Power Dressing and Influence in Today's Entrepreneurial and Startup World These tips can be applied to both Indian and western looks and are great for anyone who wants to start power dressing

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Power dressing today includes a multitude of options that go far beyond a dark blue suit or a crisp sari. Various global brands in all economic brackets have entered the fashion market, and numerous homegrown brands have mushroomed, leaving people spoiled for choice. Even most fashion-illiterate can find inspiration only a click away. But through all this, the motivation behind why people power dress has remained unchanged - to be strategic in influencing how they are perceived.

The struggle to communicate who one stems from the lack of harmony between one's personality traits (assertive, shy, quirky, etc.), physical characteristics (body type, skin tone, hair colour and texture) and clothing values (fashion likes and dislikes). It is easy to be misunderstood when your clothes are not quite right for the structure of your body or don't go with your personality. Bridging the gap between these three elements is key in determining your personal style, and this bridge can only be built through deepening self-awareness.

Think of power as having a sense of understanding and command over your values, your personality traits, and your physical body; as being self-aware about your appearance, your identity, the roles you play, your goals and dreams, what you want to achieve in this life, and what principles you want to follow.

The Modern Wardrobe

Power dressing is nothing but a reflection of these things, keeping in mind the location you'll be in, the occasion you're dressed for, and the company that you keep. When these elements come together in a coherent fashion, you are bound to make a statement that is both powerful and lasting.

Once you have mastered a level of self-awareness, you can start building a wardrobe that will make the desired statement.

  • Wear darker hues to appear credible and intelligent

  • Wear structured garments with angular lines and strong contrasts to appear authoritative and in control

  • Wear thick, stiff, opaque fabrics to look more distinguished

  • Add layers to a basic outfit to look more formal and put together

  • When in doubt, always stick to the basics

  • Don't get stuck in the trend trap - Invest in timeless and versatile pieces so you can create multiple looks on a budget

  • Classic patterns like pinstripes, pindots, and paisley will never fail you

  • Soften tailored garments with untailored elements or layers to appear dependable and conscientious

  • Add a pop of colour or quirk to an otherwise muted outfit to come across as more approachable

  • Avoid large prints as those seem unprofessional

  • Avoid tees and denim, especially distressed ones

  • Wear colours in the family of your eye colour, preferably one shade lighter, to bring more attention to your face

  • Always focus on good grooming and hygiene

Tips For Everyone

These tips can be applied to both Indian and western looks, and are great for anyone who wants to start power dressing. But a good outfit only becomes great when you infuse it with your own personality. So a CEO may feel compelled to wear a suit but could have fun with a number of added elements. Men can get creative with the design of their cufflinks, the patterns on their socks, the frame of their glasses, and the colours on their ties and pocket squares; whereas women can play around with the design of their watch, earrings or brooches, add statement pieces like a scarf, or experiment with the fabrics and patterns of their suit.

When making snap judgements about individuals based on how they look, people are often driven by conditioning. So even though it's important to follow some rules, it doesn't mean you can't still have fun with what you wear. Such a look would be credible, but still interesting, and reflective of the person behind the garments.

Having said that, power dressing means different things in different industries. Top executives in creative fields can wear mismatched suits, and often have a lot more leeway with colours and prints. But do think twice before wearing shades of red - a colour that denotes power, and passion for your work, but can also be interpreted as too romantic, and therefore undermine your abilities and contribution.

Historically, people dressed in ways that identified them with their community, their social strata, and profession. So clothes were meant to reflect a sense of belonging. Even though times have changed, and we don't adhere to such systems any longer, clothes can still be used as a powerful resource in communicating your authority, the role you play, and how you wish to be perceived in order to get the opportunities that you want. Clothes still reflect a sense of belonging, only now it is to the "culture" you choose to belong to.

Bhuvaneshwari Sawant and Sonal Gadhvi

Co-Founders of NYOU Image Consulting

Sonal Gadhvi is a  Psychology major, who evolved into a skilled Human Resources professional with a little under 2 decades of collective experience in Human Resources Development involving all functions such as Employer Branding/Internal Communication, Talent Attraction & Acquisition, Training & Development, Employee Engagement, Performance Management & Business Development under her belt with experience gained from booming industries such as IT/ITES, BFSI, Media/Advertising, Food & Beverages with companies such as NIIT, People Group, India Infoline, Genesis Modern Trade and WESTCOAST Group.

While, Bhuvaneshwari Sawant draws on her excellent business sense, organisational skills, communication skills, time & task management skills, team spirit, interpersonal skills, a self-motivated image consultant who is detail oriented and can help individuals and companies, in bringing about a transformation in their chosen areas in life!

She brings over a decade of experience of being an entrepreneur who ran a Telecom product sales business, A successful model who has walked for and choreographed reputed fashions shows and is also a familiar face in popular commercials such as Dabur Vatika, Whisper, Jealous and Parag sarees, to name a few.

 

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