HOW TO HIRE AN IMAGE CONSULTANT
There’s a lot of people telling you how to dress these days.
Bloggers, vloggers, Instagrammers, tik tok’ers, your mom, ChatGPT… everyone’s got an option.
But when you wake up and want to change not only your clothes, but your hair, your grooming… basically your whole vibe? Your best bet is to hire an image consultant. Which can become overwhelming.
Whose advice can I trust? What makes them qualified? Can’t AI just tell me what to wear?
So, let’s break it down into a few steps to make the decision easier for you:
Step One: Defining what an image consultant actually does
Step Two: Benefits of working with an image consultant
Step Three: Signs of a good image consultant
Step Four: How to find and hire an image consultant
What Does an Image Consultant Do, Anyway?
When you’re at the end of your rope, the first thing you probably want to do is throw all your clothes in the trash and buy a bunch of new stuff. We’ve all been there!
But that’s like putting a bandaid on a bullet hole. It doesn’t solve the problem.
Here’s the thing: If your old jeans aren’t working, why aren’t they working? If your look skews Leave It to Beaver but you’re feelin’ Aerosmith vibes, does that mean long hair and leather is your look?
An image consultant’s job is to, quite literally, figure out what isn’t working for you, and then recommend changes that will improve your image, wardrobe, and the impression you make to yourself and the world.
This isn’t about stroking the ego. Studies have shown that a positive self-image has an insanely positive impact on your personal and professional life.
Image consultants are trained to give individualized styling advice to help you develop a signature style that reflects your personality, lifestyles, and aspirations.
Here’s how an image consultant does it:
Provides an In-Depth Wardrobe Assessment: We re-evaluate your wardrobe, making specific clothing suggestions from specific brands that will work better for you, given your style preferences, body type, and budget.
Performs a Color Analysis: Ever put on a shirt and think, “Why does this color make me look ill?” We take out the guesswork by determining which colors look best on you by analyzing things like skin tone, eye and hair color.
Makes Grooming and Skincare Recommendations: Clothes only tell half of the story. Your hairstyle, grooming and skincare habits tell another. An image consultant looks at the whole picture and recommends the tweaks you can make to improve your overall appearance.
WHAT’S THE BENEFIT OF WORKING WITH AN IMAGE CONSULTANT?
When you think about your image, think about branding.
There’s a look/feel/vibe that your favorite brand embodies, right? Nike is one vibe. Thom Browne is another. What they have in common, though, is a pretty recognizable design.
Well, so should your personal style.
The mistake we all tend to make is looking to influencers whose style we want to mirror. Sure, it’s a great starting point to help you hone in on whether you are drawn to outfits that skew rugged, classic, rakish, preppy, street, bohemian or rock.
But remember, an influencer’s platform is designed around clothing, outfits, and brands that suit their personal tastes, their budget and their body type.
An image consultant is a personalized experience. Everything is customized specifically to your tastes, your budget, and your body type. It’s a representation of your style aspirations.
How important is branding?
Branding is so important that businesses across the board spend millions of dollars on it. It literally is the key to whether a product succeeds or bombs.
SIGNS OF A GOOD IMAGE CONSULTANT
Signs of a Good Image Consultant: They Help You Develop a Signature Style
Telling you what you should wear, how to style your hair, and what colors look best on you are all good things.
But in order to develop a signature style that reflects your personality, lifestyles, and goals, you’re going to need styling advice that’s specifically tailored to you.
This isn’t a “one size fits all” thing that some robotic algorithm spits out based on data or what everyone else is doing.
A good image consultant helps you figure out your signature style by listening to you, teaching you, and walking you through the process from start to finish. We don’t throw all this stuff at you and just send you on your way.
In order for this process to be successful (and enjoyable), we have to understand your specific personal style goals.
When you get stumped about things like what to wear when, why you look 20 years older than you actually are, or how to change the hairstyle you’ve been wearing since high school, one of the benefits of an image consultant is that they can answer those questions specifically.
Because personal styling advice is a two-way street thing. There’s give and take. Like any good relationship.
Signs of a Good Image Consultant: They Walk You Through It
An image consultant can pinpoint what isn’t working for you down to a science, but a good image consultant will then guide you through the process of implementing those recommendations every step of the way.
This is done through emails, interactive platforms like Google docs and Zoom calls, and ongoing feedback.
A good image consultant is available to you for the entire duration of the consultation process.
Signs of a Good Image Consultant: They Provide YOU WITH Valuable Content
How often do you get instructions to do something and two minutes later, totally forget what you were supposed to do?
Educational materials, resources, and engaging visuals are all key to ensuring that what we’re teaching you about developing a signature style is sinking in.
After all, what’s the point of spending money to build your dream home without first laying down a solid foundation?
We want to help you improve your image, sure, but we also want to arm you with valuable styling tools that you can use for the rest of your life.
Signs of a Good Image Consultant: They Offer a Free Consultation
How can you feel confident that the image consultant you hire is “The One” if you can’t talk to them first?
One-on-one conversations, whether in person, by phone or Zoom is the only way you can be confident you’ve connected with someone who truly understands your challenges, is empathetic, trustworthy, and sincere, and has a personality you’d enjoy working with.
A free consultation allows you to get a taste of that image consultant’s expertise before having to commit to a paid service.
Signs of a Good Image Consultant: They Are Transparent About Their Fees
Is there anything as annoying as someone who gets all squirrely about telling you how much something will cost?
A good image consultant is transparent and up front about their fees and services. When you hire one, you’re making an investment. Not only of time, energy, and effort, but money, too.
That should be respected. It shouldn’t be all shrouded in mystery in a creepy, high pressure, oily salesman kinda way.
Signs of a Good Image Consultant: They Have Testimonials
A good image consultant should definitely have a track record of positive reviews and testimonials from past clients that include before and after photos.
Reviews are key!
They are filled with useful bits of unbiased information that can help you decide who’s the right fit for you.
Does that person listen well? Are they open to feedback? Do they provide timely responses? Were their styling services worth the time, energy and investment? (If only your ex came with a few reviews… think of all the migraines you could have avoided!)
At the end of the day, don’t take our (or anyone else’s) word for it.
Dig around and see what past clients have to say about their experience and use that to guide your decision.
HOW TO HIRE AN IMAGE CONSULTANT
Hiring the right person to help you develop a signature style is definitely an investment: both in the short term and also the long term, too. But it’s a process that should deliver an insanely profound value to you; one that lasts a lifetime.
Search online, ask around, and make a list of some potential image consultants you’d like to work with. Then, get in touch with each one and see who you jive with the most.
Take the time to make your decision.
Don’t get caught up in some weird “this offer is only good for the next 30 minutes,” scenario that’s fraught with pressure.
If someone’s confident about their services, then the testimonials and track record will speak for themselves.
Taking your image to the next level…
If you’ve made it this far and want to add us to the list of potential image consultants you may want to work with, we’d love to talk to you!
You can click here to schedule a free, 20-minute Style Strategy consultation call with Patrick, owner and founder of PIVOT Image Consultants.
He’ll walk you through the packages we offer, from virtual image consulting to in-person image consulting and even give you a few pointers on how to solve some of the most frustrating clothing-related issues you’re having right now.
We look forward to connecting.
Cheers!
Kate
