If you’ve ever watched the TV series Versailles, you witnessed how the 17th century costumes created a flair for the dramatic. Frocks tricked out with satin ribbons, jewels and lace were all the rage.
Add in stunningly high heels, tall teased hair for women, long hair on men and puffs of aphrodisiac powders— and you had one heck of a party.
Fast forward to today’s version of being seen as successful, and we’ve got a different take on what to wear.
There’s no denying that for many of us, what we put on our body affects how we stand, move, and connect with others. Your internal confidence can deplete or elevate according to your external cloth.
“Only wear clothes that make you feel alive.”
-Valentino Garavani
Meaning—dress for YOU, not for them. If you don’t feel like a million bucks, you’ll likely repeat your current financial loop again and again.
Since 1998, I’ve gone through three big changes in my wardrobe.
As a professional musician since my early 20’s, black was my go to. One would have to dive deep into my closet to find any other color. I rehearsed, performed and seemingly lived in black.
Then I made a quick pivot into opening a Yoga Studio. I stuck with black in my yoga pants and added in a colorful stripe now and then. A few years into the yoga industry and I was brave enough to wear brightly colored tops and jackets. (thank you Lululemon for a closet full of yoga wear)
Years later I sold the studio and created my business from home. I spent hours every day building my online/offline coaching and training company. The fascinating thing was, if I stayed in my yoga pants all day, I only felt like doing yoga.
I realized that showing up for my business in a successful way required me to dress the part of my highest and best. Mindset is everything.
Yet if we wear clothes that don’t meet the mindset, we lose traction.
Here’s my tips for entrepreneurs who want to dress for their highest and best:
1) If you stay in lazy clothes all day, you’re going to feel lazy and produce less. By setting the tone with your outfit that you are not wired to produce, you can expect to get less done.
If you love being cozy while you work, zip it up with a nice pair of G-Star jeans and a cotton Frank and Eileen tee lab hoodie.
2) Decide on a type of outfit that you feel really good in. Confident. Certain. Even magnetic. Buy at least three of the same or similar. Women, avoid cringing. Men get away with this all the time with the infamous grey and blue suits. Gals, it’s our turn to create a uniform.
3) Personalize your uniform. Add in a signature pin or scarf. Change up your jewelry. Buy two colors of your favorite blouse. Switch out jackets and get 3 colors of your favorite cami.
Check out Matilda Kahl and why she chose to wear the same uniform every day for her job at a lead ad agency in New York.
4) Find your power shoes. My power footwear includes Pikolino boots in the winter and Donald Pliner sandals in the summer. I’ve also been rocking gold Uggs 😉
5) Lay out your clothes the night before. This is super easy if you have a uniform. If you need variety, choose nightly so there isn’t a loss of energy deciding what to wear.
If you’re feeling confident you’ll be more likely to hop on a Facebook Live video, go out to networking events or even show up at a local coffee shop or co-working space to connect and get some work done.
The last thing you need for a highly productive day is to be frazzled first thing in the morning by your choice of clothing. Be ready. Get set. go.