This story appeared in Sanctuary Magazine on March 1, 2023.
With about 50 percent of people returning to the office part-time post-COVID, many women are rethinking their professional look and personal style. Have norms in office attire changed since before the pandemic? What defines professional and personal style? How casual is too casual for the workplace?
Style and life expert, Carol Davidson, CPC, AICI CIP, says when it comes to office wear, yesterday’s looks are a part of the past. Today’s professionals are embracing new ways of dressing that reflect their personal style and company’s ethos.
Karen Shan, co-associate editor, spoke with Carol about personal style, empowerment, and revamping your personal and professional look, post-COVID.
What is personal style and why does it matter?
Personal style is the outward expression of who you are on the inside. Your clothing, your accessories, and how you put them together all speak to your individuality, your personality, your values, and your preferences. Your personal style is how you share yourself and your story with others.
As human beings, we are visual creatures. Your personal style speaks volumes about you to others. Think of your personal style as a tool for communication. It can either add to or detract from your overall image and how you are perceived. While we don’t have a choice about that, we do have a choice about how we choose to present ourselves.
How does a person’s style – intentional or not – affect the way she feels about herself, personally and professionally?
There’s something called image alignment. This is having the components of your image – your appearance, your behavior, your communication, and your digital imprint – all in sync and saying the same thing. When these align, we are confident and at our best. We feel less self-conscious, and we are able to be more present. We feel more powerful and able to accomplish great things, both personally and professionally.
This type of empowerment has been proven. Several years ago, researchers at Northwestern University found that the clothing we wear can alter our moods, determine our level of confidence, and effect our performance.
How does a woman’s personal style affect how others see her – what they perceive about the type of person she is, personally and professionally?
All of this impacts how others see and treat us, which comes back full circle to how we feel about ourselves. They dubbed this ‘enclothed cognition.’
I want to point out that it’s not just about dressing well to influence the perception of others. It’s also about the relationship we have with the person in the mirror. When we take the time and are intentional, we are also positively influencing the message we send to ourselves, also known as our ‘self-talk.’ We are telling ourselves this: I am worthy. I matter. I love myself. It’s amazing how much confidence we get when we devote some attention to our personal style and what we wear.
During the pandemic’s work-from-home practices, many people abandoned their more formal work attire for casual dressing. Now that people are returning to their workplace, have the conventional standards of workplace attire changed? Is casual attire a detriment to a person’s professional image?
Even in the most formal of offices, work attire looks very different post-pandemic. Most dress codes have relaxed. How relaxed depends on the nature of the business and if the employees are client/public-facing.
For many of my clients, high heels and ties are a thing of the past. Instead, they are embracing more comfortable options, as well as options that feel more authentic and self-expressed. It’s understandable, as most of us have spent some two and a half years out of the office and out of our previous dress code.
I don’t believe dressing more casually is a detriment to a person’s professional image, particularly if it is in keeping with the office culture. That said, a person’s work attire should be professional and neat, as well as appropriate to the situation and the expectations of others. It’s still helpful to understand how to raise or lower your visual volume, even with casual attire. For example, a collared shirt is always more authoritative than its collarless counterpart. And a blazer always levels up an outfit. When in doubt, it is easier to tone down a more professional look than to amp up a casual one.
How do a person’s clothing, hair style, and accessories work together in terms of style?
When I work with clients, I advise them from head-to-toe and style fully accessorized looks, leaving nothing to chance. Each aspect of our personal style should reflect our personality and enhance our appearance. They should fit together, like pieces in a puzzle. When they are cohesive, the heavens open, and the angels sing! We feel pulled together, confident, and empowered to step into whatever comes next. If one of those elements is off, on some level, we feel a disconnect. That feeling of disconnect can be a distraction that can prevent us from looking and feeling like our best selves.
How might a person refresh her look without starting from scratch?
Mix things up: Find new ways to combine your clothes. Pick one item each week and challenge yourself to come up with a new way to wear it. Maybe you don’t really need more items, just some new ways to wear what you already own.
Add a splash of color: Many of us gravitate to black, navy or gray because they’re easy to wear and pair. Challenge yourself to add an accent color. Not only will it brighten up your neutral clothing, but it will also brighten your spirit.
Accessorize with intention: Shoes, scarves, and jewelry will go a long way in giving mileage to what you already own.
Think repetition and double duty: Opt for items in a three-season fabric that will go with a multitude of items that you already own.
Try a trend: To inject some currency into your existing wardrobe, try one new trend. Each fashion season offers us a variety of options. Pick the one you’ll wear long after the trend disappears. For me that’s a wide leg trouser.
Upcycle your old items: A well-worn pair of jeans can become your new favorite shorts. An old blazer may feel more modern as a new vest. A tired blouse can get a stylish makeover with new, fun buttons. Be creative and have fun.
Freshen your makeup: Unlike specific clothing or accessory items, you show your face every day. Visit your favorite makeup counter for some new tips on how to put your best face forward.
Personal style is not static – it’s dynamic. It should evolve and change as you do. And while personal style can be inspired by others, it is as personal as your signature. It’s not about a maze of style rules and regulations. It’s about discovering what best expresses you. Once you’ve nailed it, shopping becomes less effortful and more fun. You get excited to get dressed! Nothing is more gratifying to me than helping a client discover her style DNA.
Where do you find sanctuary?
I wish I found it from exercise, but I’m not there yet! That said, I do find sanctuary in a few different ways. Whenever I see water, my exhale is audible. I am fortunate to be able to go back and forth to southwest Florida and have access to a water view. While I am not yet a snowbird, I am a snowbird in training. When I can’t see water, I crave the feeling of sun on my face. Even if it is winter sun and only for five minutes, I find it incredibly restorative. I also find sanctuary listening to music, particularly from the 70’s where I can sing along. Something in the whole Karaoke experience really takes me to a calm and happy place.
Carol’s Wardrobe Tips
Clarify your own unique style. Look at blogs, Instagram or Pinterest and begin to assemble a file of items that speak to you. What do they share in common? Perhaps it’s the colors, shapes, styles or manufacturers. Connect the dots so you know what your aesthetic is and what sparks joy.
Identify your assets and flaunt them! We tend to dwell on the negative. Why not take the time and energy you use to hide a challenge area and, instead, think about your assets and how you can best show them off?
Embrace your size and shape. Whether you are a size 2 or 22, it’s important to celebrate the size you are today, not 10 years ago or 10 pounds ago. You are so much more than the number on a hang tag. Forget the size and embrace the cuts and shapes that honor your body.
Assess your wardrobe. Try to understand what works and what doesn’t. Let go of the things that are not useful. To borrow a phrase from Nike, “Just do it.” Give discarded items a second life by donating them or giving them to a friend.
Don’t put off alterations or repairs. There is nothing more frustrating than having an item that you could wear and enjoy, if only. Take the time to schedule alterations.
Organize your closet. If this seems overwhelming, split this task into one- or two-hour chunks over several weeks. Think about your wardrobe routine. Would it make sense to organize your closet by item, by color or by outfit? Play some music and enlist the help of a friend (or me – I’m happy to assist!).
Make a shopping list. Don’t go into a store or shop online without a list of what you need. This will keep you from purchasing the ‘nice-to-haves’ as opposed to the ‘need-to-haves.’
Make a conscious decision to make wiser choices. Assuming an item fits both your budget and your body, ask yourself: Do you love it? Does it flatter you? Does it represent you at your best?
Subscribe to the idea that comfort and style need not be mutually exclusive. Take the time to search out items that hit the mark in both categories. No one should suffer for fashion. However, no one should sacrifice it for comfort, either.
Give yourself permission to shop for the whole outfit. So many clients are frustrated because they have items that don’t have a companion piece in their closet. When considering a new item, either make sure that you own two-to-three items to go with it or take the time to hunt for the complete ensemble.
Wear your best items today. So many of us save our favorite items for a “special” occasion. Cut off the tags of whatever you were saving and begin to enjoy it. You deserve to love, love, love what you are wearing each and every day!
Great, personal style is not just available to celebrities or influencers. It is accessible to everybody, at any age, any weight, and any price point. All it takes is a bit of self-discovery and self-discipline to consciously and consistently show up as your most authentic, fabulous, self.
Read the original article on Sanctuary-Magazine.com
