As it is getting colder in New England I realized it is time to buy a new winter jacket. In full disclosure I already have several winter jackets so I don’t actually need another one to keep warm. I do want another jacket, however, because am not completely satisfied with how I feel in the ones I have now. It’s not a question of how they fit, it’s a question of how I feel about myself when I’m in those jackets. I mentioned in a previous post that I recently re-embraced an edgier part of my personal brand, so now I feel like I want to have that edginess come through in my winter jacket.
Why all the fuss about a winter jacket? If you live anywhere where it’s cold in the winter, you know you spend 90% of your time interacting with other people wearing your winter coat. It becomes a very big part of how your personal brand is expressed in your appearance. Putting together a branded outerwear ensemble is a really smart and fun thing to do. All you need is a great coat or jacket in a neutral color and then you can add all the do-dads and colors you want with hats, scarfs, mittens, etc. The possibilities are endless and to change-up the look can also be really cheap and easy. You just need to change up the accessories. If you have a brand color this is a great way to incorporate it. If, for example, you are known for being very holistic and natural you may choose a shade of green for your accessories. Don’t be afraid to play around and have fun with it.
You may think I am over-anaylizing the importance of a winter jacket, but your appearance is your own personal bill-board to the world. How you dress expresses a lot about how you feel about yourself and how you want to be perceived. You can’t go into other people’s mind and create their opinions for them, but you do have a choice in the messages you choose to send. No one is putting a gun to your head when you get dressed in the morning, (I hope!). You have free will to create the images and messages you choose to send which makes those messages even more meaningful. They are your own expression about how you feel about yourself. Other people then interpret those messages and treat you accordingly.
The great news is the more you know about yourself and how you want to express your personal brand, the more fun you can have with it. You can take control of the messages you are sending and use them to your advantage. It’s like harnessing the wind. You can let it blow you to and fro, or you can capture it to create other forms of energy. You can capture your audience with your appearance too. So grab your coat and hat and express yourself ’cause Baby it’s cold outside.
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