Dress to Impress Tip# 30!

BE AUTHENTIC.

“Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.”

–Oscar Wilde

Being transparent makes you more relatable, regardless of the situation.

When you are being honest, you are at your most relaxed. Have nothing to hide, and you won’t have the stress of maintaining an illusion of some kind. This relaxed attitude will make a better first impression than any effort to impress you might try to force.

According to Mark Bowden we instinctively put people into four categories. One is the friend category, which is essentially the benefit. We look at somebody and our minds are able to take in the elements that we need to predict if that person will benefit me, will I come out with more than I came in with? There is a high benefit , low risk being around them.

The second category is the enemy, predator. It is high risk and low benefit.

The third category is the mate. Not really life partner, it’s all about passing on our genetic code. That’s all.

The fourth, and last category is indifference.

This happens in a matter of as little as a fifth second.

You want people to be anything but indifferent, because nobody remembers that which does not evoke emotion.

So be yourself, own your greatness.

Dress to Impress Tip # 29

Photo by christian erra on Unsplash

As much as we like to buy off the rack. Our bodies are rarely a perfect size, especially when you are buying suits, or things that are more fitted like shirts.

If you do find something that fits you to a T, grab it in all your basic colors! If not, don’t automatically reject it out of hand.

If you can’t buy separates for that suit, buy a bit bigger (and I do mean a bit, perhaps one size up which can easily be tailored.

Before you throw out, or give away those clothes you bought because you loved, but came home to find they don’t fit as well as you thought. Or that fabulous wardrobe you bought when you were 20 kilo heavier…

Think about getting them tailored.

Sometimes all it takes to take something from meh to spectacular is a bit of tailoring.

If you can’t buy custom (and I don’t know about you, but I certainly can’t)

Find yourself a good tailor. It’s a lot cheaper than you think and makes a HUGE difference in how your clothes fit and how you look and feel in them.

Make the clothes fit your body, not your body fit your clothes!

When something fits likes it’s been made for you. You are golden.

You show up more confident, because you fell more confident.

Your clothes look better, more expensive, make it looks like you care how you show up, and how you value yourself, and also shows you respect the person who you are trying to impress by wearing your best.

A good tailor can make those pants fit better around your waist. Can tailor that gorgeous shirt that hangs on you, nip in the waist on that jacket or let out the seams on the side. They can narrow the shoulders and shorten you sleeves, and hem your pants so they break properly over you shoes. your pants break over you shoes. Even remove those pockets that add bulk where you don’t want it.

If you find something you love you can buy a size bigger, or buy something that fits the “biggest” part of your body and have it tailored to fit the smallest…

All that being said, having a good tailor doesn’t mean you can go out and buy things that are way to big or too small, there are limits to what even the best tailor can do.

Dress to Impress Tip # 28

Photo by Jane Palash on Unsplash

What you do right before you walk into that meeting or that interview, can set the tone, how you feel about yourself and boost your confidence, even put a spring in your step and have you stand straighter and smile brighter.

So before you walk in, get something small off your to do list, make that phone call, schedule that appointment, have a small win so that you can set yourself up for an even bigger one.

Maybe write down 3 things for which you are grateful, now.

Acknowledge if there is anxiety or fear of failure, “what will they think of me” all the disempowering conversations in your head and choose something else, you are bigger than those thoughts repeat to yourself “I am enough!” ala Merissa Peer https://iamenough.com/. Or flip it anxiety and nervousness, are synonyms for excitement, they elicit the same feelings in your body, just cause different hormones to be released. Let the dopamine flow!

Envision yourself being “that” person.  Your future, successful, confident self.  That is who you are now.

Your imagination is a powerful thing.

Dress to Impress Tip # 27

Photo by Celine Ruiz on Unsplash

Accessories are great to add color, and a bit of personal style.

But as the great Coco Chanel said “before you leave the house, look in the mirror and remove one accessory”

There is such a thing as too much, and understated makes a statement all by itself.

On the hand the right accessory, can make you pop!

A long pair of earrings are great, but don’t pair them with a matching necklace (short necklace)

A beautiful necklace doesn’t need a complex earrings, something simple and close to the ear is perfect.

A long chain with an interesting ornament can make a tunic or beautiful white shirt pop.

Beware the chunky, trendy necklace, it’s fun and a great way to accessorize if it doesn’t overwhelm you or your outfit.

With a pattern dress (or shirt) keep your accessories simple, solid gold, silver or pick a color from the pattern and pick that up in your jewelry. Pick a tie in one of the colors of the shirt, or a smaller or bigger pattern that your shirt, but in the same color way.

Now that fabulous bracelet you bought on that memorable vacation, or that necklace you got from your grandmother, or your mothers earrings that make you feel loved and supported, well you should wear when you need a boost of confidence….Just keep it simple, elegant and timeless.

And you will always win your game.

Dress to Impress Tip # 26

Photo by Anubhaw Anand from Pexels

The crisp white shirt, or the white of a new t-shirt, an essential wardrobe piece, that unfortunately needs to be bought every year.

In the summer it keeps you feeling and looking cooler. In the winter it brightens up all the dark colors people gravitate towards and makes you fresh and stand out.

There is something about the look of a crisp, white shirt that screams self assuredness.

The simplicity of white, with unusual tailoring upgrades your look to sophisticated. Delicate details, are not immediately apparent keeping things interesting.

And it’s awesome underneath that structured blazer that is one of the foundation garments of your basic wardrobe.

The only down side to white, is that it’s really hard to maintain without having it yellow. White t-shirts need to be renewed every year, and that beautiful white shirt is good for maybe a season or two.

Dress to Impress Tip # 25

Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash

The easiest way to upgrade a look to more professional, be it jeans and a t-shirt or a feminine flowy skirt or dress is to add a nice tailored jacket.

A basic core wardrobe staple, be it in basic black, navy, camel, off-white or even white, a structured blazer in a beautiful fabric – wool, linen, cotton… will up grade your look from casual to professional.

A simple white (v-necked) t-shirt and jeans get an instant up grade with the addition of a black or navy blazer.

You love to wear flowy, flowery skirts? Feel like they might not convey a professional image? The neutral blazer to the rescue, be it camel or off white.

A minute before that zoom business meeting and you’re still in a tank top from working out? Or in that crew necked t-shirt? Throw on your blazer and you get that nice V- shape that draws the eye down and to your midline making you look both slimmer and well dressed!

When you are travel and you want to pack light, wear your blazer on the plane, to keep you warm and you have the perfect layer to go from beach casual to that lovely 5 star restaurant!

The blazer is the one of the most critical pieces in your capsule wardrobe.

Dress for Impress Tip # 24

Photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN on Unsplash

Variations on a theme. You love hats, or scarves or jackets or ties or (if you’re me) shoes.

Sometimes a change in color can portray a completely different message and give a boost of interest to a simple, elegant look.

A turquoise based tie with a brown jacket.

A red shoe with a black suit.

A hunter green hat with a burgundy dress.

A purple scarf with a navy blue coat.

And yes, a touch of (the right) yellow will brighten up do wonders for black.

The shapes don’t need to change for the color to give a totally different vibe, and make the whole look more interesting….

Interesting is memorable and

Who doesn’t want to be remembered.

Of course, the next question is “for what do you want to be remembered”

But that’s a question for another day.

Dress to Impress Tip # 23

Beware the overpowering silhouette.

It’s all about proportions. You want to wear something oversized without looking oversized? Make sure the other half of the outfit is form fitting.

An oversized top, with a slim bottom and visa versa. A beautiful flowing tunic with a pencil skirt or a pair of leggings. Loose palazzo style pants with a fitted sweater that ends at the waist of the pant.

Loose and flowy may be your style, but don’t let it overwhelm you. You can’t get your point across when you are lost in layers of cloth, unless your point is to hide behind your clothing.

Properly done flowing tips or flowing bottoms are elegant and portray strength and confidence, think Lauren Bacall and Ingmar Bergman.

Think dresses with cinched in waists, and business suits with beautiful silk blouses.

You want to emphasis your best feature be it a broad shoulders and strong arms, or long lean legs, by mixing things up this look can make frame your best feature, while obscuring your less than perfect one, and make it look effortless, and comfortable.

Dress to Impress Tip # 22

High end fabrics with beautiful drape, even better than a stand out color, cashmere, silks, merino wool, fine cottons they just sit better on the body and make you show up better.

What’s even better is these fabrics, while expensive, if you take good care of them, they will take care of you and last forever.

They make you feel better because they feel so good against your skin.

They make you feel like you are doing something good for yourself and if you are doing something good for yourself, it shows that you value yourself and you are worth being value.

Quiet confidence at it’s best.

Dress to Impress Tip #21

Smile, at least with your eyes.

It changes the way you feel inside and out.

Makes your face more pleasant and open. and makes you look more likeable and yes, more competent.

And just makes people want to smile back. Smile and the world smiles with you.

Happiness is contagious, we all want to be happy, to be THAT person that seems to have no cares in the world.

Smiling can make you look younger, makes your face look thinner..

It elevates your mood, releases endorphins (and is lower in calories than chocolate).

Even a forces smile can boost you mood!

Just don’t smirk.