I once had a very open conversation with a stylist friend who wanted to put his client in Donna Karan New York for a movie premiere. Celeb X wanted to be fresh, relatable, all-American. "That's why we're not putting her in European designers anymore," he said. "She's the chic girl next door." Just like that, Celeb X's new style image was born. Style is one factor in creating your personal brand, and it's probably the easiest way to reinvent yourself. You may think that having a strong sense of personal style doesn't matter for what you want to do, but I promise you that it leads to confidence in other more important areas. Your style needs to empower you to take on the world each day. That's what fashion does for me. It gives me the energy and confidence to tackle whatever comes my way. Well, that and coffee.
1. Know your body! Certain styles look better for your shape than others do. Don't convince yourself that you should be able to wear everything.
2. Get style-inspired. Gather images of people whose style you most admire. Try to find the common denominators.
3. Record best outfits. Believe it or not, a good style moment can be forgotten in a nanosecond. If you find a great look that made you feel wonderful, write it down, or better yet, photograph it.
4. Store your go-to clothes together. These are the pieces that never let you down. The pants that fit no matter what you ate that week. The shirt that never wrinkles. When you are pressed for time, you want easy access to the items that work.
5. Hang by look. If you're organized, keep some of your important looks together. It helps immensely in saving you time and helping you remember what that great outfit is.
6. Keep your job in mind. No matter how much fun you want to have with your style, do remember the job you have.
7. Identify a signature item. Repetition is reputation. For me, it's the red lipstick and red nails.
This article was originally published as "Show Off Your Best Self" in the May 2015 issue of Cosmopolitan. Click here to get the issue in the iTunes store!
