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Many of us don't really give accessories a second thought. Before I had style and image consulting training, I really didn't think about it.  I seemed to like more delicate jewelry and pieces, and that was a good thing: My silhouette really dictates I wear more delicate and smaller pieces. So it wasn't a leap to suddenly give accessories more emphasis. Just for starters, you should wear jewelry, scarves and other accessories to scale. What does that mean exactly? All of us, including men, have a scale to our silhouette: Petite, shorter; medium, medium height to taller/grand. What you wear should align with this. Scale also refers to the type/size of prints you wear in your clothing and even the size of your bag. For instance, a really petite person -- say 5'2' --can really look silly carrying a huge bag. It totally overwhelms the look. Same thing with really large hats or jewelry with smaller folks - it's all you see. On the other side of the coin, when an extremely tall or muscular person wears a very tiny, floral print it looks strange on them -- as if they are dressing like a child would. Medium sized people can wear prints/ accessories in the middle -- not too large but not too small. The best way to see this is to really look in the mirror when you are buying accessories -- or if you order them online look in a full size mirror to really see the effect of the additional piece. If it blends in, that's good; if it totally stands out and that is all you see - don't wear it. You can see here the different sizes of women's [...]

Making Your Social Profile Work For You!   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. Know that what you post can be seen by a future employer or client. Is it flattering to you? Does it put you in a bad light?   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 risky. Then I feel I could be freer to voice political opinions, etc. But beware – you always need to be careful what you post.   Second, keep your business and social [...]

I was just talking to a friend last night who’s working from home, as many workers are around the world, and we were talking and laughing about using the needed technology. My friend was using some type of Intranet platform, while others of us are using Zoom or other applications such as GotoMeeting. The New York Times even had an article about working from home. I had to laugh – the writer mentioned people don’t realize how wide the Zoom camera lens is and are walking around their home office half naked, showing extremely slovenly surroundings, etc. Did you know your computer has a little camera lens right in the middle of your screen? Put tape over it if you don’t want people to see you and your “home” office. Or, if you are wearing a statement jacket like this navy jacket I am wearing by Polo, smile for the camera and enjoy your appearance in meetings on Zoom! I have had to use Zoom or Come to Meeting for a couple of years now in my work on the board with the Association of Image Consultants International. Most of the time if I am not feeling very professional on the night call I put some type of jacket over whatever I am wearing even it it's a T-shirt. I feel more professional, too, when I do that. If online meetings are new to you, here are some tips: Do the ZoomGoToMeeting tutorial. It’s easy, very helpful. Why? Suddenly you are now being judged on your “online” presence, not just your Brainiac skills. You don’t want to look like the person who can’t learn or adapt. We all know those who adapt survive, right? Practice [...]

We never could have predicted our country would be where it is now in the middle of a pandemic due to the Coronavirus and so many disruptions in our daily lives. Enough of that! Have No Fear, Your Personal Stylist is STILL Here I have always written and "preached" the work of a Personal Stylist is different than any other job because it is personal to the client. I spend so much time getting to know the person, his/her needs, budget, special challenges, and lifestyle. Then, I create a plan to address the issues each client has. I am working with a new client today, in fact. While yesterday I was considering doing a live closet audit, I have since changed my mind. We will do it online instead. With the present social distancing that is harder to do, but not impossible. I had started to do some remote Personal Stylist work over the last couple of years. My first client is a doctor from Los Angeles I met at my husband's college reunion at Pomona College. It was a fun and productive experience. We did a color analysis online followed by shape analysis. I suggested some wardrobe additions all online. I need to take the virus seriously as you do so I am suspending any "live" Personal Stylist work until May 1, 2020. It's the right thing to do. I am not stopping my work--I am changing how I do it. I believe people need a Personal Stylist even more now. I am available to shop online, create look boards, capsule wardrobes, makeup recommendations as well as any of the other services I offer. My hunch is that retail stores will offer even more sales and incentives so consumers [...]