Just reading the words, “wardrobe investing”, makes you wonder what gimmick the stores are up to again to get you shopping. This is probably because somewhere along the line of our adult development we learned to view clothing mostly as frivolous and for many of us, the idea of clothing being an investment is quite foreign. However, this frame of mind begins to change once you realize the impact that image has on your day-to-day interaction with others and your long-term success. In this article we’ll explore how your image and your approach to building your wardrobe can be considered an integral investment in the “you” brand.

Most people don’t realize that they’ve anywhere from 60 seconds to five minutes to make a lasting first impression. You can adjust and fine tune these first impressions over time; however, what if you weren’t afforded the opportunity to do so? This is one of the primary reasons why investing in a wardrobe that accurately represents your personal brand is so critical. Ever remember meeting someone whose physical appearance didn’t match what they were representing? More often than not, the immediate reaction is a lack of credibility.

I invite you to consider that investing in your wardrobe is as important as ongoing education and personal development. We don’t think twice about investing many thousands of dollars in our education but many of us fall short in the image department because we all want to believe that our efforts and accomplishments will speak for themselves. And naturally they do, up to a point, but if your image doesn’t fit what you are trying to achieve, there’s a disconnect and it is noticed. It’s no different than any other marketing that we see and experience in the world. For instance, we all remember Janet and Justin’s infamous wardrobe “malfunction” on national TV on Super Bowl Sunday, right? Part of the shock (in addition to seeing nudity on American national TV) was that the incident was incongruent with the parties involved. We may have not been quite as shocked had it been Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock for instance, but given the almost squeaky clean image and brand that Janet and Justin project, it was a little out of sorts. Now most of us won’t be pulling any publicity stunts on television but my intent behind using this as an example is to illustrate how important image is and how clothing is a key component to the physical aspects of image.

So if we understand how important clothing is to image and image to success, then how do we invest in our wardrobe in a smart fashion? The great news is that we have a multitude of options. Firstly, it’s important to consider the basics of your wardrobe. In a business wardrobe there are some key building blocks that are important to invest in, including a few tailored business suits, a chic coat (or coats), a good handbag, and a few pairs of good business shoes.

Business suits can either make you look good or really bad, and it’s not always a function of how much money you spent on the suit. The key to a good business suit is its fit. Most suits will not fit you right off the rack so consider investing some time in finding a good tailor. In Los Angeles there are a multitude of inexpensive and qualified tailors. If you can afford to, do splurge on a suit because if you choose basic colors and cuts, a high-quality suit will last you at least 10 years. Another word of advice, take care of your suits. Most fabrics are not designed to be dry-cleaned on a regular basis. The chemicals and heat begin to break down the integrity of the fabric. So only dry clean when you absolutely have to. This may be a little harder with the suit jacket but most certainly with the pants and skirt you can get away with this, and over the years, if the jacket wears out, you’ll have a great pair of pants or a skirt left from the original suit. And don’t be afraid to reflect your creativity with your suits. You don’t have to look like a man to make a suit work. In fact, a well-fitted suit allows a woman to express her feminine power in a very significant way.

A coat is often times the one piece of clothing that people will see on your over and over again during the winter months. Mind you, in Los Angeles we don’t all have to wear coats because the weather here is fairly mild, but I find that I wear my coats on a regular basis and they make quite an impression. One of the best ways to ruin a beautiful suit is by adding a bad coat. Coats are a long-term investment, so spend some time looking for the right one and wait until you see what you love on sale.

And speaking of something that will immediately kill the effect of a chic suit, a bad handbag is like a splash of cold water to a beautiful outfit. Handbags are not only functional but they speak volumes about a woman. You know how they say that you can tell a lot about man by looking at his shoes? The same goes for a woman and her handbag. If you just spent $500 on your beautiful suit and you are carrying an obvious knockoff purse, or your purse is more appropriate for a day at the beach rather than a business meeting, trust me… it will be noticed. I personally recommend that you invest in basic purses, made out of quality materials that are also functional and unless it’s your passion to invest in handbags, steer clear of the trendy bags. I recommend to my clients that they consider avoiding knockoffs for a few reasons. Firstly, we wouldn’t appreciate it if someone stole our brand; secondly most knockoffs tend to be produced by factories who obviously don’t follow the word of the law, including child labor and fair labor laws; and lastly because many knockoffs are obviously knockoffs. Take care of your handbags and they’ll last you a lifetime. I’ve handbags that have been passed down in my family and are almost 40 years old.

Shoes can also make or break an outfit and I encourage women to explore their creativity with shoes. Sometimes we work in a business arena that doesn’t necessarily allow for a ton of creativity. That said, I recommend that my clients invest in chic, well tailored suits and perhaps play around a little more with business shoes. There are thousands upon thousands of good quality shoes available to us. As long as we follow some general guidelines, for instance I wouldn’t usually recommend platforms, sandals or wedges for most business offices (even on business casual day), then we are able to express our creativity in our shoe choices. Also, make sure that your shoes are always polished and in good working order. With a good cobbler in your back pocket, your shoes will last forever.

While investing in your wardrobe may not immediately strike you as a natural fit, you’ll find that it truly is a key component to your image, and your image is critical to your success. As you start to explore the brand that is “you”, you’ll find that you have a great deal of creativity that you can leverage and you may even find that there are untapped parts of your personal brand that would help you achieve what you want out of your life. So invest in your wardrobe and discover your personal brand.

Viviana M. Rueda
Creative Founder
Vivendi Fashionista
Image Consulting & Personal Branding
www.vivendifashionista.com

http://vivendifashionsita.wordpress.com

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