Standing out.
Your brand isn’t just your logo – it’s every touch point that a person has with your business. Branding goes deeper than just a (visual) identity and its application – it’s ‘you’. And, even if you don’t run a business, you can still establish your own brand. Your appearance and how you dress says a lot about you and your character and is (perhaps unfortunately) just another way people will make judgments (even before they’ve met you).
I’ve always preferred to be comfortable in my clothes. I am a tom boy. My first job was in a design agency, which was very corporate, so I dressed to fit in, taking that style with me to my role at The Click. By the time I was Client Director there I was being more experimental with clothes.
Following the birth of Stanley just over three years ago, I started to gravitate towards a more minimalist approach to fashion. Without any of the agency shackles, I was able to explore a style that completely reflected me.
There’s no integrity in adopting a style that you’re not comfortable with – you won’t feel better for it. Wearing clothes that fit well and reflect you will definitely make you feel more confident in meeting new people and embarking on new ventures.
My wardrobe is a mix of Monki, Finery, Cos, H&M, Oak + Fort and a splash of Acne. And I live in adidas trainers. Most people say that my height (I’m 6ft) and hair are two of the most (visually) identifiable things about me. Keeping hair white isn’t without its challenges, so I go to Hoskins Hair. Jamie regularly applies an Olaplex treatment to keep it strong as well as a toner to keep it bright white. His salon is a couple of roads over from my studio so I take my laptop and use the down time to catch up on admin. Whilst I’m there I often take half an hour to look through other brands and websites – Pinterest is a great platform and firm favourite. I keep both private and secret boards (to assist on projects I am working on). You can see what inspires me below.
At 32, I genuinely now know what style is ‘me’, what clothes work well with my frame, and what I feel comfortable wearing. And from developing your own brand, being consistent, having a unique style, but being comfortable in your own skin definitely makes you more confident and, in turn, stand out and be more appealing to others.
You don’t need to be a big brand, to be a big brand.