Branding 101: Your Biz Attire

 

     Not everyone understands the importance of creating their ‘own’ brand. And most often, there is confusion. Most people think that the brand of the company they work for is their brand. Not so.

When I speak of branding oneself, I am addressing how a business professional can ‘stand out’ from everyone else. What makes them unique, different, better, than anyone else in their company or profession. Branding ranges from the way one dresses to the services and products they offer, their social media presence, down to the smallest details in creating a very ingenious business card.

In this article I will be addressing business attire. How we choose our clothing for business is extremely important! I started branding myself with my clothing as a young twenty-something while I was climbing the ladder of success. (I was a fashion major, so that helped!) I had no idea that I was branding myself, until I was in my thirties. Usually, the term branding back in those days was about Fortune 500 companies and their clever advertising campaigns!

Someone had pointed out to me that I was always dressed up, in a dress or suit, with jewelry, makeup and hair done. When I started my first business, I was always dressed up when I went out to do estimates and home visits. One day, I was on my way to do an estimate when a neighbor hollered out to me, “No wonder you have so much business, all dressed up and looking fine like that!” It made me smile, but he was correct. No one else in my industry ever dressed up to do estimates, ever! It is important to look sharp and stand out because it can be a magnet for lots of great business!

First impressions are the most important element of meeting someone new. Without the right clothing, it does not matter how qualified you are or how good you are in your field. You most likely will be overlooked if you are not making a grand first impression. In an ideal world you would only be judged for your talent and skills. At the end of the day, you will be judged on your looks, and clothing is a huge part of it. In our fast-paced world, people will make quick judgements by what they see within the first few seconds. And even though many will say that they do not make quick judgements about people, they will make quick assumptions.

Scientist from Columbia University and Cal State Northridge published a study that examines how clothing may affect one’s thoughts. The results found that wearing formal clothes can free people from concrete thinking while boosting their ability to think more practically.

Dressing professionally will increase your self-confidence! The way you dress will always, always, always affect your attitude and the way you act. Dress casually, you act casually, and you are saying to others, “this is my hobby, not my career”. Dress professionally, suddenly you have more self-confidence to conquer the world like the King or Queen that you are! If you look the part, you play the part. If you look and play the part, you will also gain the respect of your co-workers and clients.

When you dress professionally, you are making a visual statement about yourself. Make sure you are sending the correct message by keeping these three things in mind when selecting your business attire: authentic, authoritative, and appropriate.

Here are 10 reasons to Dress for Success:

1.    Science Says So. In an experiment, a man crossed the street against traffic. When he was dressed in a suit, three-and-a-half times as many people followed him as when he was wearing a work shirt and a pair of trousers. (Study by Lefkowitz, Blake, and Mouton, 1955)

2.    First Impressions Count.

3.    Promotes Self-Respect.

4.    Boost Self-Confidence.

5.    It Draws the Right Kind of Attention.

6.    It is a Step to Overall Improvement.

7.    It will Keep you Productive.

8.    It Shows your Attention to Detail.

9.    Gives you a Competitive Edge. And It's Fun!

 

It does not have to cost a fortune to start improving your brand!

I have helped many women over the years build their professional wardrobes. I have taught classes with visuals to help others learn as well. If you need help in this area, please reach out!  

To get started, all you need is:

·         One pair of basic black dress slacks: not leggings, not yoga pants.

·      One basic black dress skirt: about knee length or longer, no side/front slits, back walking slit is a yes.

·         One structured black blazer: suiting material.

·         One unstructured black jacket: usually a knit material or sweater

·         One basic dress: any color or design.

·         Two dress blouses/tops: any color or design, not low cut.

·         Basic jewelry: gold or silver, necklace/bib necklace, earrings/short, a bracelet, nothing that clangs or makes noise.

·         One pair of black dress shoes: one-inch heel or more, comfortable for walking or standing for long hours in need.

Start with the basics, select ‘classic’ clothing designs, i.e. clothing that never goes out of style, then mix and match what you have. Jacket over dress, jacket over blouse with trousers. Later, add more color and designs as you can. But to get started with a wardrobe that says you mean business; you do not have to spend a fortune. You can find lots of nice career wear choices in thrift stores! All the businesspeople who retire, send their nice, hardly worn, designer outfits to thrift stores! True story!

Some of my acquaintances have made their ‘wardrobe colors’ a part of their branding. One lady runs a winery, and all her dress clothes are wine or purple in color. Another person used her logo colors to design her clothing around. Her logo has three colors and that is how she chooses her wardrobe.

Why would you want to look like everyone else?

I pose this question, because during one of my training sessions with a group, I actually had someone try to defend not dressing appropriately for an event with “everyone else was dressed that way”.

My response was, "who cares that Susie across the aisle from you at a trade show is dressed in jeans and a t-shirt to represent her business? She looks like everyone else in the room. She didn't stand out at all!"

BE A MAGNET AND A SHINING STAR! Look so sharp, shiny bright and energizing that people want to get to know you and want to do business with you. Make them think, “I want some of that!”

When you are working trade shows and representing your business out in public in any way, you should be dressed just above how you anticipate the others in the room will be dressed.

Now you can take my advice or not. I am only speaking from 45 years of experience and have watched people soar by making a few branding adjustments, like choosing better clothing.

Do this because life is too short to blend in. Do not settle for AVERAGE!

 

Debra Lee Biz & Life Coach | Author | Keynote Speaker

 

Find all my business services here!