“Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live.”
—Gianni Versace
Change is in the air. Just as the seasons turn so do certain elements of our lives. Like it or not, each year your age changes and brings with it its own set of transitions. Your body looks different from a decade ago. Your haircut and color have evolved too. Perhaps you’ve changed jobs or retired. You may have developed new interests, switched family roles, changed homes or even begun new relationships. I recognize that several transitions coming at you at the same time can also be overwhelming.
For many women, one of the transitions we struggle with is keeping up with the latest fashion trends. Often it feels like you and fashion aren’t seeing eye-to-eye. It’s challenging and exhausting to stay trendy. And it requires too much work for such little results! This can keep you from looking and feeling remarkable – worth the remark. So, why even bother?
Here’s why: Like it or not, you are branded. Your brand is the message of who you are, what you do and the unique promise of value you deliver. Begin to recognize your brand as the source of your message. And, outwardly, dressing in collaboration with your brand aligns you from the inside out. If your quality, vibe, promises, words, voice and basic physical appearance don’t align, you will create brand confusion. Something will feel off, and if something feels off no one will buy and if no one buys you don’t have a business.
You want your fashion sense to align with your style voice and brand of woman you are becoming for this season. But, you want it to be effortless. Yes, dressing with grace, ease and a style that you are proud to own.
Here are four quick ways to take out the stress of getting dressed in the midst of your transitions.
1. Decide on Your Vision
Consider visualizing the kind of presence you want to create. Grab a journal, notepad or create a Google Doc and add words on it. Words that express the personal style you want to showcase to the world. Use your imagination. Don’t be afraid to dream big! With the remarkable woman as your foundation, describe how you want to look and feel. This doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Consider what you are wearing when you are reflecting the best version of yourself. You can always get some ideas of the finest clothes that can express these words visually.
2. Dress for YOUR Body
Your body is aching now to feel accepted just as it is. As I always say, “Dress the body you have today, not the body you used to have, nor the body you are going to have.” You can give your body that gift by adorning it in clothes that fit and flatter. It’s a fallacy to think that being a certain size is the only time you’ll be attractive. We all have assets that can be accentuated to help us look and feel more remarkable. Agree to not make size the focus. This way, you can see the beauty in clothes: their design, details, textures, patterns, and lines. And make sure you “Dress like you mean business.”
3. Shop Your Closet
Start right where you are and work with what you have first. Most of us have enough clothes in our closet to start a boutique! With your vision in hand, look at the clothes you have for the current season. Use that vision to inspire you to find pieces that will create an outfit that makes you look and feel remarkable. This will help you save time and money as well as breathe new life into old familiar pieces of clothing.
4. Step in The Right Direction
Great accessories are a way to finish your look, make it more remarkable and align with where you are heading in life. Every Remarkable Woman should have an arsenal of jewelry, purses, and shoes. And when it comes to shoes, according to Marlene Dietrich:
“Shoes are more important than suits and dresses. Buy one pair of good shoes instead of three pairs of bad quality.”
Choose your shoes based on style, comfort, and fit. Here’s a list of shoe staples that are a must have:
- A basic pair of flats
- A pair of sneakers for comfort and possibly a pair for style
- A pair of booties – white ones are still trending currently
- A pair of block heel pumps
- A pair of sandals
- A pair of pumps with a heel
- An evening shoe
- A long-heeled pair of boots
- A pair of rainboots (I love rain booties)
Being in that phase of life where you are trying to figure out ‘your next’ step can be done from a place of grace and ease. Regardless of what life brings your way, you’ll still keep reflecting your brand from the inside out. You have what it takes to successfully manage any transition in life that appears before you. Openly accept this opportunity to deliver upon your unique promise of value with style.