Almost 30 years ago, I moved to North Carolina from rural Connecticut.
I ended up in the backwoods of Connecticut when I went to college and met my future husband, whose family also lived there.
After living there for 8 years, I was ready to get back to civilization….Suburbia!
My personal style was a bit ‘dressier’ than what the locals in Connecticut were wearing.
In Connecticut, I was building my hair styling business and working part-time for an international hair care company. It gave me a chance to work backstage with models at hair shows in NYC and Boston.
I would notice the way my co-workers and the people in the city dressed.
I tried to incorporate parts of what I saw in my personal style.(I was in my 20’s and just starting to evolve.)
When I was back home in Connecticut, some people would ask why I was so ‘dressed up’.
I didn’t feel dressed up. I felt pretty.
Just because you live in the country doesn’t mean that you should dress down.
Maybe it made them feel ‘under-dressed’?
When I spoke at a National Sales conference in February, I was asked a similar question about over-dressing.
The woman asking the question was concerned that the younger Sales Reps were showing up in very casual clothes. She asked if she should be dressing down.
My reply - Don’t ever feel the pressure to dress down...Especially in a work situation!
I told her that the company that she’s trying to get business from will remember her professional look, as opposed to her younger competition. It also makes her competition look as if she doesn’t care about getting their business!
I think it also speaks to your self-respect, as well as your character. Especially, in business!
Don’t feel pressured to shrink your personal style to fit in.
Style is subjective. Just present your personal best!
Cheers!
-Jodi