You don't have to leave your personality at the door when you step into a bigger role.
I've been paying more attention to Mary Berg's style lately, and I'm rather enjoying what I'm seeing. The Canadian chef, cookbook author and host of The Good Stuff has a wardrobe that's colourful, playful, a little preppy and just the right amount of quirky. Think printed dresses, interesting collars, bold colour combinations, statement earrings, fun footwear and the occasional unexpected detail. There's a real sense of fun in how she puts things together, but it's not random. There are recognizable threads running through her outfits that make her style feel distinctly hers.
What I particularly like is the balance she strikes between classic and playful. There's often something quite familiar about the foundations of her outfits – a shirt dress, a tailored jacket, a knit polo, a pair of trousers – but then she adds a twist. A bold print, an unexpected colour, a statement accessory or an interesting shoe. She clearly enjoys getting dressed and she isn't afraid to have a little fun with it. Yes she works in television and yes she has a stylist, but the thing that comes through loud and clear is that she has an extremely strong sense of self. Her style really feels like it belongs to her.
I also think there's something interesting about the woman behind the wardrobe. Mary didn't grow up in the world of television or spend years building a public persona. She had a career in insurance before entering MasterChef Canada, which she went on to win in 2016. Since then, she's built a hugely successful career as a chef, author and television presenter. Yet, as her profile has grown, she hasn't seemingly felt the need to adopt a more conventional or serious-looking version of herself. In an interview with ELLE Gourmet, she spoke about how the person people see on television and read about in her cookbooks is genuinely her. She doesn't feel the need to pretend to be someone else. I think that comes through in her style, too.
It got me thinking about how often women feel they need to change how they look as they move into bigger roles. A promotion, a move into senior leadership, greater visibility or a seat at the executive table can bring with it a whole new set of perceived expectations. Suddenly, there's a sense that we need to look more serious, more polished, more corporate. We start editing out the things that feel a little too expressive, a little too playful or perhaps just a little too us. We trade personality for professionalism, often without even realising we're doing it.
But why? Why do we assume that being taken seriously means looking more serious? That authority requires a certain uniform? Or that as our responsibilities grow, our individuality needs to take a back seat? I actually think the opposite. The more senior we become, the more important it is that our presence reflects who we are. Your experience, perspective, personality and point of view are what distinguish you. Your style can help communicate all of that. It doesn't need to be louder, trendier or more extravagant. It just needs to feel like you, at the level you're operating at today.
This is something I explore with my clients. We look beyond what is appropriate for their role or what they think a senior woman should wear, and get curious about what they actually want their style to communicate. What do they want to be known for? What parts of their personality have perhaps been dialled down? What would it look like to bring more of those qualities into how they dress and show up? The goal isn't to create a more corporate version of themselves. It's to build a style that reflects the woman they've become, without losing the things that make them distinctive.
So, if you're stepping into a bigger role, taking on more visibility or simply thinking about how you want to show up in this next chapter, here's something to consider: you don't have to leave your personality at the door to be taken seriously. In fact, it might be the very thing that makes you stand out.