If you’re anything like me you are tired of this corona lifestyle, and your corona clothing.
Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Imogen Lamport, an award-winning and internationally known personal stylist, and image consultant.
The interview with Imogen was a well-needed change of pace out of my corona mind, and into the world of personal shape, style, color, and dressing to what feels good to me now without frumpiness. Are you ready for some fun? Read more.
Lisa: Let me tell you more about Imogen and what inspired her to build her business, Inside Out Style, and blog.
Imogen: I became an image consultant after being fascinated by the why of style – from why certain clothes did or didn’t suit different body shapes, to why colour has such a big effect on how we look.
I’ve always known that what you wear changes how you’re perceived by others, as well as impacting on how you feel about yourself, your self-esteem, and confidence.
When I discovered that there was training to teach the art and science of colour and style, I realised that this is what I wanted to do with my life. I started sharing what I had learned to help empower other women to gain control rather than be at the mercy of the fashion industry – falling for every fad. We are not taught what works for our unique being in school or university.
It’s a skill some find more natural and others (like me) need to spend some time learning and experimenting to understand the why as well as the how and what to wear to make you feel authentic in your own clothes.
I felt inspired to start writing Inside Out Style when I discovered what blogs were back in 2008 and realised that this was a way I could educate and empower women globally, not just the ones she sees for personal consultations or those who I train to become image consultants through my Academy of Professional Image at www.aopi.com.au
Lisa: Imogen, what is the favorite part of your business, and why?
Imogen loves the feedback she gets from women who have gone through her style programs both in personal and online in 7 Steps to Style who discover why clothes they have bought sit unloved in their wardrobes. “Women have so many aha moments and they tell me about how learning to become stylish on their own terms has had a positive impact on their whole lives. It’s the ripple effect of personal style,” says Imogen. https://insideoutstyleblog.com/7-steps-to-style-system
Lisa: What is some advice you can give women who have put on weight, and feel like nothing fits them right in their closet?
Imogen: Learn about the body you have right now and what flatters it. Your value does not come from your weight or being a certain clothing size. You are important and treating yourself to clothes that flatter your figure right now will help you feel better and improve your self-esteem. Start by taking my body shape quiz to see if your shape has changed and then download my body shape bible for your shape so you can find out the simple guidelines to flattering the body you have today. https://www.insideoutstyleblog.com/2016/03/want-to-figure-out-your-body-shape-try-my-quiz.html
Lisa: What is the best thing to do when you don’t like anything in your closest, feel outdated, and you want a new look, but don’t know where to start?
Imogen: Firstly, start with understanding what it is you don’t love about anything you have already – what is wrong with the clothes? Take out your least favorite items and write down everything about them that you don’t like. Put this in your “never again” list.
Then, if you do have some garments you love, or can remember some you’ve had in the past that you loved, write down in a “Love It” list all the features and details about that garment (or garments). Think about the fit, the fabric, colours, shapes, patterns, how the fabric feels, how it looks, how it makes you feel when wearing it.
You now have two lists that are really important to you that you can use when shopping for new clothes. Never ever again buy anything from your “Never Ever” list, and make sure that everything you buy ticks your “Love It”. https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2016/09/how-to-build-your-style-from-ground-zero.html
Develop a Style Recipe to help you express your authentic style to make sure you don’t go wrong when choosing new clothes. https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2020/03/developing-your-style-recipe.html
Start with a wardrobe capsule so you get ultimate versatility and maximum outfits from your small wardrobe as you rebuild. https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2016/06/5-excellent-reasons-to-build-a-capsule-wardrobe.html
Lisa: Can you help us understand some fashion no no’s that make us look older than our age?
Imogen: I’m not a big believer in any particular fashion no-no’s. I know women in their 70s who rock jeans and leather jackets as they are expressing their personality through their clothing choices.
The only caveat I’d say is that if you’re dressing in a way that is trying to look young rather than embracing the amazing woman you are today, that can just look a little desperate and sad.
That said, I see more women who dress too old and frumpy for fear of dressing too young (mutton dressed as lamb as we say).
When you dress for the body you have today in clothes that flatter it and ones that express your personality. I think that as women age they become more sophisticated. Avoiding baggy, saggy, frumpy clothes in old fashioned fabrics will go a long way to looking modern. If you’ve been wearing the same garment for more than 10 years, ask someone younger than you who is stylish for their honest feedback on it and whether or not it’s dated (and dated makes you look old).
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2014/11/7-top-tips-to-what-dates-and-what-becomes-timeless.html
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2012/11/when-is-it-time-to-let-go-of-the-trends-you-love.html
Lisa: What are your #1 style and fashion tips for women?
Imogen: Dress for you who are today. Clothing choices are all made from the past. Everything in your wardrobe was bought in the past. https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2018/02/how-to-build-a-future-focused-wardrobe.html
It’s good to reassess what you own and reflect on whether what you have in your wardrobe is still a representation of who you are today. Whether it still suits the body you have today and the colouring that you have right now (as colours change with age). Ask yourself “can I imagine wearing this again in the future?” as often old favorites that we are not wearing were great at the time, but are just not who we are now and it’s good to let them go. Regular wardrobe edit sessions are a really important part of maintaining and updating your style over time.
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2014/11/should-you-keep-it-or-bin-it.html
Lisa: Is there a universal accessory that all women should own and how would you wear it?
Imogen: Nope. I don’t believe in any sort of “must-have” list. Apart from needing clothing – so that we are “not naked” there is no one thing everyone should own and wear.
Your authentic style is different from mine.
Your body, face, colouring, and features will be different from mine.
Your personality is different from mine – so how could there be anything that is universal that all women should be wearing?
If someone tells you that there is something all women should own – this should set off alarm bells and let you know that there is money in it for them if you buy that thing!
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2018/08/express-your-personality-style.html
Lisa: What if you don’t like a fashion trend, but want to look in the now. Do you ditch it?
Imogen: There are always lots of fashion trends at any one time. The more you know about what suits you and your unique features and personality, the more easily you’ll find yourself able to select from any current trends the pieces that are a great representation of you, that suit your style, without ever looking fashion victim.
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2017/03/how-to-balance-fashion-trends-with-flattery.html
Lisa: What are some must-know tips when putting an outfit together?
Imogen: There is no one way to put together an outfit. But there is one big tip that is worth adhering to – and that is – to dress your portrait first.
What I mean by portrait are your head and shoulders.
Most women dress from “most hated body part” up. They dress to camouflage body parts, to hide.
Instead, learn what elements of design flatter you and your features, and then dress to enhance them. Always put a feature element in your portrait area as this creates a focal point that draws us up to your face.
https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2014/06/why-you-should-dress-your-portrait-first.html
Lisa: Who are your favorite and most influential/authors//bloggers/podcaster experts?
Imogen: Brene Brown, Amy Cuddy, Daniel Pink, and Susan Cain.
Lisa: Tell us something about yourself that others may be surprised to know.
Imogen: I find this question very hard to answer as I’m an open book and have shared so much on my blog about me personally. So what you may not know is that I’ve got a bit of a potty mouth and a quirky sense of humor and also am a total weeper. I cry at anything slightly emotional. I remember when I was pregnant with my son, a TV ad for washing powder came on TV and I remember blubbing because it was “kind to skin”.
Thank you so much Imogen for offering us your style advice. Imogen shared so much more in her links. I hope you had an opportunity to click on them and take in all her tips to looking and feeling your best at any age.
I am Lisa Jollimois. I am a personal development coach for women who want to transform their lives. If you need more support getting through this current crisis, contact me. Or if you need support naturally maintaining your weight, rewriting your story, exploring new possibilities for an empty nest, or feeling stuck. I can help act as a guide to get your life into action.
If this interests you or if you want to level-up your standard of life despite our current circumstances email me for your FREE discovery call at lisa@lisajollimois.com or sign up at https://calendly.com/lisa-365
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