South Philadelphia ExaminerThese days, many mothers, especially those with young children, might think "image management" is for someone else with more time on their hands.
However, Beth Yvette Strange, image consultant and owner of
Your Image Works ,in Oxford, Pa., says there is a direct relationship between your image and your personal and professional success.
And, yes, moms, that includes us!
Strange, who is also a mom of seven, explains how the right image can not only make a mom feel better, but can also influence how she is perceived by those around her, including her children. She also has four tips for moms in their mid-thirties to craft an appropriate image without looking too young or old.
Strange has more than two decades of experience in etiquette, protocol, verbal and non-verbal communication, wardrobe management, hairstyle, makeup and personal shopping. She is also a member of the Ohio/Pennsylvania Board of Directors for the
Association of Image Consultants, International. She has helped a wide range of clients in the West Chester area including antique shop owners, law office managers, college professors, and entrepreneurs enhance, polish, and update their personal and professional images. Strange also said that today's shaky economy has made her busier than ever before as more clients approach her for image management services so that they are better equipped to advance in their careers, re-enter the corporate world, and have a more fulfilling social life.
ET: What is image consulting, and how is it different from a makeover?
BYS: Image consulting is the ongoing process of evaluating and controlling the effect of your image, first on yourself and then upon others. Professional image management is educational and ongoing, whereas a makeover is usually a one-time, more superficial prescription for wardrobe, makeup, and hair. I strongly believe in educating my clients in the elements of image so they have the tools and techniques to look and feel their best as their ages, bodies, and style trends change and evolve.
ET: How do you work with clients, and what services do you provide?
BYS: I offer a full arrange of image services from Wardrobe Evaluation, Color Evaluation, Makeup and Skincare Clinic, Public Appearance Image Packages, Professional Shopping, and many packages that contain elements of all services that I offer. I begin with an in-person, complimentary consultation with each client, usually in my Oxford Studio. The packages all begin with a very in-depth personal profile for the client and for me to begin to discover the client's true image. With that knowledge, we are then equipped to have the client begin learning the techniques they need to have others perceive them in the way they would like to be perceived professionally, socially and in the home.
ET: Whether they work inside or outside of the home, all moms face the challenge of juggling kids with maintaining a personal sense of self. But for stay-at-home moms, image management can be the last thing on the mind when your day-to-day audience is kids. What is your image advice for stay-at-home moms?
BYS: For stay-at-home moms, there are several image elements that can make a huge difference in the way they feel about themselves, and equally important, the way their husbands and children feel about them. The first is to shower or bathe each day, get dressed in day clothes (no pjs or gym clothes) and put on a little make-up, everyday. It seems like a little thing, but I've had so many mothers tell me that this simple routine has changed their lives, especially the way they are perceived by their children. There is a more lengthy answer, but this is how I begin with my at-home clients.
ET: You've raised seven children yourself. How did you/do you maintain your image?
BYS: Raising and homeschooling my seven children became my chosen career, so I have always felt that my children (and husband) deserve at least, if not more, the same respect I gave my students and co-workers when I was an administrator at a major university and a department chair at a private girls' school. I shower, dress and put on a little makeup, just as if I were leaving my home for a paid position, although I usually pick something a little more wash-and-wear!
ET: I am a stay-at-home mom who is approaching my 35th birthday, one of those milestone events. What's your advice for moms like me who want to look stylish and polished but appropriate for her age.
BYS: In general, I tell my clients to stay away from trying to copy media stars. There are many well-dressed examples out there, but weeding through the trendy Hollywood world is usually overwhelming, not age appropriate, and not the world in which we live. A better guide is for individuals to get on the mailing lists of catalogs from where they would like to shop, regardless of whether or not they actually shop there. Catalogs carry up-to-date styles and can show people how to mix and match outfit pieces no matter where they shop. I can advise clients on which catalogs would be good for them depending on their age, fit and figure, and personal style. That can vary widely.
More specifically, the mid-thirties is a transitional time. What worked during a woman's college years isn't working anymore, and she can no longer shop in her daughter's closet. Nor, does she want to look like her mother! Here are some basic tips for women in their mid-thirties.
1. Lighten up on the makeup. A full face of makeup is aging. Focus on one area, perhaps a full eye and then just a tinted moisturizer and sheer lip balm.
2. Try a splash of color in your outfit. Duller, muted shades can be classic or boring. A bold color in one piece, a scarf or even a coat, with neutral colors elsewhere will add interest and will update your look.
3. Keep trends to a minimum. Gladiator sandals might be too much for many, but a Romanesque cuff bracelet can liven up a classic jeans and white blouse outfit.
4. Have a hair makeover with an excellent stylist. If your hair style is similar to what it was 10 or 15 years ago, it's probably out of date and aging you.
ET: Finally, what key points do you want readers to take with them about image management?
BYS: One key image concept is that there is a definite image cycle. The first effect of image is on oneself. The way we think and feel about ourselves affects the way we "put ourselves together," which affects the way we "act around others," which affects the way they respond to us, which affects the way we think about ourselves, and the cycle continues. There are many fascinating studies about children in this regard. The key education is in the elements of image so we can manage our dress, grooming, body language and etiquette/protocol in a way that lets us be "seen" to others as what we truly are.
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