Photos: Jamaican Entertainers - Lady Saw, Tony Rebel, Cecile clearly understand the value of dressing well and its impact on their personal brand.
A few days ago I had an impromptu meeting in my office with my communication interns. They were preparing for their first day on the job of their host organisation and were naturally nervous about the process. One male student asked "what should I wear?" Although professional attire and etiquette is scheduled to be discussed more formally in class, I was very pleased that someone took the liberty to ask. The perception that jeans and other casual wear is fine just because they are interns is widespread. Indeed, some emplyers do give some leeway for student workers to dress semi-formally. I do not share that view. I expect all my interns to attire professionally for their internships jobs. Indeed, I told the group that no one should arrive at the organisation and be able to point them out as students.
However, outside dressing to suit an occasion, dressing appropriately speaks loudly about how you see yourself and how others see you. Some people are fully logged on to this message. Indeed, if you know anything about Jamaicans, you should know that we dressing up. Gosh, we can’t wait for the next occasion to spend what we don’t have to look our best (or most expensive) or some event – weddings, graduations, nightclubs, live festivals, Church function and not to mention funerals! So, ok, we do have a sense of occasion and as one colleague said recently ‘we know how to put we self together’. Fair enough, but when it comes to critical events such as career and professional progress, a lot of folks ease down or are very confused as to what is required to ‘look the part’.
CHECK YOURSELF - YOUR SENSE OF STYLE IMPACTS YOUR SELF-CONFIDENCE
Have you ever left your house feeling crappy about the way you look, knowing that you do not feel or look your best in whatever you are wearing, but had changed so many times already – that you surrendered and went out anyway. Bet all day your self-confidence dipped and you just had a drab day. I understand – it all started with a bad hair day – and then it went downhill from there.
And have you ever left an interview knowing that if you had got to buy that amazing, expensive suit, you would have felt more confident and aced the interview. But because you had one your ragged suit and the tie you wore a million times before, your esteem was not lifted so you performed less than your best?
I am saying this to say that dressing up is not vanity. It is only vain but we overdo it – come to work looking all shiny and glistening and so overdressed and noticeable as to look cheap and ridiculous. That is the look of trying too hard which only exposes your lack of confidence and esteem. Yet, the opposite is equally problematic – when you spend little effort to ‘put yourself together’ because you tell yourself remarkable lies such as the following:
• “I am a Christian, dressing well is ungodly”;
• ” I am a naturalist – I don’t wear make-up”;
• “After me not looking anybody”
• “I am too old to be stressing myself about how I look”
• ‘I am married, my days of dressing up are over”
• ‘I wear what I have; I can’t afford to spend money on clothes”
• “I have children; when you have kids, you will understand”
• “I have no time”
I could continue but the excuses for ‘not looking the part’ are infinite. Experts agree that looking crappy is highly likely to erode your self confidence. This suggests that it is time for a make over. And if you are familiar with the British programme, Trinny and Sussanah; the American counterpart, “How to Look Good Naked” etc, then you know what a makeover is. It’s mean to be a shift (perhaps radical depending on need) of the way you look – ‘from shoes down to grung’ and all of the top from the head coming down.
Look- dressing well does not need to mean dressing ‘expensively’. Indeed, according to Andrea Molloy in the book “Work Happy: Get the Job You Want; Love the Job you have”, “changing your style can be one of the quickest and cheapest ways to bring out your best self. You will notice that the self-confidence and ‘go-getter” attitude of majority of the candidates in those make over shows rises immensely as soon as they are ‘repackaged’ and ‘rebranded’ through hair styles, different kinds of dressing and a dash of make up.
Ok, so you don’t wear make up – I can see the frown or fear of some faces – a little lip gloss never kills anyone. Bushing your hair properly, or for God’s sake, taking out the braids when it looks fuzzy and unkempt is not too much to ask. And the beauty about make up - I have learned – is that it can wash off!
HIGHLIGHT YOUR BRAND BY GROOMING WELL
Molloy argues that “the most obvious way to highlight your brand for instant impact is through image and grooming”. This applies equally to men and women. I had been invited to give a seminar on grooming to teachers at a school in Jamaica, and the vast majority who turned up were women although there were several men on the teaching staff. It occurred to me then that men felt that grooming was exclusive to women. We are equally impacted by how we present personally.
The experts say “the way you dress reflects your brand”. It is therefore important to decide on the image you want to project. Wearing a mini skirt that you constantly have to be pulling down is not a look of confidence and poise in a young woman. It is the opposite. Leaving your house with your hair unkempt and your clothes barely on is a look of “I do not care about myself” so please don’t even approach me because I am not a serious person. And for me, if you come to a formal event with your shirt out of your pants – no matter if its Ralp Lauren design – you will look like a Bhutto, an expensive bhutto but a bhutto nonetheless.
For example, I had the displeasure of bearing witness to the poor style of one really talented Jamaican entertainer earlier this year. He is one of my favourites yet he turned up and perfumed at a very formal festival – where everyone else dressed well with his a cap turned behind, a raggedy jeans and sneakers and the Tunisian/Moroccan scarves which were being worn as style at the time in Jamaica. He looked awful, uncared for and plainly unprofessional. It would not have hurt to notice the kind of event it was; the venue, the people it was marketed to etc gave clues as to the type of dress required. The entertainer’s decision to dress in that garb was disrespectful of himself, and the occasion.
Nothing is wrong with wearing sneakers and jeans to an event. I see Justin Timberlake, Usher, Jamie Foxx and Kayne West do it all the time – but it has got to be polished. For example, it may be advisable to wear a semi/formal coat, or a dress shirt which lifts and complicates the look for edginess rather than a poor attempt at informality.
Andrea Molloy, in her book says “image is hugely important in daily life”. The plain truth is people judge us by the way we look, whether we like it or not. In other words, the way we look impacts how we are perceived. For example, Molloy says “if we look scruffy we appear disorganised”.
CREATE A WARDROBE THAT SUITS YOUR BRAND
Molly maintains that people should create a wardrobe that works for you by matching your image (look) to your lifestyle or career. ‘Spend your money where you spend your time – if you never do formal events but have a wardrobe of formal gowns or tuxedos, there is an expensive incongruity going on!”
Take account of your colour, shape and skin tone and dress accordingly. The wrong colours, fashion experts say, can make you look sick and the wrong style can exaggerate the worst points of your body. It is amazing to see really dark skin women in dark browns. It is odd so stop now please. Browns tend to look better on lighter skin folks. It is easy to look appropriate or elegant even at a casual event. The trick for me always is to wear a nice dress with my flip flops (sandals). My friend, Ingrid loves her jeans and T-shirts – but she dresses this up with a high heels or platform heels. Either way, we both look smart, elegant and appropriate at the most casual setting.
For me, I would say go with a dress shirt at a semi-formal even than a T-shirt. It is easy to dress down a shirt than to dress up a T-Shirt. If you are a T-shirt person, keep a blazer in your car, so that you can quickly look professional or elegant of needs me.
TIPS FOR LOOKING THE PART
•Plan your wardrobe, instead of buying on impulse. If you don’t absolutely want the item or completely sold on it, leave it. It shall be a waste because you will go home and do not like it or unable to get a refund.
• Choose pieces that work together well, that are versatile so that you can wear it for a while and get your money’s worth.
• Men – buy quality trousers and jackets as you will wear these most often and you want them to last. Shirts are easy to come by and ties are a great accessory and easily accessible.
• When considering a purchase. Ask yourself: (1) Does it work with the three items in my wardrobe? (2) Can I wear it three different ways? And (3) Will I wear it for three years. A classic white shirt, Molloy says is a great example. You can wear it with jeans, under a jacket for work, or dressed up with black pants for dinner. Always think versatility and quality.
• Always check your rear view before buying a garment. The idea is to make CERTAIN you look as good arriving as you do leaving!
• This is perhaps the most important advice: if it does not fit, or you ae in doubt, DO NOT BUY IT! It does not look snug, it makes you look uncomfortable. People will notice you and not for the right reasons. There are some folks who believe they will lose weight and fit into it. I am not saying buy baggy clothes; just clothes that drapes your body elegantly.
Until, next time, dress the part… look the part! It is crucial to your personal brand building and brand credibility.
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