Posts tagged annettebond
How to Create a Signature Style

Recently I met a new client for coffee, and we began talking about her wardrobe and she told me, Annette, I have nothing in my closet.

Nothing.  Nothing fits. Nothing fits right. I go to my closet and try to pack for a trip, and I have nothing.

I wonder, have you ever felt like that?

What really is happening is, you’re done settling.

You are ready to take care of yourself in a more meaningful way.

And unlock your style potential by being MORE of YOU.

A wardrobe that has:

  • Uniqueness

  • Ease

  • Quality

  • Your look is pulled together

  • Perfect for the occasion

  • You are self-assured and radiate confident

You have elevated how you want to represent yourself.

It’s time to be INTENTIONAL and create a wardrobe that looks and feels TOTALLY You!

I refer to it as designing your Signature Wardrobe.

Creating a signature wardrobe that checks all the boxes MUST be intentional.

If not, it will become overwhelming.

What does a Signature Wardrobe look like?

A signature wardrobe should feel TOTALLY You. You look in the mirror and say, “oh my gosh, I love this.”

You feel self-assured and confident.

There's something about the look whether it's the style, color or a pattern.

Your style radiates confidence.

It’s TOTALLY YOU. And people comment, oh my gosh, that's so you.

10 Signature Styles

·       A signature color becomes your SIGNATURE.

·       A statement Red lipstick.

·       You’re in love with the drama of black and white.

·       One of my signature colors is pink. It just makes me feel vibrant.

·       A pattern that you love such as a leopard print.

·       The uniqueness of detail such as ruffles or fringe.

·       You feel powerful in jackets.

·       You feel feminine in beautiful blouses.

·       You love the ease of dresses.

·       You love the natural Sporty girl look and feel.

There's a lot of elements that can go into a signature wardrobe.

Nobody signs their name like you do, that’s your signature style.

Is it unique to you.

It feels comfortable being you.

You don't have to apologize for who you are because it's your signature style.

If this sounds like something you desire and want to learn more about, get on the WAITLIST to join Women of Definitive Style.

Sign up here: Women of Definitive Style WAITLIST

Essential Ingredients to Elevate Your Style Confidence Part 3: Quality

Do you ever question the fit or quality of your clothing style?

Wondering if you’re truly stepping into your excellence?

When looking at the way a garment fits, quality is an attribute you need to take into consideration.

Most times, the higher the quality the better the fit.

Have you ever bought a pair of workout leggings at Ross or Target and thought they were, OK?

Then you purchased a pair of workout leggings at Lululemon and thought OMG these are the best fitting leggings I’ve ever had.

I have. You don’t think there is going to be a difference even though the style looks exactly the same, but there is.

The quality of the fabric can reflect how your clothing fits, how it hangs on your body, and the way it feels.

If you’re like me, I love my clothing to feel like it was custom made for me.

Many times, there are two camps of women; the camp that says, it is good enough. And the second camp who values quality, luxury, and refinement in her clothing.

I believe, those who say this is good enough have never given themselves the permission to experience the kind of quality I’m talking about.

Let’s look at a pair of pants.

You purchase a $79 pair of pants and after a few machine washings they don’t fit as well, they lose their shape, they are baggy in the butt, and now the fit and quality is compromised.

The pant hangs in your closet. And you’re not sure why you don’t wear them.

What if you decided to raise your standards and invested in better quality clothing?

Let’s talk RIO.

For example, you purchase a $300 pair of pants, wear them 1X a week, 48X a year…turns out that every time you wear the higher quality, better fitting pant, you invested $6.25 every time you wore them.

Is it worth it?

Heck yes, the pants made you feel like a million bucks.

That is priceless in my opinion.

The next time you’re thinking about confidence or style confidence, think about the quality of the pieces you’re investing in.

If you’re new to this, begin by investing in ONE piece that allows you to feel like a million bucks.

This is about fit, how the fabric feels against your body, and the way the style adapts to your body type.

Something that may have never occurred to you; your non-verbal confidence oozes when you walk into a room.

You are experiencing your clothing supporting you to step into your excellence.

You are invited to my upcoming Style Strategy and Confidence Masterclass on Thursday, August 19th @ 1pm PST

Register at: https://www.annettebond.com/masterclass

What Does an Image Consultant and Deion Sanders Have in Common?

My son Ryan introduced me to Deion Sanders favorite quote years ago.

 Look Good. Feel Good. Play Good.

 Then they Pay Good.

 I remember so clearly how Ryan memorized the quote and was buying into its truth.

 As a twenty-something young man at the time, of course he looked up to the professional football player.

 He was cool and successful.

 Being in the business of image and style for over 25 years, and working with 1000’s of women, it’s never really about the fashion but how the clothing makes one feel.

 It affects your self-image and self-esteem.  

When a piece of clothing is worn, it exerts an influence on the wearer’s psychological processes by activating associated abstract concepts through its symbolic meaning, Galinsky, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

The term coined by Galinsky, is “Enclothed Cognition.”

Dr. Adam Galinsky study found, "Clothes invade the body and brain, putting the wearer into a different psychological state. You have to wear the coat, see it on your body, and feel it on your skin for it to influence your psychological processes."

 The study featured undergraduate students who were either given a white doctors coat or told to wear street clothes and were administered a test for selective attention, such as spotting minor differences in similar pictures.

Those who wore the doctor’s coat made about half as many errors as those in street clothes.

When you are gearing up to put your best foot forward, what do you do?

As a businesswoman, you choose your most “confident look” in the closet.

Just like professional athlete Deion Sanders, it is gameday.

Expressing yourself and being confident in your self-image is one way to give yourself an edge whether you are powerful businesswoman or professional football player.

As a professional football has a brand with his uniform.

What does your businesswoman wardrobe say about you?

Is it expressing your uniqueness?

Do you have a signature look that differentiates you?

Does it reflect your expertise and brand?

Maybe it’s time to try on your ‘look the part’ confident look and step into your excellence?

You are invited to join me at my upcoming Style Strategy and Confidence Masterclass on Thursday, June 24th @ 1pm PST

https://www.annettebond.com/masterclass

Do You Question if You’re Too Old to Pull-off a Certain Style Look?

Wondering, am I too old to wear that, is that too young for me, can I pull it off?

Another birthday, brings a bigger number and often we question, is that age appropriate?

I’m addressing this question because I just celebrated my birthday.

Instead of focusing on age, what if you tried on something NEW and you felt beautiful and elegant?

Maybe you have told yourself that younger is better?

Begin that conversation in your head with self-acceptance.

Guess what, you’re never going to be younger than you are today.

What if...the color was perfect, you loved how it felt on your body, and it fit like a dream?

What if…you felt more empowered?

As a personal image consultant who helps women with their personal styling and creating authentic confident looks, one thing I know for sure….

Style begins with the woman, not the clothes.

Wear colors and prints that make you feel alive.

Choose styles that make you feel current.

Try a new lip color or gloss.

Stand out and be noticed. I give you permission.

Get outside your comfort zone and try something NEW, have fun.

Look in the mirror, and you will see how young at heart you really are.

Download Style Guide: 7 Secrets to Get Dress with Ease and Style:

https://www.annettebond.com/styleguide

Do You LOVE Your Outfit?

I have nothing to wear, have you ever said that to yourself?

But we all know you have a closet full of clothes, right?

Maybe the better question to ask yourself, why don’t you LOVE the garment?

One of things I hear from women frequently is; finding clothes that FIT.

Finding clothes that fit your body as it changes with age.

Maybe your weight has fluctuated.

You bought the garment on a whim because you wanted something new, but later realized it was not quite right, and you have never worn it again?

You gave in to the notion that it was an OK fit, and went with it, because you couldn’t find something that felt customized to your body type?

It is baggy in certain areas.

Maybe it’s too short or too long?

You just don’t love it. I hear you.

I believe, nothing is worse than having a wardrobe that doesn’t fit properly.

Every time you put the piece on, you feel just OK vs. the confidence you were craving.

What if…you began asking yourself every time you decided to make a purchase, do I love this?

What if…you began looking at your clothing choices with a more critical eye and asking yourself, does this align with how I want to show up?

What if…you began giving yourself permission to let go of pieces that didn’t empower you to step into your excellence?

Is it time to ‘try on’ the best version of you?

Download my 7 Style Secrets to Get Dressed with Ease and Style!

https://www.annettebond.com/styleguide

What Does Style Have to Do with Strategy?

You may think of the word strategy as business related or the serious stuff in life.

We’re talking style, right? Yes.

For some, you identify with the word strategic, that’s how you operate best, and others may think it feels so masculine to combine it with personal style.

You may feel style is presumed to be fun, fashionable and personal, certainly not strategic.

Have you ever had an experience that you couldn't stop looking at the presenters clothing and wondering, "what were they thinking”?

I believe most businesswomen have a closet full of clothes they never wear because they don’t have a style strategy.   

A strategy is your approach.

If you want a wardrobe that is aligned with your personal brand, you need to be strategic.

If you want to get noticed in 7 seconds or less as a powerful woman, you need to be strategic.  

If you want others to listen to you as a thought leader, you need to be strategic.

Agreed, choosing clothes for the next level version of YOU can be....

·        overwhelming

·        lots of second guessing

·        wasted mental energy

Is it time to ‘try on’ and create your personal Style Strategy?

Are you ready to take this to a deeper level and truly understand what it looks like to have a Style Strategy?

You are invited to the upcoming Style Strategy and Confidence Masterclass on Wednesday, May 26th @ 1pm PST

Sign up: https://www.annettebond.com/masterclass

Strong Women Advice from My Mother

Strong Women Advice from My Mother

How to be confident can sometimes be a very abstract thought or concept.

You can read books.

Seek advice from other confident women.

Step outside your comfort zone to try new things.

Or maybe you are seeking competence in a particular area of life, and confidence is a natural aftereffect.

If you’re like me, confidence in whatever area of life is something we’re all looking to embody and improve.

With Mother’s Day upon us, I wanted to honor my mother who I only had for 48 years of my life.

My most memorable years were in my teens. She was trying to teach me things that I wasn’t always 100% on board with.

But I listened anyways.

It wasn’t until I was an adult that I appreciated the “strong woman advice” she was teaching me.

Honestly, I’m not really sure that elevating my confidence was the goal she set out to accomplish, but in the journey of her motherly love to help me be the best version of me, confidence was achieved.  

In my vlog, I share the three memorable virtues that I lovingly refer to as, “strong women advice.”

My mother’s strong women guidance is not just helpful advice, but is a gateway to healthy self-esteem, self-love, and being the BEST version of you.

1.       The Golden Rule, treat others the way you would like to be treated.

2.       Believe in Yourself, you can do anything you set your mind to.

3.       Show up as the BEST version of you. Mentally and physically.

As a personal image consultant who helps women with their personal styling and creating confident looks, one thing I know for sure….

Confidence is Attractive