Style The Perfect First Impression

By Jennifer Jones from Jennifer Jones Styling

Being visible to your audience on both your website and social media platforms has never been so important. And how you and your brand is perceived online is key to building relationships with potential clients and helping them get to know, like and trust you, so when the time comes that they need your help, it’s you that they come to.

You’re probably wondering what this has to do with personal styling? Well, did you know that appearance has a major impact on the way we initially perceive people when we first meet them, whether that’s in-person or online?

We make judgements based on how someone looks without even realising it – 55% of what we think of someone based on first impressions is made up of appearance. So of course, how you present yourself online, whether that’s through your website imagery or your posts on Instagram or Facebook, it’s so important that you are truly reflecting you and your brand in the way that you want to be seen.

Correctly representing yourself is key to building relationships and trust with your potential clients/customers.  And that’s where I come in… as your personal stylist, I can help you portray yourself authentically in your brand photos, so that you feel good about sharing them and your clients/customers want to engage with you.

Here are my top tips to help you get ready for your brand shoot and ensure you look and feel your best on the day.

Consider how you want your customers to see you

It’s important to take into account your personal brand so that what you wear conveys how you want to be perceived. Accessories are a great way to spruce up your outfit and the colours we wear can be the difference between someone seeing you as warm and friendly or loud and vibrant. What’s your brand personality and how can what you wear show that?

Showcase your best self

It’s all about bringing your best self so that you look and feel great during your shoot. There are two ways we can do this. The first is to make sure the styles and silhouettes not only show off your personality but also your body shape. You want the clothes you’re wearing to fit you like a glove and highlight all your best features. We’re all our biggest critics, so if we get that right, then you can be certain that when you see your photos from the day, you’ll love all of them.

The second is colour; wearing the right colours by your face can be the difference between looking fresh, glowing and your features sparkling, or your not so great colours casting shadows on your face, making you look tired and less like you. To summarise, knowing your best colours and how to dress to flatter your body shape is a winning formula for your shoot. 

Try everything on in advance

This one is important. You want to look great in your shoot but you also want to be comfortable. There’s no point in trying to squeeze in to a pair of jeans on the day or get there and realise a dress you used to love is now much too baggy for you. Set aside just an hour or so to check what you want to wear fits well, you can move in it okay and it’s going to work with the weather (if you’re due to go outside). When you’re trying on your items also consider whether they’re versatile across all seasons. You want your photos to have longevity, rather than being tied to only sharing your photos during that season. 

Treat it like a shopping list 

We’ve all jotted down what we need before heading to the shops. Your brand shoot shouldn’t be any different. As well as planning your outfits in advance, it’s best to write down what you’re taking on the day. That way, you won’t feel flustered in the morning trying to remember what top you paired with those trousers or what necklace went with the blouse you picked. And, it means you won’t forget anything on the day so you’ll start your shoot stress free. 

Although there’s a lot to think about, it’s important to get this right. Your brand photos are your shop window and the start of your relationship with your clients/customers. When they stop by, will they like what they see and want to walk inside?

Lastly, don’t forget that professional help is on hand. If you want my support with selecting the best outfits for your brand shoot and help you drive client engagement and feel good about establishing your online presence, get in touch.

Jennifer Jones is a personal stylist who will arm you with the confidence to look and feel great in the clothes that you choose. You can get in touch with her by calling her on 07584034237 or via email info@jenniferjonesstyling.com. Alternatively, you can visit www.jenniferjonesstyling.com for more information.

If you are thinking of having a brand photography shoot done then you might want to read our blog post on Why Getting Your Website Images Right is Important.