From Invisible to Impactful-HOW TO Refresh Your Style and ELEVATE Your Professional Presence

If you’re a busy professional or running your own business, chances are this will sound familiar: you walk into a meeting or networking event and feel like you're fading into the background. You’re not doing anything particularly wrong, but you feel like you’ve lost your edge and your outfit feels tired. You’re stuck in a style rut, but you’re not sure how to bring things up to date without compromising your professional credibility.

You’re not alone. These are the things I often hear from my clients -

“I want to look current, but I don’t want to seem like I’m trying too hard.”
“I don’t feel like my clothes represent who I am anymore.”
“I still want to be taken seriously, but I want to feel good about how I look, too.”

How does this happen?

Even the Most Capable People End Up in a Style Rut

As your career develops, your time becomes more limited. You’re focused on growing your business, managing teams and delivering results. Understandably, your wardrobe becomes something you stop thinking about - it works on autopilot. You wear the same trousers, shoes, and safe combinations that have got you through the last few years.

But life doesn’t stand still. Dress codes change, fashion shifts, and most importantly, you change. What once felt like ‘you’ now feels dated or disconnected from the role you’re in today.

People don’t just notice what you wear; they pick up on how it makes you feel. If your wardrobe is no longer helping you feel confident, that disconnect shows. And whether you realise it or not, it can start to affect how others perceive you.

You’ll start to feel it in the following ways -

• Second-guessing what to wear to important meetings

• Feeling underdressed (or overdressed) at events

• Getting dressed in the morning and thinking, “Urgh, not this again”

• Buying new pieces that just feel “ok” instead of exciting

• Watching others walk into a room and wishing you felt that confident

  Style ruts chip away at your confidence. When you’re in a high-visibility role, the lack of alignment can send mixed messages, whether you realise it or not.

Professional Doesn’t Mean Predictable

There is a balance between professionalism and personal expression. You don’t need to follow trends or make bold fashion statements, and there’s a way to look polished without looking like you’re wearing a uniform. But you do need a sense of relevance and personal clarity.

This can be particularly challenging for:

• Mid-career professionals seeking promotion

• Entrepreneurs and founders wanting to project both innovation and reliability

• Those returning to work after significant break

How to Start Shifting Your Style (Without Starting from Scratch)

If you’re ready to move out of the rut but don’t know where to begin, here are three simple but crucial steps I guide clients through -

1. Review Before You Replace

Before you rush out to buy anything new, take stock of what you already own. Ask yourself, “Does this still reflect the person I am today, or was it for a past version of me? “

It’s surprisingly common to hold onto items that feel ‘safe’ but no longer serve a purpose. Editing not only clears space; it brings fresh clarity to what your style actually is now.

2. Redefine What ‘Professional’ Means for You

There’s no single formula for dressing professionally anymore. Are you more minimalist and considered? Do you lean towards something relaxed but smart? Quietly confident? Expressive and contemporary?

Once you’re clear on your style identity, it becomes easier to make wardrobe choices that feel both natural and elevated.

3. Refine the Details

Small updates can make a huge difference. A better cut jacket. A more contemporary shoe. Slight tweaks in colour, shape, or texture can bring energy back into your look, without needing to overhaul your entire wardrobe.

It’s these changes that often spark compliments, re-energise your confidence, and subtly send the message ‘I know who I am, and I take pride in how I present myself’.

Final Thought-Visibility Is a Strategy

This isn’t about vanity. It’s about showing up fully and intentionally. When your image is aligned with who you are and where you’re heading, it supports your presence in the room, without you needing to say a word.

So if you’re feeling overlooked, out of touch, or simply ready for your wardrobe to better reflect your role and ambitions, you don’t have to work it out alone. That’s exactly what I help professionals and founders do.

Let’s make sure your wardrobe is doing you justice.