Mary Lou Andre

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Professional Image Guidelines for Men

Dressing Well Advice /

Sample Professional Image Guidelines for Men Shirts — The centerpiece of formal male attire The shirt sleeve cuff should be loose and extend to the end of your wrist. If your shirt has a button on the sleeve above the cuff, button it. Having shirts professionally laundered is a sound investment. Collars — Most formal to least formal Contrast collars Tab collars — should be worn with a tie. Straight collars — ideal for interviews Spread collars — ideal for interviews Button-down collars Ties — Add signature style The smaller the pattern and the darker the tie, the more authoritative the look. The point of your tie should lay over your belt buckle. Suits — dark neutrals are the most traditional and versatile When buttoning the jacket of a three button suit, fasten the top two buttons. A double breasted suit should always be buttoned when standing. Trousers — ground your look for business Fit is everything. Too big or too tight throws off the balance of your overall image. Pant hems should clear the shoe heel, but rest on the front of the shoe, creating a slight break. Socks — it is never a good idea to go sockless in a business setting Dark socks such as navy, black or brown are best. Over-the-calf socks are much better than shorter styles. Shoes — putting your best foot forward makes sense Best shoes for business are wing-tips, oxfords and dress loafers. Wear wing-tips with traditional suits — oxfords and dress loafers with more casual looks. For many men, shoes are an afterthought, but cheap or uncared for shoes can ruin an otherwise polished appearance. Wing-tips  Loafers Outerwear An all-weather (i.e.trench) coat and a well-maintained briefcase/tote are essential finishing pieces for most business outfits. Select a good quality trench coat with a zip-out liner so you can wear it year ‘round. You are often wearing a coat when you meet someone for the first time. Make sure this is one of the best items in your wardrobe.

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The Summer Shoe Pledge: Dressing Well

Dressing Well Advice /

The Summer Shoe Pledge It’s time once again to post the annual “Summer Shoe Pledge.” This humorous message was originally sent to me via e-mail in 1999 and continues to be a hit every year. Please raise your big toes and repeat this pledge for yourself. Remember, no matter how high the temperature soars, putting your best foot forward is always in style: As a member of the “Toe-Exposing Cute Girl Sisterhood,” I pledge to follow these rules when wearing sandals and other open-toe shoes: I promise to always wear sandals that fit. My toes will not hang over and touch the ground, nor will my heels spill over the backs. And the sides and top of my feet will not “pudge-out” between the straps. I will go polish-free or vow to keep the polish fresh, intact and chip-free. I will not cheat and just touch up my big toe. I will sand down any mounds of skin before they turn hard and yellow. I will shave the hairs off my big toe. I won’t wear pantyhose even if my misinformed girlfriend, co-worker, mother or sister tells me the toe seam really will stay under my toes if I tuck it there. If a strap breaks, I won’t duct-tape, pin, glue or tuck it back into place hoping it will stay put. I will get my shoe fixed or toss it. I will not live in corn denial. Rather, I will lean on my good friend, Dr. Scholl’s, if my feet need him. I will resist the urge to buy jelly shoes for the low, low price of $4.99 even if my feet are small enough to fit into the kids’ sizes. This is out of concern for my safety and the safety of others. No one can walk properly when standing in a pool of sweat, and I would hate to take someone down with me as I fall and break my ankle. I will take my toe ring off toward the end of the day if my toe swells and begins to look like Vienna sausages. I will be brutally honest with my girlfriend, sister and co-worker when she asks me if her feet are too ugly to wear sandals. Someone has to tell her that her toes are as long as my fingers and no sandal makes creepy feet look good! — Anonymous

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Fashion Q&A: Business Casual and Casual Dress

Q and A /

Fashion Q & A Defining “Business Casual” Q: Terms like “business casual”, “smart casual”, “sport casual” and “dressy casual” are listed on dress policies, conference registrations and social invitations with little, if any, explanation of what each means. Can you give some clear definitions? Thanks! A: Knowing how to dress these days for any situation takes thought, with the stakes for knowing when to wear what in business being particularly high. The PowerPoint presentation we use during the professional image seminars we deliver for corporate clients includes a slide called “Dressing to the Fives.” It allows us to generally define the five types of dress commonly worn for business today while giving participants in a particular training session specific ideas for practicing it well in their industry. While our list does not cover every specific term you mentioned above, it should provide a solid roadmap — Good luck! #1   Traditional Business Attire. Suits with shirts and ties for men; skirts, pants, dress tops and dresses with jackets for women. Of course sports jackets with dress slacks, shirts and ties also serve men well in this category. Likewise, business dresses with full shoulder coverage worn without a jacket are acceptable for women in this category as well. Professional and more conservative accessories — footwear, hosiery, belts, jewelry etc. — are the best choice with this level of dress. #2   Classic Business Casual. One step down from the traditional level yet still very pulled together and professional. Non-tie options for men with or without a sports coat; well-coordinated business separates for both men and women. This is the most challenging level of dress to understand and master because the range of what is appropriate is so wide. Our best advice is to think business first, casual second and pay extra attention to the details that complete your look (i.e. necklines, hemlines, shoes and other accessories and grooming standards that compliment, not detract, from your overall professionalism.) #3   Relaxed Business Casual. Some industries practice this level of dress every day of the week while others regulate it to Friday’s only. Jeans, khakis, polo shirts, sneakers, Capri-style pants and sandals for women in the summer and sometimes shorts are allowed in this level of dress. Before you opt to don this style of dress at work or at a conference, be sure it has been clearly communicated that it is in fact okay. This level of dress is also often referred by conference planners as “resort casual.” #4   Dressed-up Casual. What you wear to evening office functions that don’t require a suit, cocktail dress or other formal business attire. For men, a navy blazer over khaki pants with a dress shirt or even a polo shirt in warmer months is standard. You can remove the jacket easily but still have it if you feel you need it. For women, dress skirts, pants and dresses paired with stylish (yet not overly revealing) tops and sweaters are the way to go. Dressy jewelry and dress sandals can add an appropriate, after-hours flair when coordinated well with some business basics already in your wardrobe. A black suit that includes a pant, dress and skirt option is a great way for women to build this level of dress in their wardrobes. #5   Black Tie Attire. Some have a need for this in business, others do not. Purchasing or renting a high-quality tuxedo is the way to go for men with this need. Women have expanded options today. Sometimes a long dress is the way to go, other times, a shorter style is appropriate. Seeking professional help to figure out what is best for you for a black tie event for work is often a wise decision to help cut through the myriad of options and ensure you are making a good choice for yourself professionally.

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Just for Men: Dressing Well

Dressing Well Advice /

Just for Men With more and more men regularly visiting dressingwell.com for help with their professional and personal style needs, we have added this section to our website to help you navigate it with more ease. Please email us at info@dressingwell.com if you have additional questions about how we work with our male customers or would like to speak to someone about your specific needs. We welcome the opportunity to be of service to you. Corporate Services Our corporate seminars are available for both single sex and coed audiences. Private Coaching Services Our professional image consultants are available to meet with you one-on-one in your home, office or in a store for personal shopping support — a particularly convenient meeting place if you travel from outside of New England to work with us. We are located in Needham, MA — a suburb west of Boston — and we have consultants who cover greater Boston and all of Rhode Island within our standard consulting rates. We also travel to work with clients throughout the United States and Canada. Click here for more in-depth information about how we work with private clients.  Watch Fox 25’s Gene Lavanchy get a closet makeover:   Virtual Consulting Our virtual consulting program gives you the opportunity to interact privately with one of our consultants via your computer and/or phone no matter where you live — here in the United States or internationally. You determine the focus, and we’ll provide the coaching to help you meet your goals. Follow this link to view a before and after of our virtual client Fred Graichen of Neenah, Wisconsin. Give a Gift that Always Fits! Birthday, Father’s Day, graduations, anniversaries and holiday gift giving for special guys in your life is made easy with these gift certificate packages. Professional Dress Articles and Guidelines for Men Here are some handy reference materials for you to read, download and print: The Skinny on Men’s Suit Shopping Dressing Up in a Down Economy — Making the Case for Why it is Important Professional Image Guidelines for Men 5 Practical Dressing Well Style Tips for Men How to Wear a Tux  Q&A Archives Our all time most popular questions (and answers!) from male site visitors are organized here. Have a question you want answered? Ask away! We aim to get back to everyone who writes and we post the answer to one question per month on the monthly Q&A section of our site: What Color Socks do I Wear with Khaki Pants? What to a Wear to a Business Casual Off-site Meeting? What is Your Professional Opinion about Wearing Jeans to Work? Should Guys go Sockless in the Summer? Shopping for Dress Shirts Sport Jackets and Jeans

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