Use style to harness your inner super power to feel empowered and confident – without the need for a slow motion spin!
Did you see the latest Wonder Woman movie? Having seen a promo interview with the leading lady on Graham Norton I decided to give it a miss. I don’t know actress Gal Gadot, but thought she came across as dull as too much Covid chatter on a zoom call, and far from my ideas of Wonder Women. (It wasn’t helped that the brilliant Amanda Seyfried was on the segment afterwards, complete with a video of her attempting to herd her goats into a shed in deep mid-winter to hilarious effect. Skip to 2 minutes 13 here!)
Of course, as a child, I was obsessed with the 1970s television version of Wonder Woman with her magic cuffs, spinning into action (also, I’ll confess, her thick and bouncy bouncy hair!) The Clark Kent of the female superhero world – spin spin, adjust the crown – whoosh! Transformation complete – ready to save the world!
Side note – as Diana Prince – Wonder Woman’s alter ego, actress Lynda Carter’s day job outfits were super stylish – and still seem relevant and up to date today.
As the opening credits to the 1970s series say:
“All the world is waiting for you…and the power you possess…and the wonder you can do!”
In real life, my superhero’s were members of The Polish community in which I grew up…Women like my grandmother who traversed the world in a truck and a motorbike with the Polish army, collecting languages as she went – and all in a skirt!
Or Babcia Reich, with her beautiful curly grey hair and soft olive skin, who won’t share the horrors of her life stories with me (it’s a burden not to be shared, she believes,) but whose approach to life constantly inspires…To not complain, and to find beauty in the small moments – watching the pea shoots sprout, and slowly making beetroot soup from home-made stock – her hands stained pink from the beets before heating the fat for sizzling ruskie pierogi, and baking a swirly marble cake imbued with love.
Jewellery by Elie Top
Jewellery by Elie Top
Jewellery by Elie Top
Women who brandished numbers from Auschwitz, and wore their fur coats with coordinating dyed Auburn hair as they gracefully walked down the catwalk aisle at church to take communion on a Sunday, and bravely raised children in a foreign land.
Meanwhile, back to those cuffs. All of my personal wonder women likewise have their own inner superpowers, their own inner strength, magic and sparkle, and whilst they don’t necessarily need wonder-woman cuffs to activate them, they have their own intimate pieces of clothing and jewellery that represent their beliefs, values and style stories…
My mother’s platinum engagement ring for example, is engraved with swirls that remind me of the intricate designs on antique armour…Whilst fashion is sometimes referred to as armour, I’m thankful not to feel like I’m fighting battles everyday even if I love the idea that your style supports you! Although my father died over a decade ago, my mother wears her ring every day, its swirls reminiscent of the decorative traditions of Polish paper cutting that she grew up with, and is a reminder of their life together – I can’t imagine her hands without it.
I love looking at old suits of armour and pearl handled antique guns at museums around the world such as the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature in Paris (always such fantastic curation there and presently offering virtual visits!) and have previously used them as inspiring starting points when doing research for luxury fashion brands as a creative consultant.
The contrast of highly decorative etched designs on strong silver metal, is endlessly inspiring – the antique armour designed to protect, as much as to reveal wealth, position and prestige.
earring and rings Elie Top, necklace vintage Lalaounis
That’s the thing about clothes – they’re never just clothes!
In my Next Level You method – a unique blend of styling and coaching, I work with modern mid-life women in their 40s, 50s and beyond, to evolve their INSIDE OUT STYLE IDENTITY to reveal how they want to be perceived, and to feel refreshed, confident elegant and relevant…from the inside out!
Your style should support you
Styling is after all, a physical manifestation of your internal self – there’s simply no point in just buying a new handbag or having a new haircut, if you aren’t going to embody it – to carry it with panache, style and self belief! So, part of my approach is to infuse your possessions with meaning, just like Wonder Woman!
Shield braided silk-cord belt Sonia Petroff, Emily’s Garden Arbor Shield 14-karat gold diamond earrings Larkspur & Hawk, shield necklace Elie Top
Jewellery is a great place to start – what do you feel you need more of in your life? More confidence? More femininity, more love, more power? Become your own Wonder Woman and buy yourself a piece of jewellery that’s in tune with your style identity, and give it that message – ‘I am becoming more confident,’ or ‘I enjoy my femininity’ (especially if you’re a powerful executive, whose using her masculine energies all day at work – it can be great to remind yourself of your other sides – to sometimes allow yourself to soften and embrace your gentler side that rests within, and remind yourself of the quieter power of femininity.) Every time you catch a glimpse of yourself wearing your piece, or find yourself twiddling your jewellery, you’ll be subconsciously reminded of that message, and before long you’ll concretise it.
Whilst I think we’ve all done quite enough shielding recently – oh for the days when we don’t have to wear face-masks – I love the idea of adopting a hint of wonder woman in this shield inspired jewellery – infuse it with a personal meaning to embody your own inner super-power!
Jewellery by Elie Top
What’s your favourite piece of power jewellery? I’d love to hear from you! Let me know in the comments below, or drop me an email at aleksandra@the-style-whisperer.com
And if you’re ready to explore all sides to yourself (some of which may have been hidden for years!) and to up-level your style and confidence into your next chapter in life, whether you’re in your 40, 50s or beyond – to feel full of that delicious sense of self-assured confidence that comes when you’re really being you – ready for any occasion, both professional and personal…then book a complimentary style session here.
Best Love, Aleksandra
