Today is quite a red letter day! It marks the debut of my brand spanking new website and the day Metro Silicon Valley published its annual style edition.  Flip to page 21, and literally, in red letters, the question is posed:  What is Valley Style?

Writer Jessica Fromm conducted an in-depth interview with me on this complex question, one that I’ve been figuring out since moving here several years ago.  When it comes to Silicon Valley style, there really are no simple, easy answers.  Far more people living in Silicon Valley come from elsewhere and the work culture of work-hard-and-long-hours transmits into the ethos of the region’s subconscious style.

No matter where you live, you are sure to be touched by Silicon Valley’s style.  For all the counterculture casual you see in the way we don’t dress up, the products developed and produced here are as coveted as any on the planet.  Anything Apple, for instance, is a signature of objectified Silicon Valley style.

Behind the scenes, though, the men and women creating these amazing products and user experiences we all enjoy through social networking, game playing, Skype-ing, and so on, are a very un-buttoned crowd.  Technology companies have such a big influence on style in the region that even typically buttoned up financial firms find it necessary to allow employees to dress more like technologists than number crunchers when visiting technology clients.

What’s unfortunate is that people don’t put enough personal stock in their personal style here.  But we all should because after working all those long hours and giving your all to the dreams that brought you here, you still have to take care of yourself in the most basic way.  Style is one of the most basic forms of self-expression and is evidence of your own sense of self worth.

Losing one’s sense of self image to our dedication to work has somehow led to people dressing poorly, as mentioned in the Metro article.  You have seen women who look like one false move will cause an explosion of body parts out of a way-too-tight dress.  And you have seen men who look like they are walking a certain way because they’re incontinent, but actually their pants are just way too low for their own comfort – or yours.  When people care about the way they look, they do it well and with intention.

I want to see people putting more thought into personal style.  Recognize that you have one, and think about the messages yours send.  Would you vary your style between at work, at home, and out socially?  The thing I’ve learned about Silicon Valley’s style, and all regional style, is that when it comes to work, you represent your workplace and the culture of the business.  But away from there, you only represent you.  Silicon Valley style is about a counterculture; and that counterculture starts with your unique personal style.

Designing and managing your image is the secret science to your success.

Joseph Rosenfeld helps professional men, women, and corporate workgroups create effective visual brands. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.

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