Dress for Success: Using Your Personal Style to Show The World Who You Are

Humans are visual creatures.

You’re telling a story about yourself and your business as soon as you walk into a room, whether you admit that or not. I’m a big fan of big, bold necklaces. These necklaces have served different purposes during different times of my career. For a long time, I felt like a total imposter (I still do, sometimes). When I was working for other people, I was 100 percent dedicated and a good loyal soldier, but I wasn’t the leader and felt like I had lost my autonomy. Wearing a necklace gave me the extra boost of polished confidence when I needed it most.

Today, as the CEO of my own company, I wear bold necklaces as a way to command attention, but it actually also gives me more confidence. I’ve finally accepted that it’s okay to be bold and flashy, and necklaces reflect that newfound confidence. I’ve noticed that as I’ve found more success, I’ve gotten bolder in my necklace choices. It’s no coincidence that when I started to take more risks in my career, I started taking more risks in fashion.  

This fashion choice speaks volumes about who I am as a person and who I am as a leader. My sister-in-law, on the other hand, commented that she could never wear bold necklaces. That doesn’t surprise me, because it doesn’t match her personality. Instead, she’s never seen without cute, dainty earrings. To me, this fits her leadership style the same way a bold necklace fits mine. She doesn’t want to turn heads when she walks into a room. Instead, she’s much more earthy, someone who commands respect by being silent. She’s polished, but not loud. Her earrings tell that story.

We all use our style to tell our story. Mark Zuckerberg revolutionized Silicon Valley with a hoodie. His relaxed choice of clothing tells a story to the world, and there’s been an entire startup culture built around that simple choice.

When I venture out into the world wearing a big, bold necklace, I know people are making judgments about me. Hey, that’s not a bad thing! In fact, that gives me power to control the narrative. Here’s what you communicate through your style:

1. How You Operate: It’s important that my style reflects how I operate in the world and in my business: with fearless risk-taking. I wear big necklaces because they are bold and unapologetic, and that’s how I want to be perceived. Being noticable and unafraid to speak up is important to finding PR success. I want my clients and my peers to notice those traits in me within seconds of meeting me, so I dress the part. The values you want to communicate will look different for everyone. Figure out how you want people to perceive your motivations and use an element of your style to amplify it. Maybe you want to be perceived as playful, so you’re never seen without funky earrings; maybe you want to be seen as relaxed, so you’re always wearing a sweatshirt. It doesn’t matter what you do—as long as you’re consistent, people will pick up on it.
2. How You Live. I live life on my terms. I’ve never been interested in following the path of least resistance, or seeking out the status quo. I’ve always wanted to push myself to the edge of my comfort zone. After all, that’s where all growth happens. Sometimes it still feels very scary to put on a big necklace, because I know it turns heads. But I feel as though it’s worth the risk. I live life on my terms. How do you live yours? How can you communicate that in your style?
3. What You Value. There’s something about a necklace that uplevels an entire outfit. It’s an added detail that shows the person has really thought through the outfit, an aspect that pulls together the entire cohesive look. I feel this way about my business as well. We are all detail-oriented as a company, because I want to make sure that we’re delivering on everything we promise to our clients. Every word we write and every pitch we send has been thought out meticulously. What does your personal style say about your business? Find a signature piece that speaks to how you operate and you’ve established a whole new level of communicating with clients.
4. What You Stand For. Diversity is extremely important to me and my business. Different necklaces can change the same articles of clothing into a completely different outfit altogether. I don’t like to wear the same outfit twice. This does present a bit of a creative challenge, but it’s worth it for me to mix things up. I feel that way about our business, too. I love the diversity of clients Mekky Media boasts. We don’t specialize in any one type of client, and I don’t plan to. The magic of our agency lies in the unpredictability. It adds color and excitement into my life, and that’s the nature of my business, too.

We know we’re visual creatures. We make snap judgments about others all day long. Knowing this gives you the power. Be intentional about the message you’re putting out into the world. Find the balance between wearing what makes you feel the most you and what’s at the edge of your comfort zone. Find a way to push yourself a little further, but always stay true to you. When you feel comfortable and bold, that confidence will come through.

So, what story are you telling with your look?