People make judgement very rapidly when they meet you and it’s very important to make those judgements play to your strength. How you dress conveys so much. Your clothes send subliminal messages: ‘this is who I am’. And small details can make a difference which is why the objective and experienced eye of a professional stylist can add huge value when branding yourself.

No doubt you wish to project confidence and this is more easily done when you are looking your best. If you are feeling fantastic inside and out, you will be more confident. And if you are wearing a dress or jacket you feel great in, you will project the very best version of yourself.  If you project confidence you will be more likely to feel it. It’s a virtuous circle. Even the most confident of women can feel better. After all, clothes are our armour.

If you look good and feel comfortable, your personality will shine out. But on the flip side, If you are not, it will show. You will feel, and look inauthentic. And if you are branding yourself, this is a catastrophe. After all, authenticity is key to having a successful personal brand. The image you project needs to reflect the person your clients will meet. (Ideally the best possible reflection!)

And this is where the professional stylist comes in. I work with Rosanna Peel, an incredible stylist with 20 years of experience of editing wardrobes and helping people look their best. With her natural ability and practised eye, she can bring the magic out of any wardrobe. She’s amazing at guiding her clients through understanding their strengths and helping project them.

Rosanna finds that people are often anxious to project and image that really isn’t them. To dress to impress, not to show the best version of themselves. And she works hard to discourage that thinking. While there is an argument for dressing for the job you want and not the job you have, you should still look like yourself and define your style, not dress as you think you should. If you are not wearing clothes that match your style, you will feel like you are wearing a costume.

when you are branding yourself, remember to consider your audience

For some people, it is about helping them define their style and cutting through wardrobe filler. While for others, it might be turning down the glare a little. It’s about finding a balance between showing your personality and blinding people. Rosanna also encourages her clients to consider who will see the photographs and encourages thoughtfulness about the world you are operating in in. Considering to whom you are dealing and the sensitivities. 

Rosanna usually starts with a wardrobe edit, pulling out the best items and helping eliminate pieces that are not useful. If desired she will undertake a shopping trip with her client and help pick pieces for the branding photoshoot. On the whole, she would choose solid colours rather than pattern, would pay a lot of attending to finding the most flattering necklines and colours particularly. But it’s important to Rosanna not to be prescriptive. There are no hard and fast rules. Finally, she would also consider the longevity of the picture. It is important to feel fabulous and be comfortable but unless you are willing to have a new shoot every couple of years, you will want to wear something that has longevity. 

If you aren’t certain about committing to a personal branding photoshoot read this.

If you are in the process of branding yourself and are ready to work with a personal branding photographer, I would love to help! You can email me on serena@serenabolton.com, ring me on 07958511819 or click to book a Zoom or telephone conversation.

“Photography through the lens of a storyteller”

LONDON PERSONAL BRANDING AND HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHER