Dress the Part: Build a Signature Work Wardrobe That Reflects Your Personal Brand
Your wardrobe speaks before you do. Curate a signature style that aligns with your goals, builds credibility, and confidently communicates your personal brand—without saying a word.
Your personal brand isn’t all about your profiles and posts. It’s every impression you leave online and offline. It’s what people think about you, how you make them feel, what they say about you (especially when you’re not in the room), and how they remember you. Your signature style speaks for your personal brand. So, how have you curated your personal professional style to communicate for you and align with your personal brand goals?
1. Dress for the job you have
We love to say we don’t judge a book by its cover. It’s a nice idea. But we do.
In 2006, Princeton Psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov published some compelling conclusions about the speed of first impressions. They found that first impressions form in just a tenth of a second.
When I first started personal brand coaching, I was surprised by how many, most often males, correctly made the connection between personal branding to personal style. And, would re-live their disappointment about times when colleagues failed to dress for the job they had. Your personal style communicates for you. And in a professional setting, it can help or hurt your credibility.
If your workplace, industry or even just a particularly important meeting requires a certain standard of dress, show up appropriately. This dress code is often an unspoken code of conduct. Managers may not feel as comfortable speaking to you about it as they do your latest project. But they may be thinking about it more than you might realise.
Your professional style can be much more than simply dressing for a meeting or dressing appropriately. It’s an exciting opportunity to match the vibe of your industry. For example, do you have a stiff corporate style, yet work in a more creative field? Embrace the space you're in through your personal brand’s style.
2. Dress for the job you want
You don’t always have to comply with conventions, so long as you’re a rebel with intention. As they say, “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”
Want to be the boss someday? Dress like it today. Don’t wait for the title to be your permission slip. Stuck in a traditionally corporate role, but want to work in a creative field, show up dressed for the job you want. Manifest your dream role through your tiny daily actions.
3. Adopt a signature colour
You’ve likely already created some consistency in colour palette for your personal style. However, a signature colour can elevate your professional look for a more memorable impact over time. Your signature colour doesn’t need to only come to life in your profiles, website, stationery or decor. You adorn it yourself. Few things will leave a stronger impact than consistently wearing a signature colour. While others chase trends of their latest impulse buys, your personal brand communicates clarity and confidence about what it represents. It’s an exceptional, yet seemingly effortless approach to your personal brand strategy.
The colour you choose can also communicate for you. Colours send cues. They evoke emotions and meanings. For example, navy blue communicates trust and authority. What can your signature colour communicate for your personal brand?
4. Adopt a signature element
Steve Jobs had his signature turtle necks. Anna Wintour has her signature sunglasses. I had a university professor with a collection of classic knit vests. While the overall signature style of your personal brand can communicate for you, don’t underestimate the power of the details.
What individual elements of your personal style can create compelling consistency for your personal brand?
A signature element of your personal style might relate to:
Jewellery (type, colour or metal)
Texture
Garment (vest, blazers, etc)
Accessories (scarves, headbands, etc)
Silhouette
Print (stripes, checks, polka dots, etc)
Shoe (loafers, dress shoes or chic sneakers mixed with suiting style, etc)
You may have one signature element, or you may have a refined look for each of these categories. Either way, communicate with intention. What do you want your clothes to communicate for you? What impression is your professional personal style leaving about your personal brand?
