Your True Colours –Life Image

Your True Colours –Life Image

By Carolyn Bendall

Carolyn Bendall is President of Fashion Academy and has trained image consultants and beauty related professionals in image consulting and color analysis. She has worked with celebrities, local television personalities, executives, and everyday people who are lost in the world of what fashion has to offer. She has had a column in Memphis Woman magazine and did the “A New You “column for the Commercial Appeal.

OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS OF IMAGE CONSULTING I HAVE HAD MANY CLIENTS, TAUGHT MANY CLASSES , AND GIVEN MANY LECTURES AND SEMINARS. ONE THING THAT PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK ME, WHETHER AS A CLIENT , A CLASS MEMBER, OR A LECTURE OR SEMINAR ATTENDEE…OR, AS A FRIEND …IS, “DOES THIS LOOK OKAY?” OR, THE OTHER STATEMENT I GET CONTINUALLY, “OH, I

KNOW THIS IS THE WRONG COLOR , BUT IT IS ALL I HAD THIS MORNING!”

In those quests, I have had many that take heed what has been presented; and yet, still, many that were very excited for a new look, for instruction on how to shop and not make mistakes anymore, for having a way to look that hint of a better style, or any number of other reasons

With over 10 years experience in the Fashion Industry, Toi Sweeney is a leading authority on style. Fashion Stylist to celebrity clients, television personalities and hosts, Toi is an expert at creating one of a kind personal brands and elevates image to art. http://www.toisweeney.com

why one asks for help from an Image Consultant…there is still that percentage that almost immediately revert back to their ‘old’ self. That complete happiness of that one shopping trip, that closet cleanout, the ‘New You’, or condensed information during a lunch meeting, falls on fearful ears. “I just can’t make it happen.” “I can’t do it the way you did it.” And, many more excuses for reverting.

As I pondered on why these men and women just can’t grasp the complete idea of making a change in their everyday life. I realized that it wasn’t an outwardly problem, so much as it was an inward problem. We began to realize that a large percentage of the people that sought us out, really needed to reevaluate their ‘Life Image’ more so than their ‘Outer Image’. And, so was born the Life Image and CourageMakers.

Not a counseling session, but facilitating for a goal setting program that works on achieving the Inner Image that will allow us to gain an Outer Image. Toi Sweeney, International Award Winning Stylist for QVC, calls it ‘branding’. She notes that one must build a personal brand, which does have to begin inside. “If you are adequate, or passable, or even complacent in your image; why? What are okay with being ‘okay’. When you are perceiving yourself as ‘okay’, others perceive you that way, too.

Makeover shows have ruined many people toward accepting, or even attempting, a complete change. “They are fearful,” Sweeney says. They have seen entire wardrobes over enthusiastically tossed in the trash. One episode of a popular show still leaves me cringing, the hosts literally ripped off a ladies ‘Mom jeans’ in a store. (Obviously not an impromptu thing, jeans do not simply rip off when pulled on; those jeans were pre-cut to tear away.) Another that had me screaming at the television was when the host of the show argued with the lady when she said

Life Image (Continued)

she didn’t want lower necklines, she just wasn’t comfortable with it. The host then proceeded to pull out only low neckline tops, noticeably embarrassing the sweet lady being held hostage in the dressing room. We can’t take away a person’s personality to create a wardrobe that the Image Consultant loves; the person has to love it and wear it, so, it needs to be their personality.

Sweeney tries to help the client realize that they are fearful of what they see happening on television happening in the store or in their own closet. She tries to make the client understand that what is gained far outweighs what miniscule thing that might be taken away. In my case, the only items that have been taken out of a client’s closet are items that they do not wear anyway. So, fear is exchanged for power; the new knowledge of why they don’t wear that particular item of clothing, which then gives them power to let it go. Knowledge is power. Power to say ‘No’ to the sales associate. Power to say ‘No’ to friends who try to pressure a teen to wear the latest fad that is all wrong for them. Power to say ‘No’ when society pushes its frivolous ideas of fashion.

At what point is new branding needed? Sweeney offers some warning signs that one has allowed the branding to become negative, “Have you changed your hair in the last 3 years? Have you updated your headshots or family photos (for the Stay At Home Mom) in the last 3 years?” Many women will respond, ‘but I don’t go to an office every day, I go to the park every day.’ No matter if you are retired, a stay at home mom, or a career person, personal branding is a must.

Sweeney further explains the idea of personal branding, “Are you relevant to your husband and kids? Are you relevant to yourself?” She further explains, “What are people saying (or remembering) about you?” Knowing deep inside that people are saying, “Wow, she has let herself go,” even if they didn’t, will replicate the cycle. This is where jumping outside of your world and creating a new you really does bring a smile to one’s face. ‘Really?’ One may ask. Really. Working on feeling better about oneself is the first step to creating the new brand.

Some of our men and women in the “New You” columns truly were looking for a new branding. We had the woman whose husband was in Iraq, and the last time he had seen her was when she was pregnant and then right after the baby was born, she wanted a new sexy mom to meet him at the airport; the woman who gave up her corporate career to stay at home with twin boys and creating her own business within the home—but had simply succeeded in staying in her pajamas all day; the college student who was ready to graduate however had always only worn jeans and was becoming aware that she needed a corporate look; the career woman,

wife, and mother who was retiring from the military and was going into private law practice and realized that her entire wardrobe consisted of uniforms and running gear; the policewoman who had allowed her wardrobe to become uniforms and shorts and tee shirts and now couldn’t even go on a date night because she had no clothes (after two pregnancies); the lawyer whose wardrobe was filled with black suits and she was opening a new chapter in her life as a Laughter Leader, she needed fun color; the man who wore jeans and a company tee shirt all day and realized he had fallen into the rut of not changing out of his ‘work uniform’ ever; the man who daughter was tired of ill-fitting shorts and tee shirts on her retired Father…and the list could go on and on…all people who woke up one day and realized they needed a new branding.

The Happy Person, the Energetic Person, the Person that smiles, those are the branding that we want to see; however, in most cases the branding is, the Frazzled Person, the Sloppy Person, the Out-Dated Person…we could go on and on with the ‘stereotype.’ Oh, that word..yes, that word. We trap ourselves. There is a way to release that trap, working on the inner image before one even begins to think about working on the outer image. Even in weight loss goals, there still will need to be some inner image goals to achieve.

We developed the Your True Colours Life Image program to set one the road to setting up new goals, to setting up a new branding. Sweeney notes, “Your life is your business…brand it correctly.”

Life Image (Continued)

Sweeney says that her clients that are hosts on QVC or CEO’s of companies are readily willing to step into a new branding of the outer person. The everyday average person is the one who is fearful of stepping into uncharted territory, a new image.

Consistency is a goal within itself. For those that simply cannot change their routine to implement those changes needed for the new image need to put that down as a goal for them to achieve. Perhaps the goal itself will not be to implement changes suggested; but something that isn’t as fearful, like implementing changes in a morning or evening routine…that first or last 15 minutes of the day. This sets one up for the larger step of new branding.

Our goal setting workbook covers many aspects of one’s inner image, with simple guidelines toward attainable goals. The Life Image workbook led us to CourageMakers. CourageMakers is a conference that we do each year to give everyone the shot in the arm needed to get moving on making inner image changes. Then, this is also reinforced throughout the year with Courage Over Lunch. That is the real action session. Goal setting assigned each month, with accountability to make the goal a reality. Join us in person, or on line!

http://www.couragemakers.com.

A DJ realized in the studio it didn't matter what he wore; however for public appearances he really felt sloppy. He’s still in jeans, just with better ‘branding’.

A DJ realized in the studio it didn't matter what he wore; however for public appearances he really felt sloppy. He’s still in jeans, just with better ‘branding’.