What's your personal brand? Image consultants help you put your best foot forward.

Tuesday, November 1, 2005 | Page: F1 / FRONT | Section: Real Life | Byline: Kim Heinrich Gray
Source: For The Calgary Herald

There's the woman who can throw a Prada jacket over a "nothing" skirt and make it work, a la Sarah Jessica Parker.

Then there's the guy who could be described as an edgy-looking Cary Grant who consistently makes the right fashion choices.

"I also have a client in her sixties who dresses flawlessly in the classic styles of Audrey Hepburn and Jackie O," says Douglas Wilkinson, who works as a personal shopper for Holt Renfrew in Calgary.

Three stylish individuals (all Wilkinson's clients) projecting very different tastes but with one shared trait: they "get" their own style.

Or, as some fashionistas might say, their personal branding is complete; they understand and communicate what image they want to project to the world.

"Today, this is challenging to do because trends come in flashes instead of seasons like they used to. And advertising tells us we should have it all," says Vancouver Danielle LaPorte, who runs a lifestyle company called Carrie & Danielle Inc.

(www.carrieanddanielle.com) with her partner Carrie McCarthy.

LaPorte and McCarthy take the personal shopper/stylist notion a step further with what they call the Style Statement -- a formula that helps people define and then refine their look.

Essentially, the pair performs in-depth interviews with clients, then devises a personalized statement.

This becomes, according to LaPorte, "your own esthetic trademark or personal brand."

The client is given two words (such as Classic Esprit, Sacred Dramatic, or Traditional Sexy) which are designed to guide them when they make choices that involve style.

"We give them an anchor. No more getting pulled out and confused when you make clothing purchases or choose furniture or throw a party. No more 'What-was-I-thinking?' kind of choices," says McCarthy, whose own style statement is Refined Treasure.

"I love things with a sense of history -- nothing precious, nothing crass. I cherish pearls, simplicity, white, French linen and open spaces."

The two women, together with a West Coast TV producer, are currently pitching a reality television show to various networks. "We want to do for style what Oprah did for talk shows. Make it high-minded and big-hearted," says LaPorte.

"What we do is not about trends," says McCarthy. "It's about leaving a client with clarity, inner and outer. Inspiration to be themselves and motivation to get their insides to match their outsides. This is all about knowing yourself."

Rose Mastnak of the Toronto company Portrait Branding brands both individuals and companies, and agrees the road to a strong sense of personal style is paved with authenticity.

"Teaching someone to develop style means you have to figure out who they are and what the role of clothing is in their life."

Reality television shows such as What Not to Wear and Style by Jury are superficial, says Mastnak, because there is little to no inquiry about the person whose style is at stake.

"They say 'Oh my God, honey, this is what you should be wearing.' They're not interested in her, but they're interested in having her dressed in an acceptable fashion," says Mastnak.

"I want to know what your price point is. I want to know your colour palate. Your shape and how you fit clothes. I'm six feet tall and have an hour-glass figure. That's hell on wheels. If I find something that fits me, I buy it!"

Ultimately, branding, says Mastnak, is about integrity.

"It's about consistency in your behaviour and managing expectations, about whether you're going to arrive for dinner on time and are you going to arrive in a mini skirt that just covers your butt or in a Gucci dress," she says.

"If people expect you in a Gucci dress and you arrive in a mini, something is out of order. There is an appreciation for people and businesses that do what they say and say what they do. But first, you have to say who you are."

The goal, says Mastnak, is to be satisfied that the message you express through your style is yourself.

"It's very gratifying when it is," she says.

Back in Calgary, Holt's Wilkinson sits in one of the personal shopping suites on the store's third floor. He's surrounded by racks of clothes featuring the likes of taffeta dresses, tweed blazers and richly coloured velvet pants.

"You know, I wake up in the morning and I know I'm lucky to have such a fantastic job," he muses.

Is it superficial, does he think, for people to care so much about their image?

"Look, if people think it's superficial, I think that's OK," says Wilkinson. "There should be no shame for anyone in wanting to put their best foot forward."