17 Minutes to Choose an Outfit: How You Should Start Kondo-Ing Your Wardrobe (my way!)

You won't BELIEVE how long we spend deciding what to wear for work...

A study released by Marks & Spencer has revealed that the average woman will spend 17 minutes each morning trying to find an outfit to wear to work. This amounts to four days a year, and six months of our working lives searching for something to wear to the office. The poll of 2,000 men and women delivered some other interesting statistics. 62 per cent of women admitted to having 'irrational tantrums' during the daily hunt for an outfit, and 21 per cent confessed that the ordeal has caused them to have an argument with their partner. 20 per cent of men admitted to throwing clothes around the room in anger when they couldn't put together the perfect ensemble.

While we may not be able to solve your wardrobe dilemma, a little organisation /self-actualization will go a long way in reducing your 17 minutes unnecessary stress.

So here are 10 steps to start kondo-ing your wardrobe , beat that timing and pave your way to success!

Question that you need to ask : What makes you, YOU? 

Identify

1.  Your personal /business vision, mission and objectives

2. Current position and industry you are in

• Do you need to project a visual image of someone with credibility , high position (authority) -  a professional worker?
• Want to be seen approachable yet credible ?
• Relax , less credible and informal?
• Fashion forward, bold and dramatic style?

3.     What do you value most , personally and professionally (list min 5 each)

4.     Personal and professional accomplishments or accolades

5.     Your skills and talents 

6.     Company’s dress code and how do you align them with no.2, 3, 4 and 5?

7.     Past experiences

8.     Who are your potential clients/ current networks / circle of friends – identify their industry and how do they dress on a daily basis?

9.     Create a pie chart. List down the activities and total hours you spend most in a day/week/month based on the following…

• Working 
• At home looking after children
• Spiritual
• Health and fitness
• Grocery shopping / run errands
• Social / entertainment
• Personal shopping
• Leisure / vacation
• Networking events

10. Personal WOW factors 

• What color works best for you personally and professionally (style vs career)
• Style personality (classic, romantic, casual, sporty, dramatic or creative?) and how do you ensure that your style personality today doesn’t conflict with the dress code set by the HR ? 
• Body shape vs body type vs body proportion and how to dress accordingly according to occasion, time, place, theme.
• Face shape and how to style your hijab , find the perfect haircut , sunglasses and eyewear to match them. 

Now, as much as you think that the choice of clothing is insignificant to your personal and professional success, think again! 

Like it or not, your clothes and presentation communicate volumes about you as a person. The question is NOT whether you care about fashion, it's more about what you're communicating intentionally or unconsciously through your fashion choices. 

Your clothes tell a story about you. If you want to show that your work is clean, sharp, and to the point, you need to dress in a structured, solid colors (less pattern, minimal choices of bold and bright colors), matched top and bottom, clean lines, sharp creases, and (yes) points on your shoes and tie – and probably your choice of hijab or hairstyle too (yes, the main focal point!)

When you're dressing or grooming, consider what it says about you and whether it's in line with the message you want to communicate. There's no right or wrong. It's all about context. A tie can make you look reliable and rooted in tradition. This might be important at an investment firm, where clients want to know that you're serious about stewarding their capital. But it can also come off as stuffy and resistant to change, which may be inappropriate for a tech startup.

Your Clothing Impacts Your Thinking

Of course, dressing smart is also important for your confidence and sense of self-empowerment. But your style does more than just send messages, to your mind or to others. New research shows it actually impacts how you think. Professional dress, one study found, increases abstract thinking and gives people a broader perspective.

So that tie might actually be switching on your creativity button.

"The formality of clothing might not only influence the way others perceive a person, and how people perceive themselves, but could influence decision making in important ways through its influence on processing style," said the research done by a team of psychological scientists from California State University, Northridge and Columbia University.

Professional attire creates social distance. When we are more socially distant, we tend to think in more distant, abstract terms. In socially distant settings we address people by their title, for instance, rather than the more intimate first name.

So choose your personal presentation with care. Presentation includes not only your clothes, but your accessories, hairstyle, fragrance, posture, body language, tone of voice, and the level of energy with which you move and speak. Think of the person that you need to be in any particular situation. Then dress, groom, and accessorize in a way that helps you mentally step into that personality and be known as a great , credible and a trusted brand. 

Remember!

You are your own 24/7 billboard and an interactive ad campaign. Every day, in everything you do, you tell the world about yourself, your values, your goals, and your skills.

What does your brand says about you?

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