If you ever happen to catch Kelly Ripa tell this story on tv it’s quite funny. But it demonstrates your clothing doesn’t just shape the results you get in business—but also influences all areas of your life. Including how long you wait in the emergency room.
Talk show host Kelly Ripa tells a great story about a time when she passed out while naked, so her husband had to get her dressed before taking her to the hospital.
She arrives at the hospital and has come to and is feeling better, but she’s immediately rushed in to be seen by the doctor. She says to the doctor that there are many other people in the waiting room in more pain who should be seen first. He tells her the head nurse gives every patient entering the ER a visual evaluation, and the nurse determined that because of what Kelly was wearing, she must have been unconscious at some point. Therefore, she got priority in the ER.
Her husband had dressed her in a ballet leotard. He said it was just the first thing he saw. He recalled thinking it would be easy to put on—which is hysterical, because if you’ve ever had experience with a leotard, you know it’s not the easiest thing to get on, especially trying to put it on someone else who is unconscious (I can just picture it now!).
So she was wearing a ballet leotard, her husband’s soccer pants (the old-school kind that you just snap off), and, the piece de resistance, a pair of red high heels. That outfit alone got her seen ASAP in the ER.
Her story is funny, but it goes to show you how your image really does affect every result you’re getting, from how many new clients you get each week to how long you’ll wait at the ER.
Before you can discover a style that is right for you, you need to know why having a style matters.
1. Style is fun. Think about how much fun you had as a kid playing dress up. It was an outlet to be whatever you wanted to be. All you had to do was put on a frilly dress and you could become a princess. Actually when we get dressed each morning you do the same thing, except your clothes are no longer kept in a box in the playroom. You put on certain clothes and you feel more confident, more bad ass, more put-together, more modern, whatever strikes a chord with you. If you haven’t felt any of those feelings in a long time, I recommend playing dress up in your own closet.
2. Style affects the way people perceive you. Your style makes up your appearance, which sends a message to the rest of the world about who you are. 55% of the judgment people make comes from your appearance alone. You may think that anyone who would make judgments based on appearance alone is egotistical and not someone you would have a lot of contact with. The fact is, we live in a very visual society. Without even realizing it you make judgments about all sorts of things just by glancing at them. Things like, whether or not to try a new restaurant based on the way the outside looks, what fruit looks the most delicious, if you want to be friends with the neighbors that just moved in, everything! Judging by appearance alone is simply human nature.
When I started Charleston Style Concierge, there were some who wondered what the benefit was to helping people “find style.” Being concerned about having great style seemed shallow and only relevant to people of celebrity status. In some ways, style and fashion can be vain or shallow.
But I believe that your personal style sends a message to the world about who you are and what you stand for. Every day you interact with many people, only some of whom you actually talk to. The majority of people you come into contact with are forced to form judgments about you from just your image. 55% of the image you portray comes from your appearance alone. This means what you wear and the style you create really does matter. I encourage you to take some time to think about the image you put out into the world. What does your style say about you?
5 Ways to Create a Style That Enhances Your Image
1. You don’t have to spend a lot on clothes to look like you’ve spent a lot.
2. Dark colors will always look more authoritative.
3. Classics are classics for a reason.
4. Fit is key. You can’t have style without great fit.
5. Dressing appropriately is like having good manners.
6. Nobody sees the label.
7. Quality is more important than quantity.
8. When in doubt, dress up.
9. Confidence will come from what you wear.
10. Clothes don’t make the person. (But they can help you fake it till you make it.)
Don’t let your image hold you back from accomplishing what you want in life. Perfect your business image, and reap the rewards of a more confident and successful you. If you need help creating an image that makes you feel confident and propels you to success visit www.imageandyourbusiness.com.
10 Habits to Make Your Image and Style Effortless
1. Create an appearance each morning that makes you feel confident and happy.
2. Kick laziness to the curb.
3. Organize your closet so it works for you.
4. Stay consistent with the image you portray.
5. Take care of your wardrobe.
6. Edit your closet.
7. When in doubt, make it work.
8. Get in the habit of tailoring your clothes.
9. Don’t settle when buying wardrobe pieces.
10. Make an effort. Small steps have a big impact.
It is not only easy to have great style, it can be simple and effortless. For more help making your style and image simply effortless contact Charleston Style Concierge at www.charlestonstyleconcierge.com.
Your business image has the power to facilitate growth for your income and your life. With 93% of our communication being nonverbal, having a business image–both personal and online–is essential if you want to achieve business success.
There is no better time than now to invest in creating a business image–one that will draw potential business and strategic partnerships to you. One that gets visitors to buy from your website and gets current customers to refer you.
In this economic downturn, people are still spending, but thinking twice as long about whom they do business with. You must stand out—in person and online. You must give them a reason to buy from you by making the right impression.
On Tuesday, March 31, 2009, online marketing expert Michelle Salater and I are going to share how to grow your business by perfecting a personal and online business image. In this FREE onetime only teleseminar . . .
“4 Easy Ways to Perfect Your Business Image . . . Right Now.”
On this call, you will learn:
• How to create a business image that tells people you are successful and credible BEFORE you even open your mouth.
• Why your clothing AND your website might be keeping you from business growth . . . and simple, effortless steps to avoid this.
• Why your website and blog image is key to your online business success.
• What you can do RIGHT NOW to implement your desired business image.
• How to create the personal and online image you desire without spending a fortune.
No matter your industry–whether you are in corporate, an entrepreneur, or an independent contractor–you won’t want to miss this onetime only teleseminar. Because we believe now is the time to invest in your business and your life and because we know the power behind having a powerful personal and online image, we’re offering this free, 90-minute teleseminar at two time slots: 2 pm Eastern (11 am Pacific) OR 8 pm Eastern (5 pm Pacific).
Register today for this onetime only call.
*No recordings will be made available. You must be on the call during one of the two available time slots to hear this powerful information that will change your life and your business.
If the bursting closet in your room somewhat resembles a growling monster with relics from the past, it’s time for a major closet clean-out . This may seem like a daunting task—but it’s not.
What a closet clean-out will do for your lifestyle:
· Eliminate that 15-30 minutes in the morning (and in the evenings) when you search for the perfect outfit you have in mind. Think about it—you can sleep during that extra time, and you won’t be so cranky in the morning because you’re late for work, and wearing something you don’t feel confident in.
· The appearance of a color-coordinated, well-organized, and uncluttered closet can do wonders for your mood. No matter what your lifestyle, a clean and organized room is rejuvenating, and makes you feel on track in life.
· Instead of being aggravated with the horrific task of searching the cavernous depths of your closet for one piece of clothing you have in mind, an organized closet will eliminate the possibility of aggravation.
What items to part with and why:
· That decent-looking sweater with fuzz balls dangling all over—not a good illustration of the image you want to portray.
· The casual top you used to wear out in college that is so out-of-date, yet you convince yourself you might wear it again. You won’t. Rule of thumb: If you haven’t worn it in a year—give it the old heave-hoe.
· Jeans that just don’t fit, or are so “broken-in” their starting to rip at the seams. Of course, the casual pair of jeans you wear around the house for messy chores and painting jobs can be kept (in the garage), but when you know you haven’t worn a certain pair of jeans because they simply don’t fit anymore, you simply need to buy a new pair.
Sometimes it’s hard to part with certain articles of clothing—you feel bad throwing them away. Don’t. Goodwill is a great place to bring clothes you don’t wear anymore. Thrift shopping is huge now, especially in this tough economy. Not only do you provide clothes that others will wear (that you know you won’t anymore), but many times you receive a tax write-off. It’s well worth it.
Cleaning-out your closet takes approximately only three hours of your time, and on a relaxing Saturday, it could be the perfect chore to tackle. It doesn’t have to be stressful. Put on your favorite music, open a window, and get going. You’ll be finished in no time, and you’ll have had fun doing it.
Check out this article from Forbes.com that provides great tips about dressing for the office.
http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/09/workplace-office-clothing-women-style_0209_suit.html
Do you think your image doesn’t matter? Close your eyes and picture yourself in the produce isle of the grocery store, choosing apples. Without any real thought you pick up one apple after the other until you find the perfect one. Some of those apples may be bruised or old, but some of the ones you discarded simply had an image that negatively impacted you. Lucky for us, we can be aware of our image and make changes that ensure we put our best foot forward each and every day.
No matter your profession, age, or where you are going, image always matters. Like it or not, in our society we only get seconds to make a first impression. In that very brief time period people make split decisions and judgments about you that are hard to undo.
A big part of the image you portray comes from the clothing you wear. Coco Chanel said, “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress, dress impeccably and they remember the woman.” Wearing clothing that fits well, is age-appropriate, and shows your unique style will help you portray the image you desire.
What is your clothing saying about you? If you’re not sure, Charleston Style Concierge can help. Sign up for our monthly ezine and shape up your image with FREE style tips and tricks.
More often than not, each piece of your brand image was created when you needed it, but not altogether in a strategic fashion. Your image may look fine, but does fine help you grow?
Eventually as you scale, your image foundation cracks, and the way your business presents itself no longer helps propel growth – costing you time and money to fix.
When you unlock your brand power, you get to pick and choose how people perceive you and your brand.
Our Image Mastery System™ takes the 5 key brand components that you already have and ties them together in a way that amplifies your results and achieves your vision.
