We live in a society that requires us to wear clothes. Even if we do not admit to projecting ourselves through the clothes that we wear that is what we are doing. It can be a confusing business but its effect should not be underrated. If it were true that you cannot judge a book by its cover then a multi-million pound industry would not be devoted to designing and making book covers!

The clothes we wear are an essential part of our non-verbal communication. Research tells us that within 10 -20 seconds of meeting someone they will have made a judgement about you and that appearance and body language account for 55% of your first impression.

Every one cares about how they look – even if by so doing they choose to show that they do not care. We choose clothes that align or distance ourselves from others. Angst comes when we don’t think that we are getting it right.

If you are able to pay for a personal stylist or you have been lucky enough to have been given a gift voucher for a stylist’s time, here is how a style consultant can help:

• Providing an objective eye – a good personal stylist has a steadfast and resolute eye. They will help you to understand what works for you by helping you to take an honest look at what you have – celebrating the positives and learning to conceal the negatives

• Saving you time – remember the last time that you went looking for something to wear? Chances are that you came back with “something that will do” after hours, possibly days of searching. A style consultant can do the looking for you so that you can try on clothes in the comfort of your own home or research your requirements and take you straight to them.

• Saving you money – think of all that time you spent on the above shopping trip(s) and then add the countless others that you have had. Multiply the fruitless hours shopping by the amount you are paid an hour. A horrible thought! But help is at hand – paying a stylist to work for you gives you control of how much you spend on getting an outfit that works.

• Giving you confidence to make your own choices – successful styling relies on knowing your body, your complexion, who you are, how to accessorise and knowing what is in fashion. A stylist can help you to understand these things and will help you to find the best way of presenting yourself so that you can get behind that wheel of success and drive yourself into a positive mind set.