If you’ve recently found your personal style has a little extra slack in it, you’re not alone. As we return to the office after a year of Zooming and work-from-wherever, we turned to the best-in-biz style curators at Henry A. Davidsen, Master Tailors & Image Consultants. President and CEO Brian Lipstein walks us through some essential updates to your post-pandemic personal brand, starting with a deep-dive audit of your wardrobe.
How have you seen personal style change in the last year?
Most professionals have kept it buttoned-up from the waist up, maintaining some semblance of respect when needed. But this hasn’t been everybody—I’ve seen people on video calls wearing backwards hats, graphic tees, and hoodies.
Life has been hectic, but it’s important to remember that we are still forming impressions of one another that will last. Just because we aren’t in steady physical contact, we are still interacting face-to-face—what someone sees should match what they hear. And it should match the level of respect you’d like to command in your day-to-day life. Trust is essential, and you’re building it with every interaction, from new clients to your boss’s boss.
Why is now the time to revisit our wardrobes?
Vaccine roll-out has ramped up and we’re seeing more and more places open up. It’s time to plan your personal brand thoughtfully so this return doesn’t sneak up on you. Soon you’ll be invited to an event you can safely attend, and you might find that perfect outfit doesn’t fit so perfectly after sitting in your closet for over a year.
We’ve all been dying for a return to social life as we used to know it. It’s best to start planning now: check your wardrobe off the list of worries so you can return with confidence as soon as you’re ready. We’ve all been through enough in the last year—your wardrobe is essential to who you are and shouldn’t be a source of stress in your life.
Walk us through your process for a closet audit. What should we be looking for? What questions should we ask?
This is where we shine at Henry A. Davidsen.
Look over the items you’ve built up over the years and make sure everything is still appropriate. We find this is where professional help can be invaluable, when someone who isn’t emotionally attached to clothing can objectively tell you what should stay and what should go.
How does it fit at the collar? At the shoulders? At the waist? The sleeves? Is the length correct? We discuss the age of the garment and how much you’ve worn it. It’s worth it to make minor tweaks, but what is the line? We can help you make determinations like these. If major work is needed, it’s typically a better investment to put those dollars towards a new item.
We investigate all the items in your closet in similar fashion, from professional to casual. What you won’t be keeping, we set aside to donate to The Wardrobe, a local charity that works with individuals transitioning back into the workforce. Items marked for alteration will be taken and altered. Items that fit well are returned to the closet and organized in a way that is visually pleasing and simple to navigate.
We look at every last detail—from the hangers you’re storing items on to what might be better folded and kept in a drawer. We can take photographs to help you easily coordinate outfits, and even create a shortcut on the home screen of your phone to create a personalized digital version of your closet. All told, you’ll feel less anxious about personal fashion and more prepared for any event. You’ll also have a shopping list of key essentials so you can move forward with confidence.
Ready to book a closet audit with the best in the biz? Visit henrydavidsen.com to learn more and schedule today.
Photography by: Andre Flewellen