You will notice that I mention the "style brand" concept a lot and that is because 1) it is something that I created and use every day in my daily life and business model, and 2) because I truly believe in it.
You are all you will ever need. But first what you need to know is how to express the true you to the best of your ability.
Remember the saying "nice things come in small packages"? Well this quote doesn't just apply to the likes of little blue boxes bought from Tiffany's! It's the small, unurgent actions that have the biggest impact on our lives, which definitely applies to fashion and style. There is certainly a clear correlation between the way you dress and the way that leads you to behave. It's true that you don't have to dress up, you don't have to take pride in your appearance and of course, you can wear nothing but your oldest, scruffiest, unflattering tracksuit day in, day out. While it is easy to just scrape your hair back and put no thought into your outfit, we must be honest and admit that those who do so hardly look happy, confident or positive - ever!
The Smallest Everyday Habits Make the Biggest Differences to Our Lives
Big changes and big actions have a big effect on us in the moment, but it is the little everyday habits that are small and seem irrelevant that have a lasting impact. They are the actions that are easy to ignore, not incredibly important or urgent and therefore are often overlooked! It's true that putting effort into the way you present yourself, taking time to apply a little make-up and thinking about what to wear are not high up on everybody's daily list of priorities, but try it for a week and see what an impact it has on the way you see yourself and the way in which others see you. It's not about dressing up to be somebody you're not, it's about being the best version of yourself. Wearing make-up isn't for everybody, but clothing is worn by everybody so it is worth wearing something that makes you look and feel amazing even if it's only a matter of ditching one colour in favour of a more flattering tone.
We all have to wear clothes - so at least wear something you love!
Times is of the essence. Most of us (even those in the fashion industry) don't have the time to spend hours focusing on choosing outfits, twirling every strand of our hair and applying layer upon layer of make-up.
My "getting ready" regime used to take hours and would consist of:
•applying false tan
•blow drying my hair, followed my using the straighteners and then a crimper to add volume to the roots
•applying full make-up
•ensuring that my nails were perfectly painted and manicured.
Fast forward a decade and the story is quite different! On average I allow myself anywhere between 5 minutes and 1 hour to get ready, depending on the occasion. Of course, certain beauty gadgets such as my GHD Air Hair Dryer help to score a 3-in-1 job of drying, straightening and adding volume to my hair - all in record time may I add. My daily make-up routine is simple; as I focus only on areas that need coverage/colour/correcting [usually takes around 5 minutes]. I plan all of my outfits in advance so that I have a stress-free "pick n mix" selection that I can simply grab from my wardrobe and wear each morning. And as for tanning, I leave it all in the hands of the hot summer days and relying on catching a nice healthy glow whilst walking the dog (multitasking again!)
Maintaining Your Personal Style Brand
You don’t have to reinvent yourself or become unrecognisable through clothing and make-up in order to form your own style. All you need to do is to elevate what you already have, using whatever and however much of what you love. Is make-up is your thing, focus on that. If you hate make-up but love statement clothing then that will be the main feature of your style brand. If carrying a great handbag makes you feel amazing then put your best bag forward!