Fashion has always been a passion of mine. In fact, when I’m not at work, you’ll probably find me working on my style blog, Mod Circus. But you don’t have to attend Paris fashion week—or even care about what new sweater styles are hitting your local department store this season—to get some useful lessons from the world of fashion. Sound like a stretch? Read on: I’ve connected all the dots for you on how you can use personal style to inspire your brand.
- Define yourself. Though mixing styles and trends is fun—after all, variety is the spice of life—trying to fit the bill of boho babe, rad rocker and tailored prepster probably makes getting dressed a nightmare. Just like in fashion, finding keywords to define your style or your brand, like “modern with a retro twist” or “classic comfort,” will help you simplify a voice, feel and direction for how to present yourself that will always tie it back to those keywords.
- Don’t take yourself too seriously. From furry pink coats to blinding metallic pants to large pom-pom jewelry (all of which are everywhere this season), fashion doesn’t tend to take itself too seriously. Whether you’re KFC being clever about who you follow on Twitter (look that up now if you haven’t) or an athleisure company integrating casual and relatable poses into your model shoots, incorporating an element that makes people smile can be the icebreaker that pulls a customer in.
- Keep up with the trends. The fashion runway is where cutting-edge trends are first introduced. But colors you see on the runway may take up to a few years to move into home décor and interior design. Like it or not, social media is basically the runway of the marketing world: avant-garde ideas sometimes garner funny looks, but are trailblazing for all sorts of other channels. Knowing what looks new and fresh as it happens in real time can help your brand look, well, new and fresh.
- But you don’t have to follow every trend. Just like culottes may not be the most flattering shape for your figure, or brown velvet may make you gag, don’t feel like you have to jump on the hot new trend of the season if it isn’t “you.” Just because everyone else is doing live Facebook videos doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good fit for your brand.
- Step outside of your comfort zone. Wearing old sweats you’ve had for a decade may feel nice and comfy, but they obviously aren’t the best way to present yourself if you have one shot at a first impression. The same is true for presenting your brand. While old habits may feel comfortable, make sure you know when it’s time to ditch those old sweats and show your customers the confident new you.
