The Legacy of Style
"Fashions fade, style is eternal." —Yves Saint Laurent
"You gotta have style. It helps you get down the stairs. It helps you get up in the morning. It’s a way of life. Without it, you’re nobody. I’m not talking about lots of clothes.” —Diana Vreeland
"Fashion you can buy, but style you possess. The key to style is learning who you are, which takes years. There's no how-to road map to style. It's about self expression and, above all, attitude." —Iris Apfel
"Elegance is not standing out, but being remembered." —Giorgio Armani
“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” — Rachel Zoe
The greats sum it up all so well.
Style is not just wearing the latest fashion, trends and shoes. It's an innate quality, a sense of self, that is unique to you.
As legacy builder, having a sense of style is closely tied to your believability and credibility.
I’ve seen many intelligent, erudite and well spoken individuals wander around in unkept and shabby clothes.
Their hygiene is poor and their homes are untidy and dirty.
Those same people wonder why doors keep closing to them. Why opportunities keep missing them. Why love is keeps evading them. Why respect is never handed to them.
Simply put, they repel opportunities in life because of their lack of attention to their appearance and hygiene.
While formal dress standards have relaxed within the workplace and across society as a whole, walking around with a ragged beard or unruly clothes is just not on. Especially as a leader and a builder of legacy.
Style is not just limited to clothes and appearance though. It’s also expressed in your etiquette - how you carry yourself and how you treat situations and others with politeness, self and others respect.
For more on etiquette, read the ultimate modern etiquette guide.
It’s a fun and quick read that’ll definitely get you thinking about how your style and etiquette permeates into your work relationships, friendships, online and offline behaviour, when you’re a host and alternatively a guest, even when you’re at the gym and out and about.
At its heart, style is about being kind and respectful - both to yourself and to others. When you love who you are and embrace your quirks and unique attributes, your confidence shines through. When you’re proud of your home and wardrobe, your design and dress sense is inevitable. When you’re kind, patient and generous with your words, time and attitude, your soul is irresistible.
That’s style.
Insight Inspiration
The reality is that in our highly connected multiverse, you don’t know who’s watching and worse still who’s recording. Living in and with style is one way to future proof your reputation and avoid being caught out on basic manners and respect.
In all you do, from your home, to your workplace and even amongst friends, be polite, friendly, warm, generous, appropriately dressed, unique, stylish and mercurial, setting a good example to others, so that they can behave similarly.
“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” ― Shannon Alder
Think on it.
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