You May Be Dressed For the Wrong Role!
Often I hear from people that they either want to dress better and don't know how, or I hear of someone being with a company for years and being overlooked for promotion. Both of these people and maybe you have something in common. You are dressing for the wrong role!
Everyone who knows me knows I love 3 things: Costume Design, Styling, Fashion Design, and puppies. Well, ok, 4 things. But let's focus on real life Costume Design and how it can apply to you..
Follow me here.. Ok, when I get a contract for a Costume Design job, a very fun process starts to happen. I usually meet with the Producer, Director, and the Production Designer (a.k.a Art Director), and they layout the overall 'feel' of the project that they are hoping to get. They give me their insight to the characters, and direction, and I get a full script along with a lot of color palettes and other visual references. Then, in the next few days and weeks, I get to start meeting with the actors or performers who are in the different roles.
When I talk to the actor, they give me insight to who their character is. What drives them, their history and what motivates them for their future goals. What they wear on film, is a representation of all these things.
So, you are in the movie of your own life.
Right here and now. Whether you are a student trying to pay the bills by working at a restaurant, or are a mid-level realtor trying to make better sales, you have to decide if you are dressing for the right character. If you go to work with hair that kinda looks like it hasn't been combed, or you have a shirt with a small stain on it, but you wear it anyway...you are relegating yourself to the character of "that guy in scene 3 that never gets promoted". Or the woman who "constantly is taken for granted and treated like she is invisible".
Start dressing better!
I hear: "But Kelly, I have to wear a uniform anyway, does it matter?" "My boss is a member of 'the old boys club', no matter what, nothing will work." And I say did James Bond ever look sloppy? Did Bruce Wayne just wear hockey pads? Did Cinderella go to the ball in rags? NO! You know why? They dressed in a way that showed other people (characters) they were serious about themselves. Cinderella knew it - she wasn't even willing to show up if she didn't look good! (Hair, makeup, the slippers - and I am sure there was a good mani in there somewhere).
Don't dress like you've never cared if you make it out of the mailroom by wearing wrinkled clothing or never even attempting good hair grooming and skincare. Put effort in! You wear a uniform at the food court in the mall? Great! Great place to start. Every new shift, your 'costume' should be clean, fit well and be wrinkle free. Your coworkers think it's stupid that you should care? Totally fine, let them stay in the nameless, walk-on role in your movie. Because they won't ever be the star in their own film til they get this.
Ok, then, where else can you start if you don't wear a uniform? If fashion just really stumps you, we are going to go for the easiest route at the moment. More detailed info in the next few weeks.
- Get an iron with a steamer setting. No joke!! #necessaryevil - I hate ironing. True story, in college, I was 1 of 2 Costume Designers. It was great fun and for the short time I was there, I designed a lot. But usually, the Costume Shop Head Tailor would relegate me to ironing and steaming everything as the sewing team was sewing my designs into reality. I have during, and since that time, ironed or steamed easily over 1,500 garments. Not including my personal items. BUT ironing does wonders for clothes of all expense levels!! So learn how to use it.
- Depending on your size and where you live, if money is really tight (heck - even if it's not you can score a $150 skirt for $4), you can still get a few really great items at you local thrift stores. The Oscar winning costume designer Arianne Phillips for Walk The Line (2005) found many of her award winning looks at 2nd hand stores throughout the south. Kurt Swanson and Bart Mueller, designers for Dallas Buyer's Club (2014) also outfitted their film, much the same way. And personally, I was able to accesorize about 1/3 of entire recent 100 member production set in NYC, much the same way. So know you can get some great quality items for only a few dollars!!
- "But Kelly, I have no idea at all what is in style." Well, go look at online stores such as Macy's, Bloomingdales, Anthropologie, Banana Republic, etc. to start seeing what is out there. Now, I do not get paid to say their names, but I have learned these are good, basics to stear you towards (if I am not available to help you!). They do tend to be 'middle of the road', meaning they usually don't have a lot of fashion risks going, but at the beggining that's ok.
- Ok, #4 in starting to be the leading character in your own movie: Be confident. I really do believe that God put something in each of us that is unique and great.
So when you are dressed getting ready for work - or whatever, before you leave, look yourself over head to toe in your full length mirror (if you don't have one, buy one, even a cheap one!). Check your appearance. Does your look say "Ready to be discovered!" or "Another day as a nameless walk-on?"
Remember, you need to have a sense of humor in life and not take yourself too seriously, but you do need to take your future seriously. The best way to show people that you have potential is to show you care about your own potential! Be a good representative of 'you'!
And, as always, please feel free to send me questions through here on my website, or post style questions on my fb page. https://www.facebook.com/kellychadwickdesign
I wanted to title this: "Want To Make More Money? Dress Better!" But with Oscar season coming to a crescendo, I thought this fits better.