I recently traveled to give an in-person keynote. Before I packed I decided to pluck out one of the old keynote power sheath dresses I had hanging in my closet and try it on. Just in case things had, well, shifted in the last two years of virtual keynotes from my home.

And that’s when I realized my old “power sheaths” do not fit my mood,  and to be brutally honest, or my thighs right now.

At the last minute upon landing at my destination I went shopping and found a massively marked down Teri Jon shirt dress for the event – which just happened to match the crazy background of the event. I loved it, but it definitely was out of my typical “business” fashion comfort zone.

But the test for me is how did I feel on that stage while presenting. It felt amazingly powerful to be who I am at this moment in time and have that reflected in my “costume” of choice. Because that day I was playing the role of the “energizing facilitator” and my clothing needed to reflect that.

When I was a young lawyer I dressed in what felt truly like a costume – and one that didn’t fit who I was on the inside. I thought I had to dress like my idea of a lawyer instead of who I was as a lawyer. I even remember during my law school interviews wearing ill-fitting suits, with cameos or even small ties at my neck, and line-backer shoulder pads (think Melanie Griffith in the classic Working Girl outfit before she borrows her boss’ classy wardrobe).

But even back then what they called “power suits” never really felt like it came from my own power, but instead someone else’s definition of power.

I finally came to realize I didn’t want to wear a uniform prescribed to me by someone else’s idea of what was “appropriate.” Instead I wanted to reflect my own power from within in the clothes I put on the outside.

Eventually my work fashion shifted. I found clothing that felt more like me. I  even took the risk way back when to wear pants to a court appearance only to be upbraided by the judge in court. For – wearing – pants. (Take that in for a moment.)

Today my mission is to help leaders present themselves and their mission with passion. I work from the inside out helping them identify what I call their Power Words: their core defining word (who I am) and their core values (what’s important to me). Once identified they pay attention to how those words show up in communications and behavior  - how they want to show up and be perceived by others.

And yes, I realize what we wear on the outside matters. Instead of wearing clothes that reflect our idea of the role we are playing at work – why not wear clothing that reflects ourselves in the role. Wear a “costume” that fits who you are and that works for how you want to impact your audience.

For me, my power comes from my power words of  Energy, Humor, Connectedness, and Integrity. My power clothes have to reflect them.

My new dress is the perfect representation of my power words.

By the way, so is my cozy sweat pant outfit that I wear to write in.

And my virtual keynote outfit – colorful top and black jeans (I even wear shoes because they make me feel like I’m actually in the room).

When do I truly feel powerful in my own skin and the clothing that covers it? When I think about who I am at the core and how I want to show up and how I want to connect to my audience. That’s the new definition of Power Suit/Dress/Jumpsuit/Whatever to me.

Show up as you and wear your power within on your sleeve.