INTEGRO PROVIDES TAILOR MADE ADVICE TO HELP MEN SUCCEED
News release
Integro Image Consultants
For use - immediate
- Image consultants target male clients ahead of Britain’s Men’s Fashion Week
- Busy professionals offered speed styling service
- Men are “less emotional” about clothes as a powerful business tool
Growing numbers of men are using the way they dress as a powerful business tool to help them gain an advantage in the workplace.
While well-cut suits and good quality shoes can help make a good impression, choosing the right colours and contrasts can also provide a psychological edge in a number of situations.
Perthshire-based image consultants Integro is now targeting more male clients with the launch of a new website to help advise different ‘wardrobe personalities’ among men.
It has also started a new service speed styling service, offering consultations on the telephone or Skype for busy professionals.
The developments come in time for London Collections: Men (LC:M), the official title of Britain's Men's Fashion Week, which starts from 15 June.
Adele Hamilton and Marlene White set up Integro eight years ago in the village of Powmill, primarily aimed at women, but are finding an increasing number of men are now using clothes as an asset.
“Women come more naturally to it, but men are easier to style”, said Marlene. “We take the emotion out of the process and just give people the facts and our experience is that, generally speaking, men put the advice into practice quicker as they are less emotionally attached to clothing or fashion.
“Younger men are more likely to take advice on board and more willing to engage in the process, while older men need more convincing that this is a valuable tool they can use.”
Choosing clothes to suit your individual characteristics such as body shape, skin tone and eye colour not only makes you look better and feel more confident, it can have practical and professional implications. It can save money by having fewer clothes with more uses and can save time shopping as you make more informed buying choices.
The use of colour can also make a statement and even influence how people perceive you, which can be a valuable asset in business.
“You can use colours to say a lot before you even speak”, said Marlene. “We all have associations with certain colours whether we think we do or not. People make assumptions about you from the colours you wear.
“You can decide the night before how you are going to make people think about you by choosing the right colours. It can be a powerful tool when you’re trying to get one step ahead.”
Blue is associated with trustworthiness; red can be seen as dynamic, but can also be interpreted as overpowering; purple is perceived as creative. For an authoritative look go for the maximum contrast of colouring; lighter and softer tones can instil trust and greens are good for calming a heated situation.
Adele and Marlene say companies re-branding to give them a fresh look and seek new clients often forget about their workers.
“We have been brought in by companies as part of the whole re-branding exercise. Too often though, the firm gets re-branded, along with the office, the business cards and stationery, but they don’t follow that through and forget about the staff”, said Adele.
“People buy people and it’s the staff who make the biggest impression on clients.”
Image consultancy took off in the 1970s and 80s and has grown inexorably since then. It is now a multi-million pound industry as politicians, companies and brand designers seek to gain an advantage and present the best possible image to clients and the media.
Adele added: “It used to be that you just had to be good at your job and clients would come to you. But business is much more cut-throat these days, you have to be re-branded to be better than what’s next door or down the street”,
Colour analysis consultation involves comparing hundreds of shades to find the colours that work in harmony with your own colouring, while other key factors to bear in mind are comfort and style to suit your body shape.
In addition, here are Integro’s Top Three tips to help make an impression –
- Do your homework. Research clients or companies you’re visiting and dress appropriately. Shirt and tie may be essential in some situations, but will look too formal in others.
• Pay attention to detail. Make the effort to look professionally polished creating the impression that you care about your appearance and that this will be reflected in your work.
• Don’t play it too safe. People that are scared of wearing the wrong colour end up not wearing any colour and blend into the background..Bland and boring won’t get you noticed.
And three things to avoid –
• Dressing in black. Very few people can carry it off.as it can be ageing, draining and dull.
• Scruffy shoes. An unspoken benchmark of your work ethos and may make the client doubt your attention to detail and diligence.
• Trying a cover up. Hoping to hide a particular part of the body you’re hung up about usually results in drawing attention to it.
For more information contact
John Ross
Lucid PR
01463 724593; 07730 099617
johnross@lucidmessages.com
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