Brief Bio:
Dr. Anna Akbari is a sociologist, entrepreneur, writer, and “the thinking person’s stylist.” She is the founder and editor of Sociology of Style, which takes an intelligent look at image and culture-related issues and offers holistic image consulting and life coaching services. Unlike most traditional stylists, Anna looks at the social significance of visual self-presentation and asks people to rethink who they are and who they want to become by aligning personal and professional goals with personal image.
She is a former professor in the department of Media, Culture, and Communication and the department of Art and Art Professions at New York University, as well as the Art and Design History and Theory department at Parsons The New School for Design. Her doctoral dissertation, “Fashioning Power,” and her M.A. thesis, “Distinguished Compliance: Living in the Cracks of Corporate Dress Codes,” explore the ways in which we negotiate power via dress and self-presentation in our everyday lives.
She pulls from her in-depth ethnographic research, combined with over 15 years on all sides of the fashion industry, to engage the topic of self-fashioning in a more substantive, critical way than most traditional stylists. A prominent thought leader, she is a frequent speaker and writer for such outlets as TED, CNN, The Atlantic, Daily Worth, and the Financial Times.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Here’s how your clothing affects your success
- Why your image matters
- How your style helps you with negotiation
- Why there are many ways to look powerful
- What your clothes say about you
- 3 Steps to define your personal style
- The real difference between fashion and style
- 3 Reasons to not follow fashion trends
- Why people ALWAYS respond to how you look
- How to make yourself more attractive
- How to learn how your image is affecting people
- Why what other people think DOES matter
- Why minorities should be more cautious about the way they dress at work
- How to be authentic with your style and image
- Style rules to live by
- Where to go for affordable luxury
- The best jeans for your shape
- Why you should invest in your image and style
- How Anna got into the sociology of style
Ted’s Takeaways:
1. Self-Awareness
2. Empathy (what other people think DOES matter)
3. Decide on the image you want to project
4. Develop your style, forget about fashion
5. Invest in your yourself
Resources:
Connect with Anna:
Anna’s Website Sociology of Style
Thanks for Listening!
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Until next time!
Ted
