If you’re one of the younger members of your team, here’s how to dress to boost your confidence and get the respect you deserve.
One styling method that I use for my younger female clients is blending ‘masculine and feminine’ elements into one outfit:
Notice the blend of both worlds here– the structured coats in grey and navy prints give a feeling of power and confidence. While the jeans, trousers and even footwear communicate approachability and casualness.
For my younger male clients who want to dress well, be sure to focus on the FIT of your clothing.
You want to ensure that your clothing hugs your body, which in turn will flatter your figure and will make you look powerful as well as put together. Wearing clothing that is too big will make you look sloppy and disheveled.
Remember fitted clothing doesn’t mean TIGHT or uncomfortable.
“I’m not in a work environment where I have to wear a suit and tie everyday, but I still want to look sharp.”
“I’m a software engineer and we have a ‘look’ — jeans, t shirt, sweater and sneakers but I want a more elevated style that is still functional. Something that would say, ‘Yes I’m a software engineer but hella stylish and can totally be director one day.’ ”
These are common challenges that I hear from my clients around navigating what to wear to work. Many people work in super casual offices and are confused about what to wear to convey that they are serious about their job, amazing at what they do and are capable of being promoted.
They are surrounded in a sea of free oversized hoodies, baggy jeans and logo t-shirts that they become overwhelmed about how they can develop a professional style that doesn’t put them front and center.
Look familiar?
Updating your style for such a casual environment can seem risky. If you wear anything that your coworkers aren’t wearing (eg. a free oversized hoodie or baggy jeans) — there is a possibility that others could take notice and ask you, “so why’d you dress up today?”.
Or worse, they’d could think that you are trying too hard and then you’d be the center of attention. (eek!)
What we *think* we’d look like if we updated our
work style vs what our co-workers
are actually wearing.
The
good news is that you can update your style to look like you aren’t trying too
hard. You can create a style that looks
effortless, polished but still fits into the casual work context.
So today, I’m going to show you how you
can use 4 well-known casual pieces to create a more elevated, professional
style.
1. The Hoodie
Why does this
work?
–
FIT: everything fits his body perfectly.
–
COLORS: they are unexpected and understated.
–
SNEAKERS: this is the perfect accessory to express your personality. You can
either do a solid color or a more fashion forward pair.
2. Denim
Why does this work?
–
FIT: all pieces flatter his body well and don’t add extra weight.
–
COLORS: you can never go wrong with grey, navy, black and white.
-POLO:
because this style has a collar, it can feel a tad more formal. But it is made
more casual here with jeans and sneakers.
3. Black Pants
Why
does this work?
–
COLOR: this has some personality with a pop of the teal long cardigan.
–
STYLES: this outfit is all about basics with a twist. For example, it’s not
just black jeans, they have a coating on them to make them more interesting.
– VERSATILITY: pair this outfit with sneakers for super casual, casual
flats for elevated casual or heels for dressed up.
4. T-Shirt
Why does this work?
– SIMPLICITY: two main pieces are very casual (t shirt and jeans) but
are taken up a notch with the blazer and the loafers.
– COLOR: notice the pop of the shoes, if you want to tone down you
could do sneakers as well. But main focus are simple colors (white/dark blue)
that are understated.
If
you want more style guidance and support, I have two options for you:
Follow me on Instagram and sign up
for my email list where I regularly post about style stories, tips and
more!
If you don’t have time to figure this
all out and are ready to get long term style solutions, apply to become my
private client here. I’ll help you create the perfect, timeless style for your body
type and lifestyle.
Today, I’m going to share with you a fashion formula that you can use immediately to look put together, effortless and professional- for any work occasion.
What most of us normally do every morning:
You walk to your closet, put something on, look in the mirror and it doesn’t look quite right…(but you can’t figure out why)
So you then decide to switch the top, then see it has a stain…
Then you realize you don’t like your pants…
And now your entire outfit is just not right…
After 15 minutes you decide to put on outfit that looks ‘good enough’ because you are late.
and how do these outfits look compared to those above?
What was the first thing that stuck out to you for all these looks? Was it the fit? A specific item they were wearing? Or did you notice the colors?
The biggest difference between the first batch and the second is COLOR. The first batch has too much of it and the second batch showcases outfits that are more thoughtful in color coordination.
How does the second batch of outfits look cool, cohesive, approachable and more put-together?
These outfits focus on only FOUR colors! These 4 colors are season-less, look great on all body types and look amazing when paired together to create an outfit.
Today, I’m going to share with you “Next Level System” that I use for all my one-on-one clients to make sure they avoid style boredom with their wardrobe.
First, let’s look at this color hierarchy pyramid that I’ve created.
This is a guideline that you can use for your wardrobe to ensure you have the right colors in your closet.
Next, let’s dive into the details with some outfit inspiration.
50% : CORE COLORS
40% : TONAL TEXTURES
These colors are light to dark of Navy and Grey. You can also incorporate the Tonal prints as seen in the 2nd the 4th picture.
10% : SEASONAL COLOR & PRINTS
This is where you can interject seasonal color trends.
One of the biggest reasons that I recommend my 50/40/10 Rule is because I have found that it will make you look instantly more put together, intentional with your style and prevent common frustrations. We have all had those moments that we put on the same top and bottom — why? Because it’s “one less decision that we have to make in our day”, it fits, it’s comfortable and it’s just fine.
Don’t have time to figure all this out and just want it done for you? Click here to apply to become a Next-Level private client!
When
I chat with new clients, I always ask them if they have someone that
they look up to for style inspiration- it could be someone in their
life or online.
Many
guys that I talk to 99% of the time do not name anyone and I
understand why. Talking about your favorite place to shop, how great
your outfit looks or where you get your alterations done are not hot
topics among men to chat about with their friends!
But,
I believe that it is important to surround yourself with people that
you look up to- in any area of your life- so you can learn from them,
observe and ultimately this will help you become an even higher
quality person.
Surrounding
yourself with men who have great style is no exception. While it may
be more challenging in real life to find these role models, you can
find them online.
It
is important to do this because:
You
can figure out what you like and don’t like.
You
will get tons of inspiration about where you want to take your
personal style.
You
will get comfortable and ok with saying ‘I want to dress better.’
So let me introduce Jeff, Sundar and Kevin. You may have seen or heard of them before- they run a few small companies called Amazon, Google and Instagram.
What
do these guys have in common?
They
are busy entrepreneurs.
Developing
their style didn’t come easy to them. Understanding how to put
together outfits wasn’t intuitive.
Their
time was most valuable to them so they would pay anything to
outsource looking better.
Ultimately,
these guys realized that dressing better communicates a refined image
and impression– before they even open their mouth to speak!
Jeff,
Sundar and Kevin are great examples of style role models that have
made the transformation themselves and look much better.
Who
is your style rolemodel and why? Shoot me an email at
[email protected]
and let me know!
-Cassandra
Founder,
Next Level Wardrobe
PS-
Want more regular style inspiration? Be sure to follow me on
Instagram.
