YOU’VE BEEN WAGING A FIERCE OPPOSITION WITH YOURSELF AND YOUR IMAGE. IT’S TIME TO GET SOME ANSWERS AND RENOWNED IMAGE THERAPIST, LIANA CHAOULI IS HERE TO HELP. FROM U MAGAZINE, MAHA BARAKAT GETS REAL INSIGHT FROM THE ONE WHO HAS TAUGHT PERSONAL STYLE AND IMAGE TO LEADING CEO’S, POLITICAL FIGURES AND CELEBRITIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

LC: Style definitely can be acquired; it’s an education. Some people are born with it, but if you’re not, you can train your style “muscle” through image therapy.

U: How do you define perfect style? And how does our clothing affect us in our everyday life?

LC: There is no perfect style, since who you are is always changing. Perfect is not a word I like to use. Clothing certainly has a significant effect, since you express so much about yourself with what you wear, and it’s often the first thing you judge when we meet someone new. Clothing can hide you, or it can make you stand out. Your clothes should never show up before you do. They should support your mission…not be a distraction.

U: What do you see is a common mistake women make when it comes to dressing?

LC: Women often view a piece of beautiful clothing and expect it to make them beautiful, too. The truth is, something plain can make a woman look like a million dollars. Women wear too much black, which is the absence of color and very harsh.

U: Do you find that even celebrities have trouble with their image?

LC: Yes, celebrities often have trouble with their image, perhaps even more than we “mere mortals.” They don’t have the option of figuring out how to dress themselves because they’re regularly under public scrutiny. Most people don’t know this because they have stylists.

U: Can you share some basic tips you often give?

LC: Stop wearing so much black. Instead, find colors taken to their deepest level. When you shop for clothes, step away from the mirror five or six feet hold garments under your chin. If they show up before you do, know it’s wrong. Your clothing needs to harmonize with you like a symphony. Really pay attention to the colors in your skin. If you stop and pay attention to who you are, you’ll see all your beauty emerge.

U: What process do you utilize to reflect the right style for someone?

LC: My process is called “Finding Your Essential Formula.” It begins by taking a good look at each person’s tangible and non-tangible items. Tangible things include hair color, physical body proportions and skin color; non-tangible things include the sound of your voice, the way you walk and move, your psychological structure, the intensity of your gaze, and the way you look at someone. My assessment focuses on the relationship of proportions to each other. For instance, the proportions of your face decide what size print you can wear. I also often focus on balance; if you have a breathy voice and a big, massive body, I’ll teach you how to put accessories, clothes and shoes together for a harmonious look.

U: How can one wear clothes to match their personality?

LC: When something is right, it represents who you are. Understanding your personality is a main part of your essential formula. The young Elizabeth Taylor was very intense and extremely elegant; you couldn’t put her into torn jeans and a shirt. Goldie Hawn, on the other hand, would look good in such a casual outfit because it reflects who she is. Your goal should always be to have the internal part of your personality reflected externally.

U: What aspect of a woman’s style do you believe would reflect a powerful image?

LC: A woman who dresses herself authentically will reflect the most powerful image. Unfortunately, most people don’t know who they are. Fashion teaches you that you have to wear this and you have to wear that. There’s so much stigma about what you have to wear. I’ve always wondered why everyone wants to look the same.

U: How does your advice make things easier for women to pick out their daily outfit?

LC: It’s not so much my advice that will be helpful; it’s understanding who they are and learning what looks good on them. My goal is not to give women “fish,” but to teach them to “fish” for themselves. When they understand image therapy, they have the knowledge to make snap decisions about what works and what doesn’t work.

U: Do you believe that image therapy affects the way a woman begins to view her body image in general?

LC: Yes, yes, yes. This is what makes my heart sing. It doesn’t matter if you’re a size 2 or 22. Most people who have heavier bodies think those who wear a size 2 are having the time of their lives. They’re often not. I believe people who feel good about themselves, no matter what their size, are going to treat others better as a result. I firmly believe that supporting people in loving themselves is going to trickle down into people being more kind to each other and less fighting and wars.

U: Besides style, what other areas of image do you tackle?

LC: I believe that it’s important to brand who you are: anything you touch, the way you pick up the phone and talk to people, the way you deal with conflict. The way you do anything is the way you do everything. Every little piece of your life is an asset to your image. I help people deal with the total package so they can show up with confidence.

U: Do you incorporate current fashion trends or do you base things solely on what’s suitable for your client?

LC: I do incorporate current fashion trends, but 70% of my recommendations are based on what looks good on that person. I teach my clients to build a wardrobe that can sustain them for four or five years, filled with clothes that are inter-relatable. Image therapy teaches how to build a wardrobe consisting only of pieces that look good on you and match each other.

U: Is there such a thing as being too trendy?

LC: Yes. You can definitely be too trendy… and that’s not good. I think the trend of being trendy is going away because people are wasting their money on things that aren’t considered trendy a couple weeks later.

Tags: Aging Gracefully, baby boomer women, beauty over 50, fabulous over 50, How not to look old, life after 50, life over 50, self-care, Style & Beauty, style over 50, Women over 50

This entry was posted by Liana Chaouli on September 11, 2011 at 3:00 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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