Tag: fashion

Sartorial Self-Care for Peers

I studied the life work of Caroline Myss a medical intuitive. Her concept of Archetypes is right-on. Studying this I found out that I have a Fashionista archetype. There is such a thing!

Everything clicked into place after I bought and read the book Wear It Well by Allison Bornstein. Using the personal stylist’s Three Word Method I defined my style as Chic Quirky Confident.

Choosing and using wardrobe items for everyone not just women is a form of self-care. When dressing up gives a person joy they should not be ridiculed for their love of fashion.

This kind of self-care for us peers can help us feel good interacting with others. Dressing well can give us ease in our relationships. Years ago I met a peer who told me that this is why they dressed to appear normal when going outside. Precisely because your appearance is judged.

I joined a private online fashion community a year ago. Women post photos of outfits we’re dressed in to request feedback. I’ve figured out winning outfit combinations this way.

Everyone is positive. There’s a $25/monthly fee. This keeps out the trolls and anonymous hateful comments.

Polishing your presence is just a book or click away then. I completed a 5-outfit challenge for January by creating 5 new outfits out of clothes I already own.

“Shopping in your closet” is the way to go. Plus it’s OK to repeat outfits. Particularly when the outfits are “winners.”

Once you’ve fashioned this wardrobe it’s easier to choose and use clothing items each day. Think in terms of how you want to come across.

By automating your outfit choices you’ll have extra time in the morning. Start the day with an edge once you’re going out your front door.

Coming up a blog carnival of related topics beginning with my approach to dressing. Then a deep dive into what I’ve learned after viewing the webinar on Presence and Persona for women.

After this a focus on conducting a job search effectively linked to my recent experience helping out peers get jobs. Lastly a review of what I’ll call a “case study” in succeeding in business as a peer.

Disclosure Revisited

In my book Working Assets: A Career Guide for Peers I give clear-cut pros and cons of disclosing on the job.

In a podcast I viewed today titled Inside Schizophrenia the person talking said you most likely would not disclose to your coworkers on your first day on the job. Nor would you have to disclose at all given how the workplace is.

In the Inside Schizophrenia podcast the woman who was hosting the topic on dating with a mental illness told listeners point-blank that your personal style can elevate what people think of you.

I’ve been attacked for focusing on fashion and how dressing in style helped me recover in my memoir Left of the Dial.

The Inside Schizophrenia host was clear that how you dress can impress others. It can also help you feel great when you dress in stylish outfits.

For her she couldn’t wear prints or patterns because they set her off.

Fashion and style have long been ridiculed when women talk about these topics.

I urge you to reconsider using how you style yourself in clothes to help you come across as poised and professional on a job.

In the coming blog entries I’m going to talk more about disclosure and creating outfits to help you perform better on the job.

I will also talk in detail about something I wrote in one chapter in Working Assets about what to wear to work.

In my life I was the victim of an accidental disclosure on one of my jobs. Coworkers congratulated me when they found out I won a Volunteer of the Year award for my Mental Health Advocate work.

Not only that they discovered exactly why I won the award. This wasn’t my intent.

I still don’t think random disclosure to everyone everywhere is the way to go. And I stand by my assertion that the clothes I’ve worn have enabled me to get where I am today.

Coming up: What to wear on the job when you want to make a positive impression. And exactly how this can help you when you’re having a hard time on the job.