Image Matters!

I was at a great event called Amazing Woman’s Day last Saturday.  What was I doing there?  Let’s just say, I’m an amazing guy, so I thought I check out the amazing woman who were gathered there.

And I did meet some amazing women. Marsh Engle convened the group and did a great job of keeping the day moving forward. Letitia Wright did a live interview with me at the event that will be broadcast on her TV show, The Wright Place, later this year.  I’ll keep you posted. 

Cynthia Brian is a very cool woman who runs a charity called Be the Star You Are that empowers women, families and youth through improved literacy and positive message radio programming.  She invited me to be a guest on her radio show.  I’ll be on in January.  I’ll keep you posted on that too.

But today, I’d like to tell you about Lauren Solomon, an image consultant and author of Image Matters!  The ability to create positive personal impact is one of the keys to success that I discuss in my book Straight Talk for Success.  If you want to create positive personal impact, you need to do three things: 1) create and nurture your unique personal brand; 2) be impeccable in your presentation of self – dress for success; and 3) know and follow the basic rules of etiquette.

Image Matters! is a great book on creating positive personal impact.  I know a fair bit about what men should wear to dress for success; less so about what women should wear.  I have been looking for an expert of women’s business apparel for some time.  And there was Lauren, another amazing woman at Amazing Woman’s Day.

Lauren begins Chapter 2 of Image Matters! “You Appearance” with a quote from Mae West…

“It’s not what I say, but how I say it; and it’s not what I do, but how I do it; and it’s how I look when I say and do it.”

After providing some great common sense advice on cleaning out your closet, Lauren gets down to business with her guidelines for selecting a wardrobe that will work for any woman, “all day, every day,  without recreating the clutter you just worked so hard to eliminate.”  Here what she has to say…

Look for:

• Ways to accessorize or update the pieces you already have in your closet before buying anything new.  A simple change such as new buttons, or a different belt can give a piece a brand new look.
• Basic pieces that will mix and match easily; cotton or silk T-shirts and button downs, lightweight turtle, crew or V neck sweaters, light weight wool trousers, skirts and jackets.  Lightweight fabrics are season-spanning and give you the ultimate flexibility without clutter.
• Pieces in neutral colors that mix and match well with each other.
• Solids instead of patterns.  Solids never become outdated and they offer great flexibility for dressing up or dressing down.
• Natural fabrics or natural fabric blends such as wool, cotton, and silk.  These wear well, clean easily and feel comfortable.
• Colorful current shirts, tops and accessories to keep your basic pieces up to date.

Lauren makes dressing for success for women sound simple.  And it is, if you follow the six pieces of advice above.

The common sense point here is simple.  Successful people create positive personal impact.  Your clothes can help or hinder your ability to create positive personal impact.  Lauren Solomon’s simple is better and avoid closet clutter approach is a good way for anyone – man or woman to create a wardrobe that will help you become impeccable in your presentation of self.

That’s my take on Lauren Solomon’s ideas on dressing for success for women.  What’s yours?  Please leave a comment telling us what you think.  I appreciate and value all of the comments I receive.  As always, thanks for reading – and commenting.

Bud