Career, Confidence & Clothing: Why It Matters By Dr. Velma Trayham

(Award winning business strategist and recent honoree of Presidential Lifetime Achievement Awards Given By President Biden)

Owning who you are is essential for any style conveyed as a business professional. Style isn’t about the apparel or designer you choose to wear; it’s also an infusion of what you say, how you say it, what you post, what you wear, your overall hygiene, and even the cleanliness of your teeth. People are watching constantly, and it’s very important that you recognize what your presentation speaks daily!

What we wear, how we wear it, and when we wear it…. matters! People aren’t looking at you to see what designers you can afford, they are noticing your style, recognizing what type of person you may be based on your presentation, and they are sizing you up to see if the person behind the look is worth the risk ultimately! I am always pushing my own processing of matching my luxe style with the confidence that I have in myself. And as a multifaceted businessperson, I understand that I must lead by example and that I am the only book that some people will ever read. What will they read when they see you? How you carry yourself is important. People of morale and integrity only want to align with people who possess similar energy and with the same thought-processing. With that said, if you are saying you are a businesswoman but dressing like a stripper and posting nude pictures, the person who holds themselves to an elevated level of integrity will unlikely want to be aligned with that same “businesswoman” or “businessman.”

I am not saying nothing is wrong with being a stripper, if that’s what you want to be, but I’m talking about the person that has identified themselves as an esteemed businesswoman. Presentation is everything and it does matter on every level of your career!

Check out a few easy tips–

Tip #1 Don’t be afraid to be different. It’s very easy to dress like the rest of your co-workers. but we are all created differently. We have different body types and different skin tones… for instance. darker-skinned women look great in light colors, pink, light purple, white, yellow, etc it’s okay to add a pop of yellow with an all-black suit, or a hint of pink with an all-black pencil dress.

Tip#2 Wear statement pieces. Try it. Whether you rock bright-colored earrings or a unique statement belt, there are many accessories that you can wear to add to your wardrobe as a business professional. Statement pieces can include a clutch, a patterned blazer, unique belts, necklaces, earrings… etc. A statement piece is your showstopper… yet, be aware of what piece is meant to be the statement, and don’t overdo it. You can dress very simple and add a statement piece to bring it together stylishly!

Tip#3 Don’t be afraid to dress in layers: If you want to wear a short dress to work, then be sure to add that longline blazer, and make sure it’s long enough to cover your butt. Or if you want to wear some spandex leggings make sure to dress it up with a loose and classy flowing top. If you are showing cleavage then you want to wear more on the bottom, or if you are wearing tight pants keep the top nice and flowy… the key is to balance the style with confidence and limits fashionably.

Tip#4 Have internal confidence in your closet … as a woman in business, we tend to be extremely hard on ourselves and we think about things that other people may not be paying attention to… it’s that lack of self-confidence. Remember, people can see confidence in your presentation, so even if you are not confident, put on that face and give them a confident show.

Tip #5 Lastly, stay true to yourself. Learn your language and expand it as it will expand your overall style! That company hired you for a reason, and there’s a good chance they are waiting on you to spice things up by introducing that great energy, new mix into the work culture, and innovative ideas that are reflected in your style in the workforce.

Be– Authentically YOU– than a cheap imitation of someone else.