Food, Home and Style

At the End of Your Robe: Finding Your Identity in Crisis

Stylist Julie Greene offers expert advice on looking dashing in a downturn.

Right now, many of us are dealing with big transitions. Some of us are unmployed for the first time, others are having to shift the focus of their business, and still others are concerned about whether they’ll be able to move ahead. In short, everyone’s questioning their identity.

As I’ve said before, your clothes can help shape your future. Whether it’s a full style overhaul or just some refining, there are ways to approach how you dress that will reflect a new attitude towards your career and life—and managing your image and your message might help you land the next opportunity. Last week you started  getting to know your unique sense of style. Now we’ll more firmly define it. Consider which of these 10 style identities best fits you—or who you want to be.

Sporty/Natural
You do deals on the golf course, feel at home on a hiking trail, and go to the best yoga studio in town .  Sporting a great look for your leisure activities can impress V.I.P’s outside of the office. Opportunities abound so make sure you “work out” your look.

Hipster
You were the first to wear a trucker hat but wouldn’t be caught dead in one now. Music, art and culture dictate your fashion choices. Use your talent and creativity to express your abilities and impress others with your uniqueness. If you can’t go “full hipster,” just add a touch of downtown cool to your look with a funky accessory.

Chic Sophisticate
Luxury reigns for you. Refinement, modernity and effortless elegance is the feeling you like to capture in your style of dress. If your pocketbook can’t afford that new Bottega Veneta bag or Prada suit, look for similar looks at lower prices, or take advantage of consignment shops and seek out big markdowns.

Eclectic
You love to experiment with clothing—one day you’re a bohemian, next day rocker. You can use this to your advantage and create looks that set you apart from the job-hunting pack. Throw a little edginess into a happy hour outfit, or layer up your favorite frocks for the next art opening. Show people you are open to new ideas and can maneuver your way through any situation.

Feminine/Masculine
Ruffles, bows, and floral prints. Jeans, motorcycle boots, and leather jackets. You’re either “all girl” or “all guy” and you like it like that. It’s also a signature style that everyone can understand. No one can deny the sexy power of the Marlboro man or the cuteness of Tinsley Mortimer, so try this look on if you want to express yourself on that level.

Avant Garde
Tilda Swinton is your style icon. Comme de Garcon feels right at home in your closet, and black is always the new black. Fashion for you is an art form, and you take great pleasure in sculpting your look to match your high-minded aesthetic. This style shuns trends and sets you apart by showing that you are a leader, not a follower. You are serious and unafraid to speak your mind.

Corporate
If you could sleep in your favorite suit you would. Weekends are worthless and you still wear a dress shirt to the most casual of events. So maybe you could to loosen up a bit, but you do scream success with your savings account as proof. Channeling your inner Gordan Gecco can be fun in itself, as can developing a discriminating eye for the best watches and wingtips.

Trend-setter
Kate Moss has nothing on you. You are far ahead of the game, and people are constantly asking you where you got something you have on. Use your talent to market yourself as a forward-thinker. If you haven’t already been in the fashion industry, now might be an opportunity to make a change.

Classic
The Burberry trench was made for you. Nothing beats a Ralph Lauren pinstripe suit or an Hermes scarf. Maybe you like to play it safe, but the good news is this look is timeless, the clothes you buy often last a lifetime and you look great in almost any environment. To avoid being too predictable experiment with some new colors or a fun statement accessory.

Unsure
You don’t know which end is up and that’s ok. Take this time to experiment with your clothes and create a vision of what you would like to look like a little further down the road. There’s something in your closet that you love and makes you feel great. Start there and see where it takes you!

The next step might be going a little outside your comfort zone. Try it out and see what happens. Maybe new people will be attracted to you, maybe you will carry yourself a little bit differently and thus send out a new message. What do you have to lose? You might even gain a new accessory for Spring—a fabulous pair of rose-colored glasses.

Julie Greene is an independent fashion stylist, wardrobe consultant and writer. She lives in New York City. You can read all of her columns here. Have a style question? Send it to us.

Tags: At the End of Your Robe, image, job-hunting, shopping, style, transition