Emmi Sorokin of It’s a Man’s World image consulting visited Venture Cafe recently and offered clothing and style tips to any guests with questions. She stayed busy throughout and ended up serving behind the advice booth for nearly three hours, thirty minutes longer than originally planned.
VIDEO: Emmi Sorokin talks about giving (and taking) fashion advice, 10min
I interviewed Emmi about her background in style, experience at Venture Cafe, and the invisible importance of personal style. The Q&A below summarizes our conversation and pulls in some references from her blog.
Q: How did you start in men’s style consulting?
A: Every place I worked in the past, retail or IT, I found myself helping others with their appearance and style. A little market research told me that no one else in New England specialized in men’s image and style consulting, so I decided to do go that route.
Q: Where should men start with image and fashion?
A: Start with fit and layering. It’s amazing how much difference it makes to just wear comfortable shoes and many brands offer business styles that fit like sneakers (Emmi’s blog offers shoe advice for both style and season.) Layering helps match your outfit to a context. You can start with a suit outfit for presentations or business clients and then drop the jacket, tie, or accessories for casual work.
Q: What kind of social media works best for you?
A: For a free service, Twitter’s generated a surprising number of new clients, at least 6. (Her account is @AskEmmi.) I know video’s on the rise, so I’ll be doing more of that, too. It just takes a much greater time commitment. (See social media pro Jeff Cutler’s consultation in “Emmi versus Spider-Man.”)
VIDEO: “Emmi vs. Spider-Man”
Q: Why is image such a personal interest?
A: Coming to America as a child, from Russia via Italy, taught me a lot about how groups treat newcomers and the importance of first impressions. I worked hard to fit in as a student and know that the business world’s not very different. Grooming and style brings you attention (positive or negative) that you can’t get any other way, so I think it’s essential for men to be aware of what they’re communicating. It was great to talk with so many people at the cafe and hear about the wide range of experiences people have in the entrepreneurial community. I look forward to the chance to see everyone there again in the future.
Venture Café
