THE SECRET TO POWER UP YOUR PROFESSIONAL IMAGE AND WARDROBE? APPLY THE YIN & YANG CONCEPT!

Yes, you’ve worked hard on your professional look - from your power suits to your formal dresses. But did you know you can take your image to the next level with the concept of Yin & Yang when it comes to dressing?

Your clothes convey a lot more than what you think. And while it is commonsensical to dress appropriately in different situations, it is extremely empowering to tweak one’s style by applying Yin & Yang concepts to one’s sartorial range.

Yin & Yang may sound like some exotic oriental concept far removed from our lives, but it is a concept of duality derived from Taoism, a branch of Chinese philosophy that states that (almost) everything exists in two opposing but complementary characteristics called Yin & Yang - which together form a whole. Neither Yin nor Yang are absolute, rather they function together to create balance.

The symbol of Yin & Yang is called ‘Taijitu’ which means ‘diagram of the supreme ultimate’. Basically, the Yin & Yang symbol is divided into two halves, each of which contains some elements of both Yin & Yang. For example, the website Personal Tao elaborates this further by stating: “We encounter examples of Yin & Yang every day. As examples: Night (Yin) and day (Yang), female (Yin) and male (Yang). Over thousands of years quite a bit has been sorted and grouped under various Yin & Yang classification systems.” So how does this concept fit your wardrobe? Read on below!

Bell Northrup of Columbia Teacher’s College first introduced the concept of Yin and Yang as applied to personal style in the 1930s. She classified, described and compared a person’s physical, psychological and personality traits as well as design choices and clothing traits.

Here’s a cheat sheet from Imogen Lamport’s ‘Inside Out Style - Easy Style Solutions for Every Woman’ blog that will help you identify which category your clothes fall into:

Yin (Receding) Elements of Outfits: Curved silhouettes, slim lines, horizontal lines, small shapes, low contrast colour combinations, muted colours (think pretty pastels), soft fabrics, lightweight feel, sheer cloth, natural flowing patterns and dense patterns.

Now, if we explore this deeper, we see that Yin elements convey a specific set of messages and impressions. Yin is associated with qualities such as being warm, nurturing, gentle, flexible, subtle, informal and open. So if you want to soften your professional image (let’s say, you are the head of a travel start-up for fun family holidays, and want to endear yourself to your target audience during a TV interview) , you may want to include some Yin elements to your corporate suit (think a soft scarf or a pastel tie).

Yang (Advancing) Elements of Outfits: Straight silhouettes, solid lines, vertical lines, angled shapes, large shapes, bright colours, high contrast colour combinations, crisp, heavyweight fabrics, geometric prints, abstract and large scale prints, thick, shiny, opaque fabrics, repeating patterns. Yang elements are associated with qualities such as being intense, bold, deliberate, decisive, direct, business-like and closed. If your career requires you to be a tough, no-nonsense negotiator, Yang is your vibe.

Personality types that are more Yang are Classic, Dramatic and Rebellious (Think Adele, Oprah, Kajol, Kareena Kapoor, Sushmita Sen, Margaret Thatcher among the women, and Steve Jobs, Donald Trump, George Clooney and PM Narendra Modi among men); while Yin are more Relaxed/Natural, Creative and Feminine (think Lady Diana, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Sonam Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Audrey Hepburn in women; and Justin Bieber, Prince William, Rahul Gandhi and Michael Jackson in men). You can read more at style blogger Imogen Lamport’s blog here.

So, how does all this relate to powering up your personal look? Our personalities and clothing styles should and could be either the ‘Yin type’ or the ‘Yang type’ - or more commonly, a harmonious blend of both elements, with one element sometimes dominating the other, depending on what you hope to convey at different situations.

Now, armed with this new information about this interesting concept, take a fresh look at your wardrobe and figure out if you are more Yin or Yang. This new awareness can help you play around with the impressions you want to convey, create a harmonious look and balance out your personality.

Fri, May 12, 2017 at 2.26 PM

WHAT IF YOUR 'FLAWS' WERE YOUR BEST FEATURES?

Sometimes there is a misconception that Image Consultants are all about focusing on 'flaws', or shortcomings about a person's image or personality. Or that we are all about changing a person without caring about what makes them feel comfortable or unique. However, that is far from the truth.

I focus on how to strengthen your best aspects, boost your unique features and turn those supposed 'flaws' into qualities that make you look and feel fabulous, inside and out.

Sometimes, we all are harsher on ourselves than we realize and focus on what takes away from us, rather than aspects that build us up. But maybe you should look at yourself like a stranger would - the results will surprise you. Check out this video below.

Sun, May 14, 2017 at 11.48 PM

IF YOU BELIEVE ONLY YOUR WORK WILL SPEAK FOR YOU IN YOUR CAREER, THINK AGAIN!

You are constantly being appraised at your workplace, and these appraisals are not your quarterly or yearly sessions with your boss.

These are day-to-day judgements that your bosses, peers or colleagues pass based on how you project yourself.

A young client of mine who hails from a smaller city suddenly found herself lost in the fierce, competitive corporate world of Mumbai.

I helped her hone her professional look, personality and confidence - and I am extremely gratified to share her testimonial here:

"Dr Swarnali Dasgupta's sessions have changed my outlook towards life in ways that I had never imagined. I must say I have come a long way from my college days. I have a vision regarding my career and life. I want to achieve all the benchmarks I have set for myself."

"I always believed that my work and only my work would speak for myself but I was so wrong! Dr Dasgupta made me realize that how my own and people’s attitude towards me would change after her Image Building Workshop, which was like a wind beneath my wings. It was life-transforming for me."

"These days, I get more compliments from my co-workers and friends for the overall change in my image, both inside and outside. That in turn, creates a very positive impression about myself in my mind."

"Dr Dasgupta helped me understand my personal style - now I know how to buy the right outfits and accessories for different occasions and what to wear when. Most importantly, it has reduced my unnecessary expenditure. I am more confident and comfortable in my own skin now. This has helped me immensely in my life and career growth."

Associate Manager - Brand Marketing
(Name withheld for confidentiality purposes)

Wed, May 17, 2017 at 11.32 PM

WIN A COPY OF GRETCHEN RUBIN'S BOOK 'THE HAPPINESS PROJECT'

I love sharing inspiring ideas, authors and experiences that have helped me on my journey, both professionally and personally. One author whose work I loved - and I believe many of you will also like - is New York-based author Gretchen Rubin who wrote 'The Happiness Project'.

The reason why I place so much importance on happiness because it radiates from inside to out. Happy people exude a more positive image, attract other high energy, optimistic people and make for better personal and professional connections.

Can one take deliberate actions to be happy or is happiness something that just flows from within without much effort on one's part?

Share what makes you happy in the comments section and you could win a free paperback of her outstanding book.

Wed, Jun 14, 2017 at 11.24 PM