Dress The Way You Want To Be Addressed

My mentor told me that.

And when I say mentor… I mean my dad.

He never underdressed for where he was going.

At every level of his career, he dressed for that level, intentionally.

That mindset stayed with me.

From dressing corporately all through university…

to moving to the UK and learning how to balance casual and polished…

One thing never changed:

I always want to look put together.

Even now, in a role where I can literally wear anything

t-shirt, jeans, no one would question it…

I still choose to show up intentionally.

Because I’ve realised something:

Presentation is not about the room you’re in.

It’s about the opportunities you haven’t entered yet.

And today? That belief paid off in the most unexpected way.

After church, I stopped by Frasers and went to the Estée Lauder counter because I needed a new foundation.

I currently use one that I have to mix… and honestly, I was tired.

I just wanted something that matched me perfectly.

So I walked up, spoke to the lady, and she offered to shade match me.

We tried a few shades…

none of them quite right.

And then she said something I had never heard in my life:

“Let me pack some samples for you to try at home.”

I paused.

Wait… what? 😳

You mean I don’t have to figure it out under bright store lighting?

I can actually go home, test it properly, and come back?

I was shocked.

As she was packing it, she said something that stayed with me:

“I’ll seal it properly so it doesn’t spill on your outfit.”

That moment told me everything.

It wasn’t just customer service.

It was perception.

The way you show up shapes how people treat you, subtly, quietly, but powerfully.

Now, I know some people might say,

“Oh, that’s normal. They do that.”

But for me?

In almost 14 years of buying makeup…

this has never happened.

And it made me reflect.

Since I started dressing with more intention

understanding my style, refining my presence, showing up deliberately…

I’ve noticed something:

I experience things differently.

I’m received differently.

I’m spoken to differently.

I’m treated with a certain level of care, even in small, everyday interactions.

And I’m not mad at it.

In fact?

I’m going to keep using it to my advantage.

Dress with intention.

Even if you’ve been to that place before…

go again.

But this time, show up like someone who expects more.

Because sometimes, the difference isn’t the place.

It’s the presence you carry into it.

And if you try it and nothing changes…

Call me 😄

With Love,

Ayo

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