Brand Image Part II

I work 9-5 doing the thing I do to make a living. However, I am more than my 9-5 and would like to have a personal card that illustrates this.

Does the above sentiment apply to you? If it does then I have advice for you. Let's start with how you view yourself. Spend 20 minutes alone and think about you and the image that you believe you project.

In Graphic Design you use images and words to project an idea. Words take on a new meaning with the font chosen.
See how my name takes on different connotations based on font chose.

Another component is color. We see colors everyday that communicate what to do. The topic is too broad to go into here. I would give you the task of deciding which colors you like, why, and how you would like to use them. I I do not have any books on the subject because I have been reading about and using color in a very specific way for over 15 years. I recently came across a book while reading this post on Crafty Hues. The book is called Color Mixing Bible by Ian Sidaway. This book is aimed at artists, which I am not, but also has basic information for beginners.

This information is not just for a business card. It is also for your website, blog, gift wrap, stationary, or anything else that you will give or show that is a representation of you. A good blog to read about graphic design is Design Observer. Here is a link to archived branding articles on the Design Observer website.

Hair After The Gym..........weight loss

Let me preface this by saying that my hair is less than 6" long.

After the gym: At home I co-wash, add my shea butter mix, and do 2-strand twists going all the way back. I get 7 twists in. Tie up in a scarf and go to bed. My hair is usually dry the next morning. I then pick the twists out.

I usually sleep without a scarf and co-wash in the morning, add shea butter mix, pick out and go. I do not do anything special to my hair. I co-wash daily. I shampoo and deep condition 1x per week.

On another note I must say that your "home girl" is in the gym. I went 3x last week. I weighed myself Monday morning and saw a number I had not seen in a while. I am proud of myself and feel like keeping it up. The down side is that I spend a lot of my free time cooking or grocery shopping.

Brand Image

I have a friend who is completing a Image Consulting Certificate offered by FIT. This friend ahs long been interested in fashion. I myself wear khaki's and a t-shirt everyday but, I know a thing or two about fashion myself. So I'm gonna put my two cents in.

Are you Branded or do you look like everyone else in your herd? I love scarves I wear one with jackets all the time. However my scarf is not one of those middle eastern inspired jobs. Yes these are no longer in fashion but you get the idea. This friend can put a lot of looks together because she has been buying clothes for much longer than most of us and puts away the things she no longer wants to wear because of style, Silhouette or because she no longer wants to wear it for whatever reason. She mentioned that the "Image Consulting" has her confused about her Brand. My response was yes you do have many looks but your makeup is consistent in style, your hair cut has been relatively the same for a while now. So yes she does have an image that is unique to her. I could spot her in a crowd & know who she is.

This image is not in focus.

I say all that to say how does a person decide what to wear? How can you decide what to wear? I have some pointers.

1. Look to see who's look you admire.
2. Think about what you already have in your "closet".
3. Look in catalogs or visit the stores you like and look in your favorite magazines fashion and others.
4. Decide what pieces you would like to buy based on what you already have and budget.
5. Think about what you want your look to be in he upcoming season

Now here is the fun part.......Go buy the things you thought of from #4. You most likely will not buy everything because it's a work in progress and you will be tweaking this as you go along. Also, do not buy a bunch of different colors. If you are not pulling in six figures then you need to choose 2-3 colors aside from the basic colors so that you can mix and match.

My next advice is to go alone. Yes ALONE. Why? You shop with the herd, you look like the herd. As a person who worked retail for her entire college career I can attest that your friends do not want you to look good on a subconscious level. They believe what they say comes from a genuine place and on the surface it does.

But I like shopping with my friends? Well too bad for you.

They help me! Go back and read my last paragraph.

Did your BFF buy that dress while she was out with you. Nope! Why? Cause you can be negative.

My BFF and I go shopping all the time. In fact she is telling me that I need to buy some clothes because my shit is looking raggedy. She also said ahe wants to come. I did not say yes or no. The answer of course is no. I know what I want and do not want her 2 cents either. I know what I need and what I want to say. I buy things when I'm out with her. We know what the other likes and I will occasionally see something and buy it. My BFF makes purchases of a few things sometimes without me too because she doesn't want me telling her that her cold blooded ass will not wear a mini wool boucle suit in the winter. See negative not supportive.

Here is when to turn to ONE of your "home girls". You bought something and are not quite sure; ask her what she thinks. you will most likely get a fair response.

I say all this to say separate from the herd and dare to define your style on your terms. Don't get too crazy though. These rules apply to all remodels, men, car purchases, hair cuts, and anything else you want to be happy with.

So here are some links I find inspiring:

Que Jimenez
Apricot Tea
Jubella
Wardrobe Remix
Fly

My Shea Butter Mix

About 2.5 cups Shea Butter, 1 cup Olive Oil, a .25 cup each of the following Coconut Oil, Almond Oil, Avocado Oil, and Essential oils of your choosing. You can add 10-20 drops per ounce.

I use Essential Oils for fragrance. There are EOs that are good for your hair. Life Tea Tree Oil (I do not know what it's good for). You can also add Vitamin E to the mix. Remember that the higher the IU the purer the product and that If the Vitamin E is in a Carrier oil those oils are going into your hair too. So, read the ingredients.