Karen McGraa, PhD
Karen McGraa, Ph.D., has a diverse professional and academic background and has taught at various schools and universities in communications, media, and psychology. In addition to her Ph.D. in Media Psychology, she has Master’s degrees in Psychology and Communications and Interior Design, Life Coaching, and Image Consulting certificates. She instructed at the Port Hueneme Naval Base on international communications and has traveled to China, Japan, the Philippines, Germany, Austria, Italy, Mexico, Canada, and Alaska. Dr. McGraa has also worked in retail management and keeps abreast of fashion, color trends, style, and health. This combination of skills allows Dr. McGraa to help people improve their image from the beginning to the end. She begins with a color analysis to determine the best colors for the individual based on their skin, hair, eyes, body type, and desired image. Dr. McGraa can further analyze communication skills, body language, fitness, etiquette, organization, and other life skills. Read more about Karen here
Too Many Clothes But Nothing To Wear?
Look closely at your wardrobe if you have too many clothes but nothing to wear. When you know your best personal colors, how to dress your body type, and the desired image you can build a wardrobe that reflects your authentic self. You will also save money, and time and have less stress. Enclothed Cognition Did you know that your chosen style and clothes reveal your mood, health, and overall confidence? This phenomenon is called enclothed cognition. Enclothed cognition captures clothes’ systematic influence on the wearer’s psychological processes. Enclosed cognition involves the co-occurrence of two independent factors–the symbolic meaning of the clothes and the physical experience of wearing them, according…
15 Ways to Improve Your Self-Image
Maintain good posture. When you have good posture, you look more alert and confident. Practice good hygiene from head to toe. Find and maintain a hairstyle that flatters your shape, face, and head in proportion to your body. Maintain an appropriate manicure and pedicure by you or a professional. Your colors, career, and lifestyle will determine your shape, length, and color choice. Know your best colors. You can take the free quiz mentioned on this website or schedule a consultation. Learn how to create your style statement. Know your body type to select clothing that accents your best features. Dress for success: Wear clothes that make you feel good…
Stop Impulse Buying! Know Your Style, Colors, and Body Type
Too many clothes, but nothing to wear? Stop impulse buying NOW! Are you an impulse buyer? Are you tired of having clothing in your closet with tags still on because you never wore them? You may be impulse buying. One way to stop impulse buying is to know your style, colors, and body type. Do you know your style? Are you conservative, artsy, romantic, fashionista, sporty casual, etc., or a blend of style types? What is your current lifestyle? Are you a young mom or student who has been wearing jeans and t-shirts going back to work at the bank or beauty salon? Or are you a retired businesswoman planning…
Believe in Yourself
Why is it important to believe in yourself? To create the life you desire, you must believe in yourself. Self-confidence is a prerequisite for moving forward in your business and personal life. Believe in yourself, your abilities, skills, and passions to go ahead in what you aspire to do. Self-confidence allows you to manage and inspire others with assurance and direction. Self-belief or confidence requires a holistic approach. First, you need to take control of your thoughts and feelings to achieve your peak state. Don’t let others control your thoughts and feelings about yourself. Increase confidence in your abilities and love your unique attributes about yourself. Stop the negative talk…
Your Shoes Say A Lot About Your Style
Bring Your Best Shoe Forward Are you someone who will endure pain to be stylish? Do you place comfort over appearance? Are you wearing shoes until they fall apart? Do you take meticulous care of your shoes, or are they in need of a shine? Your shoes can make or break your image. The same outfit with high heels compared to flip-flops takes you from the office party to the beach. Your shoes tell people where you are going or wish you were going. Worn shoes make you look unkempt and do not speak well for you or your sense of style but rather the lack of style and good…
Know Your Body Shape To Dress It Best
Body Shape Determines How You Dress It is important to know your body shape to dress it best. First, it is important to understand your unique shape, height, and weight to create a balanced look when selecting your outfits. For centuries, symmetry has been touted by artists, plastic surgeons, and designers as visually appealing. Dressing perfection is simply a perfect balance. The idea is to focus on your assets and create the appeal of symmetry. When clothes do not fit correctly or have the wrong lines for your body, you will look heavier, unbalanced, and less attractive. Shape analysis informs you how to trick the viewer’s eye into seeing a…
Does Your Body Language Say What You Want?
Does Your Body Language Disagree with Your Words? Does your body language say what you want it to say? Our behaviors and characteristics convey meaning without the use of words. Nonverbal communication is present in most interpersonal conversations. We communicate via facial expressions, tone, pace, loudness, clothing, eye behaviors (occulisics), gestures (kinesics), posture, touch, and smell. In addition, the new electronic technologies have added to our nonverbal communication with emoticons, pauses, capital letters, and more. Nonverbal communication often conveys more information than verbal communication. It is the primary means of communicating emotion. Your Body Tells When You Are Lying People don’t always say what they think or feel. However, the…
Accessories Make Your Style Statement
Make Your Style Statement With Accessories Accessorizing your outfit allows you to make your personal style statement. You can have classic pieces of clothing that will last over time but change them up with your accessories. You don’t have to buy shoes to match all your outfits. For example, modeling schools had taught you to match the hem of your skirt to your shoes. However, that meant you had to have many shoes if you had a large collection of skirts in different colors. Shari Braendel of Fashion Meets Faith developed the concept that you could look coordinated with one pair to start with shoes and a purse matching your…
Express Your Style With Your Wardrobe
Express your style in a curated closet. Express your style with the clothes you wear from your curated wardrobe. A curated wardrobe is organized into three sections (clothes, shoes, and accessories). The sections for clothes are divided into blouses, pants, skirts, and jackets. All items are grouped by similar colors, blue skirts, black shoes, etc. This organization makes it easy to find and put together coordinated outfits. Additional organizational tactics exist, but for now, you can see how this helps put together your outfits quickly and easily. Curating your closet also helps when editing your closet to see what does not work for you. And yes, this is a service…
Know Your Best Colors
Colors have an Effect on You and Others. Did you know that dressing well, which includes wearing your correct colors, can support mental wellness? The colors you wear and the colors you surround yourself affect you as well as those around you. Research shows that dressing the way you want to feel can increase your ability to feel and act accordingly. Dressing the part also gives your mind a chance to distract itself from worries by practicing creativity, improving mood, and a more positive outlook. People respond to what you wear Research also demonstrates that the way you look, including the colors you wear, influences how people respond to you. …
