What do you wear when you need to feel strong and powerful? That has become a key question in these stressful times when so many of us feel like our lives are out of control and, perhaps, in someone else's power.

It's especially true for those who are unemployed and searching for work in our challenged economic environment.

What can we put on our bodies to make our hearts soar? A gemstone? A red jacket? A pair of power heels? A charm bracelet with a special meaning?

The answer can be revealing. While it begins as a question about fashion or accessories, it often evolves into a much larger dialogue, about what is really important to us. Issues of identity, self-esteem and self-confidence rise to the forefront.

Peter Gellatly, retired former owner of Network Media, seeks solace by carrying four stones in his pockets. One is from a beach in Boston, the second from a stream in Vermont, and two from Sedona, the shop in Ward Centre.

Gellatly has carried stones in his pockets for five years, and he carries them all the time.

"They bring me comfort, inspiration and hope," Gellatly said. "Most of all, they remind me of things for which I'm grateful. We all need to feel lucky. All of us living in Hawai'i are indeed lucky people."

Gellatly credits each stone with particular characteristics. "One is my 'Obama stone,' " he said. "It's variscite; that empowers one to come up with solutions that will benefit all. It brings calm and peace and harmony. In the context of these times, it makes sense to me.

"The other (stone) is chrysacolla, and it's a warming stone in many ways. It promotes peace and kindness and calmness, wisdom and creativity and communication. I'm drawn to this stone more than any of them."

Recalling one of his volunteer experiences, helping people who had just been released from prison, Gellatly said he is inspired by people he meets, even in tough circumstances, who are upbeat and optimistic. It has given him a lesson: "Be grateful from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep. It's about where you are pointing your eyes. The stones help me look up."

PERCEPTION OF POWER

Dyan Demidio, a personal shopper, said she "never, ever, ever" takes off her five tourmaline rings. Each was given to her by a special person in her life.

"When I have an interview or something, I feel these people are there to help me through whatever it is. It's a sense of power and of being OK."

When they are all stacked together, Demidio said, they "represent a chain of life for me," lending her strength and purpose.

Filmmaker Edgy Lee said most producers and actors she knows have a lucky object or talisman they carry with them or wear to appointments and auditions, helping them through the stress.

"In some weird, funny, childish way, I feel you can project energy, good feelings, good luck through inanimate objects," she said. "I'm not a material girl, but I understand that objects hold energy. Hey, at times like this, there's nothing wrong with sentimentality."

Lee's talisman is a charm bracelet. "A Chinese friend told me that the tinkling of charms is good luck, so charms are my amulets. Sometimes I wear them hidden so they're only for me, not for show. They're so quiet that only I can hear them. They're like a quiet wind chime. I wear them for the music they make. It's very subtle."

It's a piece of personal history, Lee explained, that makes her feel more comfortable and at ease.

SPECIAL CLOTHES

For some, a profession dictates what is worn to help establish a perception of power. A doctor's white coat, a clergyman's collar, a judge's black robe come to mind. These can imbue the wearer with self-confidence, but they also inspire confidence in their patients, parishioners or clients. But other elements of clothing will also transmit confidence.

Bebi Davis, physics and chemistry teacher at Farrington High School and the 2009 Hawai'i Teacher of the Year, takes a great deal of care in what she wears when standing before her class. Primary colors such as red and blue make her feel empowered.

She polishes off her look with high-heeled boots worn under classic black pants. The boots, she said, help boost her confidence.

For artist Sabra Feldstein, her studio is her sanctuary, a safe haven that brings her peace and joy. When she dons her "paint-bedraggled clothes," she knows it's time to enter her studio and focus on her art. "They get me into my studio, and my studio is the best place for me to be in stressful times," she said.

The old, familiar clothes also remind her of her intention to go to her studio, keeping her focused and on task, her mind purposeful.