Ever thought about it, or rather fantasised about it because after all you have seen the ‘before and afters’ on countless TV shows and in glossy magazines. You’ve seen the gorgeous transformations that take place and quietly thought that you have no less potential than those ordinary men and women plucked from the crowd and given the star treatment.

“So why not find yourself a personal stylist and treat yourself?” Because on your budget, it’s out of the question.

Well, being mindful of where your money goes and how far it needs to stretch may just be one of the best reasons to engage the services of a personal stylist.

It is frequently said that women in particular, wear 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time. That means hundreds if not thousands of dollars are wasted by the average woman. The bargain top or skirt that never gets worn is no bargain. The jacket that can only be worn with one particular pair of pants is anything but versatile and if it’s not versatile, then it’s expensive. So, when money is tight, it is all the more reason that any garment purchased should be successful.

A personal stylist or image consultant is trained to recognise just what suits you and what does not. You will benefit from their understanding of line, design and colour. They can identify your body shape, prominent features, colouring and style personality very quickly. This enables them to identify those garments that will flatter you and help you look current, younger and fabulous. They know just what to leave on the racks for others to spend their money on instead of you. They will lead you to purchases that you will love to wear and that you will wear time and time again. This is not money wasted this is money saved.

A savvy stylist can help you structure your wardrobe around core colours and key items, minimising the quantity of garments required. They will use the rule – ‘if it doesn’t go with 5 other items in your wardrobe, then don’t buy it’. They will train you in versatility; how to wear a single item in a multiplicity of ways. When you have a wardrobe of clothes that you love, it doesn’t have to be a big wardrobe. You won’t feel the need to keep on buying because what you already own looks sensational on you and serves a variety of occasions.

The initial financial outlay for a styling session may be as little as the cost of a couple of hair cuts; an expense many of us budget for every 5-8 weeks. The difference of course is that what you learn from your stylist is information that will stand you in good stead for years to come. Some clever person observed that most of us spend more money on what we put on the outside of our head than what we put inside it.

Technorati Tags: Personal Image, personal style, Personal Stylist

It’s a liberating and comforting place to be when we reach a stage in our lives when we are happy in our own skin. A few people come to this point very early in their lives; they are usually independently minded, strong personalities, perhaps innovative and creative. They are exceptional. They are happy with whom they are and if the rest of the world doesn’t agree, it’s not their problem.

There are those who strive to be happy with their own visual persona by creating, over time, an image that they like and that they feel accurately represents them. This usually takes a little longer to achieve and women may be in their 40’s or 50’s before they have arrived at a point where their inner self matches their outer self.

There are however, many women who never ever feel satisfied with their visual image. Their dissatisfaction stems from a yearning to look and feel good but not knowing how to achieve it. They may say that they don’t care how they look. They remain dissatisfied with their appearance for a raft of reasons. Some of these include:

• they think they can’t afford to do better
• they don’t recognise the positive attributes they have
• they focus too keenly on negative aspects
• they don’t feel worthy of change
• they don’t know how to change

One of the greatest pleasures for an image consultant is the chance to help women step out of the visual rut they have been stuck in and discover their true potential. It is wonderful to be able to demonstrate to women that they don’t need the perfect figure (whatever that might be) or the classical features of a Hollywood movie star to look wonderful. We are all delightfully unique and each one of us can look fabulous, regardless of our size and shape.

So, does our personal image matter? Absolutely! Our personal image is very often the visual shorthand others will use to engage with us or not.  This has implications for our professional, social and romantic lives. Our personal image should accurately express our attitudes, values, aspirations, personality and worth. Sight is the most significant sense human beings possess, we rely on it above all other senses. Dogs will lick you or bite you based on how you smell; humans will engage or dismiss you based on how you look. In the fast paced society in which we live, people have become even more reliant on visual clues to make judgements about others. It is in our best interests to develop a personal image that honours us and does us justice.

Technorati Tags: Image Consultant, Personal Image