The reality is women can't afford not to care.
"While only 5% of leaders say that they consider appearance a key factor in executive presence, 83% say unkempt attire detracts from a woman’s executive presence." -- Center for Talent Innovation
Who determines what 'Executive Presence' is, anyway?
Intelligent Style gives women a framework to create a presence that creates connection and communicates capability, without sacrificing their authentic self to merely 'fit in.'
Intelligent Style Activates Influence
Style is a communication tool. It communicates to others who you are and creates the opportunity for connection and conversation.
It also is a tool for you to leverage to communicate to yourself: who am I and how do I want to show up?
What you wear reinforces the answer to that question for you.
And, regardless of the environment that you work in, it is SO important that you have space to bring your self into the environment. As an example, perhaps you have a really flow-y and free bohemian-esque personality and style, but you work in a very corporate environment that requires business formal every day. You can't just dress the part for the environment. Wear the suit, but bring YOU into the equation via your accessories, the colors you use as accents, the blouses/tops you wear under the suit.
Intelligent Style Impacts your Performance
In 2012 Adam Galinsky conducted a study at Kellogg's School of Business that considered the idea of dress for success and the concept of embodied cognition (learning through experience). He had groups of MBA students wear white coats to take cognitive tests. One group was told it was wearing a painter's smock, one was told it was wearing a doctor's lab coat, and, of course one was the control group. In every instance, those wearing the 'doctor's lab coat' outperformed the other groups.
Galinksy found they 'showed up how they believed a doctor would.' In other words, what they were wearing impacted how they perceived themselves and thus, how they performed.
What you wear matters. To YOU.
Intelligent Style Empowers your Confidence
Fashion and the trends are about fitting in. Style is personal. Intelligent Style is BELONGING.
Intelligent Style is innate, authentic, and aware.
When your external presence matches your inner sense of self-assuredness, you tap into your innate confidence. And then your confidence in your presence reinforces your confidence in your self.
Ultimately, it's not how you look, but how you FEEL. This is what creates authentic connection.
The Q's to Ask Yourself to Embody your Intelligent Style
- Who are you?
- How do you want to show up?
- How do you want to feel?
- How do you want others to feel in your presence?
Ready to embody your Intelligent Style? Sign up to be invited to join the Boutique Box membership: