Looking good, feeling great

First impressions can be crucial, particularly at job interviews. So volunteers from the charity, fashion and beauty sectors came together for a style advice session for six visually-impaired women. Linn Martinussen reports

It was time to leave the house, but I had to check one final time if I looked OK.

I was on the way to an event that was going to be offering me and five other visually-impaired women advice on their clothes, make-up and general sense of style to help them feel more confident as they looked for jobs.

I was looking forward to hearing how I could improve my own look, but also nervous about how the experts would judge my current style.

The event was organised by Patsy Neal, from the consultancy firm Acumen Solutions UK, and Hetal Bapodra, who is blind, with the backing of the charity Blind in Business.

I asked Hetal where the idea for the event had come from. “When I know I look good,” she said, “I feel

like I have the confidence to take on the world, and I believe every woman has the right to feel like that, especially in interview situations and the workplace, where it is the most important.

“There was no-one doing this sort of thing and…whether we like it or not, people do judge on first impressions.”

Other organisations involved were the charity Dress for Success, which helps low income women in London find the right clothes for job interviews; T M Lewin, which makes business clothes; and Gina Conway Aveda, the London hair and beauty salons.

Each of us six women was paired with a volunteer from the financial services company Morgan Stanley, who were their guides and wrote down all the tips on clothes and make-up. These women, who were all professionals themselves, also passed on invaluable advice during the day.

“This is just going to be fun,” Hetal told us at the start of the day. “Look at this like a girly party without the wine, pizza or Chinese takeaway.”

We were split into two groups, one dealing with clothes and one dealing with hair and make-up.

Ann, a lovely New York girl from Dress for Success, asked me to describe my current style and how I would like to look.

I told her that, at work, I tried to go for a look which was both professional and sexy, and one that I could also wear if I wanted to go out in the evening.

“I can see that in what you’re wearing,” said Ann. “You’re wearing clothes that compliment your figure and you could wear them out to dinner as well as in the office.”

We talked about how I could expand my work wardrobe with a few different skirts and trousers, and the kind of tops I could wear to make me look original as well as smart and professional.

“An A-line black or grey skirt just above your knees would be perfect for you,” said Ann.

“Yes, and it would look feminine,” said Angela, my volunteer. “If you wear that with shirts and tops in different colours, and combine it with a dark suit jacket, it would be perfect. You could even wear a dress in combination with a suit jacket.”

After agreeing to go shopping with Ann, admiring some women’s suits from T M Lewin, and discovering that, really, I didn’t need to change my style at all, I felt good.

It was now time for make-up, the area I felt most insecure about. I tint my eye-lashes and have been told my complexion is good, so I tend to avoid lots of make-up. It just confuses me. Everyone I know seems to put it on differently and I don’t know which way’s right for me.

I chatted with Pheonix about my make-up. I told her I was using Clean and Clear from Boots, and how I did my make-up.

“Instead of pink eye-shadow and blush, which you say you tend to go for, I want to try some tinted moisturiser and some bronze brown eye make-up,” Phoenix said, and started gently cleaning my face.

As she put the make-up on, Phoenix explained exactly how she did it and what she was putting on, while Angela wrote everything down for me. I also had a go at putting on my own make-up and I was told that, if I stuck to what I’d learned today, I would always look fine when I went out.

The day was drawing to a close. I had bought some Aveda products, and been given a free goody bag of cosmetic products. Everyone seemed to have had a good day.

There are now plans for a follow-up event in September*.

On the tube home that afternoon I felt good, not only about my new look, but about the fact that Ann was going to take me shopping soon.

I’m starting work in a few weeks and what better excuse do I need to expand my wardrobe.