ABC of good grooming

Wong says good grooming is the key

SHE walks the talk. Looking elegant in a black and white ensemble, with strings of pearls hugging her wrist, the well-coiffed Sheila Wong is every inch the queen of groom.

But then, Wong, is an international certified image consultant (under AICI –– Association of Image Consultants International) and author of Yes, You Can Look Slimmer –– Size Doesn’t Matter, Shape Does!. It’s her second literary outing. Her first, titled Groom Or Broom, is about corporate grooming.

“Looking good is the thing that will get you started towards better things,” she confides with a motherly smile. “Sometimes, I can see a person’s potential just from the way he or she dresses.”

Yes, You Can Look Slimmer, with its eye-catching electric magenta cover, reader-friendly editorial and easy-to-follow illustrations, is a fun and handy chick manual with tips on how to use the right cut and style to look slimmer whatever your size and shape. It’s basically the ABC of good grooming.

Why the book?

“Whenever I do corporate training sessions, everyone asks me about the right cut and style,” says the Sungai Lembing-born Wong. “The women, in particular, want to know how to look good or slimmer with business or casual outfits. I’ll show them pictures of real outfits and sometimes sketch them out as examples. I discovered that drawing illustrations of the clothes actually accelerated their understanding. That gave me the idea to do this book.”

Not an artist herself, Wong engaged the services of a professional artist for the illustrations. The editorial part was a breeze, considering her impressive 20-year experience in the field. The book was completed in 11 months.

“Many of us like to follow the latest fashion but somehow we end up looking so wrong. Does that mean we shouldn’t follow trends?” asks Wong, pausing momentarily for effect. “Actually, when you understand your body shape, you can buy trendy clothes because you’ll know what’s the right cut and lines to use.”

Ever generous with her tips and advice, the bubbly mother of three launches into a shopping list of “dos” and “don’ts” as well as faux pas to avoid, giving me a personal fashion consultation session over my Aglio Olio with prawns. And being the total fashion non-starter that I am, I gobble her nuggets of info just as ravenously as I do the succulent prawns.

“You want to camouflage what’s not good and to show off your assets,” advises the youthful-looking 50-year-old, who relaxes by going to the spa, shopping and indulging in fine dining. “If you’re wearing traditional baju for example, a ’spoon’ (Yes, that’s what I am!), would be better off in a kebaya, so you can show your curves. A long kebaya or baju kurung Pahang are also great. Forget baju Kedah. The right cut will give you lean lines.”

Does she enjoy her work?

“It’s a joy to see people transforming. Myself, I’ve always loved to be well groomed. In fact, vanity is probably my middle name!” she says, chuckling.

Asked for her definition of beauty, the Sagittarian offers me two words – sophistication and substance. “Someone like Catherine Zeta Jones epitomises beauty,” she says. “She’s complete. She’s beautiful, successful and has a good family. Most importantly, she’s willing to bear children for the man she loves and is able to find balance in her life.”

The affable Wong found herself in the world of beauty and grooming at the age of 24. “I married young and found myself in Malacca. There was nothing to do there, so my husband suggested that I go into business,” she recalls. “I needed to do something to keep myself alive.”

Throwing caution to the wind and, with some financial support from her husband, she took up a franchise in beauty and slimming. There were no big players in the market at the time, so things developed quite smoothly. The couple recovered their capital in three months, and in less than a year, Slenderlin Beauty and Figure (Malacca) Sdn Bhd became the talk of the town. “We organised gala events, where clients could participate in beauty and dancing contests. It was all set in the sophisticated ambience of five-star hotels,” recalls a happy Wong, one of a seven siblings to a mining contractor father and entrepreneur mum.

To enhance her knowledge, she went to London to do an intensive course on modelling and grooming at the prestigious finishing school, Lucie Clayton. She returned a month later and immediately started modelling and grooming courses for women.

For nine years, she ran the agency as well as her beauty and slimming centre. But after a decade in Malacca, she moved back to Kuala Lumpur for the sake of her kids’ education. In 1999, she started another beauty centre in KLCC – Skin-Esthics Beauty and C-Image Stoppe.

Since 2001, Wong’s been involved in corporate training and image consulting for public-listed corporations, multi-national companies and local companies. As the demand for this grew, she set up Swet Advancement Centre with business partner Enrique Tsou, to conduct professional courses for aspiring image consultants.

Any final tip?

“The right footwear, because it tells a lot about a woman’s personality,” she says. “I see a lot of women dressed to the nines and then I look down and see that their footwear is all wrong!”

Yes, You Can Look Slimmer is available at all major bookstores priced at RM39.90 from Jan 26.



intanm@nstp.com.my