Always to be comfortable in your skin - A Conversation with Style coach, Renée Lindo

Always to be comfortable in your skin – A Conversation with Style coach, Renée Lindo

As a Personal stylist and style coach, Renée Lindo helps women level up their style game. She started Let’s Get Dressed Now to share her passion for style and fashion with the world, and to help women achieve their personal style goals. Your personal style is how you say who you are without speaking.

In 2018 she stepped away from her Corporate career as a National Sales Director so that she could use her talents to help women elevate their style, to align with their personal brand, and attract the opportunities they desire. When women look good they feel good, which gives them the confidence to step BOLDLY into the lives they were meant to enjoy! They show up happier and more complete for their families, and more engaged with life.

Renée’s mission is to help women show up as the highest version of themselves with full confidence ready to share their magic with the world. She accomplishes this by working closely with her clients to craft a clear, confident, and consistent style story. The unique story they want to tell through their style. When this is successful it’s a game-changer. There is an energy shift and they become magnetic.

Her raving clientele are busy women balancing family and advancing careers with staying healthy and trying to live their best lives. She knows these women, she is that woman as well.

What’s your connection to Jamaica and where do you live currently?
Born and raised in St. Andrew, Jamaica. Proud Campionite “Red is strong”. Went to the US for University, began my professional career with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals in sales in Atlanta, and was soon promoted to country manager of Jamaica. Moved to Toronto, Canada where I currently reside with my family.

How did you get started as a Personal stylist?
As a National Sales Director, I had reached the top of my game. There were no other women at my level in my company and I always wondered why? To build a successful sales career, one thing you need for sure is confidence, and I knew when I looked good and was dressed well, I could do anything. I felt powerful. My clothing was like a suit of armour , readying me for battle and I felt invincible!. If I could help women to feel that and leverage their power, that’s what I wanted to do. I had always loved fashion and style, from a little girl going to fashion shows and Miss Jamaica pageants with Mummy, fashion was our thing. I even took my sales representatives shopping to build their wardrobes. It was something I loved and was very good at. It just got to a point in my career where I had reached the top of my mountain, but when I looked around, it was the wrong mountain. So I stepped away from Corporate in faith to launch my company.

What has been your proudest moment so far as a personal stylist?
I don’t know if I have achieved that yet. Every time I work with a client , whether it’s on her style refresh or in my style coaching program, and I witness her increased confidence, I feel so proud. Leveling up your style is so very powerful. It opens you up to so much more, it’s transformative. That is what I am proud of. I was also the cover story in my local town publication a few months ago, and that was also a proud moment.

What are some of the fashion opportunities you have for people to address their personal style during the pandemic?
Yes, so this is my jam!!! Many people have let themselves go and feel they don’t have to show up because they aren’t leaving their homes or no one is seeing them, or I’ll hear “it’s just a Zoom call!” “Just a Zoom call” is still important. I am a strong believer that this is an awesome opportunity to progress our personal brand virtually. I find that since most meetings are virtual now, you may have more people attending your virtual meeting since they don’t have to travel. So you may have higher ups attend. Perfect opportunity to increase your visibility within your company, within your BU, across BUs etc. and visibility is everything when you are trying to progress your career. Your personal brand is everything. People need to know you and what you deliver and have an emotional connection to you. Seeing you is important. So, please CAMERAS ON!!!! Speak up on calls, show up, make your point, be seen! So so important.

When it comes to work from home and people not getting dressed! Again get dressed for your day. Studies tell us you are more productive and in the mindset of work when you get dressed. Getting dressed is a form of self-care. Get dressed for you! You’ll see your energy and mood shift.

I am not suggesting wearing a suit, unless that is what your industry requires, however, I am saying you can be professional and comfortable. I talk about that a lot in my “Style Files” newsletter and my social platforms.

Can you give us a few tips for dressing in this era of Zoom meeting?
Oh yes, I deliver trainings to Corporate clients and I have now included this in my style coaching program. This is the way pof the world now, and if we don’t master this, we will be left behind. I have just been approved for Linkedin Live and this will be one of the first topics I talk about. Everybody in virtual now, so how do you stand out for the right reasons? How do you become memorable? Well first ensure you manage the technical aspects of your virtual meeting. Then in terms of your attire here are a few tips:

1- Wear colour- This is one of the best things you can do to show up well virtually. Wearing the right colour brightens your face and makes you look alive. Stay aways from black, you just blend in, grey is just blah and white can be see thru when you are lit from the front. Positioning the light in front of you gives you the best lighting.

2- Stay away from stripes, they can “dance” on the screen and become distracting
I encourage you to wear jewelry (industry appropriate) to show a little personality, however, be conscious of them making noise as that is distracting as well.

3- Ninja tip-Do a dress rehearsal-not everything translates well from real life to virtual. Put your outfit on and sit in it to test. Do buttons gape? Are you pulling down or up or constantly adjusting? That is very distracting.

4- You want all the attention on your mouth/face so people are listening to you. You don’t want your clothes speaking louder than you!!

From a fashion perspective, how should people approach the return to dressing normal?
Well for me can’t wait for outside to be a thing again!! I am so ready to dress up and go do something!

I think there have been many lessons from COVID for the fashion industry. Going forward I think people are looking for clothes that are higher quality, that last longer and can be worn across seasons. People are looking closer at how they spend their money. Comfort is going to continue to be a big thing. I maintain, comfort does not have to mean sloppy. I have helped clients create new wardrobes for WFM with a focus on comfort while being able to show up professionally for clients or their internal teams.

People are looking deeper into the entire concept of sustainable dressing. Whether that’s buy from second hand/thrift, donating, reimaging what they already own into new outfits and buying quality that lasts and looking at cost per wear. These are all things I help clients achieve. I have a service where I’ll work with their current wardrobe and create new outfits.

Fashion tip or color for the season?
The Pantone colours for 2021 are yellow and grey, more precisely, Ultimate grey and IIlluminatiing. Choosing two colours to make the point that no one is just one, we all need each other. So a blend of Practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a color combination that gives us resilience and hope.

My fashion tip, I have two:
Always to be comfortable in your skin. Comfort does not mean sloppy. When you are comfortable you’ll be confident and confidence is always in style. And show up! Be seen. You have something to contribute to the world, share your magic unapologetically.Do it as only you can. With style of course. I can help you with that!

Which designers do you love right now?

Bwoy, that’s a tough one, the fashion industry is going through major changes right now and have scaled back a lot of their shows, of course. I love my Caribbean designers Keena Linton, Heather Laine, Claudia Pegus and Meiling Also love Greta Constantine and some up and coming Black designers with Harlem Fashion Row

What item of clothing (if any) do you wish that more of us wore?

For women definitely undergarment/body shapers. They make a huge difference in how your clothes look. They just smooth out everything. As we age, we may have a few more lumps and bumps and things may not be as tight as they used to be. NO shame. You’ll look great. You’ll even look a little slimmer!

How would you describe your own personal style?

I love style and I wear things that speak to me. My style is classic, sassy, fun with a edge. I love to wear things that have interesting details. Even when casual I want to be elevated with some element of style.

A phrase you use far too often?
If a fi yu it caan be unfi yu! and “Go hard an’ dun”

In a nutshell, what is your philosophy?
Excellence is my starting point and Execution wins the race every time not the idea

Thanks for the interview. Any closing thoughts?
Yes, for so long women have not put themselves on their priority list and just settled for what’s left of their time and energy. I encourage women to invest in themselves. Invest in learning how to dress your body, how to show up with confidence in your authentic power, and own that. When you look and feel good your energy changes and you become magnetic. People want that. Working with a personal stylist isn’t just for the rich and famous. I help everyday women who want to elevate their style and step into that next level woman they want to be. The knowledge you get with your investment will save you money way over your investment. We only wear 20% of the clothes in our closets. I’m on a mission to help women create functional closets filled with pieces they love that support the current lifestyle.

If you are serious about leveling up your style, happy to offer a Free 30 mins Style consult.

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