As an entrepreneur, your wardrobe is very much your brand. Whether you’re constantly ready for networking, or building a powerful yet approachable look for your employees, everything that you wear can resonate strongly with who you are and where you expect to be in life.
With this in mind, you should accessorize for your role accordingly. While comfort is always essential–after all, your role can consume lots of energy–your dress code must be ready for anything.
When we think of CEOs, we cast our minds to visions of powerful and dignified individuals. These business leaders can command the attention of a room, but still look out for all of their employees and make them feel valued.
For entrepreneurs, to carry off a look of strong leadership alongside a friendly and approachable demeanor can be a challenge in itself. But with the right accessories to complement your look, it’s possible to be everything that your staff could possibly want in a CEO.
Let’s explore seven of the ultimate CEO accessories that every entrepreneur should boss to help boost their personal brand while caring for their endeavor and employees.
1. The Undervalued Power of Cufflinks
Yes, cufflinks are purely cosmetic and can feel superfluous to many businessmen and women who simply want to dress smart and grab the opportunities presented to them each day, but there’s a reason that they’re top of this accessory list: no accessory is as easy and effective as a good set of cufflinks.
At their core, cufflinks are the perfect complement to a formally dressed CEO. They’re not as showy as a chunky watch or designer glasses, but their size means that they can be as expressive as the wearer wants but still understated.
This means that you can convey your personality on the small metal canvases of cufflinks, and add accents like gold, silver, black, chains, diamonds, rubies, and other stones to build a look that’s uniquely you.
The best thing about cufflinks is that they’re unmissable when at their eye-catching best–meaning that you can let your style shine through without overawing the person you’re meeting.
2. Shoes that Complement your Character
Research suggests that we’re judged by our choice of footwear above all else. This means that our shoes can go a long way in communicating our personality and approach to business ownership.
While more plain style Oxford shoes can tell your counterparts and employees that you mean business, Brogues can give off a more lighthearted and approachable look. Many CEOs choose to wear more colorful shoes as a way to present themselves as more vibrant and personable.
While there is plenty of room for customization when it comes to your choice in shoes and dress shoes, always remember your schedule and workloads for various days and weeks. If your footwear is likely to feel a little uncomfortable, this discomfort could impact your productivity and attitude as the day goes on.
3. Socks are your Freedom of Expression
The great thing about socks is that they’re discreet and completely malleable when it comes to expression. Even better is that they’re far less noticeable when you’re walking with purpose when out and about, but when you’re sitting with employees or in a business meeting, they can provide a delightful air of light-heartedness about your character.
Your socks can be brightly colorful, or they could feature a rich pattern that represents a hobby or something close to your heart. In the latter case, your socks can be a great ice breaker with clients who may have a shared interest. Ultimately, socks are an opportunity for CEOs to express themselves in a way that won’t upset their overall look.
4. Shades are Stylish and Functional
Yes, sunglasses and CEOs can be something of a cliché, but there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that they ooze coolness–and besides, they’re also highly functional.
The life of an entrepreneur is steeped in hustle and bustle. When your workload gets too much and those late nights drag on, sunglasses are an excellent tool to hide tiredness and weariness. Much like how celebrities rely on dark sunglasses as a form of mask when faced with paparazzi, incorporating a great set of shades can not only make your appearance more expressive, but it can also make those around you believe that you’re at your 100% freshest, even if you’ve been burning the midnight oil.
Naturally, glasses are also a great look regardless of who you are, your fashion sense, or your taste in brands. They’re also highly customizable, and you can simply click here to view the vast array of styles that Burberry offers industry professionals.
5. Your Tie can Speak Volumes About your Outlook
Ties can accentuate your mood and your outlook on the day ahead. Because they can provide a colorful accent to your overall style, ties can work in a similar way to flowers when it comes to adding meaning to your wardrobe.
Your choice in style of tie can carry meaning too. Block colors can mean business, while patterns can add an artistic and expressive flair that’s altogether more approachable. Like socks, ties can also be entirely off-the-wall in terms of the images they depict–but just remember that your tie will speak volumes on your behalf.
6. Your Watch will Always Get Noticed
As a CEO, your watch can often act as a display of wealth and attitude. To arrive in a meeting wearing an expensive gold timepiece is quite a statement–but is it one that you’re looking to make?
The beauty of watches is that there are a great many different approaches to take and virtually all of them will be instantly recognisable to your employees, clients, and counterparts.
Your choice in watch will speak volumes about who you are and your approach as an entrepreneur. For instance, leather straps indicate a more grounded personality that’s more approachable, while fully metal and high-end branded timepieces show that you mean business and are independently resourceful.
7. Your Bag is the Ultimate Accompaniment
Whether you’re carrying a handbag, shoulder bag, or laptop bag, this is the ultimate practical accompaniment for your look. After all, even the biggest CEOs in the world need somewhere to put their handheld devices and notepads.
Because these bags can be large in size, the popular choice is to use natural colors to accompany the day’s style. This means that a black bag can complement a black suit, or a brown bag is a suitable companion for blue or block colored attire.
Despite this, bags can be a great way of expressing your personality, and many entrepreneurs prefer to use more patterns and color–and even to buy into the branding of leading fashion houses like Gucci or Louis Vuitton to really make a bold statement.
Although there are many ways for entrepreneurs to dress and convey their personality, there really are no right or wrong ways to accessorize your look. Just remember your target audience at all times and make sure that you’re always dressed to deliver the impression that you want to make.
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