SYLING

LEAD WITH STYLE

Building your very own look that combines your body, colour, and personality.

Pre-pandemic the most common outfit I saw in a women’s wardrobe was black trousers, a coloured blouse, perhaps a jacket and some heels.

When I asked why, why the corporate, ready to wear, selfinflicted uniform? I am often told; it’s easy, it’s comfortable, it’s practical and it will always be acceptable. It is a style, no doubt, BORING – same thing day in and day out, eish!

Nowadays, it’s a little different, my favourite outfit I see is leggings and a blouse or jeans and a top with a pair of sneakers. I may not be very popular in saying this, but it’s time! ladies it is time for: 1. A splash a lip colour 2. Mascara everyday 3. Earrings make a difference

These little changes affect how you feel about yourself and how you feel when you look in the mirror. Simple things, but high impact.

Now let’s talk style. You can’t have style if you’re not sure what style is so here goes. Style for me is;

1. know your silhouette, body assets and flaws, learn how to dress them.

2. know your colours, wear them close to your face.

3. most importantly, know how your personality and wear it every day!! Now that is the STYLE!

One of the most valuable questions I ask a new client is, “what are 3 words that describe your personality, who you are at the core?” If they use this to help her build up her style. It’s difficult to build or create our own style, if we don’t know who we are. Write down your three words. These words become the foundation to create your style. Every woman has their own personal style, there is no cookie cutter solution. That is the best part of what we do as image and style consultants. Building your very own look that combines your body, colour, and personality. This is the magic equation to find your style.

Why style is so valuable for you as a leader?

You may not be a CEO or in management at a big corporate, but make no mistake, you are a leader. As a mother, as a sister, as a friend, as a colleague and as a proud woman, you lead. Here are a few valuable tips you can introduce into your style.

Powerful colour:

Fucia, Turquoise and Peacock are colours that every woman can wear, these are not very popular colours in fashion, but there are ways to add them to your style. Jewellery is key, lips always and of course, a scarf.

Elevation: I have spoken much about elevation in the past saying that a heel elongates the legs, adds presence and power to anyone’s style as well as ensures the look is finished to perfection. Truth be told, I am ready to toss my heels and be in flats for a while, but I will say some elevation is better than no elevation. Try some wedges for comfort or sneakers with a higher base – those are comfy and add instant personality and height.

Shoulders: We can

enhance shoulders in a few ways. Shoulder pads for sure, wider necklines and a good neck piece all aid in widening your shoulder lines. I must also mention deportment, the oldfashioned walk with a book on your head is outdated, but valuable nevertheless as good posture makes all the difference in putting confidence in your stride. Slumped shoulders are an indicator of bad body language, your body is saying I am less than, that’s without saying a word. For those who struggle with this issue, masking tape is fabulous. Train your shoulders to be squarer by running a stripe down your spine and across your shoulders. If you do this while standing upright, as you slouch the tape will pull causing you to be more conscious of your posture. It may be uncomfortable at first, but as you go your body will adjust and in time you won’t need it. Remember, it takes 7 days to kick a habit and 21 days to form a new one so every time your shoulders curl down you will automatically correct – the tape is a mere reminder. This is also helpful when working from home, to help you take note when you’re slouching over your laptop too much.

In the same way that leadership is a choice and a discipline you can grow in, so is style a choice. We choose to walk tall, we choose to smile more, just as we choose the pieces we put on our body. Choose clothing, shoes, jewellery and makeup that makes you feel amazing every day. Kick start your day, confidence and leadership with clothing that makes you smile when you look in the mirror this will; boost your inner strength, ensure a powerful presence and guarantee you look like the amazing leader you already are.

Janine Starkey CEO of Tweak n Style Visit: www.tweaknstyle.co.za

Inspire | Connect| Empower

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