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