Greetings! I’m Sylvia Montgomery owner of Best Impressions Image Development Services and Founder of Best Impressions Academy.
I have worked as an image consultant for over 30 years helping clients in the corporate arena, business owners, students entering into the workforce and those coming of age to confidently become the best they can be in appearance as well as social and business protocol .
I started out as a fashion designer and stylist. My ability to put together outfits was encouraged by my father, a tailor and milliner. I designed and fashioned stylish looks and outfits from tailored suits to wedding gowns, customizing each look with accessories and specifics on how, where and when to wear them.
When I began working in the fashion industry, the conventional mode of dress was accepted and adhered to. You did not wear certain colors together, for example one never wore black with brown or navy or red with orange or pink. You didn’t dare wear white, linen or straw hats after Labor Day. Any sparkly jewlery or accessories, were reserved for after 5. Formal business attire for men consisted of tailored three piece suits, white starched shirts, with cufflinks, ties, hats, and spit polished shoes.
Business attire for women consisted of skirted suits or dresses, closed in pumps, conservative hats, gloves, the essential pearls, and sometimes fur coats or stoles. During the 1990’s the upsurge of the dot com era changed the mode of dress and formal business attire was replaced by relaxed casual wear consisting of loose fitting jeans, sweatshirts, T-shirts and sometimes even pajamas. Comfort was the main objective.
With so many choices, little to no set guidelines, as in the past, dressing informally or dressing down can be confusing; detrimental mistakes can be made. If an outfit is not put together appropriately, a person’s image can be construed as unprofessional, unpolished or shoddy. For this reason a proficient image consultant is needed now more than ever to help minimize fashion blunders and help create the desired visual resume that reflects an individual’s best skills and attributes.
Best Impressions Image development Services has become an all encompassing Image development and etiquette training business, servicing men, women and youth. The mission of Best Impressions Image Development Services is to provide products and services that help develop and fine tune clients’ personal image. We want you to appear self assured, polished and professional in the eyes of your employer, business associates, clients and your love interests.
Our motto is “Your 1st impression should always be your Best Impression.”
I look forward to future blogs providing meaningful image development advice and to hearing your thoughts on the ever changing world of fashion and style.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO CHANGE A NEGATIVE 1ST IMPRESSION?
The answer is yes. It is possible to eventually change an unfavorable first impression, but only after 7 additional interactions. Can you afford to wait for 7 future encounters to change a negative first impression of you? Consider how many clients, job opportunities or personal relationships that may have passed you by.
It is advisable to make sure that “your 1st impression always be your BEST IMPRESSION”.
Best Impressions Image development Services provides products and services to help you project a confident and favorable 1st impression by creating and developing a personal image that instills trust and respect, and produces the desired competitive edge.
DOES YOUR PERSONAL IMAGE REFLECT A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE IMPRESSION?
Following the two previous scenarios, can you truthfully say that your outer image, reflects your personal best? Does it immediately communicate to others that you are credible, confident, trustworthy, capable, believable, and professional? Or does it evoke doubt or distrust, lack of confidence, unprofessionalism or incompetence.
Would an employer choose someone over you whose first impression or outward appearance exemplifies the qualities of the job or position they would like to fill? Isn’t it possible that even if you received a job, you may not get the position you applied for and therefore get less money?
Whether the “first impressions are lasting impressions” concept is viable or not, whether it is fair or unfair, whether theoretical judgments are justified or unwarranted or whether the concept impairs your ability to be you, consider the fact that we are all constantly creating first impressions, subconsciously being judged and liked or disliked primarily based on the way we dress and present ourselves during those critical first 3 to 5 seconds of meeting someone. Our outward appearance has a major impact on our future goals and accomplishments.