The place setting is one of H.D. Anderson’s specialties. She knows exactly what every conceivable component on a place mat is for, from the soupspoon to the cold salmon fork. She knows the way to project an appropriate image while eating sorbet. She tells her clients to think of a dinner plate as if it were the face of a clock, and to place different pieces of silverware at different times on the clock face, depending on the piece and what message you want to communicate. Butter knife at 3:15, or shrimp fork at 4:20, may mean you’re finished–or just pausing for conversation. Who knows? It costs money to find out. The wrong piece placed at the wrong time on the clock face may convey to others that the diner is not a CEO but a mail boy or a lower-middle manager.
H.D. is an expert at knowing the right thing to do. And say. And wear. H.D. is a professional image consultant, a newish career category whose practitioners combine the skills of Tish Baldridge, a good shrink, and a top-notch saleslady at Saks.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
“My client and I have to be able to talk in unison, or we won’t accomplish goals,” says H.D. “‘Share with me your desires,’ I tell clients. ‘Tell me where you want to go.’ I have to have that information to assist you.
H.D. says everyone needs a “base costume” that can be worn at a moment’s notice no matter where you get invited. “It’s essential–and it should always be ready, cleaned and pressed,” she says. “So if you have to be at the White House tonight, you’ll have everything ready. Earrings. Purse.” H.D. says that ideally everyone needs base costumes for business and for “real life.” “And they should never be mixed together.”
“Of course, I have to screen clients. Not a little, but a lot.
“I never advocate extremes in appearance. I say buy the best black suit you can afford and two wonderful silk off-white blouses–keep one always fresh–and stay away from hoop earrings. And get the best watch you can afford. I teach techniques to remember names, too. These are the basic needs to survive in the world. Good manners are with you always.
