Plan Your Wardrobe for the Week

Planning things out ahead of time can really take some of the hurry out of our week.  One of the things you can do is plan out your wardrobe for the week in advance.  To do this, first think about what activities your week will entail.  Your next step would be to set a part of your closet aside for your planned wardrobe every week.  This will give you the space to plan and keep your wardrobe organized.

Now, you will simply decide what it is you want to wear.  You should start with your career wear first.  An easy way to save time and money with career wear is to invest in suit separates.  Suit separates may be a skirt or pant which can be worn with any shirt or corresponding blazer.  This will help you plan your wardrobe for the week, because often with suit separates you can wear them more than once in a week by changing one element of your outfit By doing this you can have a whole new look and save money at the same time, especially on career shoes

Now that your career wear is all planned out, you want to make sure you have clothing set aside for any after-hours activities.  Think about your upcoming week.  Do you have a sporting event to attend, a night out with friends or a date?  Invest in a good pair of jeans.  You can wear jeans to a sports arena with a t-shirt, or add a nice top and a pair of heels for a night out with friends.  If you have a date, take the nice top and match it up with a casual skirt or slacks.

Once you have your wardrobe planned out, see if any ironing of the garments needs to be done.  Having the clothing ready to wear can save you loads of time.  Under each planned outfit place the shoes you plan on wearing.

Your undergarments should also be kept in a ready to wear organization.  The less fumbling through your clothing in the morning the quicker you get into the office.  Just because you planned out your wardrobe in advance does not mean you can’t accessorize.  You can either have a spot set aside for these items or simply loop any   around the hanger of the outfit you wish to wear it with.

When planning out your image look for the week you need to figure in your variables.  Try and have a few things in mind as regards the weather, spills, or even not feeling like wearing that when you see it that morning.  The key to these situations would be to always keep your closet clean, neat, and organized

Dressing for a Casual Dinner Party

Been invited to a casual dinner party, and you’re wondering what to wear, fret no longer. A casual dinner party is one of the easiest occasions to get ready for, and it’s very likely that you already have a wardrobe piece or two that will present an image that will perfectly fit the occasion. However, there are some things that you would have to consider before you take out that polo shirt you get as a gift from a friend. Get some tips before you misrepresent yourself at the party.

Get the meaning of casual. Casual is less than semi-formal, and it could cover wardrobe pieces such as (for women) a comfortable, flowery dress with sandals, dressy jeans or slacks, and any flattering blouse; and (for men) dark jeans or khakis with a button-down dress shirt or collared polo. Go with a few timeless pieces and opt for neutrals in classic cuts, and you should do fine.

There are a few levels of “casual”. Remember, casual may mean the ordinary clothes that you wear when you’re going out shopping, but then again it may not. The key here is to consider the venue of the dinner party. If it’s at a restaurant, you may want to dress up a little. If it’s an outdoor dinner or dinner at a close friend’s house, feel free to be a little more casual.

Up the level a little bit. If you’re not sure what type of casual the party is, know that it’s always best that you come a little overdressed, than a little underdressed. How could you level up the casual, without going overboard? First, opt for darker tones such as black, navy and gray, instead of pastel colors. Second, choose solid colors, instead of patterns. Third, go for smooth textures over rugged ones. You should also accessorize a little with pearls and a classic timepiece; this will help you up the elegance factor even if you’re only wearing simple clothing.

 What not to wear. Never go for ill-fitting clothes, such as low-waist pants or too-tight blouses. The key here (for any type of dress code) is to go for clothes that fit you excellently. Steer clear of torn or ripped clothing, even if these tears are intentional designs. Avoid wearing T-shirts that pose risqué slogans or those with violent innuendoes. Avoid wearing shorts and flip-flops: these may be acceptable for brunches or lunch parties, but not as much for dinner gatherings.

 Makeup simple. Avoid over-the-top colors and stick to neutral tones such as beige, tan and coral. A general technique for looking effortlessly beautiful with make-up is to highlight one feature at a time. If you want to emphasize your eyes, feel free to do so, as long as you keep your lipstick simple. On the other hand, you could wear dark red lipstick but keep your eyeshadow barely-there.

There you have it! These are just some of the guidelines you should know when it comes to dressing up for a casual dinner party. Remember, comfort and fit here are key, and once you have these factors down pat, you’d be free to truly enjoy evening and the food! Express your individuality. 

Image is Everything - The Importance of Personal and Professional Branding

Branding and personal image management is the ongoing development of the perceived value of an individual or business, in relation to its competitors, as viewed by an audience -and whether you have a small start up or a mega-franchise or are simply trying to market yourself, branding should be at the forefront of your mind.

There are two main types of branding- personal and professional- and both types are extremely crucial in the success of an individual or business. Here are some tips that can apply to the development of both types of branding.

 Image should not be contradictory- you cannot market yourself or your business as one thing but speak, dress, and act as another. It's important that you stay true to who you are and what you want to portray. As long as you are honest with yourself and others, it won't be difficult to maintain consistency in branding your business and/or yourself.
o Brand should be easily accessible and identifiable- if you Google your name or your business' name what would you find? If there is any information there at all, is it accurate and consistent? If you are less than satisfied with the results, be sure to do what you can to correct it. There are plenty of articles out there that help you figure out how to successfully use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to build your personal and professional brand.
o Be consistent in your brand development- you cannot expect to build or change your brand overnight. Branding is an ongoing process that should be taken seriously and given much thought. Create a daily, weekly, or monthly block of time for you to focus on branding. Once you find a method (or methods) that work for you, stick with them and monitor how effective they are.
o Be careful where you leave your footprint (mouse-print) - although the internet is a great tool to build your business and your brand, it can also prove to be a place where images are destroyed. Pay attention to the pictures you let circulate, the comments you leave on others' blogs, and the social networks you become a member of. With the click of a mouse, anyone can learn all about image, If it fits into your image and brand, then there's no problem. But if it doesn't, it can put a damper on the way others see you.

Personal and Professional branding, if used correctly, can really give you the competitive edge as you grow your business. It's important that you take the time to carefully develop and maintain a brand that will prove to be a positive addition on your journey to success.

How To Choose Accessories that Reflect Your Personality

Typically, people usually wear or add certain accessories to their get up either to enhance the overall look and image or to express their true selves.  Yes, the right accessories can bring out your personality.  This is why most people are taught to look at what people wear to find out little tidbits about the true person behind the fashionable façade.  Sherlock Holmes was good at it and so should you as well.  Anyway, when you want to exude a certain image, you will always turn to accessories.  This being the case, it is important to match the accessories to the personality or image you want other people to perceive.  Here are some tips on how to do just that.

        Know what you want to express.  Before proceeding with the selection, it will be critical to know the kind of image you want to exude.  Do you want to say that you are confident with a tinge of class?  Do you want to appear artsy?  Do you want to seem like the intellectual but cool type of person?  Do you want to appear the athletic and suave type?  Determining your image and what you want others to perceive about you will dictate the kind of accessories you will need to wear, style, color, and design.

         Consider colors.  While most people consider purchasing high end accessories to achieve a certain look or image, this is really not necessary since picking the right color accessory can be the difference you need.  For instance, if you want to combine class, sophistication, and confidence, then going with black accessories will be a veritable option.  If you are looking for the smart casual image, then going with blue and green accessories is

         definitely the smart choice

         Consider design and style.  The design and style of each accessory you plan to wear is critical if you want to exude a particular image.  For instance, wearing a lot of accessories with a modernistic style and design such as a belt with a lot of metal ornaments or a set of stainless steel bangles can actually make you image a little bit more sophisticated.  On the other hand, wearing a lot of rugged leather accessories may make you appear a little bit too country.  Hence, if you don’t want to appear like a cowboy, then consider sticking with modern accessories. 

         Complement and enhance.  A lot can be said about a person based on how his or her chosen accessories complement and enhances the actual clothing he is wearing.  For instance, if you are wearing a lot of black clothing to make you look impressive and confident with a hint of neutrality and you mix it with a mixture of stainless steel accessories, then someone may perceive you to be exactly what you want them to perceive with a dash of sophistication added to the mix.  This being said, make sure that the accessories you choose and wear will mix and match well with your clothing and your personality.

It is quite hard to define the various tips and suggestions on how to choose accessories that will bring out your personality, whether genuine or fake.  It will basically rely on what you really want other people to believe when they see you

How to Dress Well

Here are the basic rules about clothes:

First and foremost, clothes must fit well! It doesn't matter how great a shirt is if it looks ill-fitting. It doesn't matter how much a pair of pants has been marked down if it pulls into a pronounced "starfish" shape where the legs meet the crotch. Simple clothing that fits well is far better than fancier clothing that just "doesn't look right."


If you are interested in pursuing a casual ragged, torn-up clothing look, proper fitting is the difference between looking great and looking like a slob. Next time you see a man or a woman who looks great in the torn-up style, notice how well the clothes fit them. You'll notice they fit perfectly, which is why the style works.

Some clothing stores are better for the average man than are others. If you are a bit overweight, some of the more hip and upscale stores may not have clothes that fit you well. Keep shopping around to different clothing stores. Very often one store will have an entire line of pants, for instance, that don't fit you right. It's just the way their clothes are cut. Another store, on the other hand, might have a wide variety of pants that fit you. It's a good idea to keep shopping around until you find a store where the clothes fit, they look good, and the salespeople help you expand your style.

How do you know when clothes don't fit well? Often, the salespeople will tell you, though you can't count on that. If you are shopping with a friend, he or she can also tell you. The bottom line is simply this: if you don't feel like the clothes fit, they don't. Don't waste your money, and move on to the next piece.

The second rule of clothing is that clothes must be clean! Because most men are "clothes blind," and can't seem to tell when clothes need laundering, let's briefly go over how you know when it's time to wash something. If it's underwear, and you've worn it, wash it. With shirts
and pants, you can be more discriminating. 

To tell if shirts and pants are dirty, look at them under bright light. Are there any spots or stains? If there are, rub the spot with stain remover (buy it where you buy detergent), and wash. Pants also need laundering when they start to
get baggy and wrinkled. Blue jeans are especially susceptible to stretching and getting baggy. When this happens, it's time to wash them.

The third rule of clothing is that clothes shouldn't be wrinkled! Yes, you might have to iron your shirts and pants, or have them ironed. Cargo pants, for instance, are very popular now, and often have pockets with flaps that stick up and look ridiculous if they aren't ironed.

The fourth rule of clothing is that you must keep clothing in good repair! Look under "Seamstress" in the local yellow pages, and get buttons sewed back on, holes patched and rips mended right away.

Wearing clean, well-fitting, ironed clothes that are in good repair has multiple benefits. Not only do you look good, you also feel good. Your style of dressing will naturally send out the message to women that you are attractive, together, and of interest to her.

If you are like most men (and you probably are, right?) you aren't going to be able to transform your style of dressing without help. Look at getting help from:

1. Stylish Men. Who do you know who has a great sense of style? Approach stylish men you know, and ask them for advice. Ask them where they shop for clothes, and where they get their hair cut. Then go to those places and ask the sales clerks to help you with a "new look." They'll often suggest clothing you wouldn't normally get for yourself, but that your style could "grow into."

2. Women. Another intelligent way to shop is to find a stylish woman who you are not interested in sexually, and ask her to go shopping with you. One of our students had a tremendous experience the first time hedid this. He went to Cindy, and asked her to go shopping with him. He knew she had an extraordinary sense of style, but also wasn't interested in her sexually, so it wouldn't matter if they became friends. She had only one requirement: he must promise to buy  everything she told him to until the three hundred dollars he'd set aside for clothing was gone. It turned out she gave him great advice, and some of the hardest purchases to make, such as spending fifty dollars on a tie, turned out to be some of the best. For months he got compliments from women on how great he looked, all because he was willing to commit himself to looking good. "It was hard at first," he said later. "A lot of the clothes she told me to buy, I didn't really want. But it turned out to be great, and did a lot to help me create my personal style."

3. Male Friends. It's good to go clothes shopping with other men who are also developing their personal style. The right men friends can help encourage you take fashion risks, and look even more attractive to women.

In time you will develop relationships with stores you like, where you know you can trust the clerks to suggest new style ideas that will both express your true self and make you even more attractive to women. One of our students who often wears a cowboy hat that looks great on him got the hat that way. "I'd never considered a hat like that before," he says. "But when the clerk brought it over and set it on my head, it looked great. I knew right away it was right for me, and I never would have found it by myself." As you buy more clothes, you will discover
what you really like, and what kinds of clothes really make the kind of statement you want to make to women

Fool Mother Nature

10 Fashion Fixes to Turn Back Time
Nutrition, fitness and advanced cosmetic procedures may keep you well preserved far beyond the teen years.


But if you don't keep up to date, your wardrobe will end up telling your true age. Try these easy tips to make you look (and feel) younger:


Good Jeans


You don't have to don the latest skinny jeans, but a nod to current trends shows you're up to date. Look for a dark wash, slim (not skinny) legs with a boot cut.


Raise the Waist


Take advantage of empire shapes that create a waistline that is higher (and slimmer) than your natural waistline.


Shoes Matter


We're all for comfort. But even upscale labels like Cole Haan have comfort options so there's no reason to go around wearing white sneakers with everything.


The Handbag Tells All


Why schlep a matronly organizer bag when there are plenty of modern, roomy options on the market? If you need to pack heavy, try a high-end designer tote.


Wear a Pretty Dress


Nothing is girlier than a feminine dress, especially when it features flirty details and shows off a bit of skin. Want more cover? Add a delicate wrap or a soft cardigan.


Have Some Fun


Remember how much fun it used to be to play dress up as a girl? Mismatch prints. Wear a loud colour. Mix a punk bracelet with a preppy polo shirt. Shatter the myth that women of a "certain age" are supposed to be restrained.


Go Long and Lean


Recapture the figure of your youth by using visual tricks to produce long, lean lines. Slim-cut jeans with a bootcut bottom, topped by an empire top, finished off with high heel boots are a good start.


Follow a Silly Trend


Go ahead: slip on footless tights or don a newsboy cap. If you try to keep up with every trend you'll just end up looking like a fashion victim (this applies to every age). But following the occasional trend can jolt you out of the fashion doldrums.


Slick on Flavoured Lip Gloss


No one will know but you and your sweetie, but it will definitely turn back the clock to those early teen years when this little bit of makeup made you feel so cool!


Get a Lift


Give Mother Nature a helping hand by using the right undergarments to lift, tuck and hold your way back into your high school figure.

Power-dressing for professionals: corporate and casual

POWER-dressing isn't what it used to be. In years past, professional women were trapped in dull business attire, even while attending after-work events. But in today's more colorful corporate world, as the accompanying photographs indicate, you shouldn't feel trapped by a basic-black-and-pearls dress code. New options, fashion experts say, include colorful leather blazers, must-have bags and briefcases, and gorgeous scarves and accessories.
When updating your spring wardrobe to incorporate stylish casual flair, make certain that your everyday professional look is polished, office-friendly (for your specific work environment) and on point.
THE RULES: Corporate Attire

The business professional look includes a conservative suit in a solid or pinstriped pattern. Preferred colors are navy, dark brown, gray and black. White and pastel-colored blouses are acceptable. Pumps with a closed heel and toe accessorize your suit.There are two levels of business attire: Business professional (the most conservative corporate dress) and informal business professional (a more relaxed version of the business professional look).


The informal professional look incorporates more pizzazz and color--in jackets, sweaters and blouse styles--and even dresses and skirts in silky prints combined with tailored jackets and sweaters.


When selecting your workday wardrobe, be aware that every company has its own work environment and often unwritten dress codes.

To evaluate the dress code of your office, take a look at the movers and shakers around you. Look at those Sisters who are in the big offices, those who are making decisions in the boardrooms and presented as the "ideal face" of the company. 
What are they wearing? How are they dressed day in and day out?Be true to yourself by experimenting with products that suit you best.