Julie Rollinson  is the director of, an image consulting company specialising in personal style management in what to wear. As a Visual Arts Head Teacher for 25 years, Julie enjoyed a diverse and challenging  career that allowed her to nurture artistic talent in numerous young people. After studying interior design, Julie worked as a colour specialist in her own business to give interiors a visually exciting quality and a unique artistic touch. Asserting a creative bent and innate sense of colour and style, As an image consultant  and personal stylist Julie is obsessive about helping people feel great about themselves. 

Julie offers exciting wardrobe options and a range of image services to help women and men find the right clothes for their body shape, their lifestyle and their budget. Make fashion mistakes a thing of the past and get more value for your shopping dollar. After a Drab2Fab consultation you will always know what to wear, what to buy and what suits you when it’s time to get dressed. It is an essential investment that every person can benefit from.

Julie strongly believes that people underestimate how much an initial impression is based on your overall appearance and the clothes you wear.

“Investing a little time and effort into your image grows confidence and you are more likely to create a positive impression and maximise your opportunities for success.” Julie Rollinson  

Did you know that most people wear less than one third of their clothes?

Can you imagine the amount of money and time wasted? How often do you open your wardrobe and proclaim: I have nothing to wear!

Make fashion mistakes a thing of the past and get more value for your shopping dollar. No matter what your shape or your budget, Drab2Fab can help advise you on the clothes to wear from head to toe so that you look and feel fabulous.

Expert personal stylist and image consultant Julie Rollinson can change your wardrobe and your look with one consultation. “If someone invests a little time and effort into their image and they know what to wear in order to flatter their unique body shape and physical characteristics, their confidence grows and they are more likely to create a positive impression and maximise opportunities for success.”

To the untrained eye, it turns into a matter of guesswork figuring out what’s most suitable for you, but for Julie, accentuating your best assets and helping you look fabulous is just like second nature to her.

Invest in yourself and say goodbye to impulse and frivolous shopping and hello to wiser shopping decision by knowing what to wear. Drab2Fab services include colour and style consultations, wardrobe overhaul, personal shopping, dress for success, total image for men, fabulous makeovers, event planning and bridal styling along with workshops and seminars.

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Lets look first at  the reasons why many women are in this position and then I will explain why using an image consultant can help solve your wardrobe disasters.

Here is a list of the top ten reasons why a woman only wears 20% of her wardrobe 80%.

• When they go shopping they don’t have  shopping plan
• They do not understand what suits their body shape, age or colouring
• Body shape changes through pregnancy, illness or getting older can confuse them and they become unfamiliar and lost when it comes to knowing what suits them
• They have had a  lifestyle change
• They do not know what image or look they want or need.
• When shopping they are unaware of what shops cater to their clothing needs
• They are unwilling to waste more money on clothes they may not wear.
• Many women do not understand that sometimes it is necessary to alter their clothes to achieve the best possible look. Many are not willing to pay extra for alterations when they have already spent money purchasing the clothes. This often results in great clothes not fitting their body correctly. Examples of this would be shortening a jacket, nipping in a waist for more shape, taking up a sleeve or hem or even adding shoulder pads.
• They do not give themselves time just to explore shops at different locations to become familiar with what is offered and where.
• They do not allow themselves sufficient time to discover what they desire – most miracles do not happened during a lunch break! A frenzied last minute search often ends in purchasing  a ‘this will do’ which almost unavoidably becomes a ‘closet orphan’.

So how do we solve this problem? The best way is to enlist the services of an image consultant to take you on a personal shopping trip.  How do personal shopping trips work? Your image consultant will look at you and your body shape, size, personality and life style. She will then guide you when shopping to ensure that you will only purchase items that flatter your body and make you feel great and look fantastic. No more impulse buying. No more closet orphans. These items will be pieces  that will add value to your wardrobe as you will wear them over and over again.

The benefits of using an image consultant are numerous and the lessons you will learn when shopping can be taken with you throughout your life. Shopping will become fun again and by selecting the correct clothes you will not only be wearing 100% of your wardrobe but saving thousands of dollars along the way.

What Does An Image Consultant Do
An image consultant is a personal stylist, personal shopper, colour consultant all rolled into one. You could say that an image consultant is your one stop shop for all your makeover needs. Image Consultants are specialists in visual appearance, verbal and nonverbal communications. They work with you to provide you with self-confidence and credibility. Who could use an image consultant?

• Students entering the workforce
• Women returning to work
• Professionals
• Business Owners
• Sales People
• Job Hunters

Essentially anyone who wants to look good and feel great

If you’ve gone from the workforce to motherhood, motherhood back to work, have retired or just need a fresh start, purchasing time with an image consultant is an investment in your future. Look at the clothes you currently have in the wardrobe and assess the amount that you rarely or don’t wear and then, think of how much money you have wasted. After a consultation this will not happen again.

What Happens In A Makeover

Here are some of the things that are covered in a makeover;

• Colour Consultation
• Style Consultation
• Wardrobe Overhaul & Planning
• Personal shopping
• New hair and makeup

Individual colour consultation take around takes 2 hours. For this you receive your own personalized colour swatch to take home to use when shopping plus a set of complete colour notes and strategies for becoming more resourceful when co-ordinating clothes in your wardrobe.

When you have your colour consultation you’ll learn which colours are best for you, and how to wear those you already own, but you can’t justify getting rid of the item just yet. The session will also cover your makeup. The make-up will be updated to reflect your new colours, as well as recommendations on which hair colours are just right for you.

In the process you will be:
• Draped to verify your best colours
• Which of the neutral colours are best to use for the basis of your wardrobe.
• Provided a colour swatch of 50 of your very best colours are taught how to used them when shopping
• How to wear and apply make-up
• You will be receiving a complete set of notes on your colours and how to wear them to best effect. Notes include best metals, glasses colours, investment pieces, contrast, combining colours, psychology of colour and hair colouring.

With a style consultation your image consultant will look at your body shape and determine what works for you and what you should avoid. She will teach you how to apply your new found knowledge so you can become your own personal stylist. You will also be provided with notes to take home that covers all aspect of fashion from;
• Hair styles
• Jewellery
• Clothing
• Shoes
• Body Shape and Proportions
• Lifestyle & Personality Analysis
• Defining your individual style
• Best work clothes tailored to your dress code
• The best clothes to highlight your features and hide your perceived flaws

A ‘wardrobe overhaul’ is key to establishing your closet essentials and liberating you from everything impractical, unflattering and seriously outdated that is just uselessly hogging up space. By doing this will;

• Result in a workable wardrobe that suits your budget
• Highlight the successes in your current wardrobe
• Provide practical advice on optimizing your wardrobe options by putting together as many outfits as possible to fit every occasion
• Outline the importance of wardrobe basics to make your wardrobe more functional and complete
• Reveal what cuts, colours and styles of clothes suit you best
• Create order in your wardrobe so you can clearly see what you have at a glance
• Help you identify how seasonal fashion trends can be adapted for you

An image consultant is there to take you through your makeover and empower you with knowledge so that you can achieve these steps later on by yourself. This transformation can be taken at your own pace so that you become confident in your new self. So what are you waiting for? Take the step and make the transformation.

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In today’s economic climate we all want to save money. Do you have a full wardrobe but nothing to wear? Can’t afford to shop but still want a style-fix? Then it’s time to reorganise your wardrobe and decide what to wear and what not to wear!

Did you know that the average person only wear 20% of their clothes? How much money have you wasted on impulse buys, fashion fads or clothes in colours and styles that you don’t wear, don’t suit you or aren’t compatible with anything else you own?

If you’ve spent years buying clothes without a plan, then culling your wardrobe  is one of the most cleansing and therapeutic things you can do. Just remember to be ruthless. And during this process you’re sure to discover some forgotten articles of clothing or shoes that you can put back into rotation, so you’ll feel like you’ve bought something new! You will also decided on what not to wear.

It is important to remember that having a large number of clothes has little bearing on presenting yourself well. Someone who dresses with style doesn’t need to wear something different every day. Applying the ‘less is more’ theory, you need range and versatility to make great outfits. So let’s get moving…

Stage 1:  Take out every item in your wardrobe.

Toss out anything that is too shabby or old to give away, and bag up anything still in good condition to donate to charity.

Next, sort out every item into one of 4 piles.

RETAIN – it flatters your figure and your colouring. It works with just about everything. You wear it often. You feel great in it. Action! Back to the wardrobe. Make it earn its rent!

REPAIR – there’s hope here with just a few buttons missing, broken zippers, hems undone . Action! Get out your sewing kit, send it to your trusted alterations professional or recycle it.

RENOVATE – retrieval possible eg; too long, too short, too big or just a bit too snug. Note: A well-fitted garment looks much more expensive and custom made.  Action! Have it altered, dyed, updated with new buttons . If these aren’t feasible or desirable, recycle it.

RECYCLE – if you haven’t worn it in 12 months, chances are you won’t. If it’s dated, doesn’t fit or you don’t look or feel good in it – it needs to go! Action! Donate to charity or sell on ebay, but don’t let it share the same space as the clothes you wear. If it’s sentimental – archive it.

Stage 2:  So you’ve cleared your wardrobe, what now? Here’s the fun bit – time to fill the gaps!!

RE-ORGANISE – Wardrobes that work effectively for most of my clients are the ones that are organised by the type of clothing, and then by colour. So rearrange everything by categories: dresses in one section, jackets & coats in another, tops, pants, skirts, suits etc.  

REWORK –  Try on all the clothes that are left and explore new combinations. Include your accessories  – shoes, scarves, belts, jewellery and handbags. Consider what’s missing.

WHAT NOT TO WEAR - Look separately at your underwear, jackets, pants and tops and select only those items that you love to wear and need to replace purely because they are worn or tired. 

REINVEST –  Identify those items of clothing that if you DID have them, would help you create more outfits from your existing wardrobe. Try making your own list. This helps you prioritise your next purchase, and keeps the shopping focused on what you actually need.

REQUEST – Ask family and friends for department store shopping vouchers for Christmas, Birthdays  or  special occasions instead of (uunwanted) presents! If you receive a number of these, you can invest in quality items to expand your wardrobe options.

REVIEW:  How did you go -  is your closet empty? Don’t feel guilty – forgive your past clothing mistakes and move on. Whether on a tight budget or not, having a well-managed wardrobe will not only save you money but make your life much more efficient as well. 

Remember – just don’t buy anything. Buy the right thing and you will always know what to wear when it’s time to get ready. 

Technorati Tags: Image Consultant, What Not To Wear, What To Wear