Andy Warhol changed overnight. One day he was just like any other 1950s man — white business shirt, high-waisted pants and too much Brylcreem in his hair — and the next he was dressed in a black leather jacket, a “French” striped t-shirt and a wig that looked like straw.
Warhol consciously chose this outfit when he wanted to shift from a day job as commercial illustrator to being taken seriously in the world of high art… and it worked. To this day, his iconic look screams “artist.” What does Warhol have to do with small business? Plenty. As a freelance illustrator in the 1950s, running his own business as the equivalent of a sole trader, he earned up to $700,000 a year in today’s money. Even when he became one of the most famous artists to ever live, he understood that he was primarily a businessman and worked hard to craft a professional image that matched his product. Talking about physical appearance is extremely controversial, especially when most of my readers are women, so let me stress that I’m not telling you to be fake or to drastically change your spots. What I am saying, however, is that 55% of first impressions are based on non-verbal communication and we have the power to control how others perceive our skills and success as businesswomen.
Refine your look
In business, looking good has nothing to do with beauty… instead, it’s a simple matter of being neat and tidy. By this, I mean:
- Wear clothes that are not too tight nor baggy
- Maintain clean, regularly cut hair… go easy on the product and keep the roots retouched
- Polish and reheel your shoes
- Manicure your fingernails (and toenails if you wear sandals or peep toes)… pay attention to the cuticles, and avoid talons, chipped polish and chewing (ugh… think of all the muck you’re eating!)
- Pay attention to dental hygiene… make sure your teeth aren’t too yellow and keep mints handy on those days you desperately need to overload on coffee
- Throw out scruffy, stained or worn clothing — I will always remember the meeting I had with an events manager at an important government department who wore what looked like pilled track pants!
How to properly fit a suit
A flimsy and poorly fitted suit makes even the cleverest, most charming and capable person look like they’re working on a supermarket check-out for the summer! And, unfortunately, look around and you’ll see most people are wearing the wrong one. There are two ways to make sure a suit fits: one is to buy from a specialist shop with well-trained staff and the other is to watch Jamie Yasko-Mangum’s succinct tutorials on jackets, skirts and pants on eHow. You’ll also find these tips useful:
- Bring a pair of shoes and a shirt you’ll wear with your suit when shopping.
- Choose a fully lined jacket and skirt (pants rarely are).
- Chances are the pant and sleeve lengths will need to be adjusted. Specialist shops always provide this service… or visit an alterations shop.
- Don’t compromise your suit with shabby accessories — take care when choosing handbags, briefcases, jewellery and pens.
The best news is that a fabulous suit doesn’t need to be expensive — a friend recently attended an embassy function in a jacket, blouse and pants she picked up from a charity shop… and not a soul could have guessed!
Dress for your target audience
Of course, not everyone needs to wear a suit to work… there’s no point donning a Saville Row three-piece if you’re a fitness coach! I personally don’t need a suit… but I do like to look smart, professional and creative, which is why I wear a beautifully tailored black leather jacket that I picked up in Florence (no, I’m not a fashion queen… I just had a wonderful visit with friends in Italy last year!) You’ll also probably find that an elegant jacket of some kind in a neutral that flatters your colouring (black, chocolate, burgundy, grey or camel) is useful for everything from conferences and meetings to weddings and formal dinners. Whatever you choose to wear, make sure it’s the right look for your industry and matches what customers or clients expect from someone in your position.
How to audit or revamp your appearance
Analyse your appearance by asking yourself:
- What would a skilled and successful woman in my industry wear? Apply this to various situations, such as meetings, conferences, day-to-day work or cocktail parties.
- If I was buying a product from or hiring the services of someone like me, how would I want them to look?
- What grabs my attention when I meet other businesswomen?
- Which five characteristics do I most want clients and associates to see in me? How well does my appearance communicate these? And what do I need to change?
- What do I, or could I, wear to create a signature look? For example, Katharine Hepburn always wore pants, Grace Kelly carried a Hermes bag and Jackie O donned those giant sunglasses.
Your second chance
When it comes to first impressions, contrary to popular opinion, you do get a second chance… even a third and a fourth, says Jerker Denrell, associate professor of organisational behaviour at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. While you may never see some people again, his research shows that you can definitely soften an initial bad impression with repeated contact and even reverse it for good.
