Fashion makeover television shows such as: What Not to Wear , How To Look Good Naked, and How Do I Look , all have created an immediate need for the hottest job in town. Thanks to these shows, image consultants (or fashion consultants) have been describes as having the one of the most sought after profession.

Image consultants are hired to advise on improving ones image through appearance, personal style, etiquette, and communication. They provide individual and corporate services through the use of seminars, workshops, consultations, and training mechanisms. An image consultants job is to help clients makes a lasting impression through the power of presence and identity. Many fashion consultants offer advice aside from beauty and fashion such as: fitness, dating, and business etiquette.

While many televisions shows make this job look easy, it requires extensive training and experience. Many people believe that because they know how to dress or dress other people that this allows them to advise people on their image. While entertaining, this conception is not an essential part or requirement to become a professional consultant. A professional fashion consultant should have a college degree in a fashion related field. Areas of interest include: Textile design, fashion design, or fashion merchandising. Studies in a related field provide the basic fashion fundamentals like color, fabric, and drape. These programs teach you about: pattern making garment construction, garment care, fabric weight top weight fabrics fabric styling accent color analogous & complimentary color fabric content fabric construction Shaping & silhouette

Ultimately, these tools help an image consultant understand every individual characteristic of a garment. It allows them to understand the clients body structure in order to provide effective clothing solutions. Fashion is an art of illusion; you want to emphasize your best features and down play the others. Misleading a client by offering bad or incorrect advice is unacceptable. A professional image consultant is considered an expert! Being an expert means you are qualified and educated with extensive experience and success.

An image consulting company will sometimes offer seminars or training sessions including both social and business etiquette. In order to provide this type of consulting, they have participating in classes, workshops, and retreats that enable them to provide such advice. These workshops provide a full understanding of self management, protocol, social behavior, professionalism, and of course etiquette. In turn, this experience allows them to customize certain techniques and behavioral activity to any individual in a broad range of circumstances. These tactics help image consultants provide: business etiquette interviewing skills social interaction proper language and vocabulary direct and positive verbal communication effective body language social graces such as table manners

If you decide you want to become an image consultant then follow these steps and you will be heading in the right direction. Contact a consulting company and see if they accept interns. This is a great way to get firsthand experience.

What you wear is an outward reflection of your inner being. Many people, male or female, have a hard time visually displaying their personality. The job of a Personal Shopper is to help express your inner-being and personality so that your appearance can reflect who you are both on the inside and out. A personal shopper will usually gather information and details regarding your lifestyle, personality, body structure, skin tones, hair color, shoe size, and many other elements that help them determine the most flattering styles that compliment you.

A personal shopper will also help you coordinate your outfits. Many people spend countless hours trying to figure out what to wear to your interview, work, school, special event, presentation, or any of the other plethoras of events that one may encounter throughout life. With the help of a personal shopper, these decisions are made easier. Image is everything and making sure you are sending the right message is extremely important! Learning what to wear and how to wear it makes a huge difference in your daily wardrobe selection. For example, you would not dress a woman who is 59 and about 150 lbs in the same gown you would dress a woman that is 54 and 120 lbs. Even if the sizes are different, it may not flatter the taller woman the same way it flatters the smaller woman.

It is necessary to remember that the individual style of your personal is not a reflection of how they will dress you! Sometimes people get confused in thinking that a personal shopper has to style every person similar and that if the personal shopper dresses a certain way then everyone they dress will reflect that. However, one of the most important characteristics of a qualified personal shopper is to remain open-minded and even neutral when it comes to picking out clothes for each person. Everyone is unique and will not look like they walked off the page of Vogue or some other high end fashion magazine. While that may be the goal for some, it is not always realistic.

Taking an optimistic approach is useful, but can be risky when a personal shopper does not consider the clients lifestyle or personality. Everyone has a comfort zone and breaking bad habits can sometimes be uncomfortable. However, taking a chance on something that may have been otherwise over looked and finding a way to make certain garments work for a client is an essential part of being a great personal shopper.

A personal shopper will show the client the keys to a successful and possibly life changing wardrobe. A personal shopper should not just be considered the hired help but should build and develop a lasting relationship with each person they work with. Knowing how to dress and projecting the right image is a universal form of communication in any language. People are always going to be evaluated on how they present themselves. How you portray yourself can be a huge asset and what sets you apart from the crowd.

Unrealistic images of the female body are used to promote the sale of many products and services. While the rest of the world seems to age, the female figures promoting such products, somehow age in reverse by growing younger, taller, and slimmer. Many recognized actresses are notorious for dipping in to the fountain of youth with the help of expensive plastic surgery or simply starving their body with fad liquid diets. Magazines, websites, and commercials are used to promote weight loss products, insisting that losing excess weight will make your life flawless. Research indicates that the diet industry alone is worth anywhere from 40 - 100 billion U.S dollars. Women are sure to sustain depression and body image issues with the elaborate exposure of thin, young, and airbrushed women. College women and grown adults are both affected by the pressure to be thin. How many times have you convinced yourself to diet or fast?

The ideal beautiful woman is not airbrushed in real life so why is the media compelled to impose such images as the standard for average women? The average woman doesnt wear a size 2 and she doesnt have flawless skin as media publications may suggest. They are naturally different in size, shape and age! Many diet and cosmetic companies depend on providing unrealistic ideals to consumers in order to ensure their corporate growth and financial gains. The media intentionally publicizes young skinny girls as a prerequisite to being beautiful. This how they convince you to buy their products.

While many companies promote products with Barbie doll-like women, there are in fact companies that promote the average and natural women. Lane Bryant, a plus size retail store eventually traded their size 6 mannequins in for size 12. After receiving various complaints from their customers they agreed that a size 6 mannequin advertising plus size womens clothing was unrealistic. Dove, owned by Unilever, began casting healthy average women to sell their products on television. While their commercials appealed to many women, Dove received a lot of criticism from the media. People did not know how to respond after being exposed to airbrushed young models for years. Could it be that women expect young and skinny girls to promote their products? Would women buy a wrinkle cream advertised by middle-aged women with wrinkles?

Ladies, the bottom line is Love the skin youre in! Ignore the messages about diet and thinness that barrage beauty by telling you that you are in need of constant adjustment. You are perfect t the way you are. The female body is not an object to be perfected. Everyone reserves the right to be beautiful and youthful regardless of age, shape or size. You are born with beauty and there are many ways to celebrate that beauty in healthy and constructive ways!

Treat yourself to an image consultant. Companies that promote image consultations and fashion makeovers are a great way to revive your youth. Many women seek the help of an image consultant in order to help them with clothing and beauty choices. A makeover is a great way to celebrate yourself, says Erika Chloe, founder of My Image Expert. Women have been misled by corporate companies selling sex not beauty. Beauty comes in so many different shapes and sizes but advertisements seem to say otherwise. A size 2 model selling jeans is an ad for an eating disorder and unhealthy expectations. Women need to look inside themselves to express their individual beauty. Fashion Consultants specialize in individual makeovers, fashion consulting, and image consulting. With an expert by your side, sometimes women just need a little extra help. An Image consultant helps you to understand your body structure and provides advice as to what type of clothing best suits you. They provide services to help you express you natural beauty in an effective, healthy and powerful way. Real women are not invisible so take a stand and celebrate your natural beauty from within!