Why it’s so important to dress as YOU
How did you decide what to wear this morning? Did you just grab something and go, or did you think about what you’d be doing during the day, and who you would encounter? How do you feel in what you are wearing? The answers to these questions matter more than you might think.
Most of us have been told at one time or another that we should just “be ourselves” - and this is great advice for lots of things in life, including when it comes to getting dressed. We can’t really be anyone other than ourselves for any length of time without coming across as stuffy, uncomfortable, or disingenuous, and even if you CAN pull all of that off - it’s really stressful trying to be someone you’re not.
What does this have to do with clothing? Well, in my opinion, “be yourself” should be the basis around which you build a wardrobe. The way you show up in the world impacts your success, and I want you to show up as the best possible version of you because no one can do that better! I even believe it’s possible to be yourself even in environments with dress codes and uniforms - these things are not mutually exclusive. More on that another time, but for now, here are a few reasons why you benefit from showing up in outfits that reflect you as your unique self each day:
Showing up consistently in a way that makes you feel good can enhance your credibility, boost your self-esteem, and improve your communication skills. This is all proven in research!
People make judgments about you in the first few seconds of seeing you - before you even have a chance to speak. It’s just the way we are wired as humans. Be in control of this opportunity so that people are making the right assumptions about you - the ones you want them to make!
Each day you are reinforcing people’s assumptions and judgements about you by the way you show up. So while you never have a second chance to make a first impression, every day is a fresh opportunity to impact the way people see you. Additionally, if you are in a professional setting, dressing well can help you make a positive impression on colleagues and clients, and will increase your chances for career advancement opportunities.
When you dress in a way that makes you feel like yourself, you come across as confident and at ease - this helps put others at ease about you.
You become memorable. This is especially true at networking events or settings where someone might meet a lot of people at once. Stand out by being yourself instead of being a cookie cutter version of who you think people expect you to be.
Coco Chanel famously said, “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.” The whole goal here is to present with your personality shining through so that what people remember is not your effort, but the essence of what makes you, YOU!
Dressing in a way that is true to your personality is a tool to attract the right people and opportunities to you - so use it!
If you’re not sure how to inject your personality into your wardrobe, book a complimentary call with me and let's chat!