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Last week, I explored why personal style is more than a fashion choice for leaders. It’s a strategic tool that can influence confidence, credibility and career opportunities. This week, the focus shifts to how to put that idea into practice.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, one challenge many professionals face in cultivating a personal brand is that the traditional distinction between workwear and casual wear has largely disappeared.

“It used to be really easy for individuals to just say, ‘okay, at work I wear my suits and at home I get to wear my jeans and a T-shirt,’ but now people are mixing everything.” says Julianne Costigan, founder of Toronto-based personal branding studio Costigan.

Her approach for using style as a strategic tool in this new era of work is to wear what she calls a personal uniform. It’s a signature look that can be adapted by removing or swapping out certain pieces and accessories for different situations – from work meetings to after work drinks or kid pick up – without requiring an entirely different wardrobe.

The personal uniform framework

The process begins with identifying style anchors – descriptors that help people evaluate whether a piece of clothing aligns with the way they want to be perceived.

For example, someone who wants to be seen as organized and direct may gravitate toward tailored silhouettes with subtle pops of colour. Someone hoping to project creativity may choose to layer bright colours or mix different patterns thoughtfully from the same tone family.

“It all ladders back to turning that internal identity into an external expression through what you wear,” Ms. Costigan says.

Once that foundation is established, the same core outfit can be adapted throughout the day.

“You wear the sneaker to drop off your kids. Then you get in your car, and on your way to work maybe throw on your heel or a flat. For night you take the blazer off and you throw on a belt or some jewelry, and now you’re ready for the evening,” she says.

The goal is not to constantly reinvent your look, but to create consistency while allowing enough flexibility to move between the different roles modern leaders often play in a single day.

“That sort of alignment and consistency builds trust and authority over time, and so that’s sort of the secret sauce to having a strong personal brand,” Ms. Costigan says.

Advice for emerging leaders

For professionals who aspire to leadership roles and are still developing their personal brand, Ms. Costigan offers three pieces of advice.

The first is to “dress for the job you want, not the job you have,” she says. “What you wear signals that you’re ready for something even before you’re maybe feeling ready for it.”

Second, pay attention to context.

Every workplace has its own norms and expectations. Understanding those dynamics can help people make choices that reinforce how they want to be perceived without feeling out of place.

Finally, Ms. Costigan encourages professionals not to lose themselves in the process.

She says some of the strongest personal brands are built by leaders who intentionally incorporate elements of their culture, identity or lived experience into their appearance. For example, the former chief executive officer of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi, incorporated traditional Indian saris and colours into her personal uniform as part of building her strong professional image.

“All these things are the reason you are who you are and it’s important to pull that into how you present yourself, because it allows you to differentiate yourself and also inspire others,” Ms. Costigan says.

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