Tag Archives: self improvement

Business Dress, Wardrobe, Women

How Much Cleavage is Too Much Cleavage?

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As an image consultant, companies often hire me to speak to their employees about professional dress. One of the top areas of concern for companies is cleavage.cleavage

How much cleavage is too much cleavage?

Because we are all built differently it’s difficult to give exact measurements. However, the general rule for a professional look is that your neckline should be no lower than 2 finger widths above where your cleavage starts.

In a social setting with friends, choose the depth of your neckline based on your level of confidence, the impression you are trying to make and where you want attention focused.

Business Dress, Look Younger, Wardrobe, Women

The Wrong Underwear

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You know, we have all seen it… the sagging or bumpy breasts, jiggling rear ends and the underwear straps that show. These are all examples of the wrong underwear. Although, the wrong undergarments will sabotage your image in any situation, it is even more of an issue at work. Why? If the desired focus is your product or service and you want to appear credible in your presentation of that product or service, then the focus should be on that product or service. The wrong underwear is not only distracting, it can make others uncomfortable. In other words, when at work, do you want people to be thinking about your underwear or what a great job you and your company can do for them? The right underwear will keep everything in place and help keep attention focused on what’s important at the time. Your silhouette will appear smoother and you will look slimmer.

Etiquette

The Canadian Way to Exchange Business Cards

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As Canadians, we tend to adopt the customs of other cultures. And when it comes to the business card exchange it is no different. There are two ways that we Canadians exchange business cards the Japanese way and the European way. 

The Japanese / Asian business exchange is universally considered to be the most formal. The business card is held with both hands on the top corners of the card. Thumbs on top. The card is received the same way holding the business card on the bottom corners. 

The European business card exchange formula is considered a little less formal from a global perspective. However, it is still considered correct and many Canadians prefer it over the Japanese method. The business card is held in your right hand with your thumb on the top left corner of the card. Receive the business card with the right hand on the bottom right corner of the card. 

Either way, take a moment to look at the card before putting it away.

Etiquette

Business Card Etiquette

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Even though the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver / Whistler will be a social event for most, there may be an opportunity to exchange business cards. Unfortunately many of us were never given instruction on how to conduct this exchange. Here are a few tips: 

  • Wait to be asked – don’t just hand them out.
  • When asked for a business card it is polite to reciprocate the exchange
  • In many cultures the business card is considered very important. When receiving a business card, take a moment to look at the card before putting it away.
  • Respect the card – don’t just stuff it into your back pocket. Place it carefully into a business card holder or into a jacket pocket.
  • Don’t pull out your pen and make notes on the card. This again is about respecting the giver and the card. 
  • When handing out a business card, the card is held with the print facing upright on the card so the receiver can read it.
Uncategorized, Wardrobe, Women

4 Ways to Instantly Look Slimmer!

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This picture demonstrates 4 ways to look slimmer.

  • A non-descriptive print with no background can fool the eye, camouflaging the area. This print works particularly well. It forces the eye to look diagonally and vertically.
  • The crease up the centre of each leg on the pants creates vertical lines elongating and slimming the legs and body.
  • A broach draws attention, acting as a focal point close to the face and by-passing the figure challenges.
  • The tie on the shell creates a vertical line drawing the eye toward the face.
Etiquette, Uncategorized

Handshakes

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When meeting and greeting for the first time, be sincere, stick to the rules of etiquette and be sensitive to the person’s strength.

Make eye contact, smile and shake hands, repeating the person’s name in the greeting. For example:

  • “Hello Mary. It’s nice to meet you, I am …;
  • Or ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The most formal greeting would be

  • “How do you do, Mary, I am…” The reply to “How do you do.” is “How do you do.”

If you would like to meet someone, when approaching that person:

  1. Make eye contact and smile.
  2. Introduce yourself with your first and last name.
  3. Shake hands firmly, web to web. Lean into the handshake. Hands should be vertically parallel.  Shake hands 2-3 pumps.

This shows confidence and sincerity

Handshakes to avoid

  • The bone crusher – some people have no idea how strong their grip is.
  • The limp handshake (sometimes called the dead fish) – gives a non-confident wishy-washy impression.
  • The power grip (when someone grips with their hand on top) – in body language this indicates that the person perceives themselves as more important or is trying to get the upper hand.
  • Gabbing the finger tips sometimes very softly-  this can be a cultural difference not unusual on some Asian cultures – in western society we prefer a web to web handshake

These handshakes are a bit too friendly for business. You may be perceived as coming on too strong. Better to be saved for friends and family.

  • 2 handed handshake (when you cup both hands around the other persons hand) – is very nurturing and friendly.
  • Keep your hands to yourself. Avoid shaking hands while holding the other persons elbow or shoulder – too friendly for business

For another way to get a grip on your handshake watch the video on Living Vancouver with host, Jaeny Baik and Kimberly Law, AICI CIP. Click on Watch the Show in the top menu and then on It’s a Living in the right column.

Uncategorized

Hi There!

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Image really is everything… and companies are no exception!

I am really excited to announce that Personal Impact now has more Personal Impact with the launch our new Website and Blog.

Since starting Personal Impact in 1999, one of my goals has always been to make personal image knowledge easily obtainable for everyone. Because of this, one of the most important things for our new site was to have the ability to make even more personal image information easily available.

Our new resources page is loaded with image tips, articles and links in all media formats including audio, video and print.

Or try one of our Free Self-Assessments tools. This tool contains seven self-assessments on the following image topics: Personal Care, Makeup, Wardrobe, Business Dress, Manners & Etiquette, Dining Etiquette and Communication. Try one or all of them to find out if you have Personal Impact or which areas of your personal image need tweaking. Once you have determined which areas need some tweaking you can use the Free Self-Assessments as an action plan. Work on them yourself using the resources page, Image Matters articles or the future resources on our Blog described below. Visit the shop to find our how our Personal Impact Series of 8 special reports can help or contact us for a complimentary initial consultation to find out how we can help.

Along with our new website, I am especially excited about our new Blog. I have been looking forward to setting one up for quite a while and here it is… finally! I will be using this as a medium for sharing tips and information on image, fashion and etiquette.

I hope you will visit my website www.personalimpact.ca and comment frequently or you can sign-up for an RSS feed at Personal Impact Blog so you can be notified about our Blog posts right away.

If you find the information interesting please share it with your friends, family and social media sites.

I look forward to hearing from you. Please contact me if you have any questions, comments or if there are any topics you would like to hear more about.

Enjoy!

Kimberly