Dress to Impress

Celebrity chef James Martin has ‘had his colours done’. He admitted on the Chris Evans radio show this morning that initially he was sceptical, but has been astounded that since wearing pinks and turquoises viewing figures for his Saturday morning cooking programme have risen by 250,000!

Would you like to increase the numbers of people you attract to your business? Better contact Dress to Impress now to identify the colours that will make people turn on to you.

The Wall Street Journal has a good illustrating the importance and impact of image for success in business. Here is the link

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904140604576498380000356032.html?mod=WSJ_mgmt_LeftTopNews

MP Nadhim Zahawi was making a speech in the House of Commons when the musical tie he was wearing in support of an anti-cancer campaign started to play a tune, resulting in a reprimand from the deputy speaker and derision from his colleagues. The result was loss of credibility for both his views regarding the issue he was debating and for the cancer campaign.

It is very laudable that Mr Zahawi has the tie demonstrating his support for a very serious cause, and inexcusable that he wore it in an inappropriate situation.

Michel Roux is another businessman who understands the importance of appearance and looking the part.

BBC2 have filmed a new series ‘Service’ in which Michel sets out to train a group of youngsters to become front of house staff for his fine dining restaurants.

On day one Michel asks all his novice waiters and sommeliers to appear clean, tidy and dress smartly. Michel’s right-hand man, general manager of Michelin starred restaurant Galvin at Windows, Fred Sirieix assesses their efforts with a critical eye the next day. Leather jackets, exposed midriffs and inappropriate shoes get short shrift from Fred.

Mary Portas is going undercover for a new series on customer service. Her usual appearance is so distinctive, she has to wear a wig and non-descript clothes to ensure she is not recognised. Interestingly she also says 'When I put on my business head the killer heels are part of it." We can tell a lot from Mary's usual edgy and strong statement look that is absolutely correct for the job she does, about the way she operates and what is important to her. It is a good example of a clear personal brand. Mary has also recognised that her appearance is important to her to helps her get into the right frame of mind for what she has to do.

Get the right look for your role to convince your clients and colleagues you can deliver, and to get yourself into the correct mindset.

This week the Sunday Times Style magazine has a number of articles about workwear.

There are several pages about interpreting a look from the designers using high street shops. This is informative and has some really good ideas, providing you interpret their suggestions with styles that suit your body shape, colouring and that would be suitable for where you work However, they make a couple of suggestions that make me wonder where these people work! For example I could just image running for the bus or climbing up and down tube escalators in the platform shoes by Kurt Geiger, and I’m not sure about maxi skirts for work either, but otherwise one of the better articles that have been on offer from the ST  Style for some time.

A leading HR consultancy has reported that in 56% of cases a candidate’s dress sense will influence a recruiter’s decision about them.

Yet more evidence that it is important not to leave things to chance and get proper advice on your image!

Phew! Christmas is over for another year and we are in that lovely period between Christmas and the New Year when all the shops start their sales. Great! Lots of time to go shopping. Before you get out your credit card here are a few words of wisdom to ensure you really do bag some bargains.

1. Shop with a plan. Decide what you need before you go make a list and stick to it. Something may appear to be a bargain, but always think about the amount of wear you will get out of a garment. A £100 shirt reduced to £80 in the sale that you will wear once a week for 20 weeks of the year and keep for two years works out at just £2 per wear. A £120 shirt reduced to £40 and bought on impulse and worn just twice works out an eye watering £20 per wear.

2. Don't buy anything which you would not have paid full price for. The sales are the time for you to snap up those items which frankly you want but cannot afford at full price or that you think are overpriced. Do not buy something simply because it is reduced.

3. Don't accept shoddy workmanship. A sale is an opportunity for stores to clear their stock ready for the new season. It is NOT an excuse for them to buy in substandard goods that they would not normally sell. If you see something which is not the quality you would normally buy then don't.

4 Check the stores returns policy as this often varies for sales goods. You may well not be able to get your money back if you chang eyour mind so be absolutely sure you want something before you buy.

Remember: Love it madly, need it badly or leave it out!

In her book ‘Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office’, Lois P. Frankel of The Thin Pink Line http://thethinpinkline.com/ identifies not ‘Looking the Part’ as one of the key unconscious mistakes women make that sabotage their careers. In particular she confirms the old adage ‘Dress for the job you want, not the job you have’.

The advice given is to look women in senior positions in the organisation and observe how they dress. This can be easier said than done. What if there aren’t any great role models in your company? It is worth looking at competitors or your clients to get some pointers. Frankel points out that even if dressing fairly casually in your place of work is accepted, just dressing a little bit better than most of the people around you will help. This means in particular wearing better quality clothes and accessories, ensuring you wear make-up and your hairstyle is sophisticated and low key. The clothes you buy to wear at work are an investment in your future. Be sure to set allocate as much as you can afford to buy a few quality items ever year. Far from being an expensive indulgence, you will find these items will last better so you will get far more wear from them than from their less expensive alternatives. When you feel good in what you are wearing you will behave in a more confident manner and those around you will have more confidence in you – how good can that be for your career?

To get advice on dressing appropriately at work and building a convincing working wardrobe contact Dress to Impress on 07976 753910 to book an appointment .

The shops are beginning to fill with sparkly, spangley clothes to tempt you for the upcoming party season. In the UK we tend to spend money on the things we will wear for a special occasion, so that LBD you buy for the office Christmas party is likely to be one of the more expensive items on your yearly wardrobe budget.

Before you flex your credit card it will help to have some expert advice from Dress to Impress. A pre-party season wardrobe workout will go through the items you bought last year, and the year before and the years before that, assessing whether they work hard for their place and earn their keep or are showing their age and should be shown the door.

I will make outfits by putting things together in a way you hadn’t thought of and  show you ways to bring garments bang up to date. Suddenly you have a whole lot of new outfits without spending a penny.

What a furore Ewan Davis, presenter of the BBC’s Today Programme and Dragon’s Den, has caused by being snapped going out to his corner shop looking unwashed, unkempt and frankly thuggish. The reaction in the press has made the point I always stress to my clients that you must always pay attention to the way you look and dress.

Who says what is on the inside is the only thing that counts? What will happen next time you see Ewan taking a victim of Dragon’s Den to task or hear him commenting on the latest economic news?  Will you only be concentrating on what he is saying or will a sneaky picture of Ewan’s tatty tee-shirt and chained trousers pop into your brain and distract you? So what you might say, he is in the public eye, that situation would never apply to me. Oh no? What if a prospective client spots you nipping out for the sunday papers with an old coat pulled on over your pyjamas, a potential business partner sees you on the school run with unwashed hair and face devoid of make-up, or your work colleague catches you out walking wearing clothes that look like they spent the night in the dog’s basket? What happens to their trust in you, your credibility and authority? The problem is that you will be presenting an image which is incongruent with that which others have previously experienced. Humans have developed an unerring ability to be wary of signals that are inconsistent and might indicate danger or a trap - it is one of the factors that have made us successful as a species. Your moment of sloppiness might just loose that sale, potentially lucrative business partnership or undermine the job where you have striven long and hard to prove yourself. Your appearance always matters. It speaks volumes about you no matter what you are doing and where you are going. The price of neglect might be higher than you think.

According to a report in the 'Daily Telegraph', Kirstie Allsopp of 'Location, Location, Location' fame, feels under pressure to look good on the school run because other mums always look immaculate. It is also reported that she thinks it is depressing that being in the public  eye means that 'a certain degree of polish is expected' and that focusing on what she looks like is a luxury. Surely if you value yourself wanting to look good is part of your self-esteem? We all have to wear clothes and once you know how it honestly doesn't take any longer to get dressed in a way that makes you look polished, confident and in control and you will certainly feel better about yourself! Too many women in the UK think of looking good as an optional extra, whist our continental sisters see it is a basic right. So Kirstie don't let us down. You are a fab looking lady with real curves who is in the perfect position to be a realistic role model. Don't let women down by saying paying attention to what you look like is a luxury - it is a god given right! 

At last! After a bit of a struggle with the technology I've created my blog.

I will be bringing you my thoughts on the image and style of those I see around me and in the media.

There will be hints, tips and comment so come back from time to time.