Welcome everyone to all styles big bold dress code. My name is Felicia Alice and I am your alternative style consultant. In this course, you will learn how to find your happy place between a professional outlook and bold personality. So by the end of this video, you will know just how to be yourself and look your best as well. You can feel proud about approaching your customers or clients because you know that you are presenting yourself well without losing yourself in mediocrity. As an individual you represent your personal brand and what you have to offer.
Therefore, it is essential that you know the techniques that help you pinpoint a perfect crossover between alternative style and professionalism. Now, many people today either work for a company or work for themselves have trouble finding something to wear. They open up the closet doors, they look at a bunch of garments. Collectively Everything is there. It's all mashed together and nothing seems to do anything. Any justice.
If you are somebody who loves to get creative, artistic and just overall feels like an offbeat individual work where it can seem quite dampening quite daunting and boring. In order to approach your work day with confidence, you need to feel confident in how you're presenting yourself. A fabulous step in the right direction for you is to have fun with work where Yes, that sounds outrageous, but it is possible. Magic has yet to happen. in your wardrobe. You are not just Who you are at work.
You are someone beyond that. You have likes and dislikes, your favorite band, your favorite color palette, your dream car. The drawings you made on your posted the very particular coffee you made at Starbucks this morning or you had made sorry, you are autonomous, and it is perfectly okay to look autonomous as well. The key is how you execute dressing up before you take on the day. Even for uniformed people, there is still the opportunity to hide some plain magic and hide some magic in plain sight. When you have your pants pressed, your white button up shirt, starched and shoes shine.
There are other ways to hint at being alternative. At times. It can be a little challenge but it can start There'll be done. Now with uniforms. It's all about how you navigate your employer's uniform policies and work with technicalities. After all, it can be quite fun to find those loopholes and use them to your advantage.
In my lifetime, I have both witnessed and worked with uniformed professionals who have had their hair dyed or cut in some funky way. They have small black air gauges, and tattoos peeking ever so slightly past the cuff of their shirt. These are still people you can effortlessly rely on and not blink twice about using their products or services or going to them for help in general. They simply know how to make it work. They know how to make it look clean and tidy, just like any other great employee that would show up to work now before continuing with the main Part of the course is important to establish what my school is all about. Rather than having you feel pigeon holed into a specific alternative stereotype such as goth or punk, so on and so forth.
I will help you find your own individual flair. You don't dress exactly like everyone else. That's the truth about style. It's not about the labels, but how you present yourself as a competent, unique adult. Your high school days are over more than likely, you can expand your horizons enough of the high school clique It is time to break you free from awkward fitting ban t shirts skater skirts and have noxious and scuffed up sneakers. I've grown to completely hate those as an adult.
Fishnet gloves are going in the trash. ripped jeans are going up in smoke and flames. You You're done with that phase of life. Those were good times, but you're an entirely new person. Since then, you are now a fierce adult, and you deserve to be taken seriously. When I was in middle school, and high school, I was most certainly either in the email or punk category, or combination of both.
And lots of skulls, studs and stripes in my closet picked up staple accessories from Claire's whenever I went shopping. Every morning, I would dawn a pair of Converse All Star high tops and walk to the bus stop with Green Day on my iPod Nano. skip ahead about 12 years and I still listen to the same bands but I'm much more keen On what I wear. Being an adult means knowing how to present myself to the general public, current potential employers as well as potential life partners. A lot can change in one year. So imagine how much can change in over 10 This is why it is so important to realize that you have grown up, took ownership of your life, made a living for yourself and are taking the right steps in the right direction.
Your interests may change even slightly but you are still you, you can still lead an alternative lifestyle and balance your books wielding a steel pin. Your personality and preferences can peacefully coexist with the fact that you are a working professional. Now, as an adult, my edgy style has integrated into my Work wardrobe. For a chunk of my early 20s I was working as a security officer. There were times where I've gotten away with wearing green nail polish Blackstar earrings, winged eyeliner, and black chunks in my blonde hair. The reason why I didn't get written up or fired is because I have already proven myself to be a valuable employee.
And I also kept the entire look as polished as I possibly could. With the work I did my front pieces of hair, you know, they kept coming out due to daily routines and encounters as you would being a security officer. But it was just as easy to take out the hair tie and put all my hair back into a neat ponytail. Me personally, I'm a lover of bangs. So that also added a retro spin somewhat To my hairstyle, having heard my personal stories in mixing workwear, with a bit of a darker rock'n'roll type of look, I hope that it helps you start to paint a picture of what it might be like for yourself. Keep in mind that every type of industry or firm has their own expectancies for the way, people working for them to dress.
As a self employed person, or entrepreneur, you have clients and customers who expect a certain level of propriety and appearance from you. This is actually great news. It's great news because with some style rules and guidelines, you can narrow down what it is that you should and want to wear. Having some restraint with your look ironically enough, even as an alternative person helps to say a big yes to that happy medium we're looking for and no two extremities that leave a bad taste in everybody's mouth. You want that perfect mix of a classy vodka with a fun splash of cranberry to make that cosmopolitan cocktail happy medium. Yes, I did just use alcoholic beverages to make my point.
It is time to turn rules into possibilities. The first step before anything else is to see yourself in the future the way you desire to be. Knowing what it is that you want will help you narrow down your own personal steps toward success. Now, I don't want you to just consider what things will be like once you've completed the course. I want you to take yourself There, I want you to see yourself as the competent, positive, intelligent person that you are. And how you're going to portray yourself in only a matter of time to affirm yourself is to believe in yourself.
Things will fall into place, piece by piece for you, it has no choice but to happen. The amazing part about this course is that you can take action immediately after you've completed it. After spending time with me, it takes very little to no time at all to make better decisions on how you present yourself and feel reassured that you can break out of your mold. Be yourself and show the world who you really are. Now, it does take some work to finally get to where you want to be not just with style, but with anything later. We will go over the steps you need to take in order to make your vision a reality.
Part of seeing results is knowing what they should look like and what direction to take in order to achieve them. Again, a huge part of maximizing your results, is firmly insisting that you will see them through without a doubt. In fact, your results are are already a reality for you. And you are more than excited to just achieve them once and for all. Of course, everybody has varying ideas on what the perfect crossover will be like for them. This can be due to personal tastes, their work environment, the things that they're willing to experiment with.
Things they already have in their wardrobe that they will simply wear differently, how they will shop the next time and so on and so forth. It all depends on the individual. In other words, it all depends on you. What you can do to help remind yourself on what your vision is, is to write it down from start to finish, grab a pen, and a piece of paper or sketchbook or even your daily planner and write it down where you see yourself after taking what you will learn in this course and putting it into action. Use affirmative language as if you have no choice but to get to where you want to be. Get excited about the presence, you will bring forth to others as well as yourself.
You can get creative with it too. For example, what are some colors that will start seeing more from you? Will we start seeing some more jewelry, perhaps even a new pair of shoes you've had your eye on? This is your chance to get motivated to make a positive have changed in your style. And in your approach to potential and current customers or clients. Keep in mind that it's not just about the professional who adds personality into their look.
It is also about the unique and off the individual who aims to be a respected person in their industry. Someone with expertise, authority, accountability, and reliability. It's also not just about the appearance, but it's about how you act. I would never teach a course including professionalism. If I did not cover the attitudes and mannerisms that makes someone truly outstanding. When you think about it, what makeover show on TV ever goes without addressing the guests confidence and outlook.
To be honest with you, I can't name a single one one To get a concrete feeling about who you will be, and how you present yourself, and after writing down your firm beliefs about your transformation, you are ready for the next phase. In the next step, we are going to go over the goals of all style and how they will benefit you as a client. As your consultant. I also have goals and they're meant to cater to those looking for that happy medium, between great work where and keeping their alternative layer intact. Although not the simplest of tasks, it's no doubt possible. All sales goals are what will make it possible goals are as follows.
Develop awareness of the client's lifestyle. Number two, identify current style opportunities, and three, narrow down new styles that work best for the client. So the first goal Develop awareness of the client's lifestyle. Considering clients are the sweet bread and butter of consultation services. It is important to really get to know the clients through are they as a person, what do they enjoy and what do they do for a living? It is my job at outsell to make sure your future fashion choices work best for your lifestyle.
That could also mean absolutely anything is possible. The choices are far greater than the worries about coming to work looking and feeling awkward. When you know exactly what you're dealing with. And when you're a consultant the results you help the client achieve are optimized. When you are a client, you can carry on with your day being the superstar that you are without diverting all of your attention to whether or not You look all right, who wants to sit in meetings, wondering if those black kitty cat socks were a good idea. You know better things to do with your time.
That includes making an impact in your business, in your career, and on customers and clients. The way that we can do that is learning what your wants and needs are. And the second goal, identify current style opportunities. Now once we get a solid idea of your day to day life, we can then he can to what you can do right now. This is an opportunity for you to go into your closet and get a feeling of what styles are both suitable as workwear and are a reflection of who you are on the inside. There is a chance you already have what you need to get started to get that perfect crossover.
It's like opening a 10 a very few basic water colors Knowing they can be used in a variety of ways. This is another way to motivate you to reach your end goal. Because you know, you can start as soon as the blink of an eye. It also gives you some practice and the reassurance that yes, finding the happy medium is realistic and readily attainable. And the third goal at all style, narrow down new styles that work best for the client. As everyone's way of life and making a living is different.
Your wardrobe is going to be different than everyone else's. The magic happens when you are well acquainted with what colors, cuts, shapes, textures, and lengths, work best for you specifically. That is why it is an important part of all style to include a section that can help the client get a customized out of their own image that nobody else has But you not only is a uniquely designed look complimentary to the client's physical attributes, but it is also an excellent way to establish a personal brand. celebrities have customized looks that turn iconic all the time. There's no reason why you can't do the same thing. I know what you're thinking, How the hell is all sound different than any other style consultants?
Well, I am more than happy to tell you. First of all, also recognizes a need that people have is offering a solution. As a person, you know, who you are, and what qualities you bring to the table. You know what works for you and what doesn't. So why do we get a sense of having to be an entirely different person when we're making a living? There is no need to lose out on bringing your inner spark outwards, people Love a genuine, memorable person that can put their own spin on things.
When someone is as talented as you are, you can get away with being different than anybody else. It makes people feel good knowing that they are receiving value from not just a pro, but someone who can deliver a great feeling. My job as your consultant is to empower you to make decisions that bring you a fabulous balance between being true to your inner artist and showing you have sophistication. Your own clientele confides in you and trust what you represent. Therefore, there's ample opportunity to represent both high excellence and a personal brand simultaneously. More specifically, you can give them both expertise and a likeable edge when I was working in hospitals, hotel chain encouraged yes service agents to wear accessories that went well with the uniform.
This opened up doors for people who want to express themselves while doing their job efficiently and while still representing the hotel brand. Picture a black blazer in pants with a light shade of blue for a buttoned shirt and alternative person can easily wear tiny silver Raven studs, retro Bob hairstyle, and a silver bracelet with black charms or beads on it. They are very subtle hints at a person's preferences without being too extreme. My comfort level was playing it safe as a guest service agent. I did nothing out of the ordinary feeling out of place every single shift and I wasn't proving my power to positively affect people's experience at the hotel and I enjoy negatively ended up switching departments. But what does that have to do with my style?
I was fresh out of a relationship. And it was a month after the breakup that I started working at this particular chain. So overall, my spirit throughout the day just wasn't 100% that affected my department and made me turn inwards to keep my personality from being judged. Keep in mind working in hospitality is kind of brutal sometimes, or at least it feels that way. If one person seems just a little off, it can appear sometimes that management doesn't, at least openly appreciate. I know this from experience, even if I started the date positively, and was looking forward to working at the desk.
I wasn't entirely myself. Hi Have a head I solidified and confirmed to myself who I really was and what kind of a difference I could make. I would have strapped down, gotten to work and done so in Betsey Johnson heels. Another reason why I'll tell is different is that there are no other style consultants that can openly appreciate what it means to put aside your own preferences to serve people everyday. style consultations can often cause someone to feel like they have to sacrifice their entire inner being in exchange for the promise of other people liking them more. That is so wrong.
That couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, you should keep your entire self intact. Regardless of what anybody else says. When you're a professional working in one industry or another, you can still rock some edge While showing people they're getting the best service and product ever, I'm not talking about coming into work with zebra boots and a jacket from Don Cherry's closet. I'm talking about mastering your own aesthetic, and fine tuning it in a way that effortlessly complements you in your work ethic. If you've ever watched a show called, what not to wear her, you will know that grueling process of literally throwing all your clothes away so the show hosts can give you a $5,000 prepaid credit card and tell you how to spend it.
As a 13 year old, it was painful to watch people have to let go of their favorite shirt that gives them memories from when they first started dating their spouse. You just don't do that to people. There are other ways of revamping yourself without ignoring what makes your soul truly happy. Be home organizations superstar Marie Kondo says, keep only those things that speak to your heart That is so true. So true. That can also apply to how you dress yourself.
If what you're looking for, or what you're looking at, sorry, doesn't give you pride or contentment. Forget about wearing it. You can take that rule with you when you go shopping next time. Remember that you're someone that does something more than make a living, you have to actually live your life to it takes discipline and maturity to put aside your extra quirks, and Instead, focus on impressing people at your job. People do that every day so they can still bring home an income and support a household. Imagine working a nine to five job five days a week.
In addition guides. That is how artistic, offbeat, edgy, creative and non conforming people feel it's a disguise. Interestingly enough, the things we wear to work often turn us into different people entirely. The same thing happens to retail and food service workers. We wake up at 4am put on a uniform, like it's a transition into a different persona, and go to the place where we act out that persona. It's so weird.
It's weird. The beautiful thing about workwear is that it doesn't have to wear us our performance, reassurance and work ethic doesn't have to change whether or not we're donning the company logo or a boring pantsuit. That being said, wouldn't it feel better to add your personality into what you wear while making a living expert recommend even wearing a piece of jewelry like a necklace that speaks to your personality while going for interviews. The reason is so that employers know how you're different than the rest, it can lead to a discussion about how you're going to make a difference in the company. Right now, as an alternative person, I can't Google the words, style consultation services and see myself in the consultant themselves. It's important for a consultant to be able to relate to their clients on a deeper level.
If I'm going to tell you how to dress, I better know how you want to look and feel afterwards. I also want to tell you to never lose hope, because your style goals are possible. I'm the one that's going to make your alternative style goals come to life. A third reason why all style is different is that also works with clients in their current lifestyle. Instead of trying to Sell them one they don't have yet. marketing experts Love, love to selling a dream that hasn't come true yet, but you're so far away from it that it feels too exclusive to have.
They will dangle red hot sports cars, tropical vacation spots and luxury handbags in front of your face to get you to pay for their products and services. Their products and services will give you a luxurious lifestyle. They say I run Li it's the average Joe that's actually buying these things and not just the 1% of the population. We can drink Starbucks, drive European cars and go tanning on the beach. Whether we're making $20,000 yearly or $400,000 yearly. also works by collaborating with clients and determining the best approach based on current realistic needs.
You don't need a ball gown, or new tuxedo unless you're actually going to some sort of gala, you need a new outfit. for that meeting where you're going to meet the CEO. Chances are your overall appearance is what's going to impress the CEO and help boost your career in turn, see what I'm saying? Your effort goes a long way when you're a professional in any industry. So when you go even further, and stand out positively from the rest, you're going to go very far in your career. You may even make some new friends, essentially, also takes a look at what it is you do, what impressions you would like to make on the general public.
What makes you unique from everyone else, and uses all of that information to assemble styles that work best for you. What's even better, is that all style helps you find those loopholes. Those rebels thing and dress codes you can work around to your advantage. The tips and tricks are what makes this course enjoyable. On the one hand, I can encourage you to make improvements in your wardrobe that best represent your personality and professionalism. On the other hand, we get to have a little fun with how to get away with wearing lots of things.
Who doesn't love a rebel. Nowadays, employers are becoming more relaxed about what their employees wear to work. Extra ear piercings are fine. Right red hair is fine, so on. However, technicalities can always get you fired, especially if you're a rookie. If you haven't proven your place and earned your keep.
You're fired for the small stuff like having your tattoo peacoat past your sleep. Let me tell you about a woman who I once interviewed who had spent $300 on having dark navy blue low lights in her hair. For story sake, let's call her Michelle. It was a private security firm. And that locations clientele was very particular. The client service manager couldn't hire Michelle because the clients would complain about her hair.
I know. Now, Michelle had a great, great resume and has proven to me she was friendly and reliable she was a people person. However, her time was better used in searching for a position that overlooked her Navy lowlights and concentrated on her work ethic and experience in the right place. Michelle could have played her cards well kept her hair color. Still got a great Rate position. Let me tell you exactly how to play those cards yourself.
The general idea on finding the happy medium is the phrase, nothing too extreme. Think of it like a spectrum between professionalism and edginess. You want to find that sweet spot, you have the option of playing it safe and going for plain corporate attire, but you also have the opportunity to add more flair. The extent that you can go towards edginess without jeopardizing your career, it depends on your working environment. You will need to refer to your company's policies if you're employed and your market or your audience if you're self employed. Sometimes you will have to gauge what is acceptable and what is not acceptable through Gentle, gentle experimentation.
If you're getting bad vibes from it in your mind is telling you no don't wear it. But if you're getting good vibes in your mind is telling you Yes. Go for introducing the alltel spectrum scale measuring extremity that runs between zero percent and 100%. Essentially, the closer you are to zero percent the safer you are, the closer to 100% you are, the more extreme you're getting and it's an increased risk of repercussions. The sweet spot in the middle is what we're looking for because think a sweet thing is nice. Even for the gentleman that signed up for this course.
The color pink is going to be your new best friend. This is our happy medium and the main focus on what the big bold dress code is all about. You know play around with the spectrum as you wish. Another key phrase to use when looking for the happy medium is the polished In other words, make sure you're presenting yourself as well up kept as possible. neat and tidy. does the trick really nice?
There can be varying degrees on what being polished may mean but the overall gist of it is to avoid anything saggy, anything damaged return up in disrepair, anything smelly things that are really, really dirty things that don't fit right. Anything that may not be ironed or something that's super wrinkly minor deals, modern teeth Oh, sorry, like buttoning up your sleeves and tucking in your shirt add up as well. Think of it this way. Humans have the natural tendency to judge someone based on what they look like. It's linked to survival instincts such as, what creatures to avoid and who to mate with even we're programmed to see various colors as having mediating meeting, meaning and lightness or darkness as being other fair, or exotic nationality not applicable. So what does this mean about our appearance?
It means that if we see someone who has a perfectly orange shirt, well tailored pants, and a pair of glasses that complements their face, we recognize them as someone smart and respectable. For us. If we see someone with stains on their hoodie, and ripped in their jeans, they seem like they just don't care or they're at a low point in life. Who are we going to hire to help us decorate our house, file our taxes or our cqrs when we're sick? Keep it Polish so people can turn to you out of instinct. Psychology works like a charm.
The quote unquote, alternative part of my consultation, so As means I will include specifics on what to look for. You can take inspiration from a wide range of areas, sub genres, themes and icons that are truly reminiscent of alternative culture. For example, rockabilly fashion was full of scarves, pencil skirts, fourth pair and leather jackets with Eric can also be identifiable by its retro barber shops, motorcycles, and Sailor Jerry tattoos, those awesome things. garments were caught a certain way worn in certain colors and add certain genes to them, and were worn with particular pieces. Another example is the rolling 20s where both men and women loved tuxedos and dark makeup was it for women. dresses had a dropped waist and men's suit frequently had pinstripes.
Sounds cool to me. There are are a number of things to consider when creating an outfit such as number one color to pattern, three, fabric and texture for cut and style lines, and five accessories. Moving on to color. Depending on what genre or subculture you get inspiration from your color palette is going to differ. Being an edgy person you might aspire to keep black and gray staples in your color palette and have the rest up to your more specific preferences. You can choose from saturated classic colors like rich reds and velvets and blues or you can use sporty or spicy oranges.
Dark dual tones work well for people who like a more Victorian or an Edwardian feel Moving on to pattern. People inspired by punk rock will likely enjoy plaid frequently. For an article option, you can choose patterns with occupy anchors, whales, life preservers, and so on. Sometimes you can find patterns that look normal at first glance, but are more daring when you look into the details and in the second time, it's like when you view a painting that secretly has something naughty, hidden in there somewhere. fabric and texture. The type of fabric you use can change the effect of the outfit.
For a mysterious and feminine vibe. You can opt for black chiffon. tweets can look more scholastic and leathery textures can look vintage and more natural velvet is a great option for a luxurious feel and should be used cautiously as to not make your work were seen. To formal brocade is always nice. Cotton is always a good idea because it's breathable and works well with almost anything while also bringing out other textures. Avoid glitter and sequence while on the job as these options are best for parties and celebrations, unless your career revolves around some form of parties and celebrations, cut and style lines.
Pay attention to the cut, length and fit of things like the neckline, the sleeves, the hem, the waist, so on and so forth. What silhouette does a look give off? alternative fashion can take inspiration from the 20th and 19th century quite often. Each era has identifiable details such as a square neckline, high waisted pants or cuff sleeves. Be sure that you're choosing the right fit for you. Also, your body shape is complimented best buy clothes that accentuate your best features, and minimize attention to the features you don't overly appreciate.
And last but not least, accessories. These can never be underestimated. You can wear a red shirt or a simple black blazer but there is nothing like a finishing touch. There are a wide range of accessories that perfectly add some edge into an otherwise mainstream item. For example, a silver watch can hide intricate and dark details in the band or in the face of the clock itself. The lining of the shoe can be striped, or the bottom of a shoe can be read like movie times.
If you take the time to browse in the right places, you can I certainly find some amazing pieces to add to an outfit and take your time with this and look around really Explorer. Your boss won't know those cufflinks are actually a metal bands logo. Don't you look nice. Moving along to chapter two, I am really, really excited to share all these tips and tricks with you guys, because you are going to love them. These you can actually do as soon as you're finished the course. And also this isn't just for an alternative person.
Now it can be for anybody that wants to look for the perfect merger between professionalism and personality between being appropriate and being bold. It's not easy to do, but it can be done and that is the why I'm here, you will be able to walk into a room with unshakable confidence. Everybody will know your name, everybody will know what you stand for. Everybody will know that you are someone to reckon with. Now, this isn't to get you in trouble. This is meant to give you the tools that you need to make small changes to your wardrobe to really make a big impact.
I know that earlier in the course I got you to write stuff down. I got you to affirm it. confirm it, but now it's time to do some work rather than just brainstorming. You need to do something. So get out your employee handbook. Get out those uniform policies, your contract your dress codes, a little booklets that they give you and look at them.
Really, really look at them because this is going to tell you where You're going to really want to take things because it's your way of knowing what to work with. These are the rules that your employer sets out for you as an employee. This is where we get to turn rules into possibilities. Also, in your research, you should become more acquainted of who your employer is and what they do. What do they represent? Are they a technology company that works with innovative business people?
Or could they possibly be a law firm that stands up for the underdog? Do they serve hot meals in a retro diner and do they organize events in a sports complex? If you know what your employer is about, you know what they want their employees to represent as well. Keep this in mind for when you finally establish the look that you're proud to wear on the job. Now, who you work with is also very, very important as well. This is not just your coworkers, but it is the clients themselves, the customers, whoever it is that you're in front of.
For example, if you work on a mental health crisis response team, you don't want to scare people, more so than they probably already are. There are still options for you as a professional. Just don't, don't overdo it. Everybody loves genuine people make a difference. But if they look too much like they came from an evil layer, that viewpoint goes out the window completely. If you're a retail manager at Disney World, you can get away with having a geeky and colorful presence full of Star Wars ties and a lightsaber pen behind your ear.
Now these are just examples of what you can do and where when I used to work security, the giveaway At a male officer had edgier style than some of the others was that they may have a modernized haircut, aka the fade, arm tattoos, gauges in their ears. I also remember a male coworker who showed up to the shift with a mustache that was very, very much in the style of Gomez Adams or Charlie Chapman, Captain Hook, you know, those kinds of characters and the supervisor as soon as he saw this guy just rolled his eyes twice over. The supervisor told him that he can keep it for now. But the next shift it needs to it needs to be gone. It needs it needs to go. There was a very very bold move in deed edit it was so out of place that It's all you saw when you look at the guy.
Now, the client has had a really good laugh at him and probably made their day which is always nice. But being laughed at by a client it was isn't always a good thing. Please, I beg you please learn a thing or two from my former coworker, Jessica and policies can sometimes be a little wishy washy, but don't let that scare you. It's technicalities that you can work with and potentially anything that the policies don't cover. Just don't take the text and run with it, and one up to work. But naked, just don't do it.
Don't. I'm also talking about clothing and styles that the company has simply overlooked or didn't bother to cover, or maybe it just didn't get brought up yet. For example, the US Army recently allowed soldiers of various faiths wear turbans and he jobs while on duty. That was their religious right. Their policies never used to define whether or not recruits could wear their hair dresses. They wore them anyways and fought to get them included in the uniform policies.
They obviously succeeded. Some dress codes are lenient, and some are tougher than others. Referencing an article I found about Google employees, there were almost anything that I want and come into the office with different styles. You'll find shorts, hoodies, day dresses, and so on. However, when I browse the web and discovered a golf club in Vancouver, their dress code pose a major challenge for anyone alternative working there. We will return to this golf clubs policies later on.
Whatever statements you find in your uniform policies and dress code, think about what it's saying or what it's not saying that you can maneuver around. In this step, you will have to use your judgment to determine And what's appropriate? Remember, just because it doesn't explicitly say don't do it, doesn't mean you should. That being said, if it says something like, no unnatural colors and you know, to work with natural colors instead, if it says something like, what in bands are acceptable, you're allowed tasteful accessories or your shirt must always be tucked in. You can envision your new look where those phrases apply. This step also requires thinking outside the box so you can figure out plenty of ways to make an alternative work outfit that is well put together.
Let's revisit that Vancouver Golf Club we talked about earlier. So far, no tank tops whatsoever. skirts can't be too far above the knee. Almost all clothing items must be designed for playing golf. No active wear in the hallways, and no midriffs can be shown. Although their dress code sounds quite discouraging, and geez peoples can still go and play golf.
This Club's dress code poses a real challenge. But an alternative person can always work within their means. For example, they can try to use mainly black bread, pray hint of white, some tweed, some plaid and fits that elongate the figure. Going a little further with the minor details like necktie and sock patterns can be a little risky if the place you're going to is very uptight. tread carefully with places like this. Even if you have to play it safe on the obvious things and on the outside.
You can always hide something underneath for when you finally leave The guidelines your company gives you are not your enemy. They tell you what's appropriate for your working environment. And then the rest is your call to make. Think of all the fashion possibilities that can turn heads and white the positive way. You don't have to just like a biker to get your point across that you like it while you just need enough edge. To make it known you work hard, and you rock just as hard.
You're going to turn those rules into possibilities my friend. So far, some examples of guidelines we might find in uniform policies and dress codes include no natural hair colors. Use tasteful accessories, nothing too extreme. No high heels taller than four inches. Earrings must be studs, only. Long Hair must be tied up.
The loopholes come in, when we can turn these types of guidelines into possibilities. So let's add on to these examples to make them work for us. No natural hair colors but dark red hair is natural use tasteful accessories which also means my gray plaid infinity scarf. Nothing too extreme. So my black wraparound belt with this yellow dress it's fine. No high heels taller than four inches.
So my three inch vintage Mary Jane's are okay. Earrings must be studs only. So I'll just where he says silver ones. Long Hair must be tied up. So now I can try out a retro ponytail. Part of showing people your boldness.
It comes in how you strive for excellent and are consistent in making things happen. You're an outgoing go Get her. Or you might be a Jetsons genius. You could be anything spectacular, which I'm sure you already are. You just don't have to scream it in their faces that you're one to reckon with. Your physical appearance is only part of your professionalism.
You also have to play the part and go above and beyond the norm to really impress your clients and customers. These are what's going to turn your life around from bland to really amazing. Not only do you embody yourself as the go to person, and you look just the same, but you also bring 110% to the table every single time. Doing what you do best in making our mark in the company is supporting action for how you intend to dress for the role. You can even work at a suburban burger joint is still addressing your uniform better than anyone else. Now that's a fact.
The next step towards the perfect crossover is to ask questions and do some workplace testing. It is wise to fill out the accessibility around your workplace regarding various styles such as things with skulls on them or share sleeves. If you sense that you're going to be able to get away with a certain style, but you're not entirely to share. You can do the brave thing and wear it anyways. Sometimes you will be spoken to about your decision and sometimes you won't. You can also look around your workplace and see what people are already wearing on the job.
If that man on his laptop next to you can have a floral button shirt and get away with it. You can do to Can I certainly had my fair share of getting away with some things while not getting away with others. After my family reunion in 2015, I forgot to take off my gold, fake nails and Ended up wearing them to the office one day. My client service manager said, and I quote, allow them for today, but only because it's you. In other words, if I weren't me, and never have proven my credibility and hard work, I would have gotten that lovely disciplinary action report. Fantastic.
On the on the bright side, I also worked a position where I drove the company vehicle and had subtle pink chunks hidden amongst lots of brown here. Nobody batted an eye, not a single one. Clearly, my goal to while working security was hair and nails. And I've said again, just because it's you or you can avoid any risk at all. And instead, ask questions. You should never be ashamed To ask about what styles are okay?
When you ask these questions, don't go to the one person who you sent is going to lie to you just to get you in trouble cuz we all know those people just don't go to them. Go to a colleague you've built a report with, has good reputation is reliable, and hopefully also has great style choices themselves. You wouldn't get make a device from someone with badly done eyebrows or grooming advice from someone with the worst beard you've ever seen. The person you can always turn to is your direct hire up. In other words, your team lead your supervisor, your department manager and so on. If you feel like it's gonna be awkward to ask your boss about what nice things you can wear on the job.
You can word it in a way that doesn't come off as painting a picture For example, our ties with logos. Okay? Do all shoes have to be closed toe? Or can they be open toe as well? Or even our pastel colors allowed me having to wear a uniform back then I could only do so much. Can you believe that at one point I wanted white hair?
Not silver, not platinum blonde, but snow, white hair. My supervisor at the time was legitimately trying to find the loophole for me in what I was asking him, he said, Well, technically White is a natural hair color, but why would you want that? It's because I'm weird. Okay, please accept that. Now, I never actually said this to him, but you got my point. I also had to wear a black belt so I got a stretchy one with a cool plastic buckle.
This is my way of switching things up. Once again, nobody batted an eye to particular style. was a loophole and I get to keep my pants from falling down, win win situation. This is the part where I tell you some of my secrets stuff that I got away with when I was at work. So I have had, in my six years of security, I've had silver hair. Now that was at least once I had blonde with black low lights, that was really nice.
My supervisor turned to me and said, Well, technically I can write you up, but I won't just because it's you. I've also had black nail polish in my last two weeks of one of the sites that I worked at, because I worked with different companies. I also had tiny little star stud earrings. Those are very subtle, and it was my favorite way of adding a little bit of Have a bit of an edge just to my overall appearance. It's not screaming in your face, but it does the job. Superman socks.
Now this is just part of work where we're sometimes really stupid stuff like socks. Doesn't really matter. No one's gonna judge you for your socks. They're gonna judge you for your work ethic and whether or not you're doing the job properly. And also it's stuff like makeup, like winged eyeliner and just simple, simple black pencil. So those are pretty easy to work with.
They're more gentle than what I could have done. Speaking of black nail polish, which is what I got away with, in my last two weeks at my previous site, There is a website called PERS forum. They asked the question is black nail polish considered unprofessional? Now, a lot of ladies they shouted off into the comment section. And they had a legitimate discussion about whether or not it's professional. Some people pitched in and said, it is absolutely unprofessional.
Just don't do it. Whatever you do. No, no, no, no. There were a couple of people that were other police officers or they were a part of the army and they said, Well, obviously not. When I'm off duty I can wear but when I'm in uniform, it's a no no. There are people who mentioned the industry and whether or not places like retail spots or restaurants are accepting of black nail polish.
And once again, it really did does depend on your industry. It can also depend depend on your personal preferences as well. Some people like it, some people don't. Some people may be a little bit more feminine or may like pastels over dark colors. I like darker colors myself. I like a little bit of both pastels, the occasional neons classic colors, but mostly black, red, gray, white.
That suggests a bit. It's an interesting discussion and it's wonderful to start thinking about these kinds of things. So that concludes chapter two, all styles approach to dress codes and uniform policies. For those who are employed by a company that is not their own. This is a wonderful tool to have under your belt, both literally and figuratively. The next chapter is also very useful regardless of the way you make a living.
Perhaps you may even be inspired to start your own company and branch off on your own. terms, essentially really fun, but it's a lot of hard work. For those who are interested in self employment or who have already paid their way into entrepreneurship. This next chapter is for you. Remember, anybody can learn a thing or two in chapter three. For whatever amount of time you're your own boss, you had to come from one place or another.
What I mean by that is you had to present yourself in a way that really highlights who you are and how you make change. If you're self employed, such as being an entrepreneur, you have built an image that inspires people. You already know what you're going for, and how you're going to get there. People will recognize you as someone respectable and someone to look up to, perhaps even someone they see themselves in. You're a role model for many of your clients and customers. Even your best Since your best employees and your best partners, although your personal brand is not chiseled in stone, or written down or planned or anything like that, you already know it like the back of your hand.
It's a feeling. And it's an empowerment. It's the espresso in your coffee, and a key ingredient in your business. But more importantly, it's your truth, and how your clients come come to trust you. In chapter three, I guide you through what you already know, and help you think outside the box a little bit with your style. Think of it as your ticket to bold innovation.
This is also for those who are looking forward to being self employed and want to get a head start on how to make great first impressions and a great impact. It's got to be one of my favorite things to talk about because you're taking charge of not just your business, but you're giving yourself the free To explore an entire world of fashion for the sake of being yourself. That's amazing. Imagine putting so much effort into the preparation, the funding, the public relations, the vision, the meetings, the testing the market research. And then you finally launch your business and then oh snap who I am I again, am I gonna have to wear khaki every time we're gonna go and then it hits you. You have a dream that you've finally seen come to life.
Who the hell are you? You know who you represent, and who your clients are. Looking back at how you feel in traditional work, where are you really feeling your best self. I can't stress enough how vital it is for not just your business. Both For your own mental health that you keep a firm confidence about who you are, and fearlessly represent that every day. You are not dead, you are alive with a heartbeat so act like it.
Entrepreneurs could attract me twice as much to what they offer if they just gave me their personality, not just their product. I'll give you an example of what I'm talking about. You know, Jeremy Scott, the creative director of Moschino, he single handedly turned the brand around and gave people lively high fashion filled to the brim with his own unique image. He's all about pop culture and bright colors. He gives you what's unexpected, but Oh, so desirable. Jeremy Scott has solidified his personal brand Celebrities always turned to him for something striking something that nobody else has.
He's famous for it. Franco Moschino was gutsy and creative anyways in the 1980s onwards, but Jeremy Scott gave it the relevant, franchised, trademarked, charm that helps mosquito remained a brand to reckon with. Note that Jeremy Scott is a human being. He was had his dreams crushed his struggles to make it big in Paris, and his imperfect High School memories. But that was what built his character and made him as fierce as he is today. He knows himself and so he grows himself.
If an outcast country boy from Kansas City can make it big on the runway, you can overhaul Hall your style to represent an empire. You're already building. Take a few moments to truly reflect on who your clientele is. What do they represent? What do they feel? Or how do they feel even?
What do they need? Are they students needing affordable services? Or are they single moms needing simple products? When you're offering your products and services to a range of people, they need to be able to approach you with confidence and go, yeah, that's the one that's going to help me the most. They're awesome. You don't have to match every individual on every level.
But you do need to be open minded and understand what it means to be that they're not just numbers. They are humans just like you. It helps you use valid research to point you in the right direction. Many websites give you analytics on who your actual market is, and those numbers alone can really enlighten you. For instance, if say 30% of your clients from 2018 are above the age of 40. You can make sure you're not wearing anything with references only millennials will get.
If you're an event planner, and 83% of these events are held at night, you can add some nightlife flair into your outfit when you promote your brand. Just like in chapter two, when we were discussing psychology, we judge fellow creatures based on appearance. If your appearance is scary, or too intimidating, they will stay away. But if you look like someone relatable, reliable and professional, they will feel comfortable about turning to you for help. You know the scary movie the thing where the person actually turned into a monster and ate everybody. Nobody's going to want to hire the entrepreneurial equivalent of that.
But if you have a smile, and use friendly body language and dress the part you can really make a good lasting impression. It's like when you go get your hair done and have two choices on who's doing it that day. Okay, you've got a the really sweet one with purple chunks in their braids or is it be the the one with an attitude in the face that's as long as their v neck shirt. You get a sense that this one was probably teasing their last client's hair a little too hard, and the poor woman started to cry. Moral of the story is don't be option be an upset after spending some time learning about who your audience is. Now you can go deeper into their expectations.
There is no way around this whatsoever because your audience's opinion matters. Don't be that one business person that doesn't care about what your people care about. Those in business know that when a product or service is being offered, people expect it to be as good as you represent it to be. People look forward to pay off. Remember, you're also the audience of someone else. And you've tried and tested many things already because of your trust in the brand.
Same goes for the other way the other way around. Fast forward into making a clear, personal brand for both yourself and others. Due to the fact you're self employed, you play a contributing role in society. What that role is, it's up to you. You're your own boss. So you make the rules.
You built the company and you can shape it however, you please Developing, or even just affirming your personal brand. It's a fun process. It can be both self discovery and a chance to show the world your true beautiful colors. Countless entrepreneurs bring themselves to the table as they are right now. But in a refined way, that very same refinement is our task today. Also, you and me.
I'm not going to try to change you into somebody else. Instead, I'm here to help you bring out the best in yourself. Personal Branding means a lot. you're pointing out all your best qualities, even your imperfect and relatable qualities to your clientele. Although they say don't judge a book by its cover. It's nice when the cover actually matches the book.
Just like a man in a valet uniform turns around and says no, I'm actually mechanic, you could embody an entire Empire. A business is nothing without a founder. And it goes nowhere without the founder being recognized and promoted. People trust a brand and the people who work with a brand, trust the name behind it. It all goes hand in hand. In summary, what you put out into the world is what you get back.
If you're rocking your head title in your business, you're going to go for our kid. The Merriam Webster English dictionary defines the word professionalism as the conduct aims or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person. Given that definition, you can take it any way you perceive. If you have built your own business from the ground up, you would have used a set of knowledge to both create and sell your products or services. that knowledge is your expertise. Therefore, you are the expert as an expert, their knowledge drives your business towards success.
Despite the dictionary definition, you put the word professionalism into your own words, the dictionary is a good way to get a widely understood idea on what a word means. But everybody translates it differently. You simply need to take the basics and then add on to it with your own perceptions. So the next step is just that. Write down what professionalism means to you. Everyone's answer will be slightly different, but it's your own words that make you understand it completely.
It's a way to clearly confirm to yourself, the meaning of it and where it is you stand. You may not even believe in the traditional concept of it, but that doesn't mean you aren't a pro in one way or another. You can still lead people with what you know, even if you're a nonconformist willing to challenge conventional thinking. Rebels are still sought after for their viewpoint on lots of subjects. So there's no need to assume you have to be specifically in a suit and smell of Cologne to impress clients. Take a look at your world of knowledge.
What does your clientele want to learn from you? How do they see the one person that's going to give them that learning experience to figure out what they might want to see? Something else you need to do is go online and look up different pros in your industry example, and a quick online search. I typed in the words James Hetfield interview. If you didn't know James Hetfield was the lead vocalist and guitarist of metal band Metallica. I chose to see what he wears in interviews because interviews are more of a business casual setting.
What do metal musicians look like in that sort of meeting? The search came up with Poland. They have images of Hetfield wearing a black button. chrome jewelry and black tailored pants. sleeves are rolled up and colorism dawn away from the neck. Coming from a fashion background, I can tell you it's an appropriate outfit as its relaxed, but still put together.
He comes off as someone who has a megaton of experience but you can still approach them tough but you can still approach them. Imagine someone like him becoming a guitar teacher for a superior music school. I am very confident he would be hired on the spot and given a position then next day. When your clients look up to you, you can become a beacon of light for them. They identify you based on your attitude and overall outlook. If you dress yourself well and openly display that you were the one to turn to it can make a big impact for both yourself and others.
Let that information inspire you To create a look that is not only pieced together properly, but makes you look like an innovative individual, I repeat, let your line of work, and even your client help inspire you and your wardrobe. After being inspired, you can explore what you believe is appropriate to wear on the job. Remember, your heart is going into this as much as your brain is. If you feel good, you can make every step you take means that much more. Your shoes will look more polished, your jacket fits better. Spare a moment to think about how you're going to portray yourself the best of still being yourself.
The truth is there's no exact science to how to dress for your clients, while still keeping your personality in it. It's a judgment call one where you need to you Use your creativity to put different garments and accessories together to make the right outfits. Now, that being said, when I say there is no exact science, it doesn't mean you shouldn't do some form of testing. So, just like just like you do with your business, conduct an experiment, or test to gauge your audience on what's appropriate. You can do this with your social media accounts as it's a readily available platform and your followers are already there to make the call. They will tell you whether or not a specific item or the whole outfit looks good.
You can do this with hashtag OTD outfits of the day, or you can do photoshoots and various looks to post on your accounts, and then receive feedback. You can also do your testing offline by referring to your closest people. They can tell you upfront what kind of presence you are giving off or whether or not a garment or accessory accessory is truly complimenting you. I would not recommend daring to try a look that's edgier than normal with brand new clients as you might scare them off. This is why I suggest referring to your closest partners and clients first, because they've already built up a rapport with you. They have been there for the long haul.
Therefore they have more experience with you and can be that much more honest with you. The final step for the self employed is making a summary of what works for you. This is the last thing you'll need to write down. These aren't rules in there are always exceptions due to circumstances like special occasions and weather. For example, if you are older and prefer to wear long sleeve shirts, you add that to your guidelines. However, you know you're still wearing short sleeves if it's quite warm outside.
Another example is if you are the owner of your own Candy Company Colors and stripes will be more welcome and true to your brand. You can eat it and take it one step further and create a completely iconic look that is composed of a few identifiable features. This is very useful if you want to bring your brand to the next level and stand out from your competitors. Consider the business people and artists that are the most memorable to you. Why are they so memorable? What did they do that really stuck with you?
I feel a really great example of an entrepreneur with huge memorability is Jeff Foster. She's got bright blonde hair that beautifully contrasts with her deep chocolate complexion. She's often wearing fun colors, but she still keeps them classy. Her presence is very positive, even through the internet and she's consistently making a difference in people's lives with her strategies. Her energy is quite contagious and that makes you want to work with her. The level of flair she has is undeniably high, but it works for her because it attracts the right people to her business.
Needless to say, you don't have to be boring to be a professional. I want to show you a picture of me when I was around 21 working in an office. It's a different look than what some people may wear to work but it's still goes well and I've shows off some personality. It should give you a good idea on how to put together something really nice without going over On the alternative part, could I have taken it a bit further? Yes. Is it still a cool style?
Also? Yes. If I owned my own company at the time, this is one way I would dress to meet my clients. It's comfortable. It still works for a business setting, and it's not sloppy out, recreate this look in a heartbeat and a half. In conclusion, I would like to go over what it is that you guys just learned with me.
So first and foremost, you envision the end results. Now this is a really important step because if not, you're not gonna get as far as you want to. This is where you wrote stuff down. You even probably drew stuff. It doesn't matter just as long as you affirm to yourself, it has no choice but to happen. Next, you got out the rule books, you got out the policies, the dress code and all that stuff.
And you looked into what it is that your employer or your company or the firm is asking you to do in terms of your overall appearance, and then you look for the loopholes. So these are the things that say, Oh, you can't do this, we prefer this yada, yada so on and so forth. What you did after that, was you turn those loopholes into possibility. So they may tell you, oh, yeah, you got to do this. But you added on to it by saying, oh, but technically I can do this because they said that. And last but not least, you did some testing, testing and you asked questions.
So don't just dive straight into it without like doing doing the research and then testing the waters a little bit. And then finally, you jump straight into the look that you want to achieve. For those that are self employed. It's quite quite soon. To those that are employed, except this time you're running the show. Number one, again, you envision the end results, you figure out what it is that you want to see, you wrote it down, you drew it, you did what you had to do in order to confirm it to yourself.
After that, I got you to do some research because you run a business for some time. So this should be easy as pie for you. And then I got you to define what professionalism means to you. Everybody's answer is going to be different. And this is going to really set the tone for the end result. After defining what professionalism means to you, I got used to do some testing and asking questions, because just like you do research for your company, you also do testing as well.
Things like advertising and so on and so forth. So all you do, ask questions. and test the waters in terms of your style. Because this way you gauge your audience. And at the end of it, you built up a summary for your style, perhaps even with some iconic looks. And there you have it, you guys, you have finally completed the big, bold dress code, the ultimate way to transform yourself into a style chameleon master in the art of mixing professionalism and personality.
No more doubt, no more fuss, no more boredom, we can start a fire within and make some big bold moves you guys. Now I may be the consultant and point you in the right direction. But it's up to you to make those changes happen. You're in control of designing your future. In fact, you can start changing your life right this second just as soon as you leave your seat, crack open the closet again spiraling get going because This is only just the beginning. I cannot wait to see how everything turns out for every single one of you.
I'm actually proud of you guys. Until next time, my name is Felicia Alice and thank you so much for being with me at all style. By