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Hi everyone! My name is Colleen Quinn. I am a full-time Marketing & Events Specialist for an HR software company, signed Actor / Model, host of my upcoming podcast @cupofsassradio, part-time writer (E-Book January 2020), and hopefully a ton more exciting things to come! I would describe my style has tropical and business fashion with a dash (or two) of sass. On top of that, I am a huge advocate for petite fashion. Being 5’0″ myself, I’ve always struggled with finding pieces that fit me while still showcasing my personality. What I love the most about fashion is the ability it gives others to express themselves and their personality through their clothes! I feel I do just that with my style. Lots of my personality is bright and bubbly and the other part of me is sassy, bold, business woman. My style reflects just that! Being a woman in business, I’ve always found it vital to select clothing that makes me feel bold, confident, and beautiful. Below I am going to showcase the outfits I selected with Goodwill and give tips on how to choose outfits that will make you feel bold and powerful!
Tip #1: Choose a Statement Piece
Let’s talk statement pieces! This teal business jacket is a perfect example of one. When selecting jackets like this, I am always drawn to them because of their bold colors. This jacket to me says, “I’m here and ready to be a part of the conversation!” Choosing statement pieces such as this not only gives your look the opportunity to select another color that is less “loud” but also gives you the opportunity to light up your look with statement jewelry, bold lipstick, etc.
For this look, I paired the black lace romper to keep the center of attention on the jacket. With that, I had these earrings that I got a few years back that just happened to match—don’t you love when that happens?! Along with coral lipstick to dye it all together! Something I’ve learned about being a woman in business is you create your own rules! Showcasing your personality through your style speaks before you even do when you walk into a room! Always remember that.
Tip #2: Never Underestimate the Power of Accessories & Lip Color
One of my favorite colors of all time is red. I love red because it’s such a power color to me that makes me feel confident and bold in any room I walk into! To that point, I’m also a firm believer in the power that accessories and lip color can play in a look such as this. For example, when pairing together these two pieces, I knew that the patterned dress needed a statement color added to it. When I saw the red jacket, it was like a lightbulb went off in my head, “This is the one!”
Though, I knew that with the boldness of the jacket and the funkiness of the patterned dress, I needed earrings and a lip color to compliment both.
Imagine this, you select a full white or full black outfit and want to dress it up somehow. The difference lip color and a bold earring can make to this type of look speaks volumes! Remember this next time you are dressing to dress up a certain look or even make it more business professional versus casual.
Tip #3: Use Color Selections to Your Advantage
Hello Yellow! I absolutely love this look because it is such a statement outfit. I am a firm believer in if you feel confident in your outfit, you give off that vibe to others too! Have you ever thought about how colors can affect your mood or the way you make others feel? Something I learned last year was that color selections can really have an impact on how others remember you!
For example, for this look, I chose two bright and bold pieces to pair together. I did this for a reason. According to color psychology, when people view the color yellow, they feel warmth and energy and when they view the color orange, they feel enthusiasm and attention.
Now add that whole convo together and what do you get? That’s right, you get a warm, energetic, enthusiastic person in business! Now who doesn’t want that? I tend to do this a lot with colors, and it was a trick I learned when I started exploring bolder statement pieces and adding them to my wardrobe.
Tip #4: The Oversized Business Jacket
As you may have caught on already, I love the oversized business jacket look! To the point where I feel like my entire closet looks like a rainbow right now with all the business jackets I currently own (thanks Goodwill). I love oversized business jackets because of their versatility.
For example, oversized business jackets are a great way to dress up a look from casual to business professional within seconds. In addition, it’s a great way to stay warm when you are at a business conference or in a business meeting – if you work in Corporate America you know how cold those rooms can get!
On top of the benefits of the oversized business jacket, I can’t forget to mention my love for high waisted dress pants, especially when they are in a bold color like pink! When I saw these pants, I knew immediately I loved them.
I love pants like this because they can be used as your statement piece and are great for winter weather. I had a lot of fun deciding on what shirt to pair this with because you can go so many ways with it. For example, you can pair a button up or even a long sleeve silk blouse—the options are endless!
Tip #5: Choose Something Out of Your Comfort Zone
If you are thinking this look is out of the ordinary in comparison to the others, you are 100% right. I did this on purpose! You may have heard this quote before but, you only grow when you are out of your comfort zone! When I first saw this dress, it reminded me of a Greek Goddess. I thought, how could I even wear this look? Can I pull this off? Let’s put it this way: I went for it!
Sometimes in fashion it’s important to try out new styles and new pieces, even when they are not your “normal” look. The benefit of this is you might actually love it, you will feel bolder and more confident in it once you rock it and it will most likely encourage you to continue to select pieces that may be out of your typical style.
I hope some of these tips you take with you after reading and incorporate them into your everyday style! I had so much fun shopping with Goodwill and I hope you enjoy all the looks that are shared!
Remember, stay bold, stay confident and be you because no one else can!
With all my love,
Colleen
