Author Archives: Natalie

About Natalie

Image Consultant, Personal shopper, Wardrobe Stylist, Speaker, Style Expert and more! President of Elan Image Management, an image consulting firm. Author of Frumpy to Fabulous: Flaunting It. Your Ultimate Guide to Effortless Style.

Brand Snapshot: Sex sells. But does it place a wholesome brand at risk?

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When you have a super-charged brand that is undeniable effective,  why would you mess with it? As an image and brand consultant, this is the question I ask myself after seeing the (faux) nipple baring bodysuits Beyonce wears on stage during her current tour. It is pushing the envelope in a way that goes against her squeaky clean, wholesome image which her brand has been so steadfastly  built upon. This, too, after her very sexually charged Super Bowl half-time show performance earlier this year which had tongues all a wag.

For a mega star who has worked hard to protect and maintain her image, I am confused by her recent blatant attempts to dial up her sex appeal. It’s not like Beyonce doesn’t already have an innate subtle sex appeal that both sexes can appreciate. It’s not like she isn’t seen as one of the most beautiful women in the public eye. It isn’t even because she hasn’t been able to nab high profile gig after high profile gig in quick succession without breaking a sweat. Endorsements: She’s got them. So why this sudden raunchier sex persona?

The nipple baring bodysuit  (fake or not) is the type of outfit we would expect from Lady Gaga, whose brand it is to excite,  titillate and surprise with shock value. This isn’t Beyonce’s shtick… at least it wasn’t.  This costume is flirting very close to “vulgar” which isn’t part of Beyonce’s usual repertoire.   Beyonce’s feminine, classy, subtly alluring brand persona has been a huge success. She is a role model to millions of young girls. Why taint this wholesome image? For what? More male fans????  Different endorsement deals? It’s confusing and regretful that with all the sexy girl images in the media these days, that a successful star like Beyonce feels a need to validate her own sexuality by being more overtly so. Or is it more like showing off? Either way it is not a positive association for a stellar brand, whose underlying premise is one female strength and empowerment.

If I could take her aside, to advise her, this is what I’d say: “B, you’re sexy as you are. You don’t have to try that hard. Sex sells for those who have much less going on and who are far less talented.  You’ve worked hard to get to the top. Be true to you and your brand and continue to be a model for young girls who desperately need positive female icons to aspire to. Get rid of the darn nipples for heaven’s sake! “

What do you think?

Be sure to visit Elan Image Management’s website for more information on our style/branding services. If you find yourself struggling with how to coordinate your spring wardrobe Contact Us to explore how we can help you with one of our image consulting services. Are you subscribing to the blog feed to get weekly updates in your inbox? Do so Here.

Be Fabulously You!

 

 

What does an Image Consultant Do?

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I am often amazed that given the preponderance of TV makeover shows in the past few years, that many women still don’t know what an image consultant is and how they can be served by one.  Or, I meet women who understand what I do as an image consultant but who say to me things like, “well I’m sure you only work with very rich women”, or “I am sure I can’t afford you”, which is actually not true, at least not in my case.

As a practicing image consultant for over 6 years, it’s astounding to me how little has changed regarding the public’s awareness of this field of image consulting.  As with any profession, image consultants wear a variety of hats, depending on their skills, interest and target client. I have worked with men and women over the years but my ideal client is a woman. Often she is a professional woman, who places a lot of value on how she is perceived by others and who understands that her image is a critical part of her professional success.  And sometimes I’ve had clients who come to me to help them with their personal image—maybe it’s a woman who is trying to attract a mate, or a woman who wants to improve her look for her own sense of self-worth and esteem. There can be many reasons, but the underlying theme is that anyone who desires a change, boost, overhaul, or refinement to their image/look/style in any way, can benefit from the expertise of an image consultant.

My services support my clients in a number of ways:

  • Making sure their first impressions are positively memorable
  • Helping them craft or refine their unique personal brand
  • Selecting outfits for special events
  • Revamping,  tweaking or developing their own signature style
  • Helping them dress to enhance their figure
  • Ensuring their body language and non-verbal cues support their overall image intent
  • Shopping with  or for them so they can build a wardrobe of clothing that reflects their goals and preferences
  • Showing them the colors that give them the greatest impact
  • Optimizing their wardrobes so they have outfits they love, that work for their bodies and lifestyle and which make them feel amazing
  • Coordinating and building outfits for them so dressing each day is more effortless
  • And so much more

Presidential Debate Color Faceoff: Mrs Obama rocked hot pink – Mrs Romney didn’t

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As the second Presidential debate heated the campaign up even more (what a show from both candidates) I couldn’t help but notice the color choices of  Michelle Obama and Ann Romney for this crucial debate between their husbands.

It was extremely interesting that both wives wore hot pink! A bold, attention getting choice for sure!

The First Lady and Romney both selected ensembles in this feminine hue, which seemed to be  nod to Breast Cancer Awareness month. Mrs Obama wore a hot pink Michael Kors sheath topped off with a cropped jacket in the same shade, accessorized with  a single strand of pearls. Mrs Romney opted for a cap-sleeve knee-length sheath in the same hue which she punctuated  with a blue-green glass beaded necklace.

As an image consultant who loves color I feel compelled to weigh in on this conversation. The First Lady has always embraced color as one of her signature style hallmarks so this was not really out of character for her. She really popped in the cameras in this bold pink. She looked incredible. However, I don’t think this choice of color was as effective on Ann Romney. As a fair skinned blonde, the color “wore” her so she faded away, instead of popped. The light blue beads she wore helped mitigate the strength of the color but not enough. Romney had a bolero jacket in a softer pink (that she took off in the end) that was more flattering to her skin and hair.
Pink is a wonderful color in all its varieties from baby pink to fuchsia. It is my favorite color batch when doing color analysis on women. So feminine, warm and pretty. But when you get to hot pink/fuchsia it is SO strong and easily can take the spotlight away from the wearer. In this way it is even stronger than many reds. In my experience, very fair women really need to be careful wearing these hues–they have to work extra hard with their hair, makeup and accessories to compete with the color.

Who do you think Flaunted hot pink better in last night’s Presidential debate?

See my previous post on the communication style of both Presidential candidates at the first debate: Style Trumps Substance?

 

Fall’s Extreme Cash Giveaway is here!

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We are pleased to offer you another cash giveaway. Flaunting It With the Image Diva has teamed up with great bloggers including, Oh My Gosh Beck!, Life With Levi, This Mommy Saves Money, Broward Saves, ShopaholicMommy, The Frugal Free Gal and other awesome blogs to give all our readers the chance to win a $400 cash prize!

This giveaway runs for a whole month, so you will have plenty of time to get through all the entries. There are also daily entries available so be sure to come back every day to grab as many entries as possible! You can use your cash to splurge  on yourself like you’ve been meaning to all year. Yes, that’s right, we know you have a hard time putting yourself first so this might be your chance!

Giveaway is open worldwide and ends November 13th at 11:59 PM EST. Good luck!

Please enter below:

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Presidential debate 2012: Style Trumps Substance?

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As an image consultant who often works with professionals, I strongly believe in the coupling of image and branding as part and parcel of an effective ‘presence’. An important aspect of personal branding is one’s communication style. This includes areas like body language, gestures, demeanor, eye contact, poise, perceived level of command and more. A great example of how this can play out in a professional context is last week’s presidential debate between Governor Romney and President Obama.

I think this particular debate was particularly interesting in terms of  the candidates’ respective styles and I think it played a more significant role accordingly. The President’s demeanor was cautious, safe and not as commanding as he is capable of. I had the privilege of appearing on a TV segment the day after the debate on WUSA 9 (clip to come!) to comment on the topic of Presidential debate style.

In my opinion, Romney won.

One of the points I made was that the President did not show a lot of ‘presence’. In fact he had a diminished presence. Governor Romney by contrast came on swinging hard: lots of energy, “spirited”, often facing the President with strong eye contact, making more deliberate hand gestures, and on the offensive with his arguments.

I did not care for Romney’s forced attempt at humor or the strange “smirk” he seemed to have on his face, but it’s hard to deny that he did convey strength, passion and command. His eye contact when countering the President’s arguments was aggressive but effective and served to highlight Obama’s lack of eye contact. In fact, the President  looked down at his notes quite a bit which in effect broke eye contact with viewers and his opponent. This is not an effective use of body language in this format and only served to make him appear passive and/or nervous. To be frank, at times he looked plain tired.

In terms of attire, Governor Romney’s red diagonal striped tie worked really well for him and reinforced his persona that night. Obama’s mostly solid blue tie was a safe choice which actually reinforced his much lower energy that evening. I wish he had opted for some red in his tie.

The President is normally very engaging, commanding and well, Presidential. He did not effectively convey these traits last Wednesday.

For the next debate, if the President can bring his natural charm and wit, coupled with the passion, command and cool  he typically has and his gift of gab, grounded in strong arguments, he will trump on style and substance as he is well capable of doing.

Read my posts last election on campaign style: Presidential Campaign 2008: First Lady Style, Style of Women on the Presidential Campaign Trail 2008,  Our New President, Michelle Obama and her Red Victory Dress.