Tuesday

Personal Style: What Is Your Personal Style?


Personal Style

How do you find your personal style?

Spring is a perfect time to get in tune with your own personal style. The winter "uniform" comes off. Trends are new. Possibility is everywhere.

Do you know what your personal style is?

Some people find it easy to create their personal style. They know what looks good on them and how to put things together. They look polished and comfortable.

Others just blend in with the crowd. I often see groups of people out and they all have the same
style. Nothing original. Nothing unique.

I was working at a hotel in New York one time and there was an training class for new traders for Goldman Sachs. Almost all of the new recruits were wearing a light blue button up and khakis. It was a sea of sameness. I still see that same style everywhere and I think - boring. Yes, maybe those new recruits hit "gold" with getting hired at Goldman Sachs, but the competition is also fierce and how many of them can really hit gold when you can't tell them apart?

Ask yourself:

Do you have a sense of your own personal style that sets you apart from the crowd?

or

Are you just one of many that blends into a crowd? If so, are you ready to stand out in a crowd of many? The DESIRE to play big is very important for you to be successful at anything you do.
So what can you do to stand out from the crowd with your own personal style?

First and foremost, you need to know how to dress your body type. Some styles, prints and colors just don't work everywhere for everyone. I'm sure you get that for the most part, but really understanding your body type is the basis for any personal style development. Just remember that too loose or too tight is always too wrong!

Once you've mastered your body type, it's time to get clear on what makes you authentically and uniquely you. Part of my personal branding program is to really get CLEAR on who you are and what you want. Some of the exercises we use to hone in on the authentic you is to think of adjectives, quotes, people you admire, movie stars, fashion trends, cars, animals, etc. You are building the style you want to match your inner greatness as well as where you want to go with it!!!

Let's think of some examples of "owning" your own style for success. Steve Jobs had his own style. The black turtleneck, jeans and sneakers. Simple. Casual. Consistent. What is Apple?? As I type on my four year old MacBook, it's simple and consistent.

One of the very few Fortune 500 female CEO's in the country, Andrea Jung of Avon, always wears her pearls and red lipstick with whatever else she wears. A pop of color and one "signature" accessory worn consistently.

If you look at designers, they all have some recognizable thing about their designs. A good example is Missoni. If you remember the rampage at Target, you know what their style and brand is very graphic and colorful. Another very recognizable designer is Tommy Hilfigur. That brand is traditionally "nautical" and sporty. Kate Spade, Coach, Chanel are all stand out brands.

As you can see above, it could be as simple as a piece of jewelry, a color of makeup, a shape, or a type of print. What makes it your personal style can make it a combination of many things or simply two fabulous items that are consistently paired together - and it fits your body type and coloring.
Now, get clear on your personal style, put it together and stand out and play big!!

Warning - once you are clear on your personal style, it may not be just yours anymore as others who aren't as ambitious as you will copy you! If that happens, I will award you with the title of trend setter!

Share your personal style with us by commenting below!


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