I lived on the west coast and had some success in the Entertainment Industry. I landed a few roles in films and on television shows and studied with Hollywoods best acting coach Howard Fine. (I do not use the term best lightly, this man is a genius when it comes to understanding the human condition) Howard taught me not only lessons in acting but also lessons in life. It was through my education about human behavior that I learned some of life’s most priceless … One of the lessons I learned was that clothes condition a change in self. If you think about this it really does make a whole lot of sense in becoming a better you, not only on the outside but inside too. When I moved back to Boston last year I found myself looking around in amazement at some of the fashion’s here… I noticed that many people just had no idea how the way they dressed altered the way that they were viewed, I do not think I am above this but it has been through the work I did in understanding the person I am that I am now able to see this in others. I have worked with many Bostonians in developing their personal styles and I am now writing a blog to hopefully help more people here in Boston and beyond!!
Boston is an amazing city to live in. It’s beautiful, it’s alive, it’s smart but the one thing it’s not is stylish. I mean we have a lot of rocket scientists living here, Literally, but what Boston is lacking is a fashion sense. I think it comes down to the fact that many Bostonian’s were ever taught the do’s and definitely do not’s of style.
Here are a few style do’s, I hope they help you as much as they have helped me.
Urban Dictionary defines Style: Noun: The basic defining characteristics of a person, everything from talk, dress, hairstyle, demeanor, etc. A majority of the time it is the person’s appearance in general and can be categorized (grunge, hippie, preppy, hoochie, nerdy, etc). A few people have their own style which usually makes them unique while most go with whatever is the “in” thing at the time in all the above categories.
Each and every one of us possesses a unique style which makes us different from the next person. Style is a way to express yourself, how you are feeling and what makes you, you!
The difficult part of figuring out your own personal style is because there are so many different options out there. We are inundated with photo’s of celebrities who have a style that many of us can not afford. Pictures of rail thin models wearing designer clothes that most of us can not afford.
This blog is not my opinion of other people’s style. It will not serve as your fashion trend guide but hopefully it will help you figure out your own syle, and if i can help even one person then I have accomplished my goal!
When determining ones own style here are a few things to keep in mind.
1) First Impression: Use your 5 senses: Touch, taste, smell, sight, sound! When I wake up in the morning and I am getting dressed I look within to determine how I feel. I always make sure that I am comfortable in what I am wearing. If it is a work day I go through my day in my mind, the people I will be seeing, where I will be going etc… Then I think how do I want to be perceived? Do I want to come across as intelligent, funny, down to earth? Maybe you have a high profile job and you have to speak to a room full of people. Or maybe you are sitting at a desk all day, no matter who you are or what you do your personal style is the first thing that people notice when they first see you and that first second is the most important when it comes to sizing up a person. So you do always want to look your best.
Think about what you want to accomplish during the day and then just dress the part. And remember this, you never know who you will meet during any given moment so you should always try and look and feel your best… This brings me to my second point:
2) The skin your in: Use your personality: The person you are vs the person you want to be: I see a lot of people wearing jackets and sweatshirts with their favorite teams on them around the city and even to work. This is fine if you are either a professional athlete or coach or you are in High school or college. However if you are wearing a Patriots Jacket to your job in an office you are shooting yourself in the foot! Yes the person you are may love sports but if you work in a professional office you should dress professionally and not bring your favorite team to work with you. In other words, do you want a raise? Do you want a promotion?? Start dressing the part!!!
Here is an example: It’s Friday and jeans day at your office. You are on the train heading to work. You are wearing jeans, a nice shirt underneath a Patriots Jacket and sneakers. (If you are a girl, you are wearing flats with jeans, and a jacket.) You get off the train and bump into the CEO of the company dressed in a sharp looking suit. The CEO recognizes you and you start talking. The conversation goes well and you walk to work together.
It’s Friday and jeans day at your office. You are on the train heading to work. You are dressed in a sharp looking suit with a long black jacket. (If you are a girl you are wearing a sharp looking suit with heels and a nice long jacket) You get off the train and bump into the CEO of your company dressed in a sharp looking suit. The CEO recognizes you and you start talking. The conversation goes well and you walk to work together, once you arrive at work the CEO mentions that they are having a casual dinner party that evening and would love for you to stop by.
The reason that the CEO asks you to the party isn’t because of anything you did differently but because of the way you presented yourself. The CEO looked at you at not another employee but as an equal and therefor felt comfortable inviting you to the dinner party. We as humans identify with those people most like ourselves.
