You don’t have to be a regular guest at any number of the fashion weeks across the globe to be in the know about how your dress sense can be perceived. In fact, you don’t even have to be the savviest shopper to know that. You know that the things that you buy for your wardrobe will be sending out messages to those around you. You may even know that everything down to the colour of the items that you wear can say things about you and who you are; clothing has that effect. We live in a world where we are told on a daily basis not to judge others, not to take things at face value and not to put a story to a face until we’ve spoken to them. We are told this while at the same time being shown how to dress, how to stand and how to speak. Our clothes, our hairstyles and even our makeup sends powerful messages to those around us. We use our style to project exactly what we want people to see.
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For example, you wouldn’t wear a white dress to a wedding; the bride has that privilege and as a guest you would know that white would upstage the bride. You wouldn’t wear a jeans and sandals to an important business meeting either, because the image you would be projecting is one that is casual and not bothered about the seriousness of the meeting. It’s all in those early morning choices that you make. Every woman out there knows that there is power in Billini shoes over flip flops, so which would you choose to wear to a meeting? It definitely wouldn’t be the flip flops! Everything from our personal lives to our professional lives is impacted when we make the conscious decision to dress in the morning. Men are often – surprisingly – more self-conscious than women when it comes to clothing choices. As times change and move forward, there is now a pressure on them to dress more metrosexual and on trend than ever before. Whether you are a man or a woman, though, the choices that you make when you wake in the morning have more to say about you and your self-image than even you may know. The colours you pick may subconsciously reflect your mood for the day; this in turn will affect the way that people treat you. The clothes you choose can even influence a job interview.
It’s not always been this way, though. Clothes are now about our fashion choices and style trends, whereas they’ve previously just been something to wear that was in keeping with the time. Early years shows that clothes were made to keep us dry and warm, which in turn kept us safe from illness. They’re no longer just a practical item that we wear in public; they’re a social statement. They affect the way that we view ourselves and even impacting our self-esteem. There are still some societies where clothing is seen as an indication of our social status and wealth status; think kings and queens in opulent gowns and robes. Think $2000 suits that are personally tailored. These types of clothes can show off wealth, because those on a budget aren’t going to be thinking about $2000 suits when trying to put bread on the table.
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Your clothes can say an awful lot about you, that much is established, and we’ve all done that quick side-eye and judging someone based on their clothing style. We wouldn’t see someone in slouch pants and a backward cap as wealthy and a CEO of a company, but that is a big generalisation. So, what does your own style say about you to the world around you?
The Repeater. If you are picking out the same styles of outfit every morning, you’re either feeling hugely uninspired or you’re a parent anticipating baby sick down your clothes. You may not realise it, but this uniform of the same styles every day (let’s go with jeans and tees) is going to send out signals to others that there is a lack of inspiration there. You want to be able to show people that you know how to dress for yourself and that you plan to be a little quirky sometimes, so add a flower to your hair, a funky belt or crazy socks to splash a little of the fun side of your personality.
The Rainbow. Blue jeans, red top, yellow belt, green shoes, black jacket, orange jewellery: all of these things have a place in a wardrobe but having them all together on the same outfit basically shows off to others that you haven’t a clue how you feel that day. Wearing colourful outfits says a lot about you but sticking to individual colours is far better for your look and how you inspire others.
The Solid Black. Black is a fashion colour; it’s slimming, it’s versatile, it exudes taste, but it’s also depressing sometimes! You can be very sophisticated in black, but you can also imply that you are closed off and serious. Of course, this could be the very look that you are trying to convey. However, if you want to be more approachable, it could help you to tone down the solid colour and break it up. Black pants look great with a tropical coloured top, so break the colours apart and you can still look like a professional.
The Designer. Gucci, Louboutin, Versace; big names, even bigger price tags. If your wardrobe is full of labels, you could be two things; very wealthy, and very insecure. Caring about what people think of you is the downfall for most. It’s nice to have nice things but try not to mix all those names together in one outfit. You want to show people that you’re more than just the designers that you wear.
Before you get dressed every day, think about what you want to tell people with your outfit. Then go out there and rock it!
