By Ann Skidmore
Have you noticed how Mr. Obama's every actions, words, clothes, ties (and colour of his ties) has been discussed in newspapers, radio reports and by TV journalists? Is it any wonder given we live in an age where we are surrounded, bombarded even, by visual images from large advertising hoardings to the tiny images on our mobile phones. Politicians are now as famous as film stars, actors and sports personalities.
Therefore it is no surprise that part of Mr Obama's bid for the White House incorporated an instinctive, confident and yet comfortable ease in knowing how to dress for success.
Why does his image matter? Well we all need to manage our appearance because it gives off a visual statement about our personality and what is important to us. Our image demonstrates how confident we feel about ourselves and also can give or take away credibility and gravitas. We have 30 seconds to make a first impression and that first impression can last up to 15 years or up to 8 years for a President.
At 6ft 1 ½ and being slender in build Mr. Obama could be a natural model who looks as good in elegant black suits as he does in his smart casual attire (the latter he adopts particularly when he is meeting children). His approach to his presidency was that of a new recruit applying for a new job. He paid attention to his communication skills, his qualifications (again written about at length) and he paid particular attention to his personal image (his manners, grooming and clothes). He knew it wasn't a strictly conventional 'job hire' however it was a 'job hire' nonetheless with millions of votes at stake. So a key message for everyone - men and women alike is that we should always think carefully about what we wear for our jobs for the simple reason that when we feel comfortable with what we are wearing we will look, sound and feel more confident and positive. This then creates the impact of others having confidence in us.
Back to Mr. Obama as a role model for a great 30 second impact. He appears to have an innate flair for knowing how to wear a suit. Mr. Obama has covered miles and miles across the USA delivering speeches, presentations and interviews and appears to have rarely put a foot wrong in how he presented himself. He instinctively knows when to wear a crisp white shirt which somehow retained its crispness and brightness from the morning press briefing to a final meeting at the end of an increasingly busy day. He seemed to also instinctively know when to wear his tie and when to take it off depending on the meeting and the company he was keeping at that time. He has been seen in navy blue and black suits which is different from the more conventional political choice of dark grey suits that other politicians tend to be seen wearing. Black is a more edgy 'on trend' colour which appeals to younger voters. Black as a colour also means 'I can be trusted in difficult times', it is not an extravagant colour.
Not only does Mr. Obama dress for success he looks entirely comfortable in his suits and smart casual attire. That is something all gentlemen might envy when they are wearing trousers too tight, jackets which are badly fitting or a tie which says more about the tie than about the guy. Have you ever remembered a man's tie but not what he spoke about? This is because some men don't realise the importance of wearing clothes that:
* complement their colouring
* balance their build, scale and proportions
* fit with their personality
* are appropriate for the occasion be it business or social
* are up to date and current
Surely Mr. Obama ticks all the above boxes? His clothes are a reinforcement to his message which appears to come across of something like 'trust me I am comfortable, I feel comfortable and all will be well', this was delivered in his acceptance speech so if he were to be asked 'Mr President-Elect can we all be as comfortable as you are in your clothes?', he would surely say 'yes we can'!
Ann Skidmore is a Corporate Image, Style and Colour Consultant with Colour Me Beautiful, based in Staffordshire (UK).
http://www.annskidmorecmb.co.uk
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