HOW A MODERN DAY WOMAN SHOULD DRESS FOR SUCCESS ACCORDING TO IMAGE CONSULTANT AND PERSONAL SHOPPER MICHELLE T. STERLING

Whether you’re rising up the corporate ladder or active on the campaign trail,
the way to the top is to look like you belong there, like you mean business!

“The importance of dressing for success is not a new concept. However
taking that concept, adapting it into your personal style and implementing it
into your wardrobe could be an overwhelming concept to you,” remarks Image
Consultant Michelle T. Sterling. “That’s when you should enlist the expertise
of an Image Consultant or Personal Stylist. Men have it so easy. However with
so many fashion options available to women, one day you could be in and the
next day you could be out.”

Regardless of whether or not politics excites you or bores you, intelligent
modern day women should take cues from the colorful and not so colorful hues
worn by the likes of Cindy McCain, Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton.

THE MODERN AND MODERATE AMERICAN WOMAN

Michelle Obama’s style has been compared to the likes of Jackie O. An
intelligent woman, Obama quickly took note of styling cues from the style icon
to look the part of the first lady as if she already belongs there. Interesting
enough JFK was also a Democrat and the youngest president ever elected into
office at the time and as Barack Obama is a young presidential candidate and
African American, it is image savvy of Michelle Obama to look the part of first
lady. However one notable difference between Michelle Obama and Jackie 0 is
clothing budget. Michelle Obama believes that looking stylish doesn’t have to
be expensive. She is known for being practical about the dollars she spends
yet still wants to look well put together – but of course, she’s a Democrat!
Her look is very appealing to the classy, modern American career woman on a
moderate budget. Not to mention she chooses appropriate colors that relate well
to her personal coloring and personality.

HER IMAGE HOOKS HER AUDIENCE BUT MISSES THE MARK ON STYLE ICON STATUS

While kudos to Sarah Palin for perfecting and projecting the everyday generally
accepted professional look, her look is just that, everyday. Her dark, high
contrast or bold colored suits are typical of traditional business attire that
makes an impression and denotes authority. She is appealing to the average,
everyday woman. So her image is spot on when connecting to her target audience.
However if Sarah Palin’s image objectives are to make a fashion statement and
raise herself to style icon status, she would benefit by pumping up the volume
of her accessories making her look go from drab to fab.

AN A FOR STYLE BUT AN F FOR COLOR

While there is no doubt that Cindy McCain’s style is elegant, polished and current, she misses the mark on color during this election. Although bright colors have
been the color “must-haves” for 2008, when worn on the campaign trail they draw
attention to her while divert attention from her husband and last I checked
Mrs. McCain wasn’t the one running for president. There have been more than
5 occasions where Cindy McCain has appeared along side her husband in bright
intense colors which physiologically communicates a strong message to an audience
however when you have to change your makeup foundation color to appear more
bronze so that you can wear bright and intense colors, perhaps it should make
you think twice about wearing those colors. I would have preferred if she colored
her hair strawberry blond if she really wanted to wear bright intense colors.
And it seems as though her sense of color has rubbed off on her husband as well
as colors like orange and coral do not suit him. Grey, blue and white would
be better choices for Senator McCain. Moreover, based on Cindy McCain’s more
subdued personality and low contrast personal coloring she looks better in softer
colors – creating harmony between her and her clothing as seen in the other
pictures of her below. Perhaps the Republican campaign should have invested
some of the dollars spent on Sarah Palin’s wardrobe on a wardrobe consultant
for the McCains.

Misses the Mark

Thumbs up

HILLARY CLINTON IS THE WINNER OF DRESSING FOR SUCCESS

Of all on the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton knows best about how to dress
for success from first lady to candidate. From pastel skirt suits as first
lady to no-nonsense dark pantsuits as a candidate, she successfully looks the
part for every occasion. Hillary Clinton’s style is never overdone and never
boring but always appropriate. The keyword here is appropriate.

DRESSING FOR SUCCESS IS ABOUT IMAGE AND STYLE

If you ask a fashion magazine editor what dressing for success means, they
will tell you your look should have style icon status. However dressing for
success from an image consultant’s perspective has more to do with pulling together
a cohesive look that non-verbally communicates your desired message and transforms
your look into a wearable piece of art that others admire you for stylistically.

In order for a woman to successfully dress for success in the business world,
your look should reflect authority as well as approachability as seen in the
design lines, shapes, colors, textures and patterns that you wear. It’s all
about making your clothing work for you – managing the image you want to project
with your own personal style.

FINAL NOTE

Shoes make a difference. People tend to check you out from top to bottom
and your shoes make that final statement. Accessories can make or break, dress
up or dress down an outfit. Make sure your shoes look current, stylish and in
good repair. Make it work for you!

To find out what your style is, please visit Global Image Group’s Style Consultation Guide.

About Global Image Group Image Consultants

Global Image Group’s mission is to deliver the most cost-effective, high-impact
image, etiquette and communication consulting services to forward-thinking professionals
and corporations that want to define and refine their brand identity. Global
Image Group is a privately-held company headquartered in San Francisco, California,
with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington DC, Las Vegas, Houston,
Dallas, Chicago, North Carolina, Toronto Canada, London UK, Sao Paulo Brazil,
Monterrey Mexico, Tokyo Japan, Hong Kong and Dubai. For more information, visit
Global Image Group at www.globalimagegrp.com.