Top 10 Wardrobe Mistakes Made at Work

Before you get dressed for work, take the time to make sure you have put the same attention and detail into yourself as you do your work.

1. Dowdy or outdated clothing:  If your clothing looks old or outdated, people will automatically assume your way of doing business is also outdated and should be passed by.

2. Clothing that is too revealing:  It is hard to appear professional in clothing that is too revealing. Even if you attend an evening work event, a plunging neckline (this goes for both men and women) may not be appropriate.

3. Too casual or comfortable clothing:  Dressing too casually often translates as lazy. You may be the hardest working individual in the room, but your clothing is saying the opposite.

4. Forgetting that details matter:  The details of your clothing paint a picture about the character of both you and your business. Wrinkled pants and scuffed shoes will not give a potential client the confidence you can handle the details of their complex business.

5. Wearing clothing with slogans, logos, or prominent brand names other than your own:  After all, who are you working for?

6. Clothing that doesn’t make sense for your audience:  Think about who you will be working with before getting dressed. Will your audience respond better to your branded polo shirt or a very classic and professional button down?

7. Clothes that do not fit or flatter:  Clothing that is too tight can look trashy and cheap. Clothing that is too big looks sloppy and unprofessional. Discover how to dress your body type and wear clothing that fits.

8. Ultra trendy clothing:  Clothing that is ultra trendy can look like a costume. Stick to classic pieces that are infused with elements of your own personal style.

9. Clothing that doesn’t make sense for the industry you are in: Your clothing should make you look as if you are a credible member of your industry. Your clothes tell potential clients that you belong and are successful at what you do.

10. Clothing you don’t feel confident in: The right clothes will make you feel invincible, allowing you to sell your product or services with confidence.

Don’t let your clothing hold you back at work. Make sure your image helps you create your professional success. For help learning what your clothing says about you contact Charleston Style Concierge at 833.323.2466.

Bamboosa can help you go green in style. Enter to win a $50 gift certificate to Bamboosa and discover the comfort and style of bamboo. This eco-friendly clothing line offers products for men, women, and baby. All of the products sold by Bamboosa are made right here in the USA.

Click here to enter!

Bamboosa is committed to being a responsible company and uses all recycled packaging, hangtags, and printed materials. Learn more about the comfort and style of bamboo by visiting www.bamboosa.com, but first enter to win your $50 gift certificate.

Stay up to date with what’s new at Bamboosa on Facebook and Twitter.

Entries will be accepted the entire month of July. One lucky winner will be randomly chosen on August 1, 2009 and notified via email. Good luck!

“Dress Your HOME to Reflect Your Personality and Style”

FREE 60-minute teleseminar

Tuesday, July 14, 2009, at 2 pm Eastern

(Sign up today!)

Discover how you can live in both comfort and style. If you want affordable design solutions that help you live and feel better within your home, please join us for this exciting teleseminar.

So, if you want to redesign your entire house, or you simply want to feel more at home, you won’t want to miss this teleseminar as I interview my good friend and expert interior designer Ada Gonzalez.

Ada Gonzalez is an expert interior decorator, author, and creative director of Ada’s Interior Design. She helps people all over the United States discover how to feel great within their homes –without having to spend a lot of money. Her designs use clients’ current furniture  and / or new furniture with a big splash of STYLE!

In a hurry, click here to sign up.

We’re offering a free teleseminar on Tuesday, July 14, at 2 pm Eastern (11 am Pacific).

On this call, you will discover . . .

• The most important elements for adding beauty to a room.
• The best way to find your personalized design style.
• The importance of adding personality and style to any room.
• The four easy ways you can glamorously dress your walls.
• The fabulous way to dress your windows in style.

Why waste time painting walls the wrong color or buying throw pillows that lack style? Sign up today!

There’s no charge for this call. The call will be recorded, but if you don’t register, you’ll never hear it. Just enter your information in the boxes below to receive the complete call details via email. See you there!

Success is made up of multiple factors, but the way you dress plays a big role in the lifespan and path of your career. Studies show your appearance can even influence the perceived quality of your work. A go-getter assistant who’s always wearing a tailored suit will be thought of as highly promoteable, whereas an equally ambitious woman who has poor clothing might not be thought of at all.

We live in a very visual society. It takes 7 seconds for someone to form an impression about you. In that short timeframe your potential boss or client can actually determine your career path. From your appearance alone they’ve decided whether or not you are competent and someone they want to do business with, or a flake that cannot be trusted. It’s harsh, but true. We all make snap judgments about people. It’s human nature. The way you present yourself, from your handbag to your hair, creates a thumbnail sketch of your character.

And that sketch is always subject to instant interpretation by your colleagues, potential bosses, and clients. So dressing for success is an important part of making success a reality for you.  

Whether you own your own business, or you are the receptionist at a giant corporation, at work you ARE your brand. And your look IS your logo. You are telling people what you do simply by the way you look.

To learn more about how to dress for success download our free seminar on “How to Dress for Success on Any Budget.” Charleston Style Concierge is a personal styling company comitted to making women feel more confident through personal style. Contact us to determine what your clothing says about you.

Networking is one of the most important activities you can do for the success of your business. Your appearance is a big part of your networking success. You are your brand, and your look is your logo. Your look will help you sell your product or services. Before you can sell anything, you have to sell yourself. A polished appearance is no longer considered frivolous or egotistical. In the business world it is a requirement for success. Before your next networking meeting, take the time to make sure you have put the same attention and detail into yourself as you do for your company.

Top 10 Clothing Mistakes Commonly Seen at Networking Events

1. Dowdy or outdated clothing:  If your clothing looks old or outdated, people will automatically assume your way of doing business is also outdated and should be passed by.

1. Clothing that is too revealing:  It is hard to appear professional in clothing that is too revealing. Even if the networking event is at night, a plunging neckline (this goes for both men and women) may not be appropriate.

1. Too casual or comfortable clothing:  Dressing too casually often translates as lazy. You may be the hardest working individual in the room, but your clothing is saying the opposite.

1. Forgetting that details matter:  The details of your clothing paint a picture about the character of both you and your business. Wrinkled pants and scuffed shoes will not give a potential client the confidence you can handle the details of her complex business.

1. Wearing clothing with slogans, logos, or prominent brand names other than your own:  After all, who are you working for?

1. Clothing that doesn’t make sense for your audience:  Think about who you will be networking with before getting dressed. Will your audience respond better to your branded polo shirt or a very classic and professional button down?

1. Clothes that don’t fit or flatter:  Clothing that is too tight can look trashy and cheap. Clothing that is too big looks sloppy and unprofessional. Discover how to dress your body type and wear clothing that fits.

1. Ultra trendy clothing:  Clothing that is ultra trendy can look costumey at a networking event. Unless you are in the fashion industry, stick to classic pieces that are infused with elements of your own personal style.

1. Clothing that doesn’t make sense for the industry you are in: Your clothing should make you look as if you are a credible member of your industry. Your clothes tell potential clients that you belong and are successful at what you do.

10. Clothing you don’t feel confident in: The right clothes will make you feel invincible, allowing you to sell your product or services with confidence.

Don’t let your style hold you back at work. Learn how to create a versatile wardrobe and dress for success by joining me for “Dress for Success on Any Budget,” a free teleseminar on Wednesday, June 17, 2009. For more details or to sign up, please visit http://www.getgreatstyle.com/dfs.html.

• Choose organic: Hemp is NOT the only choice anymore! Organic and alternative fibers have come a long way since the 70’s. Support clothing lines and textiles made with organic cotton, organic bamboo or other sustainable fabrics. Look for organic certifications online and hangtags and labels that say organic. Organic clothing materials come from plants that have not been radiated, genetically modified or treated with synthetic or chemical pesticides. Any product labeled organic has to meet national standards set up by the United S­tates Department of Agriculture (USDA).

• Buy less, but better: Quality clothing last longer, washes and wears better. Buying one top that won’t shrink or twist after washing is worth a few extra bucks and makes it a favorite for comfort and look. Also, over-washing your clothes not only wears down the fabric, it wastes water and can introduce excessive pollutants into the water stream. Wash less often and try wearing bamboo fabric , which is naturally antimicrobial and therefore won’t hold odor.

• Look for less chems: Raw materials that aren’t treated with pesticides have been shown to produce organic and natural fiber products with a longer lifespan and durability. Look for clothing lines not treated with bleach and dyed with low impact dyes. Low impact dyes don’t mean dull and boring – beautiful and vibrant colors can be achieved without bleaching fabric and using less toxic dyes. Check out this Tahiti Blue scoopneck and matching duo-tone scarf – flattering and wow!

• Buy local: Lesson your carbon footprint by choosing clothing that is locally designed and manufactured. Buying American made, and even better – made within your state, means your clothing didn’t have to travel the world to get to you. Where were your clothes made and by whom? Check the labels and think about how, where and in what conditions your clothing was sewn.  Shift your spending to companies who manufacture in a sweatshop-free and safe environment  and provide a living wage to their employees. Speak to the owners of your local clothing shops and let them know what you want to see and buy … and encourage them to buy from local and USA Made manufacturers and source sweatshop-free products. Don’t support companies who use child labor. Did you know that The International Labor Organization has estimated that 250 million children between the ages of five and fourteen work in developing countries? 

•  Recycle, trade or donate clothes you no longer wear: Invite co-workers, family and friends to bring old clothes they no longer want and swap them for ‘new’ fashions. Has a shirt been hanging in your closet for 2 years, never worn? Take it to Goodwill and donate it to someone who needs it. Let’s put less clothing into the landfills and more clothing onto the bodies of those in need.
• Be a responsible shopper! Think before you buy. It’s a lot to think about when it’s so easy to walk in the nearest super store and buy a cute inexpensive dress, but these small changes in how you shop can lead to big changes for you and your friends and family. The conscientious changes consumers make can mean huge changes for the clothing industry in providing products that are safe, non-toxic, manufactured responsibly and less harmful to the Earth.

A closet edit is the foundation to great style. And it’s necessary if you want to create a fashionable and versatile wardrobe that allows you to get dressed quickly. We wear 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time. It’s no wonder we find ourselves standing in front of a bursting closet, yet find nothing to wear.

Editing and organizing your closet will remind you what you have, where it is, and whether you actually wear it. The trick is being ruthless about what you truly need and wear.

Go through your closet, section by section. Ask yourself 4 questions about each piece of clothing. This is where the true edit comes in.

1.  
   1. Do you love it?
   2. Is it flattering? Specifically, does it fit your body right now?
   3. Does it help you meet your style goals?
   4. When did you wear it last?

If you don’t love it, get rid of it. If it doesn’t fit or isn’t flattering it is a detriment to any attempt at style. The first step to great style is great fit. Without fit, you have no style.

Does the item help you portray the image you desire? Does it work for your lifestyle? If you want to go from the playground to the PTA in style, will it accomplish this goal?

If you haven’t worn something in over a year you probably aren’t going to wear it again.

Once you have honestly answered these questions about each item in your closet, you will be left with a wardrobe you actually want to wear.

The age old saying that you can’t get something for nothing just isn’t true when it comes to your wardrobe. In fact, you can get an entire new wardrobe for nothing just by shopping at your local consignment boutique.

This Spring I edited my closet and took my own advice about being ruthless with its contents. At the end of my closet edit, I was left with a stack of clothing that no longer worked for my style, lifestyle, or body. All of these were stylish pieces in great condition. I’m embarrassed to say that even a few of them still had tags on them. This can happen to anyone, but the important thing is to learn from your mistakes and move on. Placing each item back in your closet because you feel twangs of guilt about how much you paid isn’t going to help you figure out what to wear in the morning. My advice is to head straight to your local consignment boutique.

Take your pile of in season and in style (on hangers) clothing and consign them so you can get something you actually need and want to wear. You can even get fabulous new wardrobe pieces without handing over a dime. Most consignment boutiques will pay you a higher percentage for your clothing when you spend that money in their store, allowing you to spice up your wardrobe for free!

I took my edited pieces to one of my personal favorites, Butterfly, the sister boutique to Victoria’s Consignments. I haven’t missed a single piece I got rid of. With the money I made from the sale of my consigned items I got a few new items including a beautiful pair of Prada wedges that have been a versatile addition to my Spring wardrobe.

Some of the best deals are found in consignment boutiques. You can find amazing savings on high end designer pieces that are in perfect condition. The next time you edit your closet, consign what you don’t wear and discover that you really can get something for nothing.

A closet edit is the foundation to great style. Let Charleston Style Concierge help you jump start your style by editing your closet and help you to discover how to wear what you already have more. Visit www.charlestonstyleconcierge.com for more information or contact us at (843) 323.2466.

Give your wardrobe a punch of style with this gorgeous Lella Foster Designs necklace. The beautiful clasp can be worn in the front or back for maximum versatility.

Delicate 26” vermeil chain with rubies and 24kt gold plated clasp that can be worn as part of the necklace.

Entries will be accepted the entire month of June. One lucky winner will be randomly chosen on June 30, 2009.

Click here and enter to win!

About Lella Foster Designs:

A Charleston Style Concierge favorite, Lella Foster Designs celebrates your individuality. Each design is exclusive. When you purchase a Lella, it is yours and yours only. Their beautiful pieces bring versatility and elegance to any outfit. Lella Foster Designs also offers a LUX line which offers limited production brooches, hair pieces and embellishments for your wedding or special occasion.

To learn more about this Charleston favorite please visit www.lellafoster.com. Are you on Facebook? Become a fan of Lella Foster.

Personal Style..It’s Closer Than You Think

For this month’s style issue we sat down with Lee Heyward, style expert and owner of Charleston Style Concierge, to find out how to get great style.
Pink: As a personal stylist, what is the one fashion mistake you see people
make most often?
Lee: Wearing clothing that does not fit properly. No matter how “on-trend”
something is, if it doesn’t fit, it isn’t stylish. I think as women, we struggle to
accept our bodies as they are. The best advice I can give is to embrace the body you have and learn how to dress according to its shape.
Pink: Coco Chanel said that fashion is like architecture. Do you agree?
Lee: Yes, fashion is all about proportion and fit. What’s great is that
you can manipulate proportion and fit to create the most flattering look for
your body. For example, if you are pear shaped you can disguise your hips by wearing trousers that create a straight line from your hip to the ground. Your eye is then drawn to the narrowest part of you, your waist. Using tricks like that can completely make over your figure just by changing your pants.
Pink: You speak a lot about having easy and effortless style. Is that
really possible?
Lee: Absolutely. Easy and effortless style is best achieved by simply editing
your closet. Typically, we wear only 20% of the clothing we own. That means you stare at 80% of your clothing each morning never wanting to wear it. A closet edit teaches you how to create a versatile wardrobe that allows you to get dressed quickly and easily. You should be able to get dressed in ten minutes or less.
Pink: What advice would you give someone feeling the pressure of finding
the perfect outfit for a special event?
Lee: First, start in your closet. Remind yourself of the options you already
have. You may not have the perfect dress, but an inventory of what you own will keep you from buying duplicate accessories or shoes when you’re feeling pressed for time. Look for classic styles that can be worn again with a change of accessories. You can also enlist the help of a stylist. A stylist can help you find an outfit that will be versatile for multiple occasions and look great on your body type.
Pink: Do you mean hire a stylist to shop with you? Isn’t that mainly for
the rich and famous?
Lee: Using a stylist to help you shop is a great investment. A stylist will
help you select styles you may not have considered before. Plus, she will teach you to make multiple outfits with just a few pieces. For example, when I shop with a client, I bring along my digital camera to take pictures of the outfits we put together. This way when the client gets home and is on her own, she is
reminded of all the outfit options we put together.
Pink: Is personal shopping the only service available through Charleston
Style Concierge?
Lee: No, we can help through our Virtual Style Consultation. In addition,
each month I teach a teleseminar on a different style topic. These seminars give you great information over the phone from the comfort of your house.
To learn more about Lee Heyward please visit
www.charlestonstyleconcierge.com. Charleston Style Concierge is
a personal styling company committed to making women feel more
confident through the development of a unique personal style.
Read more from Pink’s fabulous June issue at http://www.itsallpink.com.