From the Style Master Himself

An interview with Jeff Lack on the connection between getting dressed and personal growth.

Photo credit: instagram.com/jeff.lack

Today, I’m excited to introduce Jeff Lack.

Jeff is a leading stylist in the men’s fashion industry and is known for his books IndulGENT: The Complete Style Guide for the Modern Man and 10 Steps to Confident Style. He is a Men’s Health Magazine style editor and contributor to several other publications.

His impressive client list includes names such as Formula One racing champion Sir Lewis Hamilton, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, Miss Universe Australia Monika Radulovic, and a slew of other professional models, actors, athletes, and CEOs.

I had the privilege of talking to Jeff this past week about the intersection of style, mental health, and personal and professional growth.

As a special treat, we’re going to be doing three giveaways: A copy of IndulGENT: The Complete Style Guide for the Modern Man, a copy of his E-Book 10 Steps to Confident Style, and a one-hour online styling session with Jeff. To be entered for the drawing just make sure you’ve signed up for a free subscription to this newsletter.

With that said, let’s jump right into the interview…

A: Hi Jeff! I’m excited for my readers to get to hear from you directly. To start things off, would you share a bit about some of the clients you’ve worked with and the way you like to approach your work.

J: I feel the website covers the celebrity work but doesn't really share the insights of the experience. Jamie Oliver was a huge inspiration to me when I was a young man and essentially taught me how to cook. It was his accessibility and effortless fun that got me. I feel I've carried this style not only in my cooking but also in my professional life. We worked together on a magazine editorial where I was sent his sizes (no prior fittings) and a very limited brief. Jamie was a delight to work with, cheeky, fun and affable. I mentioned as we were wrapping up from what was an excellent shoot that I would be happy to assist if he had any other styling needs whilst in Australia. Jamie said he'd love to wear what I was wearing in two days time to the relaunch of one of his restaurants. I obliged of course, two days later I was dressing him again in a tiny back office and again, everything fit perfectly. He treated me and my partner (female) to a lavish dinner to say thanks. I guess when you love your work and others do too, the universe feels aligned. There are many more stories of course, but this one stands out.

A: One of the points of curiosity driving this interview is the connection between mental health, work-life stability, and personal style. Do you ever see these issues coming up together in your work?

J: Truthfully, psychology is at least half of the work. To create amazing personal style, I need to know what makes them tick, where their pain points or blockages are. I have people coming to me due to at least one of five reasons- age milestone, career change, relationship change, lost or gained weight or just leveraging time with an industry expert. Most of these pain points are stress inducing or perplexing at least. The connection between personal style and mental health is clear. If you feel authentically connected to your style, you will in turn become more confident, self-assured and happy. If you look good, you feel great!

A: In the opening pages of your book IndulGENT: The Complete Style Guide for the Modern Man, you talk about how our clothing and style choices communicate something about our credibility, our energy, and our ability to connect with others (which of course applies to women as well). I love how your perspective on getting dressed goes straight to the heart of what it means to be human. Can you say a few more words about your views on this and ways you’ve seen people grow as a result of your work together?

J: Excellent follow up question from the last as they are intrinsically connected. New personal relationships, new business relationships alongside an overall more confident being are the key results. We live in an age where we are judged rather quickly by our appearance and this is more apparent in this tech age we are living in. Your digital profile speaks volumes about who you are as this is your personal brand billboard. This is where credibility comes in before you even speak or meet in person.

A: Something that will be on a lot of readers’ minds is how personal style choices can affect their career. Would you mind sharing a little bit from your own experience on this? If people want to step up their professional game, what kinds of questions should they be asking in terms of their wardrobe?

J: Will I stand out? Will I blend in? Will I look well put together? Am I one of the best dressed in the room? Do I feel underdressed for events? Do I feel like I dress appropriately? Can I do better? Do these colors suit me? Does this shape suit my body type?

My personal experience is that I had to check myself around how I turned up for myself and my clients. Once I made the psychological shift my clients were more excited, I received more compliments and felt better about myself. Even for me it was easy to stay in a safe rut. My instagram account- jeff.lack was supposed to be to showcase my work with others, but my followers had other ideas. Whenever I put what I was wearing up, I got more engagement and followers. This speaks to me standing up and making my appearance as important as the work I do. Making the shift has definitely boosted my career.

A: I love how you highlight the connection between professional growth and personal vulnerability. From following your work, I’ve learned that getting dressed in a courageous manner can be the first step in a significant personal transformation which includes far more than just work. I know a lot of people struggle with modulating their energy between work life and personal life, “living in the spreadsheets” or mentally rehearsing work issues when we are at home trying to connect with family and friends. How can the way we dress help us be more present at home? 

J: From a wardrobe perspective, I like a delineation between the two even if you often work from home. If you dress for the occasion you will feel more mentally connected to it. If you are still in your PJs trying to work at midday your work will suffer, if you don't change when you get home or for family/ meal time, you will suffer. Clean, fresh appropriate clothing will set you in the scene even if it takes some time to adjust out of your head.

A: Working with a stylist is something I recommend to a lot of my clients, but I think there can be some apprehension for people who have never used this type of service before. Can you share a bit about what it is like to work with you and ways that you can help with different types of personal and professional goals? 

J: I come from a small coastal surf town which is known for its laid back lifestyle and people. The feedback is that I bring this sense of calm to my work. Some of my clients are still working with me for more than ten years. We get to know each other pretty well through the work. I always find it a little bit cute when people choose my services as a birthday gift too. It's a reasonable point you make, most of my clients come to me with a little fear but enough pain or blocks to outweigh this and to want the change. I don't talk folk into working with me, I merely make myself available for when they are ready to be molded.

A: You make that process sound effortless and enjoyable. If readers would like to get in touch with you and explore working together, what’s the best way for them to do that?

J: Book a free 15 minute online consultation and chat to me about your needs. My website has my services, schedule and some background on me-  jefflack.com. Instagram has daily stories that may inspire and regular posts of what I’m wearing-  jeff.lack

Facebook and Linkedin are available also-  jefflackstylist

A: Jeff, thank you so much for being part of this. I know that your expertise will be invaluable to readers, and getting to talk with you has been a true delight.

J: Thanks for having me, it's been a pleasure.