30 Nov Own Your Style Identity
When thinking about most of history’s successful, influential, or interesting people, many have one thing in common other than their contributions or personalities; they have a style identity. Abraham Lincoln had his beard and top hat, Coco Chanel had her red lips, and Richard Branson, his free-flowing light hair and casual white shirt. Kris Jenner is known for her dark eye makeup and all-black ensembles. You get the idea. An effective, consistent appearance is key to making a lasting impression.
So how do you develop your style identity? Here are our top fast-five tips:
1. DO SOME SOUL-SEARCHING – Give some thought to who you are and what you want to convey. Obviously making a good impression is not just your appearance. For example, do you want to influence people and be an authority in your field? Start with polished, structured pieces and see what sticks. Do you want to utilize your tranquil nature to be a calming presence? Wear blue – any shade. (It actually conveys a sense of serenity.)
2. BE INSPIRED – Whose style do you admire? Is there a celeb you’d love to look like? Identify your role model, pinpoint their signature style, and tweak it for your taste and lifestyle. Love Blake Lively’s menswear-inspired power suits but work at a more casual company? Make a blazer and jeans look your thing.
3. READ UP – Do some research – Pinterest, online magazines, and blogs are a great source of inspiration. See what appeals to you and go from there. Maybe you’ll notice a 3-piece suit or distinctive glasses. One element is the first step, and sometimes all you need like Steve Carell and his round glasses.
4. PHONE A FRIEND – On the fence about your look? Ask a friend. Sometimes a pair of fresh eyes is all you need to zero in on your style identity starting point. Your friends will probably identify your best option because they know what you’re about.
5. GO TO THE EXPERTS – The way you present yourself truly makes a big impact – at work, in social situations, and in life. Let’s face it – we all want to be memorable. A stylist can tackle your look as a whole, edit out the weak elements, and expand on the strong. Services like closet edits, personal shopping, and lookbooks will give you the style direction you seek.
Whatever your methods for creating your style identity, just remember to be yourself. Ariana Grande looks great in a high ponytail, but it’s not practical for most of us. Who doesn’t want the success of Kevin O’Leary? But some of us don’t want to wear black and white every. single. day. In summary, take some style cues but be true to you.
Stay tuned to keep learning how to develop your signature style identity step-by-step in future blogs!