I hope you are looking forward to your Easter break, even if you happen to be working some of that time. For me, I usually take a day during this period to refresh my wardrobe. It’s something I do generally twice a year. At Easter and again, six months later.
As the season changes, I think it is the perfect time to refresh and give your winter wardrobe a reboot.
Try this checklist to create or update your wardrobe and personal brand style.
- Flick through some magazines or peruse Instagram and do research to create your personal brand “look book” of clothes, hairstyles and shoes – inspirational looks and colours that appeal to you. Don’t think about the prices, what should be work outfits or play outfits, or where to buy these items. Just collect examples at this stage and soon a pattern will emerge. This is the foundation for your brand style.
- Review your own wardrobe first. The idea is to cull down to only what works for you and start to build on that foundation. Try everything on. If it doesn’t fit or is tatty, get rid of it. If the colour doesn’t work with your complexion, get rid of it. Using your inspiration board, look at what’s left. Are there outfits that you can compile straightaway?
Once you’ve sorted through your wardrobe, can you determine if you have a certain look, a set of colours, or a signature item that could set you apart?
- Put together a shopping list of several items that will work with what you have already and a wish list of a few items or outfits that will help make your “look” go from good to great. You may only need a few quality signature pieces that you can mix and match, and that reflect your individual style.
You don’t have to look different every day; you just need to look good, appropriate for the occasion and make an impression.
I know a number of women who work in the fitness industry; these days, because activewear is so fashionable, you would never see them in the oversized T-shirt and daggy leggings of old. They mix and match their activewear outfits and impress wherever they go.
With the rise of online fashion bloggers, you will see so many examples of people who have crafted a brand identity around the way they look.
- When it’s time to hit the shops, you don’t have to spend a lot of money. You can just add in a few new pieces to give your wardrobe some life and reflect your personality. Think of your wardrobe as a growing, evolving adjunct to your personal brand and not a static object without any life. If you shop wisely, and only buy the things that you love and that reflect who you are, you will develop an impressive wardrobe over time.
- Sort through your wardrobe each season. Replace any basics that are starting to need an update or smartening up. Then you may only need to buy one or two pieces; an accessory or a couple of really great outfits that have impact. Guys can follow this example also by regularly updating their shirts and trousers, and occasionally a new suit or jacket.
- Plan your outfits. I’ve done my own version of wardrobe planning for years so maybe you can adapt it for yourself.
You can simply write down on a spreadsheet, a simple, three-week wardrobe planner to coordinate all your work and weekend outfits. Work out what will already mix and match and add to your list. Add in a few new items that also coordinate to complete Monday to Friday and Saturday and Sunday for three weeks.
If you rotate these three weeks’ worth of outfits, four times over, by following this wardrobe plan for twelve weeks that will mean that you only wear that one outfit combination four times during the season. Therefore wearing only the outfits that reflect the best you and saving time and money on shopping.
Let me know if I can help you with your style and image management. Find out more here.
Learn more about your “look” with my free video series, NOOK, LOOK, HOOK 3 Steps to Build a Stand Out Personal Brand.
Sue Currie is a speaker and the author of IMPRESSario, Present and Promote the Star Within You. She is recognised as a leading authority on personal branding to boost image, profile, brand and business. Through her image management programs, workshops, consulting and keynote presentations, Sue helps businesses and entrepreneurs present an influential brand image.
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