Does anyone have experience with using image consultants?

Eesh, $750 seems like a lot for the conclusions that the consultant got to - that you're a "medium" person (most people are medium), that black and white are harsh colors, lightening hair can look youthful, properly fitting clothing is important.

This is VERY standard advice for middle-aged women, and it's what I read in every women's magazine, hear in every store, and from my friends and peers. If someone charged me $750 for this, I would be out for blood.

If you're in a place where you need to save up to afford this, I would really advise against doing this again.

Instead:

  1. Look around on social media (sites like Instagram and Pinterest) for women of your age, experience, and body type. Pay attention to pieces and combinations that you like. Train yourself to notice and remember what works and what doesn't work. (Training your perception is super helpful in marketing too.) If you're lacking in ideas, I would suggest Michelle Obama, Caroline Issa, Stella McCartney, Theresa May, Christine Lagarde, as good starting points for well-dressed professional women.

  2. Find a good tailor, one that is comfortable with hemming, shortening, taking in, and reshaping the waist, hip, and bust areas. This is the "secret" to buying perfect clothes that stay perfect. I buy discount things with nice material and color, and have then shaped to me. Sometimes I will even have items retailored as my weight fluctuates.

  3. Instead of spending a whole lot on one opinion, get a number of free style consultations, from high-end places that dress professional women. If you can pay for a woman to come to you, then you can pay for a weekend jaunt to a city. Don't take any of the advice as gospel, just use it as a source of guidance.

  4. Learn the basics of composition, color theory, and how clothes are constructed. In fashion terms, this the equivalent of "teaching a man to fish so that he will never be hungry." Dressing and shopping are easy because I was trained in art (as an avocation), and I was taught to observe and understand what good proportion, color, and fit are. You don't need consultants if you develop your own eye.

  5. If you're happy with where your career is, be careful of making drastic changes to your appearance. Some of your eccentricities are your trademark, and turning yourself into something tastefully bland can easily backfire. And on the flip side, if you are so unsure about your own image, why should a company or person trust their image to you?

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