What exactly is an image consultant?
- A stylist is either a person who co-ordinates the clothes, jewellery, and accessories used in fashion photographs and catwalk shows or a kind of designer whose designs are based on existing things, trends, and designers collections.
- An image, colour or wardrobe consultant or fashion advisor recommends styles and colours that are flattering for a client.
Image consultants show people how to make a fabulous first impression
When you look good, you also look healthy, and especially in an interview or need-to-impress situation, this translates into looking able and efficient.
For instance, I spent 17 years as a freelance computer consultant so went for interviews on a regular basis. Because I know how to dress to impress, I have been offered more jobs than I have had hot dinners. In my experience, a long coat in the right colour, worn with the right accessories and with the right amount of confidence (which comes from looking good and knowing that I looked good) meant that I have been offered jobs that I was nowhere near qualified for - but I clearly LOOKED as though I was!
Image consultants can teach you how to make a fabulous first impression by showing you:
- which colours to wear
- which style to adopt to make the most of your body shape
- how to dress to reflect your personality
- how to dress to be appropriate for the occasion
- how to put together a wardrobe that works for every occasion in YOUR life (and not everyone else's)
- how to shop effectively for clothes, jewellery, make-up, hairstyles and hair colours, accessories, etc.
- some image consultants will also include grooming and etiquette in their portfolio of services
- others go on to present training programmes for the corporate sector
Image consulting can be split into various skill sets:
- colour analysis
- style, shape and fit for ladies
- men's image
- corporate image
- wardrobe management
- personal shopping
- make-up advice
- the list goes on...
Do You Have To Learn Everything?
You can learn them all, and many companies offer the lot in one long training course, or you could home in on what you're good at (which is probably what you enjoy the most) and become an expert in your field.
For instance, I have advised several of my colour trainees to stick to colour. They're utterly brilliant at showing their clients how to look and feel fabulous using colour alone, and in my opinion, if they moved on to style, shopping, wardrobe, etc. they'd just be diluting what they're really good at.
One consultant is exceptional at shopping trips, especially with 'the suits' so I have advised that she concentrate on marketing her personal service to business people in the city. I have also seen that several consultants would be absolutely wonderful working with men (and that is not for everyone!), and have encouraged them to study colour and style first with ladies, and then learn the skills of translating that into the male market when they feel they are ready.
I also actively discourage consultants from feeling that they have to offer everything to the world and his mother. Your clients will relate to YOU, not the 93 thousand services you feel you ought to have on your leaflet/website/business card. Specialisation is a major marketing tool in the image business - or do you just want to be like all the rest?
This is exactly why I offer modularised training. Learn colour, and then decide if you want to move on to style, etc. Then, by the time you are ready to take the style course, you will have a bank of colour clients ready and waiting to pay you for the next piece of their jigsaw.
Specialising and defining your target market:
- Some consultants will specialise in colour alone
- Others will offer head-to-toe makeovers, perhaps working with photographers, hairdressers, and make-up artists
- Some image consultants are brilliant at personal shopping
- Some specialise in working with a particular target market:
- professional women
- cancer patients
- underprivileged women
- wedding groups
- job seekers, including those returning to work
- plus-size ladies
- ladies who lunch
- men
- corporate executives (and their partners)
- school and college leavers
- transgender individuals
- singles looking for a partner
- politicians or anyone in the public spotlight
Many image consultants provide one-to-one consultations for their clients while others may prefer to offer group workshops. The world is your oyster in this fabulous business.
