Every time I bring up hashtags someone tells me th Every time I bring up hashtags someone tells me they do not work anymore.

Here is my take. Hashtags are still live on Instagram and they are still one of the main ways people search through the platform. Until Instagram tells us they are done I am going to keep using them, intentionally.

What has changed is how you should be using them.

Instagram has officially capped hashtags at 5 per post. Instagram made this change deliberately because stuffing 20 to 30 generic tags into every post was not serving anyone. Hashtags are no longer a reach tool. They are a clarity tool that helps the algorithm understand what your content is about.

5 intentional hashtags beat 30 random ones every single time.

Here is how to pick yours:

-Think about your niche, your audience, and your location
-Think about what someone would actually search — not what you would call your post
-A clown costume post might use #halloweencostume or #cosplay instead of #clowncostume because that is what someone searching for inspiration is actually typing

One more thing most people are missing. Instagram is leaning heavily into SEO and keyword search now. The words in your caption are doing work that hashtags used to do. Write descriptively and use natural language your audience would actually search. The algorithm is reading your words so give it something to work with.

Save this before you write your next post.
More digital strategy every Tuesday — follow along so you do not miss it.
As I’m planning out this years Halloween photo sho As I’m planning out this years Halloween photo shoot I had to circle back to this gem. I think this year will top it. I think 🤔 #halloween #costume #crystalball #cosplay #spookyseason👻
@tiffanitrancalix throws the best parties… #90snig @tiffanitrancalix throws the best parties… #90snight #justagirl
We’ve never met a theme we didn’t like. #october # We’ve never met a theme we didn’t like. #october #costumeseason #90snight
@blaumshavemorefun sent me this reel from @_memoir @blaumshavemorefun sent me this reel from @_memoirsofatraveler and I have never found a better description of my life. Every night out dancing ends with a PT appointment with @therapeuticbydesignpt the next week.  These knees are not 22 anymore.
The truth is I’m in a better mood when I like my o The truth is I’m in a better mood when I like my outfit #mirrorselfie
Gift guides are one of the most powerful tools a c Gift guides are one of the most powerful tools a creator has during the holiday season — and most people are not using them.

This is part one of two. Today we are talking about gift guides for creators. Next Tuesday we are talking about gift guides for retail businesses and small business owners. Save both.

Here is what a well built gift guide actually does for you as a creator:

	•	Drives affiliate revenue through platforms like LTK, ShopMy, Amazon Associates, Collective Voice, Mavely, and Howl
	•	Lives on your blog with its own URL so you own it and it keeps working long after the holidays
	•	Gives you content to distribute across every platform including two Pinterest pins per guide — one to your LTK post and one to your blog
	•	Opens the door to add gift guides as a bonus deliverable in brand collab pitches — and yes, services count too

Start by planning your categories. Gifts for her. Gifts under $50. Stocking stuffers. The more specific the guide the more useful it is — and useful content gets saved and shared.

The creators who win the holiday season start building now.

Save this and start planning your first guide this week.
More digital strategy every Tuesday — follow along so you do not miss it.
Through shaving, waxing, laser, threading this one Through shaving, waxing, laser, threading this one hair prevails. #thisis40 #thisisperimenopause #losinghaironmyhead #growingiteverywhereelse
Fashion week never really stops in New Orleans. Fashion week never really stops in New Orleans. 

Last night @abbydumatrait and I were able to check out all of @shopcosmiccollective runway show pieces as well as her new fur and fringe combo stoles. @theclosetbyscsc hosted and we scoured the racks of what is available to rent. Yes, rent. The Closet is open by appointment to rent their clothes as well as jewelry, hats and other accessories. 

We ended the night with @bylauracitron and @anyoldiron at the grand opening party for Any Old Iron on Magazine Street. Their shop is the perfect addition to New Orleans and needs to be your next shopping stop!! Andrew and Laura are both just so incredibly talented and I’m excited for them to be in our city.
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Uncategorized · May 22, 2025

Branding Yourself with Style: What Your Wardrobe Says About You

Before you ever say a word, your outfit already introduced you.
Tiffany in a green dress with flowers

In a world where we’re showing up in Reels, TikToks, Zoom calls, and brand shoots—what we wear is doing more than just filling a frame. It’s setting the tone, building trust, and quietly reinforcing who we are and what we stand for. It’s personal branding, but with better shoes.

As someone who lives in bold prints, oversized earrings, and unapologetically loud fashion choices, I’ve learned firsthand that style isn’t separate from strategy—it is the strategy. If you’re trying to build an online presence that feels aligned and memorable, your wardrobe has to be part of the conversation.

Let’s talk about how to make it speak your brand’s language.


First Impressions in a Scroll-Happy World

Tiffany in an orange and marbled dress with gold accents

When someone lands on your Instagram profile, scrolls through your website, or sees you pop up in a Reel—you’ve got maybe three seconds to make an impression. Most of the time, that happens visually before they read a word of your caption.

So what are you saying with your style?

If you’re a warm, vibrant personality but your wardrobe online reads stiff or overly neutral, there’s a disconnect. On the flip side, if you’re all about clean, modern professionalism but your outfit is all over the place stylistically, people may struggle to trust your expertise.

Showing up in a way that feels visually cohesive with your message matters—and it doesn’t mean wearing a uniform. It means being intentional.


The Connection Between Style and Strategy

Think of your wardrobe as part of your brand’s toolkit. Just like fonts and colors build a recognizable visual identity, your clothes do the same. They help people feel something about you before you even start talking.

Here’s a little cheat sheet:

  • The CEO Look: Structured jackets, luxe fabrics, neutral palettes = authority and clarity
  • The Creative Entrepreneur: Statement pieces, bold colors, layered textures = energy and individuality
  • The Heart-Centered Coach: Flowy fabrics, earthy tones, soft silhouettes = warmth and trust

Ask yourself: What do I want people to think and feel when they see me online? Then dress for that.


Your Wardrobe Is Your Visual Signature

When you show up consistently in a certain style vibe, people start to recognize you immediately—even in a sea of creators. That signature look? It builds familiarity and trust.

This doesn’t mean you have to wear the same thing every time. But having a few constants—whether it’s color, accessories, or silhouette—goes a long way. I have friends who are the red lip girl, the blazer queen, or the vintage print lover. Their audiences connect with that visual consistency.

Planning a content shoot? Choose looks that feel true to your brand—something you’d wear if you were speaking to your dream client in real life.

Tiffany in a LOVE sweatshirt and plaid pants.

A Style Alignment Audit (Yes, That’s a Thing)

I once worked with a woman who showed up to our brand strategy call in a floral wrap dress, soft pink lipstick, and dainty gold hoops. She was warm, approachable, and easy to talk to. But her online content? All harsh lighting, structured black outfits, and rigid poses. It didn’t match at all.

We made a few tweaks—lightened up her wardrobe for shoots, added movement and smiles to her photos—and within a few weeks, she was getting messages like: “You seem so real and easy to talk to.”

Your style has to reflect who you are and how you want to be experienced. Not who you think you’re “supposed” to be online.

Tiffany's social media grid
Screenshot

5 Quick Tips to Dress Like a Brand

Need a little help refining your on-camera style? Start here:

  1. Pick 2–3 Brand Colors and bring them into your wardrobe regularly.
  2. Create a Content Day Uniform—a look you feel great in and can batch in.
  3. Choose Signature Pieces that show up often (earrings, headbands, sneakers, whatever’s you).
  4. Dress with Intention for videos, Reels, and photos—even if you’re filming in your office.
  5. Audit Your Last 9 Posts—does your wardrobe tell the same story your captions do?

Your Style Is a Strategy—Use It

At the end of the day, this isn’t about dressing for the algorithm. It’s about alignment.

Your wardrobe is one more tool in your personal branding toolkit—and it’s one that can make your message stick. When your visuals and your voice match, your brand becomes magnetic.

So go ahead—show up bold, soft, colorful, neutral, structured, free. Whatever feels like you.

Just make sure it’s the version of you your dream client can recognize the moment they see you.

XO,

Tiffany

In: Uncategorized

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About Me
I'm Tiffany. Although some of my favorite people call me Tippy. My favorite color is pattern. Seriously, I've never met a pattern I didn't like. My style is as bold as my personality and you should never trust my hair color. I am all about size inclusive style on a Nordstrom Sale budget.
  • What to Wear to Drag Brunch
  • A Plus Size Girl’s Guide to -Mardi Gras
  • Night Time Swimming: Perfect Dinners for the Pool

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Instagram

Every time I bring up hashtags someone tells me th Every time I bring up hashtags someone tells me they do not work anymore.

Here is my take. Hashtags are still live on Instagram and they are still one of the main ways people search through the platform. Until Instagram tells us they are done I am going to keep using them, intentionally.

What has changed is how you should be using them.

Instagram has officially capped hashtags at 5 per post. Instagram made this change deliberately because stuffing 20 to 30 generic tags into every post was not serving anyone. Hashtags are no longer a reach tool. They are a clarity tool that helps the algorithm understand what your content is about.

5 intentional hashtags beat 30 random ones every single time.

Here is how to pick yours:

-Think about your niche, your audience, and your location
-Think about what someone would actually search — not what you would call your post
-A clown costume post might use #halloweencostume or #cosplay instead of #clowncostume because that is what someone searching for inspiration is actually typing

One more thing most people are missing. Instagram is leaning heavily into SEO and keyword search now. The words in your caption are doing work that hashtags used to do. Write descriptively and use natural language your audience would actually search. The algorithm is reading your words so give it something to work with.

Save this before you write your next post.
More digital strategy every Tuesday — follow along so you do not miss it.
As I’m planning out this years Halloween photo sho As I’m planning out this years Halloween photo shoot I had to circle back to this gem. I think this year will top it. I think 🤔 #halloween #costume #crystalball #cosplay #spookyseason👻
@tiffanitrancalix throws the best parties… #90snig @tiffanitrancalix throws the best parties… #90snight #justagirl
We’ve never met a theme we didn’t like. #october # We’ve never met a theme we didn’t like. #october #costumeseason #90snight
@blaumshavemorefun sent me this reel from @_memoir @blaumshavemorefun sent me this reel from @_memoirsofatraveler and I have never found a better description of my life. Every night out dancing ends with a PT appointment with @therapeuticbydesignpt the next week.  These knees are not 22 anymore.
The truth is I’m in a better mood when I like my o The truth is I’m in a better mood when I like my outfit #mirrorselfie
Gift guides are one of the most powerful tools a c Gift guides are one of the most powerful tools a creator has during the holiday season — and most people are not using them.

This is part one of two. Today we are talking about gift guides for creators. Next Tuesday we are talking about gift guides for retail businesses and small business owners. Save both.

Here is what a well built gift guide actually does for you as a creator:

	•	Drives affiliate revenue through platforms like LTK, ShopMy, Amazon Associates, Collective Voice, Mavely, and Howl
	•	Lives on your blog with its own URL so you own it and it keeps working long after the holidays
	•	Gives you content to distribute across every platform including two Pinterest pins per guide — one to your LTK post and one to your blog
	•	Opens the door to add gift guides as a bonus deliverable in brand collab pitches — and yes, services count too

Start by planning your categories. Gifts for her. Gifts under $50. Stocking stuffers. The more specific the guide the more useful it is — and useful content gets saved and shared.

The creators who win the holiday season start building now.

Save this and start planning your first guide this week.
More digital strategy every Tuesday — follow along so you do not miss it.
Through shaving, waxing, laser, threading this one Through shaving, waxing, laser, threading this one hair prevails. #thisis40 #thisisperimenopause #losinghaironmyhead #growingiteverywhereelse
Fashion week never really stops in New Orleans. Fashion week never really stops in New Orleans. 

Last night @abbydumatrait and I were able to check out all of @shopcosmiccollective runway show pieces as well as her new fur and fringe combo stoles. @theclosetbyscsc hosted and we scoured the racks of what is available to rent. Yes, rent. The Closet is open by appointment to rent their clothes as well as jewelry, hats and other accessories. 

We ended the night with @bylauracitron and @anyoldiron at the grand opening party for Any Old Iron on Magazine Street. Their shop is the perfect addition to New Orleans and needs to be your next shopping stop!! Andrew and Laura are both just so incredibly talented and I’m excited for them to be in our city.
Good morning. I’ll be your halloqueen for the next Good morning. I’ll be your halloqueen for the next 31 days. #halloween #kingoween #halloqueen

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