It started as a matter of efficiency. How much of my life have I wasted, standing in front of a closet burgeoning with clothes screaming, “I have nothing to wear!”

This is not the way I want to start my day or get ready for a fun night out.

I don’t do my own plumbing. When I’ve got a problem I’m struggling to solve, it’s time to call in the experts. Cue: Image Consultant and Stylist, Jacqui Neath-Myrie. A woman who knows her stuff and walks her talk, Jacqui always looks impeccable, fabulously stylish and the pinnacle of appropriate. I knew I needed some of that magic.

Don’t think I didn’t stage resistance. I marvelled at what surfaced in my mind. ‘You seriously have to pay someone to help you dress?!’ ‘After thirty-odd years you still can’t do it right?’ And some double-edged beliefs around ‘beauty being on the inside’, so it shouldn’t matter what I look like or the clothes I wear. Was I being overly superficial?

But there is the inescapable truth that first impressions do count. We naturally form judgments and opinions within the first few seconds of seeing a person. That initial reaction can sometimes mean the difference of taking the time to find out ‘what’s on the inside’, or not.

How we present ourselves influences how people treat us. If we look good we tend to feel good, and better to face any situation calmly well put-together than in a tiz after a wardrobe dilemma and throwing on any old thing that’s clean.

Jacqui’s mindset is that personal presentation is a form of self-care. Dressing well and dedicating time and attention to how we put ourselves out in the world is an extension of self-respect. She has some cardinal rules for the clothes we own: does it fit? Does it flatter? Does it work with the life I have now (not when I’m fifteen pounds lighter etc.). Do I like it?

“We should expect better from our wardrobe and demand better for ourselves. We deserve it,” she said. “Our clothes are an investment in ourselves.”

For me, having been an ‘it’ll do’ clothes shopper for so long, this was quite a paradigm shift.

Before we began weeding through my closet, my task was to put together three outfits I love and feel comfortable in: one for work, casual and a night out. Jacqui wanted to assess my style. I was a little embarrassed. I wasn’t sure I had one, isn’t this why I hired her?

But she wasn’t being judgmental, it turns out, I actually do. We all tend towards one or more favoured looks. Mine’s mostly a ‘Bohemian aesthetic’, an offshoot of a ‘Romantic style personality’. Who knew? It all rang true when she said it. I may never have put it into words or consciously thought about it, but seeing my wardrobe through fresh eyes, certain trends are obvious: soft, drapey fabrics, collars and cuffs, fun detailing like zippers, buckles, embroidery, sparkly bits.

And putting a label on it suddenly felt liberating. It was like validation, as if I had been looking for permission to be myself.

And what I appreciated even more, was that Jacqui’s intention was not to make me change that, but to help me see it, embrace it and make it work for me. She says her job is not to tell people what to wear but help them generate more options and offer tools for how to approach their existing wardrobe in a new way, then close the gap to make it more of what they want.

This is when I realised that what she was doing was coaching me.

This is the same approach I use with clients wanting to make personal and professional changes and take themselves to the next level. Jacqui does it with their personal and professional image.

It was neat to experience the power of coaching in such a different arena than I’m used to. And it exemplified how empowering coaching can be, whatever the field, as a management, leadership and educative tool.

Just some of the crossover coaching parallels that came into play during our wardrobe clearing journey together:

Work to Our Strengths: In the past, spotting someone looking fabulous sporting an outfit might prompt me to run out and get the same, only on me … not so fabulous. Accepting that I’m a tall, pear-shaped gal with flat feet, and working with that reality, is far more empowering than shopping the petite’s section trying to dress like a wafer-thin, doll-sized supermodel and facing eternal disappointment.

Be True to Ourselves: I feel like I should dress like ‘Jackie O’ but the truth is I’m more a ‘Stevie Nicks’. You’ll never catch me in a pair of Manolo Blahnik’s and I take umbrage with the idea of buying a handbag for what could feed a family for a year. Comfort is my key and so is having fun. Inviting a touch of ‘me’, even to the most corporate of outfits, is important to my sense of playfulness and individualism, if only a hint … These are truths the coaching has helped me reveal and build on. Jacqui cautions that people can look overly styled and awkward in their clothes if they’re not dressing to honour their authentic selves.

A Stitch in Time, Saves Nine: As with any goal, preparation and strategy are just as important for creating a well run closet. Simple but effective tools can significantly increase efficiency. Some helpful tips she gave me that may seem so obvious but I clearly missed the memo on:

* Separate the closet between work, weekend and evening wear

* Keep like with like: shirts, trousers etc and arrange them in order for easy viewing

* Label spare buttons with what item they belong to before chucking them in a jar with fifty million others

* Check the weather forecast the night before and ready an outfit before bed … stress-free dressing in the morning and no more ruined suede loafers on a rainy day.

Did I mention how much fun it was? And the resulting peace of mind that comes from having far less clutter in my closet but infinitely more ideas of what to do with it.

It’s tempting to keep a treasure find like Jacqui to myself. For some this may seem a frivolous topic anyhow. Others will be casting a curious or critical eye to observe the outcome. But plenty will be lining up to get her number. For me, the important shift has come in how I feel: a newly discovered joy where there used to be everyday drudgery …

And I share it with you as an example of the effectiveness of Coaching in action: empowering the client’s choice through awareness, support and accountability, and providing that mirror with no other agenda than to help us be (and in this case, look) our personal best. Thank you, Jacqui!

Julia Pitt is a trained Success Coach and certified NLP practitioner on the team at Benedict Associates. For further information contact Julia on (441) 705-7488, www.juliapittcoaching.com.