AICI CIP · Image Consultant & Educator

Imogen Lamport: The Scientist of Colour and Style​

“I believe every woman can be stylish when she has the right information and tools that take into account who she is, and how she wants to be perceived.”
— Imogen Lamport

Imogen Lamport, AICI CIP, is an internationally recognised image consultant, colour expert, author and educator known for her science and psychology-based approach to personal style. She is the creator of the 18-palette Absolute Colour System, co-creator of 16 Style Types and founder of the Academy of Professional Image and Inside Out Style.

Rather than teaching arbitrary fashion rules, Imogen explores why clothes work, examining the relationship between colour, visual perception, body proportions, personality, identity and psychology to help people understand not simply what to wear, but why it works for them.

Imogen Lamport, style expert for intelligent women over 40
Imogen Lamport at a Glance

Image consultant and colour expert since 2004 through Bespoke Image.

18

palettes in the Absolute Colour System

20+

years as an image consultant and colour expert

16

Style types co-creator

4

books authored and co-authored

5000+

women personally helped with colour and style

2006–2023

AICI Australia Chapter President 2006-2007 and then again 2023-2025.

2006

Training image and colour consultants and personal stylists since 2006 through The Academy of Professional Image.

2006

Achieved AICI (Association of Image Consultants International) Certified Image Consultant in 2006 (AICI CIC).

2008

Founder of Inside Out Style, established in 2008.

2009

Achieved AICI Certified Image Professional in 2009 (AICI CIP).

2009

Creator of the 18-palette Absolute Colour System, 2009.

2019

Recipient of the 2019 AICI Jane Segerstrom Award.

2012–2016

Former AICI International VP Business Development.

2018

Certified Psychological Type Practitioner.

I Wasn't Born Stylish.
I Wanted Answers

People sometimes assume that if you become an image consultant, you must have been born with an innate sense of style.

I wasn't.

My fascination with style actually began because I couldn’t understand it.

As a teenager, I went shopping with a friend and we both tried on the same fashionable dress.

It looked fabulous on her.

On me, it looked terrible.

Same dress. Two reasonably similar young women. Completely different result.

Why?

Then there was the mustard yellow top.

I loved that top. Yet every time I wore it, people asked me whether I was feeling unwell.

Clearly, there was something going on that the fashion magazines weren’t explaining.

I learned to sew because ready-made clothes rarely fitted me properly. I read fashion magazines and tried to follow their advice, but I became increasingly frustrated with rules that told me what to wear without explaining why.

Why did one shape work when another didn’t?

Why did some colours make me look vibrant while others made me appear tired?

Why could an outfit look wonderful on somebody else yet feel completely wrong on me?

And why did so much style advice seem to assume that the same solution should work for everyone?

Those questions stayed with me.

Eventually, they led me to train professionally as an image consultant in 2004.

But completing my training didn’t stop the questions.

If anything, it gave me more.

And that curiosity has driven my work ever since.

The Science and Psychology of Personal Style​

For more than two decades, I’ve been exploring what sits underneath conventional fashion and style advice.

I’m fascinated by questions such as:

  • Why does changing the placement of a line alter how we perceive the proportions of a body?
  • Why can two people with similar physical characteristics need completely different style solutions?
  • Why does one colour appear harmonious on one person yet overwhelming on another?
  • Why can an outfit be objectively attractive yet feel completely wrong to the person wearing it?
  • Why do we buy clothes we love in the shop and then leave them hanging unworn in our wardrobes?
  • Why does what we wear have such a powerful relationship with identity, confidence and self-expression?

Personal style sits at the intersection of many different fields of knowledge.

Imagine opening a wardrobe that feels coherent, with pieces that support rather than confuse you.  

Colour

Understanding the properties of colour and how value, intensity, undertone, contrast and harmony influence the way colours interact with our natural colouring.

Visual Perception

Understanding how our eyes and brains interpret line, shape, scale, proportion, contrast, pattern and other visual information.

Body Proportions and Harmony

Moving beyond simplistic body-shape rules to understand how the elements and principles of design can be used to create different visual effects.

Personality and Style

Understanding why personality influences our aesthetic preferences, shopping behaviour, wardrobe choices and what makes an outfit feel authentically “me”.

Identity and Self-Expression

Exploring how clothing communicates who we are, what we value, how we want to be perceived and the roles we play in our lives.

The Psychology of Clothing

Understanding the relationship between what we wear and how we think, feel and behave, and why clothing can influence confidence, self-perception and our interactions with others.

This is why I don’t believe good personal style comes from memorising rules.

When you understand the principles behind colour and style, you have something much more useful than a list of dos and don’ts.

You have the knowledge to decide for yourself.

Systems and Frameworks I've Created and Co-Created

I’d finally found the answers to what I’d been looking for.

I immediately trained in colour and personal style so I could move on this new path.

When I learned about what suited me, and all the other body shapes and colouring, I was so excited.  I wanted to share it with other women. To help them feel as empowered in their style as I finally did.

Not only did I share it with my personal clients, but I also started training others in personal style, personal colour analysis and image consulting in 2006.  And have been training and mentoring other personal stylists and colour consultants for decades through my training others in personal style, personal colour analysis and image consulting.

Along the way, I discovered that existing seasonal colour systems were lacking in depth and breadth.  I found they didn’t work for the broad range of different complexions and colouring that exist in our world, so I turned to the science of colour and started again, creating the 18-palette Absolute Colour System in 2009.

But what has impacted me and my clients the most is understanding the psychology behind our style choices.  This led me to co-create The 16 Style Types, delving deeply into how personality and style entwine.

But I’ve never stopped learning and improving my style knowledge.  In fact, I’ve learned

My curiosity has led me to develop and co-create systems that help make complex aspects of colour and personal style easier to understand and apply.

The Absolute Colour System

Created by Imogen Lamport in 2009

After working with clients whose colouring didn’t fit comfortably within the colour analysis systems available to me, I began questioning whether there was a more nuanced way to approach personal colour analysis.

The result was the Absolute Colour System, an 18-palette personal colour analysis system that considers the interaction of colour properties including undertone, value and intensity.

With nine warm and nine cool colour directions, the system gives trained colour consultants more options when identifying the nuances of an individual’s colouring, rather than forcing every person into a small number of predetermined categories.

Today, the Absolute Colour System is used by trained colour consultants in Australia and internationally.

Discover the Absolute Colour System

16 Style Types

Co-created by Imogen Lamport, Jane Kise and Jill Chivers

Physical characteristics alone have never adequately explained personal style to me.

Two women can have similar colouring, body shapes and lifestyles and still want to wear completely different clothes.

Why?

Personality.

16 Style Types brings together psychological type and personal style to explore how personality influences aesthetic preferences, shopping behaviour, wardrobe choices and our individual definitions of what feels stylish.

It helps explain why one person’s dream wardrobe may be another person’s nightmare, and why there’s no single formula for great personal style.

Explore 16 Style Types

The Three E’s of Style: Empowerment, Ease and Expression

I’ve found that successful personal style needs to do more than make you look good.

It needs to work on three levels.

Empowerment

Your clothes should support how you want to feel, communicate and show up in the world.

Ease

Your wardrobe needs to work for your actual body, lifestyle, environment, activities and circumstances.

Expression

Your clothes should communicate something authentic about your personality, identity, values and aesthetic preferences.

When these three elements come together, getting dressed becomes easier because your clothes aren’t simply flattering your body.

They’re supporting the person who lives inside them.

Watch the Masterclass

Inside Out Style: An Encyclopaedia of Colour and Personal Style

I founded Inside Out Style in 2008 because I wanted to make professional colour and style knowledge available beyond the clients I could work with personally.

What began as a blog has grown into an extensive educational resource covering personal colour analysis, body proportions, visual perception, wardrobe development, personality, identity, shopping, confidence and personal style.

Over the years, I’ve answered thousands of reader questions because I’ve discovered that the questions women ask about clothes are rarely as superficial as they first appear.

“Which colours suit me?” can really mean:

Why don’t the colours I’ve always worn look right anymore? 

“What suits my body shape?” can mean:

My body has changed, and I don’t know how to dress it anymore. 

“What should I wear?” can mean:

I don’t know who I am now.

That’s why Inside Out Style goes deeper than telling you what’s fashionable or giving you a list of wardrobe essentials.

My aim is to help you understand the principles so you can become your own style expert.

Explore Colour

Discover personal colour analysis, colour properties, contrast, colour psychology and how to build a wardrobe around colours that work for you.

Explore Colour

Explore Personal Style

Understand your aesthetic preferences, style personality and how to create a style that feels authentically yours.

Explore Personal Style

Explore Body and Proportions

Learn how line, shape, scale, proportion and other elements of design influence the way clothes appear on the body.

Explore Body and Proportions

Explore the Psychology of Style

Discover the fascinating connections between clothing, personality, identity, confidence and behaviour.

Explore the Psychology of Style

Professional Leadership and Recognition

Professional education and involvement in the image consulting industry have always been important to me.

I hold the Certified Image Professional (CIP) designation from the Association of Image Consultants International (AICI) since 2009.

I’ve served twice as President of AICI Australia and from 2012 to 2016 served on the international board of AICI as Vice President of Business Development.

AICI Jane Segerstrom Award

In 2019, I was honoured to receive the AICI Jane Segerstrom Award an international award recognising significant contribution to the image consulting profession and the promotion of a positive image in society.

This award is named in honour of the late Jane Segerstrom, an AICI Houston Chapter and AICI International Board member, whose vision and association work set the foundation of AICI’s international growth. The Jane Segerstrom Award is bestowed upon a person who has helped to further AICI’s worldwide association/industry vision and was first awarded in 1997. The recipient of this award is selected by the AICI Board of Directors.

My work through Inside Out Style and 16 Style Types was recognised for helping people develop a more individual and empowering relationship with personal image.

For me, this recognition reflected something I’ve always believed.

Image consulting should help people become more themselves, not turn them into someone they’re not.

Books by Imogen Lamport

Writing has allowed me to turn many of the concepts I teach into practical resources women can return to whenever they need them.

The Finishing Touch: Perfecting the Art of Accessorising

A practical guide to understanding how accessories complete an outfit and how to choose them to work with your style, colouring and proportions.

NEver Short on Style - book for petite women who struggle with their style

Never Short on Style: Dressing Your Petite Body

Practical guidance for petite women who want to understand proportion, scale and how to make clothing work for their individual body.

Travelling Light: How to Pack for for Your Travels

A practical approach to creating a versatile travel wardrobe that gives you more outfit options with fewer garments.

Media, Speaking and Expert Commentary

Over the course of my career, I’ve been invited to share my expertise through television, radio, print media, podcasts, conferences and professional organisations.

My media appearances have included ABC Radio, Harper’s Bazaar and Channel 7 News, along with numerous print, radio and online publications.

I’ve presented internationally on topics including personal colour analysis, personal style, visual perception, image consulting, psychological type and the relationship between personality and style.

I’ve also spoken and taught for professional image consulting and psychological type organisations in Australia and internationally.

Whether I’m speaking to professional image consultants or women simply trying to make sense of their wardrobes, my goal remains the same:

To take something that seems complicated and make the principles understandable and useful.

Media, Speaking & Interviews

My Philosophy

I don’t believe there is one correct way to be stylish.

I don’t believe every woman needs a little black dress, a white shirt, a trench coat or any other garment simply because somebody has declared it a “wardrobe essential”.

And I don’t believe women should be told what they can and cannot wear because of their age.

Personal style is personal.

Your colouring is yours.

Your body is yours.

Your personality, lifestyle, values, preferences and goals are yours.

So your wardrobe should work for you.

This doesn’t mean there are no principles behind style. There are many.

Understanding colour, proportion, scale, contrast, visual perception, personality and harmony gives you incredibly useful information.

But these principles are tools, not rules.

My role isn’t to tell you what you must wear.

It’s to give you the knowledge to understand your options, decide what matters to you and make choices that support the person you want to be.

Because the ultimate goal of personal style isn’t to look fashionable.

It’s to become more visibly yourself.

“When I look like the best version of me, I also feel like the best version of me! When my style harmonizes with the real me, I have confidence and freedom to be who I am, and can focus on moving forward with my life.” Emily Vakkilainen

How Can I Help You

There are several ways you can explore my work, depending on whether you want to learn about your own style, work with me personally or develop professional expertise. 

Learn with me

7 Steps to Style

7 Steps to Style is my comprehensive personal style program, bringing together colour, body, proportions, personality, wardrobe and shopping. Discover how to choose flattering clothes and build a wardrobe that reflects your personality and lifestyle.

Explore 7 Steps to Style

Learn with me

Evolve Your Style

Evolve Your Style is a fun 31 day style challenge that will change how you think about your existing wardrobe and personal style. Discover new ways to wear your clothes, experiment with different outfits, and develop a style that reflects your personality and lifestyle.

Explore Evolve Your Style

Learn with me

Visualise Your Style

Visualise Your Style is a quick way to redefine your personal style and personal brand image. Discover how to express your personality through your clothing and create a clearer vision of the style that reflects who you are.

Explore Visualise Your Style

Learn with me

Video Masterclasses

I also have a suite of on-demand video masterclasses on topics of how to create stylish outfits, understanding colour, choosing eyewear, hair and makeup, accessorising, and harnessing the energy of colour. These masterclasses give you the opportunity to explore different aspects of colour and personal style, helping you understand what works for you and how to apply these principles to your own wardrobe and everyday style.

Explore Video Masterclasses

Work with me

Personal Colour and Style Consultations

If you’d prefer individual guidance, I offer personal colour and style consultations, including my Online Colour Analysis using the Absolute Colour System.

Working individually allows us to apply the principles of colour and style specifically to your colouring, personality, lifestyle and goals.

Explore Personal Consultations

Train with me

Professional Image Consultant Training

If you’re interested in turning your fascination with colour, style and people into professional expertise, I train image consultants, personal stylists and colour consultants through the Academy of Professional Image.

AOPI training focuses on understanding the principles behind colour and style so you develop the knowledge, practical skills and judgement to work confidently with real clients.

Explore Professional Image Consultant Training

Style Isn't a Talent You're Born With

If there’s one thing more than two decades of working with colour and style has taught me, it’s this:

Style is a skill you can learn.

You don’t need to memorise endless fashion rules.

You don’t need to become obsessed with trends.

And you certainly don’t need to become someone else.

You need to understand yourself and develop the knowledge to recognise what works for you and why.

Once you have that knowledge, getting dressed stops being about following somebody else’s rules.

It becomes another way of expressing who you are.

And that is what personal style has always been about for me.

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