How to Dress for Creative Success

Creative professionals are an eclectic group of entrepreneurs – and that is reflected in the clothes we wear. Unlike Wall Street traders, we don’t need to wear the traditional “power suit” to look professional.

When meeting with customers or selling at craft shows, we can reflect who we are creatively, while maintaining a professional image, without having to wear tweed and a tie. I talked with three creative entrepreneurs from different fields to get their advice on how to “dress for success”.

1. Personality and Balance

Sarah Kim-Puangsuvan is the graphic designer behind Truly Smitten, which specializes in custom wedding invitations.  A large part of Sarah’s job is meeting with clients, so wardrobe is important. Sarah explains that it’s important for your outfit to capture your personality and style without being too serious or sharp because it might intimidate the client.

On the flip side, she warns not to dress too casually, because that may come across as unprofessional.  Striking a balance between the two extremes is key.

2. Be a Walking Display

If you sell clothing or jewelry, a great way to show your products in action is to wear them at the craft shows you participate in.  Theresa Hidayat, who runs the clothing store Moon Circus, finds that wearing her work really works.

Theresa points out that when people come to craft shows, they don’t expect to see the standard way of dressing. They expect to see a fair full of artists with distinct styles and sensibilities. Show off your product!

3. Wear It with Confidence

Gwen Paja crafts necklaces and accessories, as well as beautifully embellishing articles of clothing in her store Everyday Fairytale (see photo above).  Gwen gives a great reminder that “professionalism is not necessarily what you wear but how you carry yourself. You can wear a bright sundress and be pleasant and approachable, and still look professional.”

This point links back to the previous two points – if you dress to suit your personality, you will feel more comfortable and confident; and if you wear your own products, you’ll stand with more pride.

4. Keep it Approachable

In meetings and at craft shows, you want to appear as approachable as possible. If your outfit is either too revealing or casual, you may be discouraging people from approaching your booth. Theresa's advice is that even if your products are punk or tribal inspired, it's a good idea to keep your look fresh.

5. Remember your Surroundings

If you’re at a craft show, take into account the patterns and colors in your booth when choosing your outfit. Theresa’s advice is to choose clothes that compliment the colors in your booth.  She suggests avoiding “too many colors put together as they tend to be distracting.”  Just remember your craft show inventory when picking out your wardrobe that day.

So there you have it – words of wisdom on how to dress for success. Do you have any tips on how to dress for success for either client meetings of craft shows?  If you do, please share them with us in the comments, we’d love to know your thoughts!

Dionne Christiansen is a graphic designer based in Houston, TX.  She is the face behind the Etsy store City of Dionne, and blogs at Notes From Dionne.

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