I recently had the opportunity to co-organise my first event for Women in Property (WiP) South West alongside Julie O’Rourke, Senior Planner at Stantec and sponsored by RWK Goodman. The event, Styled to Succeed, brought together WiP members and guests for an evening focused on the professional and personal impact of style and presentation through colour. 

When I was first approached to co-organise this event, I was concerned that its premise as a colour-matching workshop was too ‘soft’ or ‘fluffy’ and didn’t drive forward the agenda I had in mind for my time on the WiP committee. However, as soon as I heard real-life examples of how much more confident and empowered women felt after learning about colour, I realised this aligned completely with what’s important to me. I reflected that embracing our ‘softness’ and femininity is in itself an act of power and even of defiance, particularly in a sector which is predominantly male. 

The session was led by award-winning stylist Becky Barnes, who delivered an insightful workshop on the role of colour in shaping mood, building confidence, influencing perception and enhancing performance both in and outside the workplace with practical demonstrations and advice.  

We were also joined by Imogen Franklin from Smart Works Bristol, a charity that supports unemployed women to prepare for job interviews by providing professional clothing and interview coaching. Imogen’s presentation highlighted the charity’s impressive results: 67% of clients secure employment within one month of receiving their support. Her contribution served as a reminder of the tangible difference such initiatives can make in improving career outcomes and many attendees brought clothing along with them to donate on the night. 

In summary, though for many the event provided a valuable and intimate space for networking, perhaps the most valuable takeaways were an increase in confidence, the chance to help improve others’ opportunities and the feeling of community amongst women in the built environment.