Sometimes Even Style Needs a Coach

By Cathy Shane
Thursday, June 07, 2007 - The Ellsworth American

BLUE HILL - A tough thing about living in Maine is dressing fashionably while being subjected to a cold climate for most of the year. What's the point of wearing a fancy, silk skirt or expensive slacks when these outfits are hidden beneath additional layers of clothing and coats?

According to Haydee Foreman, a trained style consultant and owner of the business The Style Coach, there are several good reasons. Dressing to accentuate a person's best features makes a positive statement. In fact, it can make all of the difference — in attitude and self-esteem.

The best part about Foreman's style guide is her theory that looking good can be done without having to buy a new $500 wardrobe. According to Foreman, with a couple of accessories, your own closet will do just fine.

"Just a few changes could jazz it up," said Foreman, while sitting at her kitchen table in her beautiful Blue Hill home. She bubbled excitedly when talking about her services and was the polar opposite of the harsh image consultants seen on TLC television shows like "What Not To Wear."

Foreman's interest in style training was sparked by her own visit to a consultant four years ago. In September and October of 2006, she attended an image consultation program at the Image Resources Center of New York, and in November of that same year, she opened up The Style Coach.

Rather than severely critiquing her clients' wardrobes and body shapes in accordance to the rules of high fashion, Foreman's fashion advice is catered to fit an individual's personal styles — not the fashion trends of an urban lifestyle.

Foreman doesn't encourage going out and buying heaps of new outfits. She prefers tweaking what her clients already own and then shopping for any additional clothing items that are needed.

She emphasizes the concept of having a list, just like you would when grocery shopping. This way, it's clear what shoppers need and they can get in and out of the store fast, which is great for those who don't have much time or simply loathe shopping. She called it "simplified shopping."

Before the list of shopping items can be determined, Foreman has her clients do a pre-assessment exercise and fill out an assessment profile prior to the initial consultation. The profile and exercise help determine what kinds of clothing and accessories a particular client is attracted to. This provides a sense of what style and color they prefer and therefore, should be wearing.

"I don't tell people what their style is. I try to pull it out of them; I try to understand it," Foreman said.

During the initial consultation, Foreman goes over which of the clothing personalities she sees in her client: sporty, traditional, elegant, romantic, alluring, creative or dramatic. A person's style could reflect solely one of the categories or a combination of three or four or more; it just depends on the individual. She says that in Maine, the dominant style is sporty (natural, casual and comfortable).

Once she knows what style, determining a client's colors (the ones that bring out the natural hues in a person's skin) is next. Foreman uses color palettes by "Color Me a Season," an education color corporation that categorizes a person's flattering colors according to a season. She gives this palette to her clients to keep after the first session, along with a workbook, so that they can have it handy when shopping alone.

Foreman says that wearing the right colors is essential because certain colors can make a person absolutely glow — or make them look sallow or washed out. Colors also communicate messages.

"You want your accountant to wear navy blue if they are handling your money," she said, explaining that navy blue represents the qualities of being honest, trustworthy, and hardworking.

After a customer's colors are weeded through, Foreman assesses the client's figure and what shape they are. There are five basic shapes: H-shape, oval, V-shape, X/hourglass or triangle (pear shaped). This is to determine what clothes fit a client's shape best, emphasizing certain body parts, while concealing others. Foreman said that knowing your own style, color and body shape are the key things to be aware of.

"If you know your color and style you can skip over a lot of things," she said of making choices when shopping.

These elements are not only necessary to make someone look better or more professional, but also to raise confidence.

"It's a self-esteem issue," said Foreman. "I think why I do it is to help women."

This desire to help is not surprising. Foreman said she has always enjoyed helping people and almost went into the field of social work. Twice a week, she volunteers at her 13-year-old son's school and can be seen in the store helping her older clients carry and try on clothes.

Even chatting with her in her home, Foreman doesn't seem like a consultant, but a friend who is simply willing to share some tips of the trade.

"Think of me as someone else to just look at it, like a girlfriend — but more serious" she added, referring to her closet assessments.

Foreman even "pre-shops" for her clients by arriving at a store or mall a couple of hours before their shopping rendezvous, to scope out the selection so the client doesn't have to.

The initial assessment lasts about two hours and costs $125. The closet assessment and personal shopping cost $50 an hour and lasts up to four hours. Foreman travels to clients' homes to conduct assessments in Hancock, Penobscot and Waldo counties, but she hopes to set up an office in Ellsworth. Although her typical clients are middle-aged women, she extends her services to any age and gender and even does group consultations.

"You can find your style," said Foreman, "You've just got to make an effort."

Foreman says that whether people realize it or not, their image has a huge impact on the messages they send and their quality of life. Her job is to help clients realize their natural beauty and then to bring it out.

And sometimes it tricky, but Foreman says it's very possible.

"If you see [how you could look better], you can make the change."

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