Style Personality-Expressive or Reserved
Having an expressive or reserved personality will without a doubt impact your personal style. Think about it. If you are naturally more quiet and reserved the last thing you want to do is bring attention to yourself. Conversely, if you are more expressive and outgoing you are going to walk in a room and fill up that room with energy and your clothes need to support this energy!
Most of us don’t give our own level of energy and internal personality traits enough emphasis when it comes to dressing.
One of the most important aspects of having a successful style is understanding how to dress to support your style personality without over doing OR under doing it!
As a style coach, I need to understand what my clients personalities are so that I can help them embrace the nuances of their core identities. Sure, sometimes the quiet, shy types need a little nudging to dress to be noticed, but the expressive types also need to tone it down so they don’t overpower their audience.
If you have experienced any personality type testing before such as Meyers Briggs or DISC, you’ll recognize that you have greater strengths in some areas and other areas are not your strongest characteristics. We need to learn to balance each of these to create harmony.
To express yourself with Style the key is to KNOW who you really are.
Shy or Reserved?
If you are shy and reserved? Perhaps softer clothes are more appealing to you. In business you may not be seen as serious as someone who is more expressive. In this case, pairing a structured jacket or skirt with that soft blouse will give you the strength you need while making you still feel more reserved and quiet.
Expressive or Extroverted?
Conversely, if you have a very dynamic and outgoing personality with energy to boost, you may need to tone down your desire for bright, bold, electric prints and patterns in the workplace.
As Seth Godin says, in order to be remarkable, you must be worth remarking about. Think about how you express yourself. Are you too quiet? Could you use a little power in your look? Do you sometimes feel too loud and powerful? Perhaps a quieter print or softer fabric will do the trick.
Want to learn HOW to dress for your style personality? StyleCAMP can help!
In our next blog, I’ll share with you what the expressive personality types are.
Until then, be remarkable, be worth remarking about.
“Look Good, Feel Great and Have FUN Doing It!”
Hello Karen
Its interesting that you use Myers-Briggs, but I think it is a little more complicated than if one is just introvert or extrovert. Expressives are often intuitives too – its the sensate extroverts that tend to be the life and soul of the party. Introverts can also be expressive, we just do it differently. Culturally, introverts are not well understood – often they are creative and expressive, often in entertainment. I think that the public persona of an entertainer is not to be confused with how a person may be in real life – it may be that Lady Gaga understands more the creation of a costume in order to perform a role. Now, that is useful, for both introverts and extroverts alike, as you have pointed out.
Sarah INFJ
Sarah,
Thank you for your very thoughtful reply. I’m glad you agree that style is complicated. The use of mentioning “Meyer-Briggs” and other personality typing is simply a means to help people ‘think’ a bit more about connecting themselves in multiple ways. As you may know a Meyer-Briggs assessment can bring forth a multitude of type characteristics (I think up to 16). I so agree that culturally introverts are not well understood and as a matter of fact, I consider myself an introvert. Many introverts are indeed actors and actresses I believe because they are able to create different personas in themselves.
The point to all of this is to not put people as much in a box but to begin to understand the nuances that make up ones personality. When discussing “style” my goal is to create a wardrobe that supports a Dominant personality and then support that core or dominant one with touches of the others so yes you can be a chameleon but you still are being supported by your key/core personality. It keeps things exciting, innovative and certainly never boring!
Thank you for your input!
Karen
Thank you for your comment – I do agree with what you have written – as you say, style has to reflect the many nuances of a person’s identity – including the masks (how to be a chameleon, or how to change our form when needed). we sometimes have to wear in order to get on in the world – while still maintaining integrity without losing oneself. I imagine that is what you mean be style personality. No need to reply, just an expression of appreciation for your well thought out comment. Sarah
PS I do have a drama degree, so am interested in image from that perspective.
Ah, INFJ (: we’ll continue to explore! Never one to be put in a box…I change when you least expect it! Have a great night!