Looking your professional best

Whether meeting with clients, attending events or showing up on video, looking your professional best elevates your image and adds to your credibility.

As a certified Image Consultant for well over a decade who’s worked with professionals ranging from women in dentistry to the CEO of a local plumbing company to leaders in the direct sales industry, I’ve seen the challenges firsthand of looking appropriate and approachable without being too boring or too zany. Plus professionals have full lives and limited time to focus on their style and wardrobe. As a color expert who’s analyzed thousands of people since 2012, my suggestions will always focus on using color to express your personality and become unforgettable while feeling perfectly “you.”

Some things to keep in mind when it comes to professional image:

• Your image speaks before you do. People are constantly making split-second decisions about us.
• Think about the people you’ve noticed recently at events or meeting. What stood out about their appearance or presence? It’s likely you noticed the ones who looked put-together, who wore wearing interesting colors or who wore something unique. You might have just thought, “They look nice” or “They look like they know what they’re doing.”
• Looking professional doesn’t have to mean boring or stuffy—it means looking intentional. People who look put-together are perceived as being more invested, detail-oriented and confident. It says, “He or she knows what they’re doing.”
• Looking your best doesn’t have to be expensive or hard. It just has to be intentional. Find your best colors, invest in a few great pieces and add some personality and whimsy.
• The “halo effect” means that when someone looks like they care about their appearance and are making an effort, people assume it means they have authority and confidence in their work and personal life, too. “If she takes good care of herself, she’ll take good care of me.”  Read more about the halo effect here.

Tips on color:

• Wearing your best colors helps you look more trustworthy. Nothing feels “off.”
• Think about the days when people say, “Are you feeling OK? Do you need to go home??” What were you wearing? (It was probably a color that clashed with your features or “washed you out.”)
• Neutrals are OK but pop them with a fun color. The ones most people can wear include royal blue, a red that’s not too orange or too blue, emerald green, teal and royal purple.
• Think about how you want people to feel when they see you. Dress accordingly. Examples include: Blue = calm & trust, red = passion, green = harmony, teal = balanced & creative, purple = creativity, black = power, white = simplicity.
• As a basic rule, light eyes and hair mean light colors. Medium eyes and hair mean medium colors. Dark eyes and hair mean dark colors. Bright eyes and hair mean bright colors.
• Basic pieces in your best neutrals are elevated with accessories, scarves and shoes. Wear things that spark a conversation, tell your story or create a connection. Your glasses are a great way to add personality.
• When you wear a print, pair it with a neutral in the print. It doesn’t have to be the background color. You can also wear it with an accent color.
• Remember to keep warm colors with warm neutrals like cream and brown and to keep cool colors with cool neutrals like white and black. Makeup and jewelry should be consistently warm or cool, too.

For the FREE PDF of “The Six Colors That Look Good on Everyone” e-guide download, sign up here.

Image tips:

• Ladies: focus on a simple, everyday makeup look, an up-to-date hairstyle and your earrings to look put together. They’re what people notice first.
• Gentlemen: pay attention to your watch, shoes and facial hair to express your style.
• Both men and women: Match your shoes to your hair and make sure to coordinate your belt and bag, too.
• A simple scarf, tie or pocket square all go a long way toward elevating your look!
• Make sure your print size and accessory size matches your frame. Bigger people = bigger prints and accessories. Smaller people = smaller prints and accessories.
• When in doubt, wear your eye color—the actual color and try to match the depth of your eye color, too.
• Break out of the black, gray and white box!
• Remember that neutrals don’t tend to translate well on camera except for navy.
• Eliminate distractions like scuffs, bra straps, wild makeup or hair colors, errant hairs and unkempt brows.
• Prints trick the eye and are great at disguising areas you don’t like. Just wear them with the right neutral.
• To create trust and become memorable, pay attention to whether your business cards, online presence, head shot and day-to-day style are all cohesive and consistent

Bottom line:

• Embrace your best colors
• Express your personality
• Stop being boring!

Do you want to discover your Color Code and embrace your best colors? Book a Color Analysis here!

Once you’ve had a Color Analysis, purchase the digital color swatches for your Color Code here.