There are certainly a lot of rules about what to wear when you’re interviewing for a job. The aspect that often gets overlooked is the fact that it’s crucial to create a memorable aspect of your appearance. Especially if a firm is interviewing tons of candidates, such as law firms and accounting firms, creating  something memorable about your image  can help you stand out in the crowd. Of course, your resume is crucial and so are your answers and conduct, but wearing something the interviewers can remember you by is an additional way to stand out in the sea of applicants. So how do you do this? It’s really quite easy. First, your appearance must be impeccable, and then an accessory or blouse can do the trick. Debbie was a client who was going for a final interview for a big step up in the healthcare industry. The suits she’d been wearing had been colorful and a little too feminine. She knew her stuff and was highly qualified, but the male interviewer was tough and she needed a suit that would give her strength and command authority. We chose a black pant suit, and because Debbie was blonde with blue eyes, (Read more...)

When you have to get dressed for work day after day, and especially when it’s hot weather, it may be tempting to slip on a simple cotton blouse with a pair of slacks and call it good. Unfortunately, it’s simply not enough! Specifically I’m talking about an un-accessorized outfit consisting of a fitted cotton, puffed short sleeved blouse worn on the outside of a pair of neutral colored slacks and neutral shoes. Why is it not enough? There are several reasons. First, one of the cornerstones of professional dress is layering. Instead of the blouse alone, layer it with a jacket or if it’s quite hot, a summer weight cardigan. (Seriously, everyone I ever talk to tells me their office is freezing with air conditioning.) Next, cotton combined with puffed, short sleeves spells extremely young. I’m not meaning to offend or to squelch anyone’s personal style; however, there are many other options that will serve you better. If you love puffed sleeves, look to more sophisticated fabrications such as silk. In many cases, even polished cotton or a print will elevate your look. Lastly, if you work in a very casual office or your job requires you to be able to move around (Read more...)

Butter Cream, Lavender Sorbet, Strawberry, Peach Melba—Close your eyes and envision these ice cream colors. Now open the pages of your favorite magazine or better yet, walk into your favorite store and you’ll find these sumptuous colors and more. If you’ve been yearning to add more color into your mostly neutral wardrobe, this is the year. For several recent seasons, the fashion industry told us color was back in style, but there still wasn’t much in the stores. Well, it’s finally here. Choose from the updated pastels mentioned above along with almost every bright color you can think of. Wondering how to add color into your professional wardrobe without looking like a walking Popsicle? It’s best to add color as an accent to your mostly neutral basics. Consider a soft coral blouse paired with a tan suit. Or if you’re a brave soul, tuck a bright yellow shell under a white jacket. If you work in a business casual environment, think about adding a bright jacket or two into your wardrobe. Royal blue looks sharp with either black or white! Another option? Depending on your office and industry, try a colorful dress topped with a neutral jacket or cardigan.