Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Fall 2005

34

Beauty isn’t just in the eye of the beholder. It’s 

also in the hands of image consultants like 

Lori Johnson.

Image consultants make style and clothing suggestions to transform a person’s outward appearance. They 

are experts at bringing out the best in people, whatever 

each person’s career or lifestyle. “You need to be able to 

listen to people and adapt to them—to be like a chameleon,” says Lori. Knowing how to read and understand 

people is essential to an image consultant’s success.

Both men and women benefit from Lori’s expertise, 

but most of her clients are women. She begins by meeting 

with clients to discuss the type of look that they hope to 

achieve. Sometimes, clients aren’t sure what they want. 

Lori helps them to consider their personality, career, 

lifestyle, and the amount of time and effort that they want 

to spend on their appearance.

Next, Lori conducts a color analysis for each client. 

She uses a seasonal color analysis system based on hair 

color, skin tone, and eye color. Summer colors, such as 

pastels, complement the coloring of fair-skinned blondes 

with green or brown eyes, for example. After Lori determines a client’s color season, she gives color suggestions 

for clothing, cosmetics, accessories, and other complementary wear.

Lori then assesses the client’s wardrobe, identifying 

which items to keep and which to toss. “Some clients 

want to throw it all away and start over,” she says, “but 

then they realize that they have things they can use.” 

To purchase new items for a client, Lori visits stores 

that she knows well. Although some clients pay Lori an 

extra fee to preshop for them, most go with her. Occasionally, Lori shops for clients—but she’d rather have 

them go along.

One obvious reason why Lori wants clients to accompany her on shopping trips is so that they can help select 

what to buy. But Lori also uses these trips to educate clients about what to look for when they shop on their own. 

This includes pointing out the 

styles and cuts of clothing that 

might flatter the client’s figure. 

Shopping trips typically last 

about 4 hours, and Lori likes to 

shop with each client at least 

twice. “I could shop for 8 to 10 

hours straight,” she says. But for 

some clients, says Lori, “shopping is physically and mentally 

exhausting—and overwhelming.” 

Part of her job is to help make 

the experience less stressful and 

to provide encouragement. “If I 

weren’t there, they’d leave,” she 

says.

Lori is involved in other 

projects related to image consultby Elka Jones

Image consultant

Elka Jones is a contributing editor to the OOQ, (202) 691-5719.

You’re a what?

As an image consultant, Lori Johnson 

helps clients assess their wardrobes to 

determine their own style.
35

Fall 2005 • Occupational Outlook Quarterly

ing, such as doing makeup 

and stylist work for photographers and videographers 

and speaking about image 

and attire at conventions and 

corporate meetings. She also 

volunteers her skills. Recent 

endeavors include presentations about image to a 

local Girl Scout troop and to 

people at a homeless shelter.

Because most image consultants are self-employed, 

they must spend part of their 

time on business-related tasks 

such as managing finances 

and billing clients. They also 

must dedicate significant 

resources to marketing.

These administrative tasks are the part of Lori’s job 

that she least likes. “I’m a people person,” she says. “I 

don’t like sitting in front of a computer because I’m not 

with people.”

Being a people person means that Lori has empathy 

and patience when dealing with clients. Many people first 

visit an image consultant after they have experienced a 

life-changing event—a marriage, perhaps, or the loss of a 

job. These clients are often seeking to become more selfassured by redefining their image.

Assisting clients in this way comes naturally to Lori. 

“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve known this is my gift: 

to help others feel good about themselves,” she says, “to 

increase their self-esteem and self-confidence.”

Along with these inherent abilities, Lori has acquired 

other skills that she needs to succeed in her career. She 

gained some of her skills and knowledge from training 

and certification programs offered by image consulting 

associations and product vendors. And she keeps her 

skills current by reading everything about appearance 

that she can find.

Although the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 

does not collect data about image consultants, it does collect data about several other occupations in which workers help people to improve their image. Examples include 

personal appearance workers and retail sales workers.

Industry sources suggest that earnings of image consultants vary considerably, based, in part, on geographic 

location. Their hourly rate ranges from $50 to $500. For 

some services, such as color analysis or makeup and 

stylist work, many image consultants charge a flat fee of 

about $100 to $200 or more. For presentations, they usually charge a base fee plus expenses.

 Many image consultants start their careers by working part time in the occupation, often while employed 

in another job, until they gain a steady stream of clients. 

It’s critical for image consultants to build a clientele and 

a reputation that grows by word of mouth from happy 

clients.

Thanks to an image consultant’s work, the most satisfied clients usually are those who’ve gained new confidence along with their new style. Such results are the 

most rewarding, says Lori. “The best part of my job,” she 

says, “is seeing someone blossom.”

Photos courtesy of Lori Johnson

Through color analysis, image consultants identify which shades of makeup best complement each client.