Image Internationl

 

IMAGE INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER - May - June 2003 issue

Your credibility is on the line. More than half of what you want to convey will be through your physical appearance and appropriate dress.

Diane Craig's Lucky Thirteen Trade Secrets For Colour Choices at Home and Abroad.

At Home:

  1. Grow tall with colour. Every time you divide yourself with a colour, you lose half an inch in height. If you want to appear taller, use a single colour, or tone on tone.

  2. Crushed by Colour. If you are meeting a new client, or going for a job interview, keep your dress colour neutral. You want attention focused on you, not your clothes. This is not the time to be very conspicuous - don't wear your fuchsia suit or bright orange tie!Anti-mousy remedies

  3. Anti-mousy remedies. If your hair looks mousy, there is a chance you are a summer, and you will likely look best in cool and more pastel shades, such as blue red, powder pink, steel blue, soft white.

  4. Silver threads and jewel tones. Did you start greying in your twenties? Then, there is a good chance you are a winter, and will look best in cool, bright and jewel tones such as black, royal blue, magenta, cranberry, and pure white.

  5. Build on warmth. Do you have some freckles? Do you have natural red highlights in your
    hair? Do you see a bit of gold in your eyes? This is usually a sign of warmth, you are
    either a spring or autumn and will look best in orange red, buttermilk, cream and brown.
    The main difference between a spring and an autumn is in the eyes. The autumn eyes are more muted, meaning there will be more than one colour in the eyes.Spring

    Spring

    Autumn

  1. Doing right by black. For those who have been told they cannot wear black, I believe, after twenty years of consultations, there is always a way to make it work. Make sure your makeup is in the right tones, perhaps a bit deeper than you would normally wear. Accessorize with creamy pearl, gold, or at least two-tone jewellery. You may also soften the black with a scarf that has some of your best colours in it.

  2. A girl's best friend. Diamonds are indeed a girl's best friend. But if you are not careful - a kiss on the hand may be better! For example, you should try to balance your diamond studs with a necklace, a bracelet or a pin. If you are wearing an earring of a particular colour to match an outfit, make sure it has some metal on it, so the earring doesn't disappear. The metal will pick up the light, help illuminate your face and bring attention to your eyes. Pearls are for everyone; choose pinkish pearls if you wear mainly cool tones, and creamier pearls if you wear mainly warm tones.

  3. A boy's folly. Men! If you have the courage to try to mix three patterns, a plaid jacket, a striped shirt and a patterned tie, all colours must relate, do not introduce a new colour into any one of the three items. If you are uncertain as to whether you can face this colour challenge - back off. Stick with something less risky such as two solids and one pattern.

  4. Kissing colours. Women! Be wary of new lipstick colours, which appear every season. Don't let anyone talk you into buying a lipstick colour, which is not in your palette. For example: if pink is in and you are an orange person, just tone down your usual lipstick and put a dash of pink in the center of your bottom lip. A coral-pink lipstick would work, too. You can update your look simply by sticking to the principles of your palette.

  5. Colour savers. Shopping tips. First, if you shop with colour swatches, don't try to match them exactly. Your outfit can be a little darker or a little lighter, as long as it is in the right range. Second, when buying basic, classic pieces such as jackets, skirts and pants, choose a good neutral tone, which can be easily enhanced with one of your brighter colours. Third, stay disciplined, keep buying within your palette, and you will soon be able to mix and match several pieces. Your reward? You will need to buy less shoes, handbags and accessories.

Abroad:

  1. The Yin Yang of Colours. A colour can communicate a positive message in one country and may have completely different meaning in another. One Canadian showed up at a formal Indonesian reception with a bright blue batik shirt when subdued browns and tans were the norm. Instead of elevating his image, he diminished it. If, on the other hand, an Oriental businessman, showing up at a funeral in New York, in a bright blue suit that would be inappropriate. Indeed, in China, white is the colour of death, but in North America white denotes cleanliness. Speaking of white, any woman in North America who shows up at a wedding in a white dress will be conspicuously inept - only the bride wears white.

  2. "Casual" Heartache. Know what "casual" really means. In North America, business "dress down" means more relaxed and less structured. Still, make sure your "casual" wardrobe is high quality, tasteful, ironed and in colours that maximize your strongest features

  3. Black and White Misread All Over. When organizing an event, always indicate the dress. Never use the phrase Black Tie Optional: those who wear a tuxedo might well feel overdressed, the others, although in dark suits, may feel they have dressed too informally. On the other hand, if one is the victim of Black Tie Optional- invitation, a tuxedo or cocktail dress is the appropriate dress. Your host likely means - if you have a tux wear it please, if not come anyway. "White tie" means a coattail for men and long gown for women.

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