It was time to get a professional “head shot” – informal pictures of me sitting on rocks or at the beach were fine for some of the Calm and Sense publicity I do, but sometimes I need a “grown up” picture. So I signed up for a session with a professional photographer and jumped at the chance for a make-up lesson while I was at it.
Then came the challenge of picking out the right clothes to wear. Since my store is all about stress relief and relaxation, I didn’t think a suit or button down shirt would send the right image (and besides, most of those had found their way to a group that helps unemployed and low income women with job hunting skills and a wardrobe — I highly recommend Soroptimist International here in Raleigh if you want to participate — visit www.soroptimistraleigh.org). So this morning I stood in my closet like a high school girl, pulling blouses and sweaters off of hangers, dashing to the mirror to see if they looked right, and dropping them on the floor in an ever-increasing panic.
As I tried on my eighth outfit, it occurred to me just how much my life had changed. Thirty years of corporate jobs meant I had probably bought over 30 suits in my life. While not a fussy “girly-girl” I did always try to look professional, down to pearls, pins, and pumps. In fact, a co-worker once told me I looked “preppy” – she thought it was a sly insult, when in fact I took it as a compliment!
These days, my wardrobe for work generally consists of something that would barely qualify for “corporate casual day” but honestly, this suits me better than a suit!! And I am 100% happier.
Hopefully we all get to that point when we stop dressing – or acting – like we think we should and start picking what makes us happy. That, to me, is the very definition of dressing for success.
