I am the best version of me
I recently received this fun tee from Future Poet and it set me thinking about how this is such an important message for us all to take on board.
As the saying goes "be you, because everyone else is taken" and this applies to your personal style as much as it does to anything else you do in life.
If you are only ever copying the style of others, then you are probably never going to feel or look as great as you could, as you're a replica, not the original, (and why I wrote this post on why cover bands don't change the world) and often why a style works so well on the original who created it, is that it's an expression of their inner being, it's totally authentic to them.
You may notice that I'm never telling you to put together an outfit exactly like mine, or that you should dress in any way like me. When I'm working with clients, the best results come when I can get inside their head and help them express who they are, what they like, what is important to them through their style, not using a formula that tells them to wear x with y and z. It's nothing to do with me and what I personally like. It's all about them and helping them be the very best version of themselves in a way that is authentic and true, that shows their smarts, their heart, and their personality.
This is why my work on 16 Style Types has been so amazing, as it's been really helping women come to terms with their own preferences, and understanding and letting go of messages that they might be carrying around about how they "should be " more like others in some way or other. Whether it's a feeling that their style should be more creative or eclectic, or the alternative, that is should be more understated and refined (or whatever their messages have been).
When you can claim your style, and be the best version of you, when you know to your core that you a.re human and imperfect (and it's those imperfections that make us unique and interesting people). Perfection doesn't exist in my book, there is no such thing as a perfect outfit. What's important is that what you wear is a way of expressing yourself, that it's not shallow or indulgent, that it's an important way of showing the world who you really are, then the magic happens.
I was listening to my friend and colleague Zayna Rose's podcast On Stage Style and as she says, there has never been a better time to get deliberate and organised about the way you present yourself to the world as you're on stage every time you communicate in your personal life, your work life, your digital life and as image consultants, we want the world to see how brilliant and charming you really are. By building a style that expresses your authentic personality this will open doors as you will look and feel more confident. Whether or not you spend any time on an actual stage in the spotlight, your image is a powerful tool that is communicating for you, with everyone you interact with, all the time.
This is why I've spent countless hours over the past decade writing all the blog posts you find here on Inside Out Style, plus crafting the most comprehensive online style programs to help you empower yourself to discover and present your own best version of you. My passion is helping you discover and express your style.
Now I'd love you to tell me:
- What have you done that has helped you be the best version of you?
- What doors has this opened for you?
- How has this changed your life?
I'd love to know! Please do share in the comments.
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