Blog

Growing up,  I was a fiercely independent child, and there was no exception to this when it came to what I wore. I absolutely hated when my mom picked out my outfits, or told me I couldn't wear something. However, I now realize my fashion choices where questionable to say the least, but at the time I thought I knew what was best. Although, despite what I thought what was best my mom made sure I still looked presentable. She always said to me “I will never let you leave the house looking like an idiot.” Ten-year-old me brushed this off, but I now realize that this was actually a great thing. When I look back at old pictures, I never cringe at what I’m wearing. There were no head to toe Justice outfits, crazy mismatched tops and bottoms, and thankfully she prevented me from getting side bangs (this was quite the thing to do for elementary school girls at the time). Ultimately, though, dressing a child can be a very very difficult thing. And developing style for your child is a whole other challenge. Here are some tips and tricks on how to create style for your child. (Here I am wearing some of my favorite colors going to school!)              - Provide choices. Most children want completely autonomy when  picking out their outfits. So when you can make sure to let them have a say. "Give your child lots of little choices about things that don't matter to you," suggests Jim Fay, coauthor of Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood: Practical Parenting From Birth to Six Years. For example, give your child two options and let them [...]

Okay, men, I am talking to you! (a little Robert De Nero). I just did a blog about women's grooming. Now it's your turn. As your Men's Stylist, it is my duty. A couple of years ago, someone coined the word, Metrosexual. It refers to men who aren't afraid to spend some time on their hair, a manicure, a more fashion forward look in men's fashion. I think it was a slam to men. Why create a category that might be seen as sissy and ultra-feminine. Grooming is Key I'd like for all to pay attention to their men's grooming. Guys have it easier than women -- yeah they do. You don't have to dot on mascara and worry that your hair is standing on end. You don't worry as much about what you wear each day as we do and don't have near as many body issues as we do. But, if you do shave, it's something you do every day. I am sure that gets old. So you have my sympathy there. Maybe that's why so many men have beards now. It's certainly a trend that seems here to stay. I am not going to discuss beards -- I like them more trimmed. And, as I have said before a long beard with white/grey hair ages you. Just know that, and if you don't care then own it! Skin Care Routine Beyond shaving, men, you need to have some men's skin care routine. You need to scrub a couple of times a week (I like Clinique's 7-day Scrub) to rid your skin of dead skin. If you have breakouts put a department store level skin care product or I used to use Proactive. [...]

As men age, they face some dilemmas. If they are losing their hair – and I know this is tough—they have to think about whether they want to try hair replacement, continue the comb-over cut or just cut their hair very short. My husband started losing his hair at 35, and he just cuts his hair short. I still found him attractive. So men, as your Men's Stylist, trust me when I say this is normal and I want to help you through it. Women have plenty of problems, too –they think—with their appearance. So, you’re not alone. Aging with Your Men's Stylist The second dilemma, for all of us actually, is we age and our hair starts to grey and even turn white. What should we do? For women, we just get our hair colored. I do recommend a few things: if you are a cool brunette, do NOT get caramel or red highlights. This conflicts with your cool, winter-summer coloring and will not flatter you. (Same applies to men who get highlights.) For men, I like to recommend a “Greying” effect hair style. Instead of dying the hair all one color—which in older men is a tip-off you’re coloring your hair—it’s is natural look with color and some grey. My hair stylist, who owns Saint Charles International Hair Care, does this technique quite often and calls it “Grey Blending.” He says men come to him and want a little color in their hair. So, he paints some of their natural color back in, and this incorporates some contrast with the existing grey to create more of a youthful, attractive and natural look. Men's Stylist Tip: Smart Hair Care Greg also has some amazing [...]

As I was scrolling through Facebook, this article caught my eye: a principal in Houston created a dress code for parents -- she did not like the appearance of parents as they dropped their children off to school. So she created a dress code just for them. As your Indianapolis Image Consultant, I feel compelled to share!Read it here. The Good, The Bad, The... Not Going to Happen? At first I read it and chuckled. This news will not go over well with parents -- some have trouble getting started in the morning and are focused on getting their children up and ready for school and not their own image. Perhaps their image and appearance is the last thing on their mind. I don't do the school routine, so I can't say I've been there. But as a consultant, however, struggle with sometimes being on time and looking in my best image. It's difficult for all of us. As an Image Consultant, I have to admire this school principal. She was sending a message to parents -- that they are the image role models for their how their children learn to dress. This is so true. As a consultant, I have had the conversation with clients who were never taught how to keep  up their appearance and even buy clothes that look good on them or that flatter them. This attitude of being lost in a store follows them into adulthood. Eventually, they meet me and tell me these feelings and thoughts. Drop Off Looks From Your Image Consultant Anyway, this blog will look at some easy, attractive "School Drop Off" looks for men and women. Since I live near two elementary schools, I know [...]

As your Image Consultant, I was trying to look professional here—hence the jacket and shell-but also someone who knows color and how to use it. Coral (pink-melon color on the left is one of my best colors—and it complements my warm, rosy beige skin tone.) This wall was actually in the area I chose for the head shots. It is on the Monon trail near our house. Image Consultant Advice: Headshots Many times, I am asked to work with new and seasoned professionals on brand image and headshots. Most of the time, the photos are to position them a certain way or an extra nudge to make a promotion a sure thing. Or, someone is wanting to leave a job, start a whole new career, and the headshots are requested by a headhunter. Or, you are a new entrepreneur and you want to establish an image and online presence. For those who work in a field now and want to start establishing an image that will bring a promotion, as your Image Consultant, I urge you to think about this: How do others already at the level I am aspiring to go dress. Is it formal, business casual or even casual? Breaking It Down with Your Image Consultant Here’s a review of what the different image classifications really means: Formal business: This goes back to the Mad Men era. For men, it’s a dark navy or charcoal grey suit image; white shirt and plain tie. Black Oxford shoes – always. For women, it’s a dark navy or dark grey skirt suit, and a white blouse. Possibly a bow tie. (Think Brooks Brothers.) Business casual: This look actually is the first diversion from the dark business [...]

Everything we do shapes our personal brand, no matter what your station in life is: professional, CEO, entrepreneur, stay at home mom and dad…With social media life has changed. I recently gave a talk about how your personal brand shapes how others see you. This basically comes down to your social media. If you don’t’ make your posts private and you have a web site – you’re out there. Everything you post, write, take pictures of says something about you. It’s even more true for your teenagers who have their whole lives in front of them. You probably hope and pray they won’t post something stupid or strange – that is somewhere on the Cloud for years to come. So, what does that mean for you? While I could take this discussion several directions, I am going to concentrate on what to think about if you are a professional who works for someone else or who has a business – long term or now.   Think twice about what you post on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. While President Trump isn’t exactly a role model I’d like to focus on, he is someone who tweets quite a bit. What he tweets might make you smile or infuriate you, but it’s an example of communication that reinforces who he is. He likes to think he’s a maverick and unafraid of what his communication says or how it’s perceived. We would agree – he does live up to that. If I were in the corporate setting now –I worked in it for nearly 25 years—I would make my Facebook posts private. I would not want people from work to be “friends” with me. I think it’s too [...]