Stylist Natalie Weakly discusses how to dress for the legal profession with University of Houston Law Center students.
Chandria Jackson, Director of Employer Relations & Development at UHLC (left) and Natalie Weakly, seminar speaker and image consultant (right) attended the Career Development Office seminar “Dress to Impress.”
Oct.03, 2023 — Image consultant Natalie Weakly shared her expertise with law students on the art of dressing and styling for the legal profession during a seminar hosted by the Career Development Office at the University of Houston Law Center.
“When you are going for a law position, you want to look like the lawyer in the room,” Weakly said.
With more than 20 years of experience as a professional stylist, Weakly assists clients in image coaching, including personal style, personal branding, speaking, presentation skills, body language, and communication.
In her presentation, titled “Dress to Impress – Tailoring Your Look for the Legal Profession,” Weakly talked about the power attire holds and how students can utilize their wardrobe to their advantage when interviewing and working in the legal professional world.
Weakly focused on the importance of “intentional style,” noting that it is not just about throwing on clothes. “We actually want to make sure you’re dressing with purpose so you can show up well for your jobs and interviews.”
During an introductory exercise, Weakly asked the students what five words they would like someone to think of when they see them. Two frequently mentioned words were "confident” and “capable.”
Weakly emphasized to students that to be perceived as confident and capable on the first impression, they must present themselves as those characteristics through the way they dress.
“Each clothing piece, on its own, is fairly small but when it adds up together, it creates a story and the picture of you,” Weakly explained.
Weakly discussed professional style from head to toe, displaying photos of men and women in different work environments and analyzing their professionalism based on their clothing choices. She elaborated on what attire displays business professional, business casual, smart casual, and other styles.
“It’s important to know the difference between all of the different styles. It’s a wild world out there, and it’s not the same for everyone. Your chosen profession is the most traditional and most conservative,” said Weakly.
Weakly also covered the psychology of color choices in professional attire, explaining that each color represents different qualities. For example, Weakly said that navy blue is the best choice to wear for a first interview because navy blue represents approachability, reliability, trustworthiness and loyalty. She said that a black suit would be appropriate for a second interview as black promotes authority and power.
At the end of the seminar, Weakly gave a quick rundown on how to build a capsule collection suitable for a lawyer's position. She recommended choosing base neutrals and then selecting complementary colors. She demonstrated this technique with a rack of clothes so students could visualize how to mix and match the right shirt and pants to achieve the lawyer look
