Gwenin: Clarity by Design

Aligning presence with purpose, at your own pace, in your own way

Introduction: Reframing Style as a Practice of Care

“Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”

We’ve all heard it. But this phrase can feel more like a relic than a roadmap in today’s evolving work cultures. Whose job? Whose definition of professionalism? And what if your path forward doesn’t fit in a box, or a blazer?

This reflection kit offers something different:
A space to think.
To notice.
To align how you show up on the outside with the values you’re carrying within.

Whether you’re stepping into leadership, redefining visibility, or simply wondering how to feel more grounded in what you wear each day, this resource is here to support you with curiosity, not critique. It doesn’t offer style prescriptions or perfectionist ideals. Instead, it invites you to:

• Reflect on what presence means across cultures, bodies, roles, and rhythms
• Explore how clothing can become a signal of readiness, care, or belonging
• Consider what kind of leadership you’re cultivating, not just what you’re stepping into
• Challenge inherited norms with grounded alternatives rooted in empathy and context

You can use the kit on your own, with a mentor, or in a team setting. It’s adaptable, non-linear, and designed to travel well across industries, from tech to teaching, from grassroots organising to executive boardrooms.

Use it not to dress up, but to dress toward, a version of yourself that feels more congruent, more intentional, and more at ease.

Let’s begin not in a closet, but with a question:
What are you really dressing for?

1. Grounding: Define Where You’re Headed

☑ Reflection Prompts:

• What’s the “next level” role I envision (not just title, impact, rhythm, relationship)?
• In moments I admire in others, what are they doing and expressing, not just wearing?

✍ I’m moving toward a role where I ____________________________
✍ and I hope to be perceived as someone who ____________________________.

2. Noticing: Observe Without Imitation

Let observation be a learning tool, not a copy-paste mechanism.

☑ Try:

• Noticing which elements repeat across influential people
• Spotting signals that communicate confidence vs. conformity
• Honouring diversity in how leadership looks and feels

✍ I’ve noticed that many leaders tend to ____________________________
✍ But I’d prefer to express that quality by ____________________________.

🟦 Prompt for inclusion:
What visual cues do I notice in leaders I don’t typically see celebrated? What can I learn from them?

3. Mapping Context: Visual Expectations Across Spaces

Context or Culture	Expected Norms	Opportunities to Personalise
My Immediate Team	____________________________	____________________________
My Broader Profession	____________________________	____________________________
My Personal Background	____________________________	____________________________
Leadership Models I Value	____________________________	____________________________

🟦 Prompt for care:
Which norms feel like tools and which feel like traps?

4. Experiment with Intention: Small Style Shifts

☑ Try:

• □ Refreshing wardrobe basics with improved fit and feel
• □ Adding one signature item that reflects identity or clarity
• □ Elevating polish while staying grounded and relatable

✍ A low-stakes change I’ll try is ____________________________
✍ It feels like a signal of ____________________________.

🟦 Prompt for grounding:
How can I express readiness without compromising authenticity?

5. Beyond Clothing: Matching Style with Substance

☑ Ask yourself:

• What values do I want to express before I even speak?
• What does “walking the talk” look like in my leadership?
• How does my presence support, not distract from, my purpose?

✍ To align more deeply, I’ll focus on ____________________________
✍ And I’ll let go of performative habits like ____________________________.

6. Authenticity & Expression: Make It Yours

☑ Reflection Prompts:

• What parts of me get edited out when I “dress up”?
• How can I hold space for my culture, identity, or story?
• Where does professionalism feel like permission rather than restriction?

✍ My version of professionalism includes ____________________________
✍ because it reflects ____________________________.

🟦 Prompt for inclusion:
How can I expand ideas of professionalism in ways that welcome others, not just elevate myself?

7. Rewrite the Phrase

Time to let go of inherited scripts and make it your own.

✍ Instead of “Dress for the job you want…”, I’d say:
“Dress for ____________________________, because ____________________________.”

✍ My leadership style looks like ____________________________
And it feels like ____________________________.

🟦 Prompt for collective voice:
What phrase better reflects care, clarity, and courage in your community?

8. Presence Prep: Quick Pre-Meeting Checklist

☑ My outfit feels grounded in who I am
☑ I’ve chosen comfort and clarity over correction
☑ My appearance supports my message, not distracts from it
☑ I’m not dressing to impress, I’m dressing to connect
☑ I’m not borrowing power, I’m embodying presence

🟦 Prompt:
Which of these have I internalised, and which might I revisit as I grow?

9. Group Conversation Starters

Designed for mentoring, onboarding, team coaching, or community leadership sessions.

What does “showing up” look like here, and who might that exclude?
How can style become a conversation, not a command?
What unspoken dress codes are we reinforcing, and do they reflect our values?

🟦 Facilitator Tip:
Encourage responses that balance vulnerability and vision. Invite curiosity, not consensus.

10. Closing Reflection: The World You’re Helping Shape

This isn’t about assimilation, it’s about expansion. About choosing care, clarity, and presence as a practice of leadership.

✍ When I show up with intention, I help create spaces where ____________________________
✍ One way I can invite others to belong is by ____________________________
✍ The kind of leadership I’m cultivating is ____________________________

You’re always welcome to view Gwenin for a selection of frameworks, or pop over to Spiralmore’s extended PDF collections. In addition, you’re always welcome to explore our more relaxed corner: the informal blog.