Image Consultant | Personal Shopper | Business Image Consulting, Dublin, Ireland

It has been a while since I’ve added a post to this blog, but pressure of work has meant that my focus has been on other matters.  A change in the economic climate has meant that so many people are looking at every aspect of their businesses and their profession image too!  People are really realising too that they must package themselves impeccably when going for interview.  I’m delighted to say that this is a thriving part of my business at the moment.

I was delighted to be invited last week to the Professional Speaker’s Association www.professionalspeakersassociation.ie - some fantastic speakers including Gerard Tannam from Islandbridge Branding  www.islandbridge.com he told us that more and more people are making their choices based on brand.  His presentation ‘Take the fear out of shopping’ (I told him that was my subject!)  encouraged us, as consumers to take the  get out there and get buying and selling and really get the economy moving.

Ronan Kilroy www.ronankilroy.ie spoke to us about the importance of goals and goal setting.  A goal is worth nothing until action is taken.  So what are your short-term, medium-term and long term goals for you and your business.

Increase your sales by 16-20% – how could we possibly do that?  Well, according to Andrew Keogh of Aristo www.aristo.ie - you need to do the following -wear a dark, solid suit teamed with a light coloured shirt and something RED!  For the men it’s a red tie (think Barak Obama on inauguration night) and for the ladies, a red top or red bag.  Go for the best quality you can afford.  I would add that you need to know what colours suit you best, dress for your bodyshape and make sure the fit is perfect.  Thanks for that Andrew, you’re speaking my language!

Would you love to learn how to style yourself so you look great all the time?

This month we have launched the

Style Yourself Fabulous Workshop

 for ladies of all ages, shape and size to help you do exactly that!

Get transformed in one easy and enjoyable half-day session!

Develop your own personal style, learn how you can look great all the time and save yourself a fortune in time, energy and money!

Our NEW Style Yourself Fabulous Workshop will show you how to look great all the time. Every one of us has the potential to look and feel effortlessly gorgeous. However, sometimes we need a little help to be pointed in the right direction!

1) Discover your true colouring and how to mix and match

2) Understanding your body shape and to enhance your natural features

3) Discover and cultivate your own personal style; dressing for your lifestyle

4) Wardrobe weeding & successful shopping

5) Effective accessorising

6) 10 top tips for quick & easy make-up

Investing in yourself can be very rewarding and getting your look right is one of the most important investments you can make!  Looking great will not only ensure you look great, but also boosts your confidence and self esteem.

To book your place contact Frances 086 8119698 or email frances@imagematters.ie  

PRICE €295 to include 42 colour swatch wallet & personalised style book.

SPECIAL OFFER:  Book with a friend and get 20% discount each.

Just back fabulous Cannes on the Cote d’Azur.  It never ceases  to amaze me how the French present themselves with their innate sense of style.  People watching the other day on the world-famous Croisette, I wondered just what it is that give the French that ‘Je ne sais quoi’.  Finally decided that it is the attention to detail that really makes them stand out.   For the men, it’s the accessories – the scarf, the shoes, the tie perhaps, but overall the impeccable grooming.  How do the French ladies always manage to look so chic?    It’s a well known fact that French women are the world’s biggest consumers of beauty products.  But added to that, it’s the way they wear their clothes and how they carry themselves.  Always with a great sense of self-confidence, classic clothes in timeless neutral colours always well-fitted worn with coiffed hair and impeccable make-up.  Of course, the accessories too really finish off the look.  While they make it look so effortless, French women in general invest a lot of time and money into how they look.

Basics

Spend as much as you can on the basics.  See them as an investment, they form the backbone of your wardrobe and are worth splashing out on.  As for the fashion items – don’t go overboard as you will probably throw them out at the end of season.

Accessorise

Owning a capsule wardrobe doesn’t mean you have to look like you work in a very serious environment.  A simple outfit can be transformed with the latest fashion accessory – try a belt, a fabulous neck piece, scarf or bag.

Neutrals

Chose neutral colours such as black (if it suits you), camel, ivory navy or charcoal.  Neutrals look classy and are versatile and easy to co-ordinate.  Just think of the ageless colours seen on catwalks for instance, season after season and you get the picture.

More women are choosing femnine men over their more rugged and masculine counter-parts according to new research from the University of Aberdeen!  The time has truly come to move away from the bar of soap, shaving cream and a splash of after-shave.    Irish men are now more comfortable buying skincare products and the range and availability of moisturising and facial creams for men has expanded significantly. Frequently, I  hear my male clients complaining of tight, dry or tingly skin after shaving.  Time has come guys to lash on a bit of moisturise or after shave balm.  After shave lotion can be very drying on the skin.  Irish men have traditionally been a bit slower coming to the whole grooming market that their Italian or French counterparts but Irish men are now frequently availing of barber services, pedicures, manicures and facials.  Beware guys, women do notice a man’s grooming (or lack of it).

Think this is all a bit wimpy!  Interestingly, as a sign of its growing confidence in a receptive male audience for its products, L’Oreal last year became one of the sponsors of the Irish rugby team!  I rest my case!

“Personal Image in business & beyond” – looking forward to kicking off the first of a series of courses in association with the Dublin Business Women’s Skillnet www.dbws.ie   If you struggle with your image on a regular basis, or maybe feel that your image is somehow working against you, then this is the course for you.  IMAGE MATTERS will help you make the most of how you look – every day.  Click  personal image in business & beyond feb2010 for further information.

They say that red is the colour of love and passion.  So many of my clients over the years say they love the colour  red, but not sure whether they can wear it.  Also, many women say that they are afraid of it!  The secret is to wear the shade and tone of red that suits your own particular colouring.  For instance, if you are a blonde blue eyed lady, you will be wearing a lovely light pinky red whereas if you are black/dark brown haired lady with dark eyes, you will be veering more towards a deep tomato red.  And yes, red haired ladies can definitely wear red – an orangey red will suit you the best.    Also,  remember red is a very memorable colour, so ideally, you don’t want to be depending on wearing it every day!  On the other hand, in a networking or meeting situation, if you want to be remembered, you will really stand out in your red against all the neutral colours of black, brown, navy and grey!    The same guides apply for the shade of lipstick/lipgloss you wear.  To celebrate Valentines Day, we are offering some special discounts – email frances@imagematters.ie for further details.  Have fun!

So sad to see that the fabulous Aura Boutique in Sandymount has closed its doors recently.  I  brought many a client there over the years for retail therapy – you  were always sure to find a gem and in recent times their costume jewellery pieces were only stunning.  Spent a great morning there not so long ago  with the lovely Stephanie from News4 magazine who we transformed in no time at all.  Another happy client.  Read more http://www.news4.ie/dec07/frame3/15make.html

Many people feel guilty and stupid about their shopping habits during the boom according to a recent report from PricewaterhouseCoopers.  I have found this more and more over that past 18 months or so with many women comfirming what we knew already – they are wearing 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time having over indulged hugely during the boom.  We’ve all made mistakes, but the scale of the spending was pretty amazing.  Shoppers are becoming a lot more savvy with the recession bringing about a new way of shopping with many of these changes likely to be permanent.  One of the most interesting findings was that price is no indicator of quality.    According to a variety of tests carried out by the company, often the cheaper items tested were the better quality.  If you would like some help or guidance on where to start with your wardrobe weeding or smart shopping, or to hear more about ‘Recession Proof your wardrobe’ programmes, contact us on  frances@imagematters.ie

Many of my male clients during their image consultation ask  ”how do I put my look together”?  Every man has asked themselves about matching their socks with their trousers and other assorted questions at some point in their lives. Here I have listed 10 tips which should at least clear up some confusion about a few things.

1. Belts should as a general rule always match your shoes. Make sure you don’t economise on your belt - worn belts and belts that are too small or too large should be replaced immediately.
2. Short sleeved shirts don’t really project the right image and ideally you should stick to long sleeved shirts that are a safer classier option.

3.  Scruffy shoes are one of the most undervalued areas of a man’s wardrobe and one of the main items of clothing a women looks at first!  Your shoes should be in good repair, well kept and shiny. If you are wearing a suit, lace-up shoes are normally the safest option.
4. The more official rule on socks is that they should match the color of your trousers,  though preferably not the exact same shade unless, of course, you are wearing black in which case it’s okay.

5. Watches are the single most important accessory a man can own. I really suggest investing in one good watch that suits your lifestyle and taste.  Cuff links too really look the business and can really finish off a look.

6. Trousers that are too short is not a good look!  Trousers should be long enough to cover your socks, and socks should be long enough so that NO shin skin is showing!   Your trousers should just cover the heel of your shoe.

7. Make sure your tie hangs  correctly.  Ties should always reach your belt line and be tied correctly. A tie that is too short gives a bit of a school boy look.

8. The colours you wear should complement your natural features such as your eye color, skin tone and body shape.  Pastel type colours give a lightweight impression in business.   Keep this in mind when choosing your clothes.

9. Clothes that are too loose indicate a sloppy look and that’s exactly the type of fashion mistake you can’t make in a business environment.

10. Impeccable grooming every day is essential!

Risk awareness over risk taking.  Teamwork over power struggle, inclusivity over heierarchy and striving for the common good, not bonus-based greed.  Yes, meet the lipstick entrepreneurs.  According to the ECSP Europe Business School,  over the next decade, there will be tenfold increase in the number of female CEO’s in the FTSE top 100 companies.  The recession necessitated enterprise – there has been a significant growth in the number of women starting their own businesses.  Ladies, are you ready for it? In the aftermath of what has also been called a man-made recession, enter the right-brain revolution!

Following on the success of our ‘fashion fix’ event  in Elm Park Golf Club, Dublin, very much lookiing forward to bringing “Get your fashion fix” to the  Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel  on February 11th, 2010.  All proceeds  in aid of CRY – Cardiac Risk in the Young. www.cry.ie

Check out kilkenny flyer 2010 for further details.

It’s a widely recognised and proven fact that your image plays a huge part in what people think of you when they meet you for the first time and what assumptions they make of you.

On meeting someone for the first time, what ever the circumstances, statistics show that your image is 55% on how you dress/present yourself, followed by 38% being how you speak and then only 7% is the content of what you actually say!

We live in a highly visual world.  Think about the assumptions the world made last year when Susan Boyle first appeared on Britain’s got Talent?  So, what is your image saying about you?   Your image is talking even when you’re not. You and your business may have all the substance in the world, but if you don’t project a strong, professional image to go with it, people aren’t going to respond the way you want them to.

To back up your image, you also need a good product, extensive knowledge, and strong communications skills. Your image creates the expectation. Your substance confirms it.   Make sure your’s is first class.

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to my new style blog.

Glad in many ways to see the back of 2009 although I have to say that from a personal and professional viewpoint it was a challenging though rewarding year!   A new decade has arrived and I’m really excited by the opportunities and possibilities of what’s to come.

This blog is intended to cover all thing image related – style tips,  seasonal trends, product reviews, beauty tips and advice and of course the latest looks from the catwalks.  Most of all it is intended to help you make the most of how you look. How many times a day do you look in the mirror or into your wardrobe and feel disappointed with what you see?  So many of my clients over the years had spent so much time, money and negative energy beating themsevles up about how they looked.   What a liberation to discover their own true style, wear the clothes they enjoy buying and love how they look!

I am a firm believer that there is a strong connection between looking great and feeling fantastic no matter what your size, age, lifestyle or budget.   So what are your resolutions for 2010!   Why not decide to make this the year to really start looking after you?  It might be a new hair-style, lose a few unwanted pounds, get some exercise,  learn a new skill,  join a club, try a new beauty regime or experiment with your make-up.  Whatever you decide,  go for it and enjoy it – as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained!