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Finding Your Personal Style

You may not realize it but you have your own personal style that projects to the people around you who you are. It's what announces to new people you meet what they can expect from you. Without saying a word, your personal style also sets limits and boundaries for you. Your personal style is that unseen aura around you, like a halo, that never lies. Although unseen, it can be trained to do your bidding.

There's a part of your personal style that is linked to your personality. That portion of personal styling is not easily changed. It displays your vigor, energy, enthusiasm, and projection. Or the lack of it. It's what others say was their first impression of you.

Regardless of how we try, personality cannot be changed. High school reunions are full of people who have the same personality traits that they had when in school.

There's a part of your personal style, an external part, you can control and adjust. The trick is in knowing how to use your own visual image to tell others what you want them to see. It's not necessarily easy.

Personal Style Is The Result Of Self-Confidence

A great deal has to do with self-confidence. And self-confidence comes from being able to visualize yourself as you think others should see you.

It's easy being yourself. But oftentimes when we want doors opened 'being yourself' may not be so advantageous. As when interviewing for a job. We want to project ourselves in a way that's appreciated. Being yourself may not be good enough when there's competition to consider, for a job or anything else. How to attract the pretty girl when other men are also vying for her attention. Now that's competition.

This doesn't imply you want to be a fake. You just want to strengthen those traits about you that make others want to be around you.

There are outside clues one can easily control to project an image such as clothing (flashy or out of fashion?), fragrances, jewelry (too much?), hairstyle (alluring or extravagant?), colors selected, and accessories (auto?). What do you immediately see when you hear the phrase “city slicker”? Or “hobo”?

Your Own Personal Styling

Controlling and manipulating these outside clues goes a long way toward helping others perceive you. It can immediately open doors or close them. Watch a new television show or people in the news and see what current styles of dress and hairstyles they wear. It pays to be alert and to be modern.

How can you control and manipulate the other external part of your personal style? That is, the part based on self-confidence. Imagine yourself as a Hollywood actor playing the part of a patient in a wheel chair. Would you just play the part? Or would you be able to genuinely make yourself appear as someone who can't walk?

Chances are you wouldn't have the self-confidence to pull it off. You would most probably think people could see through you. It is this lack of self-confidence that gives you away and the 'being yourself' personality that comes through.

But here's the trick. People who see you in a wheel chair are already pre-disposed to see you unable to walk. They already believe this. The wheel chair is the clothing and accessories. You must take advantage of what people are already pre-disposed to see. Now you must be the part.

Professional actors don't have the advantage you have. Actors are already seen as playing a part. Their role convincing an audience is much more difficult. Not so with you. If people have heard about you, good or bad, they already have pre-disposed belief as to how they will accept you.

You want to control that illusory image that reaches other people even before they see you. And one of the best ways is to always play the part with full confidence.

See yourself as you would like others to see you. Create different scenes in your mind where you play the part you want to be. When you walk out of the house, you are already convinced people are going to see you in a desired way. It's goes with the self-confidence territory.

Conclusion On Your Personal Style

Notice how new presidents in office behave or give a speech. They think they're in over their head. They lack that self-confidence. But as time goes by they are actually forced to accept the part by those around them. So in time the new president develops a new, more confident personal style. If others are already pre-disposed to see them as president, then why not BE the president.

It's not as easy for the average Joe. Don't wait for others to accept you as you want to be seen. You must first force yourself to accept the part you want to be.

Your personal style is a combination of your personality and your own beliefs. Your personal style is what your project and how others to see you. You must learn to play the actor's part until you become the character.

See the complete list of articles on Personal Style and Personal Image.

Other wiki resources:  Personal Style; Personal Image; Personal Development; Men's Fashion