Monday, September 7, 2009

How To Become An Image Consultant Or Fashion Consultant

By Erika Chloe

Fashion makeover television shows such as: What Not to Wear , How To Look Good Naked, and How Do I Look , all have created an immediate need for the hottest job in town. Thanks to these shows, image consultants (or fashion consultants) have been describes as having the one of the most sought after profession.

Image consultants are hired to advise on improving ones image through appearance, personal style, etiquette, and communication. They provide individual and corporate services through the use of seminars, workshops, consultations, and training mechanisms. An image consultants job is to help clients makes a lasting impression through the power of presence and identity. Many fashion consultants offer advice aside from beauty and fashion such as: fitness, dating, and business etiquette.

While many televisions shows make this job look easy, it requires extensive training and experience. Many people believe that because they know how to dress or dress other people that this allows them to advise people on their image. While entertaining, this conception is not an essential part or requirement to become a professional consultant. A professional fashion consultant should have a college degree in a fashion related field. Areas of interest include: Textile design, fashion design, or fashion merchandising. Studies in a related field provide the basic fashion fundamentals like color, fabric, and drape. These programs teach you about: pattern making garment construction, garment care, fabric weight top weight fabrics fabric styling accent color analogous & complimentary color fabric content fabric construction Shaping & silhouette

Ultimately, these tools help an image consultant understand every individual characteristic of a garment. It allows them to understand the clients body structure in order to provide effective clothing solutions. Fashion is an art of illusion; you want to emphasize your best features and down play the others. Misleading a client by offering bad or incorrect advice is unacceptable. A professional image consultant is considered an expert! Being an expert means you are qualified and educated with extensive experience and success.

An image consulting company will sometimes offer seminars or training sessions including both social and business etiquette. In order to provide this type of consulting, they have participating in classes, workshops, and retreats that enable them to provide such advice. These workshops provide a full understanding of self management, protocol, social behavior, professionalism, and of course etiquette. In turn, this experience allows them to customize certain techniques and behavioral activity to any individual in a broad range of circumstances. These tactics help image consultants provide: business etiquette interviewing skills social interaction proper language and vocabulary direct and positive verbal communication effective body language social graces such as table manners

If you decide you want to become an image consultant then follow these steps and you will be heading in the right direction. Contact a consulting company and see if they accept interns. This is a great way to get firsthand experience.

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