Certain rituals catch our attention as we go about our lives. We all have our morning rituals – wake up, stumble to bathroom, cleanse, begin day. (Or, if you’re a new mother like me, the morning ritual starts something like – wake up, feed baby, wait until baby goes back to sleep, stumble to bathroom, cleanse, fall asleep.) Some of us have TGIF rituals or pre-game rituals.

A couple of times a year, women have this ritual called “The Little Black Dress Scramble”. If we’re lucky, there’s that one classic Dior-inspired black dress tucked away for special occasions. If we’re not, it’s often a search that can break even the most hardened of savvy sartorialists. Tears are shed. Resolve is tested. Some give up entirely, slinking back to their Lululemon yoga pants and foregoing the occasion altogether.

For me, the LBD Scramble is about the thrill of the bargain and the never-ending search for what it means to have a personal style. Trends are constantly being written, rewritten, tossed away, and reinvigorated. To be “on trend” is to be at the forefront of fashion. To have honest-to-cupcakes personal style, on the other hand, is to stay true to three points:

• Being concerned about what fits your body
• Investing in pieces that you love
• Avoiding “trends” and sticking to a wardrobe that you can wear for a number of seasons

But what does personal style have to do with branding?

Everything.

In the early days of VMD, I would often get requests like, “Can you take Danielle LaPorte’s website and just replace the banner?” To which I would answer, of course, “No, I’m afraid that’s not possible. Why would you want to copy another website when yours should be a unique reflection of your biz?”

The answer?

“She has a great site. Why change it?”

Would you walk down the street and say to another woman, “I love your outfit. I’d love to know where you got each piece so that I can copy it article for article!”?

No. Of course not. You would pay her a compliment on the great bag. Or the boots that she’s rocking. Or even the fashion-forward Betsey Johnson jacket. You would ask her where she got the piece that you’re currently in lust with and make note of it for later for when you’re in that particular neighbourhood or store.

The same logic goes for developing a brand for your biz. You find pieces of other brands that you love (like Danielle’s bold and minimalist masthead), make note of them, and use them as inspiration for your own brand.

There’s no such thing as “one-size-fits-all”. Not really. (Seriously, have you ever actually worn something that’s marked OS? It’s either too big or too small. Clearly, that label is bullshit.)

There’s certainly no such thing as “one-website-fits-all”.

• Your brand (and identity design) needs to fit your biznez. It’s great to be inspired by other brands. It’s bad to copy them outright.
• Avoid getting caught up in trends (remember when every website had dropshadows?). Opt for an identity that grows with you and your biz.
• Experiment with different approaches. Play with colour. Dig deep into what your biz looks (and feels) like on a grand scale.

Just as you can avoid the LBD Scramble by defining your personal style, your website can avoid the Pre-Convention Jitters by defining the brand behind the biz.

Ready to dig deep and reveal the brand behind your biz? Let’s do (Skype) lunch. 

Photo via Flickr.