5 Personal Style Secrets
To Look And Feel Confident
There are days when your Personal Style is authentic and fresh.
You look confident and exude equanimity.
These are the days when you feel in control and ooze grace and decorum.
Even when the pressure is turned on high, you feel courageous and positive.
And then there are the days when you don’t feel on top of the world.
You feel unsure, timid and don’t know what to do.
That’s when I hear:
“I’ve lost my confidence.”
“My self-esteem has disappeared.”
“I used to be fearless.”
The reasons will be varied and you may find that a few sessions of professional coaching gets you back on track, especially when you’ve had a life event such as returning to work after having a baby, redundancy or dealing with divorce.
The 5 Personal Style secrets below will help you re-frame your confidence and self-esteem levels.These are just some of the secrets into the art of style and self-assurance.
5 Personal Style Secrets To Look Confident & Self-Assured
1. What You Wear CAN Give You Confidence.
This is what Dina de Angelo, a Director of private bank Pictet said in this month’s Vogue magazine:
‘Clothes are kind of important.
What you put on can give you confidence, brighten your mood’.
In 2015 Theresa May is quoted as saying:
‘I am a woman and I like clothes and shoes.
You can be clever and like clothes’.
There is no contradiction between looking good and being smart.
Presenting yourself aligned with fashion plays an important role.
No, it’s not trivial.
How you look – your visual image – and the effect your appearance has on others is an integral part of your Personal Brand.
Is it time to upscale?
2. Hold Your Head Up And Greet The World.
Real confidence can be seen in external traits such as a straight back, a firm handshake, direct eye contact, a genuine smile.
The old adage of putting your shoulders back and holding your head up projects self-esteem and personal value.
Try this short exercise on your commute to work or in your lunch-time:
Walk down a stretch of road busy with people with your head down avoiding all contact with anyone else.
Walk back with your head high, a straight back and engaging others with
eye contact or a nod of acknowledgement and perhaps a smile.
You’ll find people reciprocate your positive manner. It’s human nature.
You’ll arrive back at work feeling confident and valued by others.
3. Learn To Bounce
No-one likes criticism and it’s hard not to take it personally.
Learning to bounce back is the trick to maintaining your personal value.
Accept we all make mistakes in our personal and professional lives.
It’s how we manage these ‘failures’ and ‘criticisms’ that will make us stronger and in some cases, more human!
Remember, many great industry figures and entrepreneurs have failed at something before they were successful.
“The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.”
Lucias Annaeus Seneca“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts”.
Winston Churchill
4. Take Care Of The Little Things
The devil is in the details.
Yes, it’s the smallest details that can ruin an otherwise professional appearance and strong Personal Brand.
You needn’t look runway immaculate but you do need to look groomed!
Hairstyle: keep it routinely in shape and if you colour it, do it regularly.
Nails: manicured and pedicured! Go for classic or nude styles.
Jewellery: real or costume, wear with panache and don’t overload.
Shoes: polished, wearable heels and keep in good repair.
5. Develop A Signature Style
Similar to how you may write your signature, a signature style encompasses the way you present yourself to the outer world – in a manner that is unique to you.
It is consistent and memorable.
A signature style is often one piece that lets you stand out from the crowd.
It could be a piece of jewellery, a hair-cut, a fragrance or a certain shape of dress.
To give you some well-known examples:
Anna Wintour – her sunglasses
Theresa May – her kitten heels
Paloma Picasso – her red lipstick
Angela Merkel – her 3-button blazers
Jackie Onassis – her tailored suits, pearls
To develop your signature style, you need to know your body shape, your colouring, understand what suits you and what feels genuine to you. A signature style must be authentic, reflecting your Brand personality.
For help in developing your personal style or to order a capsule wardrobe, request a complementary consultation.
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