The Power of 3 is my number 1 tip to look more professional, stylish, polished and ready for business.
Power of 3 refers to the number of visible garments you are wearing.
#1 shirt
#2 pants
#3 YES this is the magic item! Lets find out why.
Your shirt and pants are your basics – no question about them. The third piece is your ace-in-hole for adding interest and an I-mean-business structure and energy to your look.
A third piece can be soft, like the lightweight vest pictured above, or a layered sweater or cardigan. A third piece can be more structural as in a sport coat. Now a sport coat is NOT a suit coat. It is true that if you have a lightly-used, simple navy suit with navy buttons (not metal), you can use the jacket as a sport coat, but any other type of suiting fabric will look like you lost the pants. Great sport coats are made with fabrics that are, well, sporty. They have less sheen in the weave of the fabric. The fabric has a little “nap” or texture like a cord, a tweed or brushed denim or flannels are great examples.
A third piece transitions well.
Another great reason to have a “third piece mentality” in dressing is if when you are in the office you often transition between groups of people in the same day. Different groups may require different levels of formality in your attire – like the “kids in the pit” for a morning sales pep talk and then a management staff meeting after lunch.
Obviously the third piece offers the physical comfort of a layering garment for chilly mornings, or over air-conditioned offices.
A third piece makes you stand-out.
Just like I often suggest a groom to wear a three-piece suit (looks great in the formal pictures too) so he stands out as unique from the groomsmen at the reception, I suggest to you that you consider having a third piece to elevate and polish your look over your shirt-sleeve counterparts.
Last but not least, a well fitting third piece is flattering. If you are a little squooshy in the middle it covers that beautifully. Check out this before and after taken on the same day, doesn’t he look thinner with the vest on? A third piece usually frames your face and just looks better!
For your best third pieces, book a virtual consultation, details of which are located on my Suited for Love site.
Ann Lindsay is Style of Success and Suited for Love
I work to make you look effortlessly confident.
Image Consulting — Personal Styling
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