Did you ever see someone walking down the street wearing garments that were glaringly wrong or unflattering for the person? Maybe, like others, you have wondered if they had a mirror at home. Alas, they probably did. The real problem is usually lack of concern about one's appearance, laziness, or a lack of awareness.

With thirty years of experience dealing with image, I have concluded that lack of awareness is the culprit most often. Here is a checklist in case you haven't stopped to look in the mirror and consider your image from head to toe.

. Is your hairstyle up to date? Or did you succumb to a "no muss no fuss" hairdo that looks less than professional? Washand- wear hair is fine, as long as it doesn't look like wash-and-wear hair. In other words, it doesn't look like it dried in the car on the way to work and has carelessness to it. If you appear careless with your hair, it will be assumed that you are careless about your work.

. Do you wear makeup? Or do you feel that you don't have time to spend putting on makeup each morning? How would you feel if Laura Bush came to your organization to speak and showed up without makeup? You might feel that she didn't think your organization mattered much because she didn't take the extra time that morning to put on her makeup. Most importantly, she might look unimportant and, therefore, not make as much of an impact.

If you look at the paintings of the great masters from the past, they applied "lipstick" and "eye shadow" to biblical figures, even though these products did not exist at the time. In reality, the artists improved upon Mother Nature and added color to the lips to make the women appear softer and kinder; then they added soft shadows around the eyes to give them more shape, definition, and prominence. In reality, the figures in the painting would not gain your attention had the masters not improved upon Mother Nature. Without makeup, you may look washed out and, studies have proven, less professional.

. Do you wear appropriate colors? Or do you believe you can wear any color as long as you feel good in it? Colors affect us on two levels: first, what we see in the mirror; and second, what makes us look more powerful, dynamic, trustworthy, etc. Most people choose colors from the "heart and soul," which has nothing to do with the results in the mirror. They like the color and feel good in it. With a trained eye, they may ultimately come to learn that the colors they like best may actually cause them to look less attractive than they could. Most importantly, some colors take away power and cause you to look passive and unimportant. Thus, you may be kept waiting, have difficulty getting your foot in the door, or be treated as if you are unimportant. Take the time to find out about the power of color.

. Do you wear the appropriate "line" or style of clothing and accessories? Or do you choose items because they look good on someone else? The lines that are created by the clothing and accessories you wear, including the shape of your eyebrows or lips, can make or break you. Line is "read" subliminally in mere seconds. The line of your garments or accessories can cause you to look severe-or dynamic and friendly. And clothing's line or shape can make you look two sizes larger-or smaller. Take the time to get to know your figure from every angle, brutally and critically; and then learn how to camouflage every figure flaw that you discover. Flaws of any kind create distractions to your message, and camouflaging them improves your communication dramatically.

. Do you wear accessories? Or do you buy an "outfit" with perfectly-matched top, jacket and pants or skirt and leave it at that? This is nothing more than "robot dressing." It suggests a lack of imagination or creativity. Unfortunately, you will be judged to be someone who accepts the status quo rather than to be a mover and a shaker. Creativity and imagination are valued assets in all areas of life, including your personal, public and business life. Take the time to discover the accessories that make you look dynamic and state of the art.

Take a serious look at yourself in the mirror and size yourself up. If you entered a room filled with people, would heads turn? If not, your image may need some fine tuning. You owe it to yourself to do the best you can with your image. There are no unattractive women-only women who have not learned how to look attractive!

Sandy Dumont, THE Image Architect is an image consultant and professional speaker based in Norfolk/Virginia Beach, with 30 years of international and national experience helping individuals and Fortune 500 companies improve their image. She conducts customized Branding for People™workshops on a regular basis.
For more information, visit www.theimagearchitect.com or call 757/627-6669.

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by Sandy Dumont, THE Image Architect © 2006
Originally published in Tidewater Women, June 2006