Does this scenario sound familiar?

Your preparing for a major presentation. You have your PowerPoint ready, you have your handouts/workbook ready, you have your important points lined up, in sum, you’re ready to ‘knock ‘em dead’ but that you think:

“What am I going to wear that will convey my power, strength and expertise?” You ask this question because you KNOW that it matters. What you wear and how you look are important to your success. You don’t have to like this fact but you have to work with it.

So, what will you wear? Here are some tips that will help you win with your presentation.

1. Wearing solid colors are better than prints. Solids are the most professional and sophisticated. Large prints can be distracting.
2. High color contrast is more interesting than monochromatic. Make sure you are wearing flattering colors.
3. Wear quality, polished shoes. People love to stare at them.
4. Have a flattering hairstyle that will not need constant fidgeting to stay in place. NO Hair- Acting™
5. Ladies, do wear appropriate makeup. The lighting (or lack there of) can be harsh and unflattering to naked skin. Men, a little powder will help with shiny skin.
6. Choose well -made garments over cheaper ones. You want to be perceived as the professional and successful expert that you are.
7. Don’t wear clothes that are too tight, too low cut or ill fitting thinking no one will notice
8. No big dangling earrings or any jewelry that will jingle jangle, crackle or pop. You don’t want the audience to fixate on anything outrageous you are wearing and not YOU and your message.
9. Your wardrobe should match the mood of the presentation you are trying to create. Formal business presentation wear neutral, conservative attire, lively monthly professional group add a bit of color
10. Check your appearance from ALL angles
11. Wrinkled clothes a BIG no-no
12. Don’t think that stain on your tie or skirt will not be noticed
13. Don’t forget to have manicured hands. They are often a focal point in your presentations
14. Always wear a big smile! Your best accessory

Themes and Key Words-Femininity,Flounces and Ruffles, Bold patterns, Sculptural Shapes, 60′s silhouette

Mixing color can be a bit tricky to get right and it may take you a  step out of your comfort zone. There is something for everyone and every skin tone. If mixing too many brights seem too much, than mix with neutrals for a toned down but still fresh look. Still a bit skeptical? Then start with bold colored jewelry. Try to stay away from black mixed with brights, better to use beige,stone, camel or white.

Red try with pink, yellow, turquoise, royal blue, purple, brown, slate gray
Neon Yellow try with royal blue, orange, red, beige, brown,turquoise
Hot Pink try with royal blue, purple, yellow, kelly green,orange
Royal Blue try with brown, kelly green, rust 
Aqua- brown, peach (love this combo),gray,camel,navy
Petal Pink- aqua, navy, beige, gray, sky blue, coral, rust
Peach- try with navy, aqua (so fresh!),brown, gray,gold or silver

Colors that you would expect to clash are almost non -existent this Spring! Experiment and have fun (best for personal time if you are in a corporate job)

Click here to view the embedded video.

To wear or not to wear? A question I get asked often.So I am answering some of these inquiries for you today in this article. When I refer to leggings that also includes jeggings.

Are leggings age appropriate over 40?
Yes, you can wear them as long as you do not use them in place of a pant ( you would be better off in a skinny jean or straight leg pant). Treat them more as an accessory piece for support and warmth.

What type of leggings are most flattering?
Leave the super light weight fabrics to the gals that have no ‘lumps and bumps’ in the leg and butt region. And please to the bend over test to make sure the above picture does not happen. Opt for a pair that is a thicker fabric to camouflage. Make sure they fit in the crotch area. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN! A gusset ( diamond shape piece of fabric) in the crotch may be the way to go for a better fit. The full length legging does not break up your leg line. In fact, your leg will look longer. Crop leggings make you leg look stumpy and short legged.

What brands are best for a women so she will not look like her daughter or granddaughter?
Karen Kane (Bloomingdales and Macy’s), Lyssé Control Top Leggings (Nordstroms), HUE Double Knit (Most department stores carry HUE)and J.Jill to name a few.

How should I style leggings?
For the most flattering look make sure your bum and crotch is covered by a long top or sweater. Exposing too much in a short top is not a good thing. Have your top/sweater end at the most flattering point on your thigh. Wild animal prints and disco metallics are for Halloween ONLY! Stick to neutrals. To give yourself the most pulled together elongating and slimming appearance use the monochromatic rule from head to toe. If you hate that idea at least keep your legging and shoe/boot in the same color scheme.

What type of shoes should I wear?
Boots look fab and so do ballet type flats. Boots ( to the knee, calf or ankle) with a flat to mid high heel are stylish.

What kind of underwear should I wear with them to avoid the dreaded VPL (Visible Panty Line)?
Ugghh the worst is VPL. If wearing a thong or going commando makes you cringe then try a a panty that leaves no lines Look at TC EDGE® Panties for a pretty darn invisible edge.

Can I wear leggings to work?
Again, leggings are not pants and should not be worn in most office situations.
In fact, I have written dress codes for corporations that forbid them in the workplace.

I love mixing patterns and textures. Fall is a splendid time to really get creative with this type of dressing.

Similiar fabric weights mix well together. Tweeds and wools look great with wool and wool blend pants.

Make sure your textures are a good color blend. Colors that are too “off ” do not make a smashing outfit

If you’re going to mix and match a texture with a solid (say textured jacket with solid pants, buy them together otherwise you’ll never get the match quite right. Trust me on that)

Silk and cotton blouses go with light weight wools and synthetics along with tweeds and boucle’s.

Linen pants do not mix with wool jackets. A synthetic would be better or cotton.

Cotton shirts and pants are not a good match with heavy wools but look terrific with wool gabardine blazers along with cashmere sweaters

Two bold prints can blend together just make sure the patterns are not the same size and there is at least one common color.

If you are color and texture challenged, however, seek professional help because this is very important style option where you can really stretch your wardrobe dollars.

It’s sweater time again!! Here is a view of some of the current styles and who they would look best on.

Classic fisherman style. Tends to be bulky
and looks best on someone who is narrow shouldered and small busted.
Pretty open weave and drapes nicely. Love that you can layer and see body outline underneath. Best on a taller women and disguises arms / thick waist.
Love these draped front cardies. GREAT to camo the tummy. There are many lengths of this type of sweater so make sure the proportions are right on you!
I dig the diagonal. BEST camoflague technique for poochy tummy, wide waist and the black at bottom disquises the hips.
See the curve of this cardie. Perfect for an hourglass shape that should always emphasize the waist! Think Salma Hayek.

Terrific lightweight knit sweater with an A line style so a wonderful look for an apple figure and not tight at the bottom for ease with a fuller hip.

When I mention transitional clothing during my seminars, I often face a sea of puzzled looks. That is because we tend to think of clothing as seasonal,so we do not really know how to dress as we move from one season to the next. This is important because we do not want to be caught freezing or burning up in our beautiful dress-for-success suit. It is as deadly to your career success to stand out in a gray wool suit on a hot day in June, as it is to be wearing white linen in October. There are three things to remember about transitional clothing: color, fabric, and timing.

COLOR

Transitional colors tend to be those colors you can wear year round. Think neutrals: black, navy, brown, gray, camel and beige. These transitional colors are timeless and sometimes the staples of your wardrobe.

FABRIC

Transitional fabrics can be worn year round, if you understand the concept of layering. Think rayon, knits, and lightweight wools and modern synthetics. These are great crossover fabrics that can help you look fresh and seasonal without killing your budget. Carry coordinating jackets and sweaters in these fabrics and you can be ready for almost any sudden changes in weather.

TIMING

Next to fit and fashion, timing is everything with transitional fabrics. Do not consider summer colors in a snowstorm or winter weight wools in 90-degree weather, that can happen during the transitional months between seasons. Some of the old rules are changing-you can wear linen into September and depending on where you live perhaps a tad longer, if you wear darker colors. The old ‘no white after Labor Day’ rule has eased up a bit BUT no white shoes or sandals after Labor Day PLEASE.

So next time you are shopping think about purchasing a few transitional garments. You will get a lot of wear out of them, and you will be set with your wardrobe when the seasons start to change.