTANDING, EMPATHY
Pink tells the world you’re intuitive, innocent, and hopeful.
WHITE
NEWNESS, HOPE, SIMPLICITY, EQUALITY
White tells the world you’re fair, simple, self-sufficient, and whole.
3. CREATE YOUR OWN SIGNATURE STYLE.
After you’ve decided what kind of impression you want your wardrobe to make and what colors will work best for your brand message, it’s time to create a signature style. You can do this through a combination of color, accessories and pieces of clothing that reflect the message you’re putting into the world.
One reason it’s so important to understand color, for example, is that your colors become part of your signature style. But, most of my female clients are afraid of using color in their wardrobe. When I ask them why, the answer is always the same: “I’m afraid that I won’t be taken seriously.” So everyone looks the same, wearing all black, grey or some other neutral color? This is great if these colors fit into your brand message and what you are trying to convey to your customers. But, don’t be afraid to tell a better, different story.
Other facets of your signature style are the clothing items and accessories you choose. For example, Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, is known for her signature Hermes scarves.
SIGNATURE STYLE FASHION TIPS
TIP #1
If you’re a woman who loves blazers, don’t be afraid to dress-it-up with a beautiful piece of jewelry. Pair it with your favorite jeans if you are conveying a more “casual elegance” kind of vibe.
TIP #2
Dress monochromatic with a pop of color. Dressing monochromatic just means that you are dressing head to ankle in one color.
I like to add a second color as a pop to coordinate or contrast—shoes, handbag, lipstick or outerwear items. This will level up your signature style. Dressing this way will help you create a longer leaner look. It also saves times when you have a busy day and you are running from event to event or client to client.
We can make our clothing part of our business strategy by dressing how we want to be addressed, leveraging the psychology of color in our clothing and accessory choices and creating a signature style. Think about:
1. HOW YOU WANT TO BE ADDRESSED.
2. WHAT COLORS EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE YOUR MESSAGE?
3. WHAT ITEMS WILL HELP YOU BRING THAT UNIQUE LOOK TO THE WORLD?
Are you ready to make your wardrobe part of your business strategy?
It takes guts to make your clothing part of your brand and strategy—but you’re already a female entrepreneur, and that, in itself, takes massive courage. You’ve done the hardest part, so celebrate! Now, it’s time to rock a look that takes your business to the next level.
Now, time to get started. Let’s connect on social—I want to see where you take your style!
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How To Use Your Wardrobe As A Business Strategy
The first time I heard these words, I was in a fitting room with a television program host for the largest electronics retailer in the nation: QVC. I was new in my role as a style director and was part of the team that managed the images of, and dressed—all 30 television personalities for the network.
“You turn my anxiety into confidence.”
For years, I had put into practice how color and style can sway thinking, improve your bottom line, and change the way we feel about ourselves. In that single moment, it all began to come together. It has been said that it takes 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become world-class in any field. When I think about it, I have over 219,000 hours in the fashion industry and 61,320 hours dedicated to personal branding, specializing in the role that your image plays.
Before the 16 years that I spent at QVC, I began my career working in leadership roles for various retail companies. Three years ago, as an award-winning fashion stylist who reached her goal to disrupt the style and image of in-home shopping, I decided to leave my corporate job.
After leaving QVC in 2016, I founded The Well Dressed Brand and wrote my first book, Secrets Of A Well Dressed Brand. In my book, I give you all the tools you need to turn yourself into a brand by creating a signature style that increases your perceived value.
The Well Dressed Brand is the brainchild of Founder and Chief Style Officer Toi Sweeney, an award-winning fashion stylist, brand image strategist, speaker, entrepreneur, certified Fascination Advantage™ coach, and the author of Secrets of a Well Dressed Brand.
Toi Sweeney is a master of Creative Brand Strategy, Visual Storytelling and Strategic Style Direction for Brands and Influencers. Story, the psychology of color, branding, wardrobe and exceptional style are essential elements that can significantly impact your business’s bottom line. As Founder of the Well Dressed Brand, Toi integrates each of these elements for her clients so they can show up and shut it down.
The Well Dressed Brand combines a masterful eye for fashion, Fascination Advantage™ training and storytelling expertise to help powerhouse brands and high-performers craft a strategic visual brand that clearly conveys their highest value through stunning, distinctive style, setting brands apart from the crowd.
What is a well-dressed brand? Brand image styling is the alignment of your brand’s visual elements with the clothing you choose. The cohesion of your brand’s visuals with your (and your team’s) strategic style helps you stand out, get noticed and increase your perceived value. This is the heart of the Well Dressed Brand—something we like to call dressing your message. Because dressing well does not mean dressing up; it’s about being a true representation of what you want to achieve, from your core brand values to your outward appearance. It’s less about making a good first impression—it ensures that you are making the right impressions.
Since the launch of my business, I have been featured on over 15 different podcasts, as well as Forbes.com, BBCNews.com, and HelloGiggles. Now, I’m thrilled to be a part of Where Women Create Work!
According to Seth Godin, author of the book, This Is Marketing, “People do not buy goods and services. They buy relationships, stories, and magic.”
What does this mean in terms of our company’s dress code, or how we put ourselves together as entrepreneurs? As entrepreneurs, we understand building strong relations with our customers is very important. People need to know us, like us, and trust us.
Businesses cannot move forward without sales. For your customers to buy, they must perceive a value in what you are selling, meaning they must perceive a value in you. Using your wardrobe as business strategy creates that relationship, story and magic!
A 2015 study completed by Microsoft showed that our attention spans have dropped by 4 seconds. This means that today, instead of having 12 seconds to make the right impression, we have 8 seconds to convince and convert our customers.
In 8 seconds, people are deciding if they like us and if they feel that they can trust us. That’s why it’s important to be intentional about your (or your company’s) dress code and the way you present yourself to the world each day.
Your wardrobe is a marketing tool. What you broadcast out into the world through your appearance makes an impression on your customers, both in-person and online. To top it off, research shows that dressing well and making the right impression with your clothing can increase productivity, fuel creativity and boost confidence.
READY TO START USING YOUR WARDROBE AS A BUSINESS STRATEGY? HERE ARE THREE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO GET STARTED.
1. DRESS HOW YOU WANT TO BE ADDRESSED.
When you dress in a way that tells people how to think and feel, you are telling a story.
Movies are a great example of wardrobe in action. Notice how each character in your favorite movie is dressed. Take note of how the wardrobe for each character helps to tell their story.
Let’s take Wonder Woman, for example. Diana Prince is powerful enough to fight evil without a uniform, but when she’s dressed as a warrior, you know something is about to go down! What’s more, the people surrounding her regard her for the superhero she is.
In order to dress how you want to be addressed, you need to work backward. Start by asking yourself what you want your clients or customers to think and feel when they interact with your brand. Then, revisit your wardrobe and create a signature look that evokes those thoughts and feelings.
Young fashion business woman in white shirt and pencil skirt walking in city street
2. UNDERSTAND THE PSYCHOLOGY OF COLOR.
Color has the power to sway thinking and increase your heart rate. People are three times more likely to remember the color that you are wearing before they remember anything else about you. The meaning of your favorite color can even say a lot about you as a person.
Be intentional about the colors you choose for your wardrobe. The same time and attention you put into creating the color of your company’s branding, logo or decor should be put in your closet or dress code.
Take a look at the chart at the right for some examples of the emotions and thoughts evoked by specific colors. Then, ask yourself whether your wardrobe’s dominant colors are sending the message you want to put across.
Yellow tells the world you are confident and optimistic.
RED
AMBITION, DETERMINATION, ASSERTIVENESS, CONFIDENCE, POWER
Red tells the world you’re courageous, driven, and you take action.
Blue tells the world you’re idealistic, orderly, and a peacemaker.
BROWN
STRENGTH, CONFIDENCE, HONESTY, RELIABILITY
Brown tells the world you’re loyal, trustworthy, warm and likable.
ORANGE
ADVENTURE, CREATIVITY, FORWARD THINKING
Orange tells the world you’re enthusiastic, a risk-taker, informal, and extroverted.
INDIGO
SELFLESSNESS, STRUCTURE, SINCERITY
Indigo tells the world you’re a highly intuitive, creative visionary.
Gray tells the world you are elegant, stable and solid.
BLACK
AUTHORITY, POWER, DETERMINATION, CONFIDENCE
Black tells the world you’re independent and sophisticated.
YELLOW
ORIGINALITY, INTELLECT, HAPPINESS, FUN
Yellow tells the world you’re wise confident, and optimistic.
PURPLE
COMPASSION, WEALTH, LUXURY, SPIRITUALITY
Purple tells the world you’re regal, set apart, and you demand respect.
GRAY
ELEGANCE, STABILITY, DEPENDABILITY
Gray tells the world you’re solid, classic, and stable.
GREEN
GROWTH, KINDNESS, LOYALTY, COMPASSION
Green tells the world you’re dependable, generous, self-reliant, and calm.
PINK
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, UNDERSTANDING, EMPATHY
Pink tells the world you’re intuitive, innocent, and hopeful.
WHITE
NEWNESS, HOPE, SIMPLICITY, EQUALITY
White tells the world you’re fair, simple, self-sufficient, and whole.
3. CREATE YOUR OWN SIGNATURE STYLE.
After you’ve decided what kind of impression you want your wardrobe to make and what colors will work best for your brand message, it’s time to create a signature style. You can do this through a combination of color, accessories and pieces of clothing that reflect the message you’re putting into the world.
One reason it’s so important to understand color, for example, is that your colors become part of your signature style. But, most of my female clients are afraid of using color in their wardrobe. When I ask them why, the answer is always the same: “I’m afraid that I won’t be taken seriously.” So everyone looks the same, wearing all black, grey or some other neutral color? This is great if these colors fit into your brand message and what you are trying to convey to your customers. But, don’t be afraid to tell a better, different story.
Other facets of your signature style are the clothing items and accessories you choose. For example, Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, is known for her signature Hermes scarves.
SIGNATURE STYLE FASHION TIPS
TIP #1
If you’re a woman who loves blazers, don’t be afraid to dress-it-up with a beautiful piece of jewelry. Pair it with your favorite jeans if you are conveying a more “casual elegance” kind of vibe.
TIP #2
Dress monochromatic with a pop of color. Dressing monochromatic just means that you are dressing head to ankle in one color.
I like to add a second color as a pop to coordinate or contrast—shoes, handbag, lipstick or outerwear items. This will level up your signature style. Dressing this way will help you create a longer leaner look. It also saves times when you have a busy day and you are running from event to event or client to client.
We can make our clothing part of our business strategy by dressing how we want to be addressed, leveraging the psychology of color in our clothing and accessory choices and creating a signature style. Think about:
1. HOW YOU WANT TO BE ADDRESSED.
2. WHAT COLORS EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE YOUR MESSAGE?
3. WHAT ITEMS WILL HELP YOU BRING THAT UNIQUE LOOK TO THE WORLD?
Are you ready to make your wardrobe part of your business strategy?
It takes guts to make your clothing part of your brand and strategy—but you’re already a female entrepreneur, and that, in itself, takes massive courage. You’ve done the hardest part, so celebrate! Now, it’s time to rock a look that takes your business to the next level.
Now, time to get started. Let’s connect on social—I want to see where you take your style!
The Women Create Foundation is a catalyst for small but significant strides to empower women creators through grants that help bring projects to life and foster innovation.
