Welcome Sally Inkster of Diva Dressing. Sally has written this incredibly useful guest blog for Empowering Mumpreneurs, which I hope will help you find your ideal style so you can feel confident whatever you wear! 

When you attend networking events, your image and everything you portray represents your business. When dressing for networking you need to look credible, confident and comfortable! Of course, finding the ideal attire is not always easy, especially when you’re trying to combine your wardrobe so it is suitable for work and being a mum!

The biggest tip I can give you is to make sure all your clothes compliment you physically. It really is important to know your body shape, colouring, face shape and style. Without knowing these things it is very hard, expensive (think mistakes!) and time consuming to find clothes that look good on you.

As mums, the one thing you need more of is time and life doesn’t run smoothly if you spend too long searching through your wardrobe for inspiration. You may not be able to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe for networking events and business meetings, and you absolutely don’t need to.

You can wear a lot of your basic clothes from your parenting life in your business life. For example, start with good basic black or blue trousers or jeans and a basic t-shirt of the same colour. Team this with a smart jacket, higher heels than you normally wear, carry a great work bag containing your  business cards, and you're set to go! Research shows that within ninety seconds of meeting someone, we form an opinion about him or her, and this reaction is mainly based on appearance. This isn’t done consciously as the brain reacts instinctively on an emotional level before it can analyse any other information.

If someone’s appearance contradicts what he or she is saying, it becomes difficult to believe the spoken word because the visual message is much stronger. A Social Psychologist, Albert Mehrabian, found that 55% of a first impression is based on appearance - dress, grooming, body language -38% on the way you sound - tone and pitch of our voice accent - and only 7% on what you have to say.

Based on this conclusion, getting your image to support what you communicate is important when developing good relationships.

To discover your body shape and your ideal style, please visit my website www.divadressing.co.uk and read my articles. You can also contact me to arrange a personal or group consultation, which will offer the support and guidance you need. I run regular workshops for up to five people, which provide all the tools you need to feel much more confident and comfortable in the clothes you wear.

If you would like to join my next workshop on Thursday 13th September, please get in touch to book your place. Please feel free to contact me to find out how I can help you to create your ideal image and style that will make you feel credible, confidence and comfortable in every aspect of your life!

Sally Inkster is an expert and psychological Personal and Corporate Style Consultant. She helps individuals find their personal and unique dressing style and she is passionate about making people look and feel fabulous! Her goal is to enable people to learn what looks good on them without having to waste money on mistakes! www.divadressing.co.uk Tel: 07734 417957 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @divadressing

Start your journey today – achieve confidence, balance and clarity for an easier, happier life!

Empowering Mums is on a mission to empower a million mums and mumpreneurs just like you with greater confidence, balance and clarity to activate your infinite capabilities within! Enabling you to enjoy an easier, happier life alongside running a highly successful business. Aligned with enjoying time out for an essential self-care routine that fulfils your own needs and delight in quality time spent with your children being the mum you really want to be!

For further support please contact Empowering Mums today on 01606 334 015, alternatively visit our website at www.empoweringmums.com for more information.