Creating and maintaining the right personal image for you and your company

These days, tiny cardigans are in. Not exactly tiny in size, but tiny in that it covers only half of the body - from shouders to just below the chest. Somehow, this look has become very trendy. The cardigans may be closed by buttons, or a sash made from the same material as the cardigan. These cardigans come in several different styles - tight, bolero, wraps, and one with sleeves that supposedly look like "angel's wings". These cardigans are great for teens with slim bodies. Since a girl has to wear a shirt underneath with the cardigan on top, the torso can look bulky. What's more, this cardigan emphasizes one of the most dreaded body part: the tummy and the waist, by revealing it (since the cardigan is very short). So, unless the torso is long and slim, it's best to stay away from this piece. Alas, my sister, who studied fashion in school, had worn one yesterday. She and I are always in conflict - her coming from the "fashion world" point of view , and me coming from a total image point of view. She had worn the worst one of the above mentioned cardigans for her body type - the angel sleeve. She has a typical Asian average slim body. And what did the cardigan made her look like? Someone with flabby arms and droppy boobs!! Being the older sister, I asked her: do you really like your cardigan? She snapped at me: what kind of a question is that? Do you like your sweater? Why would I buy my cardigan if I don't like it?! It so happens that because she has a degree from fashion, any criticism from me - an image consultant, would deem to be an insult to her "trendy" taste. I might as well to be frank with her - that her boobs look as if they are at the level of her stomach (it's all air and space, made puffed out by the cutting, or the style, or the cardigan), and that her arms look, well, like flabby wings that belonged to a terribly unfit and overweight person. She defended that it was a trendy look. And being a sister to her, not an image consultant advising a client who pays and listens, I kept my mouth shut. The lesson for me? Never give a person advice for free (advice that is tailored made for a person, not general advice like this entry) - because they didn't ask for it! And if they did, they wouldn't cherish it as much as those who pay. Lesson for readers: just because a style is trendy, it isn't for everyone. Not even a relatively slim body can take every trend out in the market place.