- 2013 December | Toronto Canada Image Consultant, Toronto Personal Stylist and Toronto Colour Analysis Expert - Carol Brailey Image Consulting - Style Coach, Style Consultant, Wardrobe Consultant, Personal Shopping

Posts made in December, 2013

My Aunt Got Me This Sweater…

Posted by on Dec 26, 2013 in Blog, Personal Power | Comments Off on My Aunt Got Me This Sweater…

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had a client tell me that they have kept or wear a particular clothing or accessory item because their Mother, Mother-in-Law, Aunt, Cousin etc. got it for them as a gift. These same clients also indicate that they know the item doesn’t suit them, but, they must keep or wear the item anyway.

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What Your Hair Stylist Needs to Know ABOUT YOU!

Posted by on Dec 16, 2013 in Blog, Hair | Comments Off on What Your Hair Stylist Needs to Know ABOUT YOU!

Your hair is one of the first things people see when they look at you. A communication breakdown with your hair stylist could have a significant negative impact on how people perceive and respond to you. To ensure that the image you want to project actually aligns with how you want to be received you will want to communicate with your hairstylist before they begin their hair services on you. To avoid leaving your hair salon crying, make sure your hair stylist knows these essential 6 elements ABOUT YOU!: 1.Your Skin Undertone: Your skin undertone is the hue that shows through the surface of your skin. Are you cool or warm or neutral? This is a key piece of data to tell your hair stylist when choosing a hair colour as you want to choose a colour that aligns with your undertone. 2.Your Colour Season (including Flow of Season): Are you a Winter, Summer, Spring or Autumn? Do you flow between colour seasons? This information will let your hair stylist know the value and intensity of hair colours that work for you. In addition, this will let your hair stylist know your ideal colours. ****You must be 100% certain of your season first. I have known MANY who were inaccurately told what they were. 3.Your Personality Style: This is a very important element not to be forgotten. Communicating your personality style to your hair stylist will ensure the look that you end up with is aligned with who you authentically are. Some examples of personality styles include: classic, creative, dramatic, romantic. 4.Your Career: Communicate your current work position and any position(s) you aim to advance to in the short term. This will allow your hair stylist to give you a look that is suitable for your current position and the one you are targeting to advance to. 5.Your Lifestyle: This includes the amount of time you spend, can spend, and want to spend on your hair per day. This will also help to determine the cut and style that works for your lifestyle. Some other example possibilities to consider: -What outside of work activities do you do? -Do you like to pull your hair back in a pony tail? 6.Upcoming Important Events: This includes any upcoming events you will be going to and the look that you are hoping to project at these events. When it comes to image and perception, your hair is generally noticed first and therefore make sure that both your hair colour and style display the authentic YOU. Having the above information, you can now communicate effectively with your hair stylist to ensure the image you are giving off is aligned with how you want to be perceived. I hope this article inspires you to wear your authenticity! Carol Brailey Image Consultant and Hair...

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What Are You Making Others Believe About You?

Posted by on Dec 9, 2013 in Blog, Personal Power | Comments Off on What Are You Making Others Believe About You?

“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” This is a famous quote by Maya Angelou and one of my favourite quotes. In addition to applying to an individual’s actions, this quote can be applicable to how someone puts themselves on display through their appearance and image. Are you aware of how your image choices are actually determining how you are perceived by nearly everyone? Here are 4 steps you can use to ensure the image you are displaying is aligned with how you want to be received and therefore believed. 1. Ask yourself – If I was someone else looking at my appearance, what would I think as a first impression? Daily, for one week, write out 3-5 characteristics that honestly capture the overall look you are projecting each day by asking yourself the above question with each outfit change. Really be honest with yourself. Make sure you factor in your complete appearance from head to toe. Some examples you may think of may be: -refined -professional -lazy -creative -funky -fun -messy -fashionable -old fashioned Beside each noted characteristic, write down where you were going (e.g. work, interview, date night, out with friends etc.). If you have someone close to you who sees you daily, you may wish to ask her/him if she/he would provide you with words for your list as well. 2. Review and reflect on your responses to Step #1 Review the words you captured in Step #1 above and ask yourself if you were happy with the image your words captured in relation to where you were going/your audience. Put a star beside the words you are happy with and circle the words you are not so happy with. Some examples you may be happy with and put a star beside might include: refined and professional for work and fun if going out with friends. An example of a word you may not be happy with and circle is: old fashioned for work or an interview (translates into resistant to change, outdated thinking). A sexy image may be okay for a date night, but doesn’t work if going to work in a conservative corporate environment. 3. Determine if there are appearance choices that you want to or should tweak Review the words you have starred and circled on your list now and reflect. If you have mostly stars on your list (i.e. You were happy with your image for each place you were going/your audience) then congratulations! If you have been truly honest with yourself throughout this exercise, you are most likely giving off the image you want to project in each area of your life. If there are mostly circles on your list and/or if there is a particular place you were going/an audience category that had a lot of circles (i.e. you were not happy with your image), then honestly ask yourself the following 2 questions: a) What was the main element that skewed your image? – Was it your outfit, hair, makeup, and/or accessory choices? b) What can you do to fix the issue? – Visit your hairstylist, have a makeup consult, revisit clothing choices, engage an image professional? 4. Change your appearance choices and keep at it In the previous step you determined where your appearance choices needed some fixing. Now it is time to implement change. Although you may, sometimes, want to go back to what you are used to, instead, keep at it. Don’t give up! Soon your appearance change will become habit and you will be happier and attract greater opportunities, respect, potentially...

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Five Steps to Efficiently Tackle Discount Store Racks

Posted by on Dec 2, 2013 in Blog, Shopping | Comments Off on Five Steps to Efficiently Tackle Discount Store Racks

Clothing stores such as Winners and Marshalls are great locations to find quality name brands at discounted prices. These stores house a multitude of different clothes and accessories from various designers and brands and all at a bargain. For some shoppers, it is a thrill to sort through all the racks and find hidden gems, while for others, shopping at one of these discount stores can be overwhelming and time consuming, particularly if they do not like shopping or if they have little time on their hands. There is a way to minimize your shopping time at these types of stores. Here are 5 easy ways to efficiently tackle the racks specifically in discount stores like Winners and Marshalls. 1. Go only to the racks that have the items you are looking for: The racks in the clothing sections are split up by garment type and sometimes lifestyle. Therefore, if you are looking for a particular style or item, you only need to go to the rack that houses that particular item. For example, if you are looking for pants there are typically 3 racks (usually grouped together) casual pants, denim, dress pants. Another example would include tops; there are typically racks for long sleeved shirts, long sleeved blouses, sleeveless shirts etc. 2. Only look at racks that have your size: All clothing racks are grouped by size. You should only need to look at racks and sections on those racks that house clothing in your size. 3. Only look at clothing that is in your colour palette: Once you’ve reached the rack that has the garment type and sizing you are looking for, now scan the rack for items that are in YOUR seasonal colour palette. You will find that this will quickly eliminate items you should not be entertaining. 4. Determine if the style is right for you: You are now at the rack with the garment type and size you are in search of and have found an item in YOUR seasonal colour palette. Take the item off the rack and look at it and ask yourself if the style of the garment works for your body silhouette, lifestyle and personality needs – Imagine yourself wearing the garment. If you like the garment after this exercise put it in your cart to try on. Repeat this step for all items on the rack that match YOUR seasonal colour palette. 5. Try on all items you have selected and buy: The final step! You’ve completed steps 1 to 4 above and now have a few items to try on either together as an outfit or independently. This step is a must. As you try on each item ask yourself how you feel in the garment (example confident, excited)? How will others perceive you? Is this garment giving off your best authentic energy? Purchase items where the answers to these questions are in alignment with the image you are hoping to emit. Now you have the 5 easy efficient steps to finding great quality discounted clothing at stores like Winners and Marshalls and you can be out in no time all! I hope this article inspires you to wear your authenticity! Carol Brailey Image Consultant and Hair...

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