The moment I reached the tender age of 27, I asked myself- What am I doing with my life? Upon a quick reflection, I came to the conclusion that my life is pretty perfect right now- but it could be BETTER. I am the type of person who is constantly looking to improve themselves, so I wanted to elevate my life even further. I decided that I was very much in need of a REBRAND. With my whole career being in Marketing, I understand the importance of a personal brand, probably more than ever.
So what’s my current branding? I don’t even know, and that is the problem right there. I very much tend to follow trends, and being a Gemini who wants to constantly try multiple things probably doesn’t help either. All I know right now is that I feel that my image is very young, and I wanted to change it. My aim is to build a personal brand that is elevated and professional. This will showcase my confidence that I feel on the inside. I’ve heard from so many people that 27 is the start of their Saturn Return- maybe this is mine. Since my birthday in June, I’ve slowly started to ‘rebrand’ myself and I still have a long way to go, but I am happy with the progress. Here are some of my top suggestions for rebranding yourself.
1. Invest In A Capsule Wardrobe
A Real-Life Case Study
I’m starting with the most obvious factor crucial for any rebranding; your capsule wardrobe. Let’s use me as the guinea pig example. The Melissa at 26 years old (let’s call her Melissa26) went through a very hard time with her wardrobe. Every morning, she would wake up and spend a long time getting ready. Melissa26 liked buying unique pieces of clothing (mostly Y2K items) that grabbed attention- and as a result, nothing in her closet goes together. She felt very much trapped with her style, and it didn’t help when her friends start labelling her as just Y2K fashion. It was especially torturous when getting ready in the morning for work. Nothing screams corporate like showing up in a Levis x Hello Kitty T-Shirt with a Peppa-Pig hair tie, right?
Since my identity crisis, I have started investing in quality pieces and making smart switches to elevate my style. I’m talking plastic see through jeans to tailored neutral trousers, denim jackets and t-shirts to tailored blazers and vests. The key here is ‘tailored’. Sure, it’s annoying to spend extra money to get things tailored but it’s WORTH IT. My favourite places to get these capsule wardrobe pieces are from Target, especially when they have sales on. Their quality is great, and it keeps my wallet happy.
Don’t Forget To Stay True To Yourself!
Being a true Gemini, I cannot give up on my other ‘fun’ style. I mean, I can’t keep playing my corporate girlie character 24/7!! Part of this process is staying true to my authentic self. My personality is too big to be tied down to one style all the time, so this is how I’m making it work for now; I wear nice neutral clothing Monday to Friday, and then if you happen to catch me on the weekend, I will look like a completely different person depending on my mood. The best of both worlds, I guess?
2. Chop Your Hair Off (If You Dare)
This has nothing to do with my hair loss at all (it totally has everything to do with it) but I recently chopped of my hair to a straight length lob that comes down to just above my collarbone, and I’m OBSESSED with it. Not only does my hair look thicker but it has helped me transform to a sassy and serious businesswoman (appearance-wise anyway). Also, lobs are the ultimate IT Girl vibes anyway so I can rock it on the weekends too. If you aren’t super attached to your hair, I would totally recommend chopping your hair off once in a while. A big transformation like your hair is major rebrand vibes and it keeps your enemies on their toes too. Kidding. Or am I?
3. The Power of Scent
The older I get, the more I realise how important scent is (evident by 10,000 diffusers and candles in my house). It’s such a subtle thing but trust me, people NOTICE. I’m a newbie at perfume but I really want to get into it, like find my own signature scent, learn how to layer perfumes and all that jazz, you know? I always forgot to wear perfume as I’m always rushing out the door, but now I make a conscious effort to remind myself to spritz some perfume before I leave. When I catch a whiff of myself, it reminds me that not only do I look good, but I also smell good. And who doesn’t want to smell good? Your scent is one of the most important things people will remember you by, so it’s an ultra important factor in rebranding yourself.
4. Accessorise, Accessorise, Accessorise!
How does accessories help with your rebrand? After getting on fashiontok (that’s the Tiktok side of fashion), I’ve learnt that accessories really up your outfit game. Aside from quickly dousing myself in perfume, my morning ritual now also consists of putting on jewellery. I’ve committed to making it a habit- so much so that I now remember to put on at least a pair of earrings no matter where I go. I still can’t do rings though, no matter how much I want to. These fingers are always walkin’, so rings are a no go for me at the moment.
Sometimes when I have time, I choose a nice belt to go with my outfit if it needs it. For the time poor like me (and that’s completely on me), I’ve learnt that neutral accessories are the best as I don’t have to use too much brain capacity and waste time thinking about what looks good together. I find that gold accents really accentuate and elevate my outfit especially since I am warmer skin tone- think gold hoop earrings or necklace, black bag or belt with gold buckle. My advice is to invest in a quality bag and nice jewellery that won’t tarnish as it can really help make an outfit come together. Also as a shameless plug, read my other blog post here on 5 Essential Items You Need In Your Handbag. Trust me, it will help elevate your life, even if it’s just a little.
5. Learning is FUN
Part of the process of rebranding myself involves education. Yes, you read that right. I’ve always believed that constant learning is essential not only for professional growth but personal development as well. A good rebranding doesn’t focus on just surface level stuff like appearance, although it plays a massive factor of course- for me, how I look on the outside ultimately impacts how I feel on the inside.
My Own Personal Development
I’m taking a holistic approach to rebranding, which is a long-term strategy that not only involves a focus on my appearance but also betterment of myself as a person and how I am perceived by other people. I generally don’t really care about what people think of me. I understand that everyone is different, and I won’t be everyone’s cup of tea (and I don’t need to be). However, if I could do something that could make someone’s first impression of me a great one, then obviously I would do it!
One thing I am aware of and lack is the ability to engage in small talk. I used to think it’s unnecessary; I’m the type to get straight to point. However, I recently did a deep dive into the art of small talk, and learnt that small talking is not about you. It’s about making the other person you’re talking to feel comfortable enough to engage in the conversation with you. Reading that made me change my view on small talk and I’ve been working on my skills on it ever since. I’m still not the best at it but I’m happy to say I’ve noticed a change in myself in conversations since.
More Studying For Mel…
I also really wanted to develop further professionally at work, so I went back to part-time studying. I’m currently doing a course on Leadership thanks to the Fee-Free scheme by the government, and I’ve started working on my digital marketing skills by learning more about Paid Ads and SEO. I really believe that knowing your shit at work really helps with being taken seriously, and it boosts confidence at work too.
Wow, that is probably one of the longest blog posts I’ve written. I think that just goes to show that rebranding is a long process that requires a lot of lifestyle changes and commitment but ultimately, it’s worth it. You will immediately feel better, and life will improve, but I cannot stress enough to also stay true to yourself during your rebrand. Check in with yourself and make sure that you actually have the desire to improve yourself, and not pretend to be something that you’re not because you think you need to be. It’s exhausting and you will most likely give up. Every journey is hard, and you won’t get to the destination if you burn out.
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