Nobody has the right to tell you what to wear.
Neither society, friends, family, partners or image consultants are in a position to tell you what you “should” and “shouldn’t” be wearing.
Image via pinterest
You want to wear your quirkiest, most craziest outfit? Own it.
You’re into your ripped jeans and a t-shirt? Rock it.
You want to wear a short dress and reveal your breasts? Go for it.
No makeup? Ok. Full face of make-up? Sure.
There are no rules. No limitations and no “Style God”.
If you’re an entrepreneur, you dictate your own dress code. When it’s authentic and consistent, it becomes a powerful part of your message.
If you’re working within an organisation, you get presented with their version of a “professional” dress code. If you really don’t agree with it, so much that it affects your freedom of expression, then leave. It’s obviously not a culture fit.
Yes, wear what makes you feel really good. Extraordinary, even. No matter your age, size or shape. That’s the ultimate measure of what you should and shouldn’t be wearing.
On the flip side, there is a “but” if you care about how this is affecting the results of your self-marketing, especially if you’re in business.
You are in total control of how you choose to present yourself. Therefore, you are also in total control of what you attract as a result of it.
Image via pinterest
Before you decide on how you want to present yourself, ask yourself this:
1. Is the way I’m choosing to self-package myself getting me the results that I’m working hard for?
The answer to this all depends on how you are measuring the success of your results.
If you’re an entrepreneur, this is one example of how you will know your self-packaging is contributing to your success:
-How you show up in person is consistent to your online and business branding.
-You look like who you say you are and your believability factor sours.
-As your business is preaching successful results; you look like a walking, talking version of that success (not like you’re trying to be successful).
– This in turn attracts and secures your ideal, high paying client consistently.
– This consistency elevates your credibility within your market.
2. Is the way I’m presenting myself working for me or against me?
This is how you know it’s working for you:
– You open up your wardrobe, choose an outfit, put it on and go, effortlessly.
– You’re on brand, feeling confident and it’s done without hesitation and a million outfit changes. You leave your home on time with even more energy (not exhausted from the strenuous exercise you just put yourself through figuring out what to wear).
– You walk into a room and own your place; with a strong presence, open body language and a sense of freedom in your being.
– The need to self-compare yourself to other women is diminished and your self-consciousness disappears.
– You feel “ready” at all times. You confidently say yes to getting your photo taken, stepping up on stage or doing that media interview.
3. When I look in the mirror, can I confidently say that I am a representing myself authentically, consistently?
Consistency is incredibly important. Especially in marketing and your image is one of your biggest self-marketing tools. Just like any marketing campaign, the message needs to be authentic, relevant, consistent and positively memorable.
To know how to best represent yourself authentically, you must first understand who you are today; the person you have become – not who you were in the past.
What are personality traits are you proudest of? What are your values? What are your strengths?
Use the pieces of fabric as your tool to visually capture your authentic essence in threads. And remove any pieces from your wardrobe that are no longer congruent with who you are now – these are weaknesses to a consistent brand.
When your presentation is aligned with your internal identity consistently, your being will feel whole, complete and powerful.
Follow Colette Werden: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
