This chapter explores how understanding the power of visual presentation, whether to blend in, stand out, or influence others, can be a form of protection.
Build Your Strength in The Shadows
What You Wear is a Weapon, a Tool, a Strategy
They will tell you that clothing is frivolous. That caring about your appearance is shallow. That fashion is a distraction from more important things. But, clothing has always been about power and they know this. That is why they have uniforms. That is why they dictate dress codes. That is why they have spent centuries telling women how they should and should not look. Because what you wear sends a message. And in a world that wants you powerless, your message matters.
Dressing to Control the Narrative
People will judge you in seconds. Before you open your mouth. Before you explain yourself. Before they know who you’re. You cannot change this. What you can do is use it to your advantage.
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Use it to command authority – Whether it’s a sharp suit, a structured jacket, a well-fitted dress, or a Doc Martin, power dressing is about presence, and the appearance of dominance.
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Blend in when necessary - Sometimes, being invisible is the best strategy. Learn when to disappear into the background.
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Never underestimate the power of a uniform - A look that is consistent, deliberate, and unmistakably you, makes you memorable, and harder to shake.
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Signal who you are before you speak - Clothing can be more than just fabric, it can be a statement, a challenge, a warning. Jewelry with meaning, a signature piece, or even a carefully chosen color can communicate more than words ever could. Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s white lace collars weren’t just decorative; they were deliberate. She used them to reclaim a traditionally feminine element as a symbol of authority, dissent, and quiet defiance in a courtroom built by and for men.
A well-placed pin or pendant can be an inside signal to those who recognize its meaning. A specific shade—red for power, black for mourning, white for resistance—can evoke history and solidarity. A ring, a scarf, a watch passed down through generations, these are not just accessories, but armor, carrying weight, legacy, and intent.
Think of the people who have used dress as a form of declaration. Frida Kahlo's traditional Tehuana dresses, worn as an assertion of identity and independence. The suffragettes who marched in white, visually demanding to be seen. The black berets of revolutionaries, signaling solidarity and rebellion in a single glance.
You don’t have to explain yourself to everyone you meet. If you do it right, what you wear will speak for you before you ever say a word.
The Power of Enclothed Cognition
Clothing is not just a tool for influencing others, it also influences you. What you wear doesn’t just affect how people see you; it affects how you see yourself, how you move, how you think, and even how you perform under pressure. This is the power of Enclothed Cognition, a psychological phenomenon where what you wear alters your mindset, behavior, and confidence.
Studies have shown that wearing certain clothes can change cognitive function, focus, and even physical endurance. When people wear a lab coat, they tend to perform better on tasks requiring attention to detail. When athletes wear their team jerseys, they report feeling stronger, more focused, and more capable. The brain associates clothing with identity and purpose—put on a uniform, and you step into the role it represents.
This is why some people wear a leather jacket and immediately feel more rebellious. Why high heels make people carry themselves differently. Why putting on a well-fitted suit changes the way someone walks into a room. Clothes are not just fabric, they are reinforcement of identity.
How to Use Enclothed Cognition to Your Advantage
You don’t have to wait for the world to assign meaning to what you wear, you can assign it yourself. Clothing is ritual, armor, and declaration all in one. If you dress for strategy, you must also dress for internal strength.
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Dress for the mindset you need - If you need to be bold, wear what makes you feel unshakable. If you need to be calm, wear what centers you. If you need to feel prepared, wear something that reminds you of your own resilience.
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Have a signature piece that anchors you - A jacket that makes you feel powerful. A ring that reminds you of your purpose. A scarf, a belt, even a fragrance, something that, when you put it on, signals to your brain that you are ready.
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Use clothing to shift your perception of self - If you feel small, wear something that makes you take up space. If you feel uncertain, wear something structured. If you feel lost, wear something that connects you to who you are at your strongest.
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Never underestimate the power of ritual - The act of getting dressed is a transformation, one you control. Every time you put on a certain piece of clothing, you reinforce a version of yourself. Make sure it’s one you respect.
They expect you to wear what the world assigns to you. Instead, wear what shapes you into who you need to be.
Building a Wardrobe That Works for You
This is not about following trends. It is about curating a wardrobe that makes you feel powerful and prepared. Here’s how you get started:
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Choose pieces that make you feel strong - Leather jackets, steel-toe boots, a blazer that makes you stand taller—whatever appeals to you personally.
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Prioritize function - Can you run in those shoes? Can you fight in that outfit? If not, are you wearing it strategically?
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Own something that makes you look expensive - Not for vanity, for leverage. People treat you differently when they think you have money.
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Have a look that says, ‘Don’t underestimate me.’ Because they will. Until you show them otherwise.
First Task: Build Your Armor
You already have something in your closet that makes you feel powerful. Start there.
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Put it on. Stand in front of a mirror. Notice how you carry yourself.
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Identify three pieces you already own that give you confidence. Wear them often.
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If you don’t have one yet, find your signature piece. Something that makes you feel like yourself at your sharpest.
"You cannot climb the ladder of success dressed in the costume of failure."
— Zig Ziglar
Historical Reflection
Marsha P. Johnson
In a world that tried to erase her, Marsha P. Johnson made herself impossible to ignore. She did not blend in. She did not shrink. Draped in bold colors, cheap jewelry, and extravagant flower crowns, she was a living refusal to disappear. Her very existence was a challenge to a system that wanted her gone.
Born in 1945 in New Jersey, she moved to New York City as a teenager with nothing but a bag of clothes and an unshakable determination to live on her own terms. She adorned herself not with wealth, but with presence, understanding that how she showed up in the world was an act of defiance. A Black transgender woman in an era where both her race and gender identity made her a target, she refused to be anything less than magnificent. Even in poverty, even in hardship, she demanded to be seen.
Marsha was more than a striking figure—she was a warrior. In 1969, she stood on the front lines of the Stonewall Uprising, fighting back against police brutality when it was common for raids on gay bars to target transgender women first. But Marsha did not run. She turned performance into power, using flamboyance as both protest and survival, challenging every limitation placed upon her.
Marsha P. Johnson understood that clothing was more than just fabric—it was strategy, armor, and a declaration of existence. In a world that sought to erase her, she crafted herself into a masterpiece of resistance. The flowers in her hair were not just decoration; they were a crown worn by a queen who refused to be diminished. Her mismatched dresses and bold accessories were not simply fashion; they were a way to disrupt the expectations of those who sought to control her. She turned every sidewalk into a stage, every outfit into a statement: “You will see me. You will acknowledge me. You will not erase me.” In a time when visibility was dangerous, Marsha used spectacle as a shield, ensuring that if she was going to be targeted, she would meet the world on her own terms—dressed for battle, dressed for defiance, dressed to be remembered.
Adornment is not just decoration. It is identity. It is resistance. It is control over how the world sees you. Marsha P. Johnson understood this. Her clothing was her power. She knew that to be invisible was to be erased, so she became a spectacle on her own terms.