I was listening to Viv Groskop interviewing Hillary Rae - a story telling expert. She was talking about how she never had a corporate job, but she was getting hired to speak at lots of big corporate companies.

So, the question was - how to dress? She felt like she had to wear a blazer, according to the dress code, because she needed to prove to them and to herself that she belonged and fitted in.

But she realised that she wasn’t showing up as her full true self. So she coined a phrase “Beyond the blazer” – to demonstrate how important it is to show up as your true self and tell your own story, not just with the words, but with the way you look as well.

I believe that we can all find our unique style.

Here are my 3 tips on how to dress classy and bring your true self to work:

1. Your Style Formula should feel comfortable and natural to you.

Pay attention to what type of clothing you are most comfortable in. Is it trousers? Is it a dress?

Pay attention to the texture. Is it natural fibers? Is it a satin, silky finish? Are you comfortable in soft knitwear?

Do you like your hair sleek or messy?

Note: Always start with this first point before moving forward. You can only be yourself if you consider your own comfort and preferences first.

2. Your Style Formula should be aligned with your line of work / your expertise / your brand.

Who do you serve? Think about the train of thought your client / boss / colleague / audience will have when they listen to you.

Example 1:

Health / holistic medicine sector:

Train of thought:

Health -> Nature -> Natural fiber -> Natural fabrics

Consider natural fabrics, natural colours, soft lines, texture, natural make-up and hair.

Example 2:

AI adviser:

Train of thought:

AI -> Future -> Futuristic -> Sleek lines -> Shiny Textures

Consider sleek minimalistic lines, shiny textures and fabrics, sleek hair.

3. You can have variations within your style to cater for different types of occasions.

You don’t need to have a few completely different styles within your wardrobe to cater for different occasions / clients, as this will become confusing to you and those around you. Just tweak your style slightly, depending on the dress code and stay true to yourself.

Think of your image as one of the tools in your toolbox to use to your advantage.

Our main aim when putting an outfit together is to help the person next to us move as quickly as possible from looking at us to listening to what we have to say. We have a message to deliver, and we want to help our customer / client / boss in the most efficient and effective way.

Get my FREE guide on how to put an outfit together: