Have you ever wondered how many people appear to master the art of effortless style? Chances are they've had the help of a professional image consultant. I know I did!

10 years ago I had no idea what suited me and,like many people, dressed head to toe in black.

The colour black is a colour that only a very select few can wear confident in their knowledge that it flatters. For the large majority of people black drains them of colour making them look sickly, old, tired and dull. Is that really how you want to look and feel?

You may not be ready to toss out all your black but with help you can begin to explore other alternatives and wear a range of colours confidently. You may find, as I did, that the best colour for me was one I never, ever, dreamed I could wear. Orange and yellow have become my signature colours and people stop me in the street to tell me how fabulous I look. More importantly they tell me how wonderful seeing these colours makes them feel.

You may be wondering why you need to see an image consultant? Times are changing. More and more people are seeking a life coach for inner transformation, a career coach to help find their best-fit career. As competition steps up, for jobs and relationships) smart people are turning to image consultants to help give them the edge.

First impressions are lasting impressions - and you don't have much time to make one! 10 seconds at last. 30 at most!

Impressions are formed by a variety of factors - but what you say speaks loudly of who you are. You may think people should spend time getting to know the real you, but the reality is very often they won't. Time is short and visual impressions are lasting ones.

Anyone can look great and anyone can wear colour. It's not dependent on age, lifestyle, budget or body shape. Some of my most successful outfits cost less than $10. Yesterday I bought a dress for $8 and everyone raves about it. The trick is knowing what to wear and how to wear it in a way that makes you look and feel great. Confidence plays a big part.

An image consultant can help you break free of bad habits and encoruage you to find and try a new look more suited to who you are and who you want to be.

The key to dressing well is to understand your colouring and body shape and then dress to flatter it.

In each consultation I spend time getting to know more about my clients - what they love and what they dislike, their hopes and their dreams and the outcomes they most want. This is an important part of understanding who they are on a deeper level. I don;t want to force a style onto people but help co-create one that truly brings out the best in them.

I then spend several hours analysing and confirming their best-fit personal colours. These are the colours that light up their face and make them sparkle. A trained eye can see it straight away. I then spend time doing a warddrobe audit. 80% of most clients wardrobes are full of black, yet less than 10% of people can wear black well. It's not always easy or necessary to bin it all at once. I teach people how to make the most out of what they already have and how to introduce shots of colour inexpensively.

If the budget allows we then go shopping. I have a special knack for picking up bargains and great relationships with fabulous designers, including dress makers who can tailor something fabulous just for you.

I can't stress the importance of investment shopping enough. You should always buy key pieces each session that give you maximum versatility and a great cost per wear return on your investment. If you have great building blocks you can get more mileage out of your clothes and lower cost items can look like they cost a million dollars.

Take a good look at your wardrobe. Most women will waste thousands of dollars over their lives on clothes they never wear. The majority of my clients say they only wear 20% of what they own. Some even confess they never even tried them on in the store!

When I do a wardrobe audit I go through and work out where the gaps are. The aim is to build up a working capsule wardrobe. This helps clients mix and match with confidence. My creative talents also come in handy - helping people to combine unusual colours and accessories to maximum impact.

Information overload? Leave it to me! I love what I do and I do it well. Employ me to help create your personal image and I'll do the work for you. You'll be left with a new fabulous image, an organised wardrobe, a swatch book of sensational colours that flatter your skin tone and makes the most of your natural assets. Plus you'll look younger, feel confident and turn heads with your fabulous new image.

Treat yourself to a make-over now. You're worth it!

Contact me via email or phone to arrange an appointment 04 972 4663 or Cassandra@cassandragaisford.com

Discover how a strong Personal Brand can help you to:

• Create powerful, lasting first impressions
• Increase your visibility and raise your profile
• Build a reputation that precedes you
• Be known as the expert in your field
• Gain and maintain a competitive edge
• Fare better in economic downturns
•Boost your confidence and self esteem
• Increase your income

Contact us on +44 776 800 2840 or email Cassandra@cassandragaisford.com

Labels: Colour, Thecolourgirl.com