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Knowledge is Power

The phrase Knowledge Is Power usually refers to fields of study or crucial information that, once made accessible, can lift a person out of ignorance and into empowerment. Traditionally, types of knowledge that lead to empowerment are academic (i.e., science, philosophy, literature, law) or practical information (i.e., how to apply to college or how to advocate for yourself with health insurance companies).

Yet rarely, if ever, do we see “Knowledge Is Power” applied to appearance, style, self-presentation, fashion or beauty.

 

Despite a significant body of social science research demonstrating that appearance does matter and a well-established, credible cannon of knowledge delineating the science and art of mastering appearance (developed by the Image Consulting and Fashion Styling fields), style does not get a seat at the knowledge-worth-knowing table. Never mind that research has repeatedly shown that a well-crafted appearance can lead to crucial improved life outcomes in both relationship and career domains–two areas humans’ value most. Instead, style is so often seen as “fluff,” a superficial interest driven by narcissistic self-obsession, when it is really a key component of human behavior that significantly impacts both relationship and career success.

What would happen if we elevated the importance of style and treated it as a body of knowledge that could empower us in all domains of our lives? To this end, we invite you to begin to think specifically and strategically about how style, appearance, fashion, and self-presentation could lead to better life outcomes for you. For example, What aspects of your life do you think could flourish more if you knew how to optimize your appearance? What are your short-term and long-term life goals and how might having mastery over your appearance support you in achieving these goals? What is one style/appearance related topic you would like to actively learn about and implement right away?

By considering these questions we begin to take style seriously, rescuing it from the realm of fluff and restoring it to its rightful identity: the aspect of human dignity pertaining to how we present ourselves to the world. Now that’s Style Knowledge that Is Power!

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Style Heroes

Today I was walking through the city and spotted a slim black man sporting kelly green pants cropped perfectly to reveal printed socks and to showcase his fabulous classic patent leather brogues. He balanced the look with a crisp white oxford tucked in and belted, under a black blazer trimmed with classic gold buttons, and then topped it off with a Sinatra-style fedora perched ever-so-slightly askew with attitude.

His look stopped me in my tracks, the world went into slow motion. Everything else on the street fell away as I locked onto this man to take in every single detail of his look. A moment of peace descended. A moment of captivation ensued. A moment of beholding, understanding, appreciation, happiness. This man was my style hero of the day.

Style is inherently relational. It is a dialectic relationship between what is being expressed and the gaze that takes it in. And in this looping conversation both the expresser and the perceiver are impacted. What a delight it is to spot someone – a total stranger – who took the time to elevate their look, to express themselves authentically and creatively with their ensemble. Perhaps the best part of this phenomenon is that they have no idea exactly who will notice or how deeply they will impact another with their look. Like a birdsong, it is a free gift to anyone who is lucky enough to perceive it.

Can you remember your most recent street style hero? Someone you spotted out and about whose look made your gaze stick? A style hero can be your ideal, or your complete opposite. Their look can be wacky, classy, risky, or sheer perfection. The thing is they changed your inner experience and activated your creativity center with their look. Celebrities can serve as style heroes for sure. The nice thing about our beloved celebs is you can find their looks online in an instant. I’ll take a look at what Pharrell is wearing any day, it’s a guaranteed hit of inspiration.

It doesn’t matter where you come from, how much money you have, what your body shape, weight or size is like. We all have the inherent capacity to take whatever we do have and make it a personal expression that speaks. It’s the intentionality behind your expression that makes it style, not the items themselves, not the features of your body.

So, tomorrow when getting dressed, you just might make a few style moves to really express yourself. It could be as simple as cuffing your jeans, doing a half-tuck with your shirt, putting on two necklaces instead of one. Or you might go full-on kelly green and fedora. Whatever the level, remember that your effort to express yourself with these intentional style moves is a gift to all whose eyes you catch. And maybe, just maybe, if you let yourself really sing, you might be someone’s full-on style hero of the day.

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The Bliss and Stress of Getting Dressed

Have you ever noticed that some days you wake up, go to the closet and effortlessly pull together a fresh combination resulting in the bang-up perfect outfit, while other days you stand in the exact same spot, struggle endlessly, changing multiple times as funnel cloud of clothing forms around you, stress level and desperation mounting, only to walk out of the house with that sinking feeling that you just don’t look right but you are already late for work?

When creative intuition is at work, coming up with clothing combinations is a joy, a true creative expression, the process just flows. We feel proud of our look, confident in our own skin and ready to show up for all that lies ahead in the day. It is an amazing and undeniable experience to go about your day feeling like you knocked it out of the park with your look.

 

Conversely, when creativity is blocked, getting dressed – especially under pressure – can be frustrating at best and turn into a nightmare at worst. When you can’t think of what to wear or see the possibilities in front of you, especially if the clock is ticking, stress mounts and it’s not too long before the negative self-talk kicks in. You try on pieces only to find every item looks, fits or feels wrong in some way, over and over, desperation growing. This causes a further narrowing of creative vision and often comes with a cascade of negative emotions. Finally, you realize you have to leave the house with whatever you have pulled together by this point. Not only do you end up dressed off-kilter for the day, but also you are emotionally spun out before even leaving the house!

We could wax poetic about why creative intuition graces us when getting dressed on some mornings and not on others. Everything from stress, distraction, mood variations, blood sugar, barometric pressure, random brain changes could account for variations in creative intuition. But one thing we do know for sure: while we cannot guarantee the creative muse will be at our wardrobe door every single day, it sure would be terrific to consistently look as though she were!

Surprisingly, one of the ways image consultants have found to ensure looking good consistently, day in and day out, is organization. Who would have thought that organization would aid in creativity? But it does! When items, particularly clothing, are well-organized, creativity can see its options and then can play. To see this principle in action right away, you can start by organizing your closet (check out the plethora of You Tube resources or try Marie Kondo’s tips to get started). See for yourself how much easier it is to effortlessly pull items together in fresh ways. And, if you want to up-level your wardrobe organization to have maximum creative play at your fingertips, stay posted for our Stylery app rollout! More to come on this soon…