A Case Study in Executive Style: Anna Wintour
Anna Wintour is the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue and serves as the Artistic Director for Condé Nast, the publishing company for Vogue and dozens more.
Anna Wintour on NYFW (Conde Nast Russia via Vimeo)
“What should I wear today?”
This post is for all the leaders out there. If you’ve ever asked yourself what you should wear in any given professional context, this post might help. If you have ever felt the pressure to dress a certain way to look like a boss, this post might be for you. If you have wondered what strategies are out there to make your personal brand clear, keep reading.
As you move up in your career, relocate, and experience life changes, you will need to reset and reflect on what’s in your closet. It’s a strategy for efficiency, flexibility and respect.
The reputation equation
In my recent Forbes article, Four Simple Steps To An Effective Executive Style Strategy, I talk about the reputation equation for go-to outfit combinations. It’s one of the best strategies for putting palette, fabric, fit and signature items together in ways that help you save time and express your authenticity.
The goal is to have a series of equations to draw on for every situation, season, and style. The key to switching up an equation is in the pieces themselves. For example:
Trouser + Top + Flats
Trouser + Jacket + T-Shirt + Heels
Trouser + Button Down Shirt + V-Neck Sweater + Flats
Sleeved Dress + Statement Necklace + Flats
Dress + Jacket + Heels
Suit + Statement Earrings + Flats
Jacket means your choice of a blazer, a duster or a cardigan. T-shirt could mean a silk t-shirt or a t-shirt from a rock concert. Flats can be ballet flats, riding boots or suede booties. Trousers could also include jeans. A suit could be a pantsuit or a skirt suit.
Anna Wintour is the IRL proof this strategy works.
Photo by Francisco Huguenin Uhlfelder via Flickr (no modifications)
Ms. Wintour lives and breathes fashion, red carpet events and work travel, and she has a formula for all of her accessories, hair, makeup and outfits. First, notice the accessories, hair, and makeup - 100% her personal signature look:
Angular bob haircut
Large dark sunglasses
Layers of colorful Swarovski crystal necklaces
Nude Manolo Blahnik sandals, suede boots or pointy white flats
Blush pink lip
Small clutch
Next, let’s look at her clothing combinations. These are her reputation equations, without fail:
Dress
Dress + Coat
Skirt Suit + T-shirt
Sweater Set and Skirt
That’s it - boilerplate. Yet Anna Wintour’s signature look is authentic, efficient, and completely iconic. Her look takes her from the early morning meetings through mid-day shoots to evening events and everything in between, in the company of the greatest artists and advertisers of our era.
A wardrobe hack for all
A flexible wardrobe is a smart wardrobe, and this approach to getting dressed for work is an essential productivity hack for everyone, no matter your gender identity. Who doesn’t want the ability to get up in the morning and put together an outfit that keeps you feeling empowered, comfortable and a 100% you without wasting time or sacrificing your personal style?
You do not need to dress like anyone but yourself to succeed and look professional and polished. You don’t need to dress masculine unless that feels true to you. You don’t need to look older or younger than your actual age or convince anyone that you’re someone else.
Dressing for success isn’t about helping you impress people, it is about helping you redefine your wardrobe to express who you really are. It’s about standing out as the individual you are while speaking on stage and making valuable business connections at events. It’s also about saving time and moving through the “getting dressed” part of your morning to other more lucrative activities.