“Every girl needs a little black dress.”

“All girls need 3 pairs of party shoes – black, gold and silver.”

Do these sound familiar? People who say these messages aloud sound convinced that these are truths to be lived by. Are they true?

We are all bombarded with messages from people, magazines, radio, TV and the web. Just think about this – all that we know of, the believes we hold, are told to us. Have we examined these messages clearly to see whether they ring true to us? Unfortunately most of the time, messages go right past our conscious mind, our awareness, and goes right into our unconscious mind. This is what happens when we do not pay attention to ads while talking to friends when the TV is on, or when we are listening to music but not paying attention to the lyrics. We pick up a lot of information subconsciously.

So, what does the above mean to image? It means that most people do not know how to choose something that is right for them – for their personality, body type and needs. Companies who tell people what they need are mostly acting from greed – more money to them is the only thing that matters. In essence, they are creating a need that has never existed before. Let’s examine the first phrase, “every girl needs a little black dress”. Some questions to consider –

1. Does every girl look good in a little black dress?

Answer: No! Regardless of the shape and cut of the dress, some girls look terribly pale or ill in black.

2. Does every girl truly have an occasion to wear a little black dress?

Answer: Only a girl who cannot visualize and enjoy colors! What’s stopping you from other colors? If you think you are fat, and are trying to hide it, good luck, because wearing black doesn’t hide it. Flattering a figure has nothing to do with wearing black, but it has to do with how a dress is shaped and cut, what the fabric is made of, and the texture.

3. Do I look good in and need a little black dress?

Only you can answer this. Look at the mirror when you try the dress on. Think about when you will wear it. Don’t wear it when you do not have the occasion for it. Many women buy out of impulse, resulting in closet full of clothing that they do not wear.

I go through these questions and more with those who hire me to help them with their image. You may even go through the same process with the three pairs of shoes too! In fact, go through these questions from now on when you shop – you will make better purchasing decisions in stores, where many salespeople on commission will flatter you even when it is not appropriate.

By the way, as an image consultant, I do not own a little black dress, nor own all three pairs of black, silver and gold fancy shoes.

Noelle Wong sees and unveils beauty in people. She is the owner of iN-IMAGE! Inc., a personal image consulting company in Toronto that offers one-on-one consultations and workshops to help people increase their personal presence. Her website is http://www.in-image.com, blog site is http://www.imageaide.com