Confessions of an image consultant

Ms Joanne Lim tells people to change their most intimate habits, including their personal hygiene regimen.

This, on top of recommending colours, clothing, and hairstyles that suit her clients. It's all part of her job as an image consultant.

"It's my job to fix the first impressions you make," says the 39-year-old woman, who comes for the interview impeccably groomed.

There is a client she remembers - for all the wrong reasons. His body odour was upfront and centre when she first met him.

So how does one broach such an intimate subject?

Tactfully, she replies with a short laugh.

"I started by pointing out that I did not want anything to hinder his success," she says.

Off-the-shelf deodorants simply didn't work for him - so it was off to the dermatologist for the client.

Ms Lim, who also owns a branding and public relations agency, has been offering image consultancy services since 2005.

Her services don't come cheap - $200 an hour and there is a minimum of two hours per session.

She declines to reveal how many clients she sees, stating that it is a "trade secret".

Her clients are typically aged between 28 and 50.

Some hope to revamp their wardrobe after losing (or gaining) significant weight. Others come knocking because they haven't been able to land a job despite attending numerous interviews.

Remembering one such client, Ms Lim says: "He told me that he had received feedback from a hiring manager that his dressing was a contributing obstacle to landing a job.

"I noticed immediately that his clothes were very baggy because he had lost about 25kg in weight in stages, but somewhere along the line, he stopped altering his pants. So they were very oversized, resulting in gathers and pleats around the waist and a very unkempt, sloppy look."

Although Ms Lim does not claim full credit for securing the job he got two months after her consultation, she is confident the dressing tips helped.

To become an image consultant, she took an "intensive" six-day course some seven years ago, conducted by US-based image guru Carla Mathis, who came to Singapore.

Ms Lim says: "What makes one image consultant different from another is the ability to pick up those skills and also marry them with other offerings, such as teaching people how to communicate their personality through style and convey key messages and brand positioning."

This sceptical journalist then asks her to critique a colleague's image.

Ms Lim deftly dangles a string of beads from the top of my colleague's head to her foot, counting under her breath to determine my colleague's body proportions.

Ms Lim then wields a palette made of fabrics in different colours to determine if my colleague would look best in cool tones or warm, bright shades or muted ones.

Gently and with a generous dose of charm, Ms Lim discusses what my colleague should do, including the kind of belts to wear and the clothes to avoid.

As my colleague has "lower-placed breasts", Ms Lim suggests my colleague wear neck jewellery to bring the gaze upwards.

These tips are based on logic, Ms Lim claims. "There is an art and science behind the way you should dress."

Still, convincing potential clients that her expertise is actually worth the hefty fees she commands can be a struggle. She recalls being asked point blank about her rates, after conducting a workshop for a group of company employees.

She says: "I told him how much I charged, and he said, 'So expensive? You stand there and talk for one hour only what.'"

Ms Lim estimates that there are about 25 others in the image-consulting industry here. The job is not as glamorous as it sounds, she says.

To prepare a proper style curriculum and customised recommendations, she needs to do a lot of preparation work before a consultation.

The small shopping budgets of certain clients, their personal "mental blocks" against her recommendations and last-minute bookings also add to the stress.

"There was a client who booked a shopping session just two days before meeting up. She also had a very modest budget (about $30 for a formal blouse for work), which narrowed the options for me.

"On the day of the meet-up, she brought her sister along without first telling me.

"Her sister voiced objections when I recommended a piece I felt suited her, saying 'you don't wear this kind of thing one lah', which closed the client's mind off instantly before I even had a chance to explain why the option would work."

Frustration mounting, she had to keep her cool, says Ms Lim. In the end, the client bought several pieces of clothing from three different stores.

It could have been better, but it was the best I could do, she says.

Although she is known as an image expert, Ms Lim says she does not feel a shred of pressure when it comes to her own clothes.

"Between my 20s and 30s, I put on some weight, since I got more busy and became more desk-bound," she says.

"But my clients don't expect me to be model-thin. In fact, I think it helps me to relate to them when I saw I used to be able to wear spandex, but now I can't."

Secrets of the trade

1. True image consultants don't give you advice simply by "eyeing" your current look. They should have equipment - such as colour palettes, measuring tapes and a mirror - for you to see yourself in tow.
2. Accessories make a world of a difference when it comes to bringing new life to an old outfit. A statement necklace, brooch or belt goes a long way, and Singaporean women need to be daring enough to experiment.
3. Get your contracts crafted properly and signed. I once had a client who tried to back out days before a workshop commenced, and after the curriculum and prep work had been completed. Good thing the contract was binding.