| TRUMAN CAPOTE | | | | proud of it. |
| Image consultants can help writers improve their look. | | | | Capote was clearly his own image consultant. He |
| Truman Capote acted as his own image consultant, | | | | chose to wear more fashionable clothes when he |
| but he made numerous mistakes. A professional | | | | achieved some success. During the developmental |
| image consultant could have helped him achieve even | | | | and mastery phases of his career (which we have |
| greater success. | | | | written about elsewhere) he began wearing better |
| CAPOTE AS A YOUNG MAN | | | | trousers and shirts. But he made numerous mistakes. |
| Truman Capote was born in 1924 in New Orleans. | | | | People don't trust men in bow ties. A writer needs to |
| The salient facts of his early life are as follows: His | | | | be trusted. Also his hats, which are his signature look, |
| mother was only 17 when he was born; her husband | | | | did little to flatter his face. |
| divorced her when the boy was four; his mother | | | | AN IMAGE CONSULTANT COULD HAVE HELPED HIM |
| locked him in a room; he felt lonely and screamed to | | | | The immediate effect of working with an image |
| be let free; his mother remarried and the boy's new | | | | consultant is to improve your look. Truman Capote |
| father was convicted of embezzlement. | | | | tried to improve his look himself, and he succeeded |
| The case can be made that Capote experienced a | | | | to some extent. But people made fun of him for the |
| traumatic childhood. As such, he was predisposed to | | | | hat. And subconsciously the bow ties did not help his |
| be artistic, according to the work of Frank Sulloway. | | | | case. |
| THE WARDROBE OF CAPOTE THROUGHOUT HIS | | | | An image consultant could have helped him select |
| LIFE | | | | clothes that would have flattered his figure (which |
| In his youth he was rather unconcerned about his | | | | was very thin) and his face (which was very round). |
| appearance. He wore baggy pants and wrinkled polo | | | | The hats he selected were not the best for this |
| shirts. These were in patterns that were hard to look | | | | purpose. We help people look good and project a |
| at: big stripes and odd colors. | | | | more powerful image. We are especially useful for |
| When he began publishing, at 23, he wore sweaters | | | | artists in the developmental and mastery phases of |
| and shirts with the collar out, to look good for | | | | their career. This means we could have helped |
| publicity photos (for example for the book Other | | | | Capote when he was beginning to publish and after |
| Voices, Other Rooms). At the age of 35 he can be | | | | he had achieved fame with In Cold Blood. |
| seen ice skating in Rockefeller Center in a snappy | | | | If you are a writer and wish to improve your look, |
| outfit, with a nice pair of trousers and a scarf. He is | | | | take a lesson from the life of Truman Capote. While |
| wearing a beret and a wool sweater. | | | | there are some things that you can accomplish |
| About the time he published In Cold Blood, he began | | | | yourself, it always helps to have professional advice. |
| wearing suits and bow ties. Then he began wearing a | | | | Had Mr. Capote used an image consultant his work |
| hat with a brim. At fifty-three he would wear a big | | | | might be even more widely read today. |
| straw hat and ask people if they liked it. He was | | | | |