Looking the Part: The Image MOT!Kathy Ennis

What is Image and why do you need a regular

MOT?

For anyone who thinks image isn’t important …

Sensation Transference and Impression Management

“People trust what they see before they trust what they hear, touch, feel, taste”

louis cheskin

“People give an assessment of something they might buy … without realising it they transfer sensations or impressions that they have

about the packaging of the product to the product itself … most of us don’t make a distinction – on an unconscious level – between the

package and the product. The product is the package and the product combined”

extract from blink, malcolm gladwell, 2005

“A process by which people in social situations manage the setting and their dress, words and gestures to correspond to the impressions they

are trying to make or the image they are trying to project”

A definition of Impression Management (The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Erving Goffman)

Why is image important?

Congruency

Builds

Credibility

During your Image MOT consider …

the colours you wear and what they say

your company and its dress code

your grooming

The Language of Colour

Black: The Colour of Strength

Positive:

formal, sophisticated, mysterious, strong

Negative:

mournful, aloof, negative, lifeless

Wear if you wish to appear strong and in control

Avoid if you want to appear helpful and approachable

Grey: The Colour of Respectability

Positive:

neutral, balanced

Negative:

noncommittal, deceptive, too safe

Use if you wish to appear ‘steady’; grey is less authoritarian than navy or black

Avoid if you wish to get noticed

Blue and Navy: The Colour of Authority

Positive: peaceful, trustworthy, constant, orderly

Negative: ‘holier-than-thou’, tiresome, predictable, conservative

Wear navy if you wish to show authority and responsibility; mid-tone blues communicate confidence but predictabilityAvoid if you don’t want top appear too conservative; combine with yellows/bright greens/pinks if you wish to appear creative and innovative

Brown: The Colour of Communication

Positive:

earthy, gregarious

Negative:

boring, dull

Wear if you want to appear ‘useful’ and adaptable

Avoid if you wish to appear in control and innovative

The Colour of Purity

Positive:

clean, fresh, futuristic

Negative:

clinical, cold, neutral

Wear if the objective is to project impeccable standards of care

Avoid (particularly in contrast with dark colours such as black and navy) if you want to appear friendly, sociable and accessible

Red: The Colour of Power

Positive:

up-beat, confident, assertive, exciting

Negative:

aggressive, domineering, bossy, threatening

Wear if you wish to exude confidence

Avoid if you are not prepared for confrontation

Orange: The Colour of Enthusiasm

Positive:

vitality, fun, sociability, uninhibited

Negative:

superficial, common, faddist, giddy

Wear if you want to appear innovative and uninhibited

Avoid if you wish to appear conservatively responsible

Yellow:Yellow: The Colour of Impulsiveness

Positive:

cheerful, hopeful, active, uninhibited

Negative attributes:

tiresome, whirlwind, volatile

Wear to denote creativity and impulsiveness

Avoid all except the lightest shades if you wish to blend into the background

Green: The Colour of Dependability

Positive:

self-reliant, tenacious, dependable, reassuring

Negative:

boring, stubborn, risk-averse, predictable

Wear green when you wish to appear caring and trustworthy

Avoid if you wish to portray someone with vision and innovation

Pink: The Colour of Sympathy

Positive:

gentle, accessible, non-threatening

Negative:

pathetic, unimportant

Wear if you want to appear confident and

Avoid if you wish to appear powerful

Purple to Violet: The Colour of Imagination

Positive:

sensitive, intuitive, unusual, unselfish

Negative:

weird, impractical, immature, superior

Wear if you wish to project confidence and individuality

Avoid if you want to appear adaptable and conforming

Dressing for Work

The Business Suit vs. Business Casual

your company values

your industry

client’s expectations

client’s industry

What is Business Casual?

Tailored designs replaced by deconstructed or unlined options

Textured fabrics replace very fine weaves e.g for trousers, skirts & jackets – moleskin, flannel, twill, linen, cotton, corduroy

for shirts / tops – cotton twill, Oxford cloth, brushed cotton, silk, linen, viscose, jersey, knits

no extreme looks – up-to-date, but not high fashion (unless you are working in the fashion industry!)

THE KEY – is to understand your work environment to determine how far the casual look can go

Grooming

Hair and Grooming – Women

“Women who wear make-up to work are seen as more polished and up-to-date, research shows that they also tend to earn more money [20%] and get promoted faster that women who don’t”

The Times, December 2007

one in four men do not shower daily

dirty fingernails go uncleaned

nose hair remains unplucked

some folically challenged males still think the comb-over is stylish

Metro, 24th October 2003

Sometimes all it takes is a new hairstyle!

Hair and Grooming – Men

Questions?

For more information contact:Kathy Ennis

e: info@envision-im.co.uk

t: 020 8926 0331