Tag Archives: dress

Accessories Add Personality

For some of us women finding clothing that fits well can be so challenging that we feel stuck with a very small selection to choose from each season. This can lead to major frustration, especially when your personality isn’t in-line with the current selection of available items.  However, with a little imagination and creativity, accessories can save the day. Accessories are the extras that can give you an individual style. By choosing the right accessories, you can create the look that says “you”.

When purchasing new accessories, always your figure challenges, your scale and your lifestyle in mind. By matching these qualities in your accessories with these qualities in you, your accessories can easily pull together your wardrobe and make you look great!

Match the Scale of You and the Scale of Your Attire

Even when a garment fits your shape and proportions, the scale of the print, the details of the garment or the size of the accessories may not. To bring your wardrobe into sync with your physical appearance, you must make sure they match your bone structure, body frame, height and scale.

Summer Can be Suit Season

Even though it’s summer, it doesn’t mean it’s time to put away the business suits. Suits can look and feel comfortable in any season if the right suiting fabric is chosen. When the sun comes out, wear 100% wool suits in “tropical weight” or “four seasons weight”. It will give you the most wearability and the most comfort.

Ease Up on The Fragrance

There was a time, in the not too distant past, when applying fragrance was considered part of getting dressed in the morning. We would apply it liberally, layer it, and touch it up through-out the day.

These days the rules have changed. Although fragrance can enhance our mood and the mood of those around us, for some it can cause allergic reactions, head-aches and nausea. If you love your fragrance, consider those around you when putting it on in the morning.  And just remember, a little goes a long way.

Consistency is the Key to a Professional Image

There are times when I get up in the morning and I don’t care how I look. I think everyone has those days. When getting dressed in the morning, we throw on the first thing that looks comfortable. And even though we may think it doesn’t matter, this can sometimes get us in trouble.

As an image consultant, I have made a few embarrassing mistakes of my own. One day, I ran down to the grocery store to grab a few things. Wearing sweats and no make-up, I ran into a past client. Oops! You never know where or when you might bump into someone important.

Even though there are days when I would rather not dress for success, I have learned the hard way that I really do need to look the part. Even though we may not care how we look, others might. For more on how to make the right business impression see ‘Upwardly Mobile Clothing for Upwardly Mobile Women’

Not Sure What to Wear to Work?

Notice what your boss and your clients typically wear. To impress your boss, dress at the same level or slightly more casual. If your boss wears a jacket, so should you. To impress your client, dress at the same level or a little more formal. If your clients always wear jeans, you might want to leave the jacket and the jeans at home. Dress for Success with a tailored bottom and a coordinating top.

Need to Look Caring in Your Workplace?

Lighter colours, especially pastels send the message that you care. These are great colours to wear when you want to be perceived as reassuring or gentle. They also have a calming effect on others. For this effect a lower contrast or monochromatic combinatioand tie) in lighter colours works well.
light colour

Do Maxi Skirts Work for Work?

This season we are again seeing the new longer ankle length hemline on skirts, called the ‘Maxi’. Many of my clients are asking whether this skirt or dress style is appropriate to wear to work.

This is an interesting question. As image consultants we tell our clients to cover their skin, when dressing for work. And this skirt style definitely covers skin. However, the other thing to consider when dressing for business is, whether your clothing is distracting. Unfortunately the ‘Maxi’s’ falls into the category of distracting, as well. And because of this, it isn’t suited to the work place.

Why, you ask? If the clothing draws attention to itself, it also draws attention to your personality. This can draw attention away from your purpose and what you are trying to convey.

Work Skirts that Work!

This season we are seeing an abundance of skirts in various shapes, lengths and fabrics. With so many choices, it can be difficult to select the right skirt for the right occasion. When choosing a skirt for work, classic is the key: The best skirt styles for work are pencil or A-line silhouettes. They range in length, from just above to just below the knee. Fabrics are light to medium weight. Colours and patterns are subtle.

How to Maximize your Look in the Maxi Length Skirt

The taller and slimmer you are, the easier it is to maximize your look with the maxi. If you are under 5’7” or desire to look slimmer, minimize the maxi affect, by keeping it simple and close to the body. The Pencil silhouette will be your greatest ally.  Make sure the fabric drapes well over the body and the hemline is narrow. The shorter your hemline and the more fluid the fabric, the more shape options you will have that flatter your figure.