“Nothing transforms a person more quickly than the clothes they wear.”
Is knowing what to wear so you feel like yourself, considered a skill? I believe it is, and I also believe it is a skill we can learn and get better at with practice.
While we all know that clothes cover us and keep us warm, what you wear also tells others who you are, what you’re doing, where you’re going. Clothes are deeply personal and impactful and can change not only what others see but how you feel and behave.
Clothes have been used for centuries to oppress, express, rebel, revolt, challenge. They are powerful tools and are a way of letting people see what you stand for and what you represent. Others will also have some idea of what job you are doing, how serious you are about it and how trustworthy you are. Learning how to dress with confidence and impact is not something we’re taught. It's important to know how to express who you are using the language of clothes.
Your clothes are your opening statement. They are a silent language and they speak before you do. As our limbic system is working the way it did for thousands of years, we assume all sorts of things about people before we speak to them. We make snap judgments about people from the clothes they wear. “She is not my type.” “He wouldn’t be able for it.” “She looks friendly.” “He looks efficient.” ”I can tell she is an extrovert.”
There is much more to your clothing choices than you might imagine. When you tune into how people react to you, you might observe that you get different reactions depending on what you wear. Aside from receiving compliments, you might get better customer service, or you might be asked for your opinion on something. Dressing differently is often a way of changing the impression others have of you.
Imagine being clear on, the statement you want to make, the impact you want to have, knowing how to show up.
Imagine feeling comfortable in your own skin, not worrying about what other people think, not conforming to others’ expectations.
Imagine being able to take control of how you are perceived by others so that you can build relationships and trust at speed.
I know there are many tools that we can all access to help increase our upbeat sense of self, ensuring we project positively outwards, helping us improve, inside and out. I show you how to use your wardrobe as a very empowering tool.
Using the tried and tested skill building cycle:
Stage 1 – Unconsciously unskilled. We don't know what we don't know. ...
Stage 2 – Consciously unskilled. We know what we don't know. ...
Stage 3 – Consciously skilled. Trying the skill out, experimenting, practicing. ...
Stage 4 – Unconsciously skilled
I’ve translated that to the skill of having a wardrobe that empowers you to take your space. Most of my clients come to me at stage two. They've hit a pain point, they're in a rut, they're not progressing in a career, they feel invisible, they don't know how to take their space (for them). Through working with me they understand their unique style blueprint, their recipe. And their skill typically builds through four phases.
The first is that they have CLARITY about what to buy and how to wear it. They feel CONFIDENT and self-assured. They begin to become CONSISTENT in how they show up. With practice and the right tools, they get CREATIVE with their look, keeping it relevant and modern while retaining their uniqueness.
In this short blog series, I discuss what it means to Have Clarity, to Feel Confident to Be Consistent and to Get Creative with how you show up every day.
These are my four C’s.