If you want to learn how to dress for success, check out this new website www.dresssuccess.com

Read Christina Binkley’s article about Business Casual (better known to Sandy as Business Casualty)

If you are intersted in becoming a certified Total Image Consultant, check out this website for The Impression Strategies Institute. They have the best course available! Here is the link to the website:  http://www.impressionstrategiesinstitute.com/

Take a look at the New York Times Article

Amazingly, former governors Elliot Spitzer and James McGreevey were dressed nearly identically when they made their public apoligies, as you will see from the New York Times article by Michael Barbaro. Bad choice of ties, however. Wearing a power “boardroom” tie isn’t what I would suggest to a client who wanted to appear innocent. The light blue tie that is favored by President Bush would have been my choice. Pastels always convey either innocence, passivity and powerlessness. In fact, Bush needs a little education about ties, because he always gets them backwards. A red tie says, “Out of town by midnight, Osama” not a pale blue one!

You’ll get tons of insigt about Elliott Spitzer and more. You won’t believe what university studies have found. Click here to read this astounding article.

Elliot Spitzer resigned as Governor of the State of New York today, caught up in a prostitution scandal. Spitzer nearly always had a severe look - perhaps a look of hatred - in his eyes. My guess is that the thing he hated most about himself was the thing he tried to destroy in others, as if to blot it from his sight. His addiction to prostitutes. Another powerful man tracked down homosexuals relentlessly, and he was perhaps pursuing the demons of his self hatred also: J. Edgar Hoover. After Hoover’s death, it was eventually revealed that he had a homosexual relationship with a man for most of his life. Hoover also looked quite severe at times. Mean eyes usually reveal hatred, and sometimes the hatred is internal but is manifest outwardly.

Get your copy of my latest eBook, “Business Casual is Dead, Long Live Classy Casual.”

If you have ever wondered what “Business Casual” actually means in terms of dress, you aren’t alone. In fact, I get calls repeatedly from CEOs who want me to come in and “do a workshop so the employees will know what Business Casual really means.” Well, that’s the problem with Business Casual - it can’t be defined. You’ll find out why when you read my new eBook on the subject!
This book was inspired by a seminar I attended recently that was given by Jeffrey Gitomer. There were about 2,000 people in attendance, and the majority of them were men. Very few people were “dressed to impress.” Instead, most of them looked like they were ready to attend a garage sale.
This book will point out the difference between “Business Casualty” attire and “Classy Casual” attire. It is a book you can’t be without if you are serious about your career.

The frontrunners in the remaining Republican primaries are John McCain and Mitt Romney. Here’s how I see it. McCain will win because his image is better in one important detail. When it comes to image, the devil is in the details, and if you get one thing wrong, that’s all that is noticed and remembered - particularly when that one thing concerns the face. The problem? Romney’s eyebrows are dark and severe looking. On some occasions, it causes him to come across as mean looking. When he is smiling, it isn’t noticed as much, but it is difficult to smile non stop.In contrast, McCain comes across as a kindly person. However, McCain doesn’t have a consistent look and is sometimes seen in washed out shirts and ties, (see above), so in a crowd he doesn’t stand out. When in debate with Romney, however, and a comparison is made only between the two men, he has the edge because of the severity of Romney’s appearance.If McCain does go on to carry the banner for the Republic party, he’d better get an image consultant. We don’t need any more dressed-down “rapport” dressing. A leader needs to look strong reliable and powerful; like someone we can count on, not someone who is “just like us.” Think about it, do you want a parent who dresses for rapport and seems “just like you” - or do you want a parent who is “big and strong and will protect me?” As for Romney, if he wins, maybe he should still think about trimming his eyebrows just a tad.

Will it be Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama who comes out the winner on Super Tuesday, February 5th?

In terms of image, Obama wins, but not because he has great sartorial sense. He doesn’t. His image is up and down. His presence and charisma are not; both are always up.

Hillary needs to level the playing field a lot more in terms of image, and then her presence and charisma would increase dramatically. Take a look at the picture in the center and you will see that both candidates are virtually dressed alike. There is one big difference, however. Obama towers over Hillary, and that’s also what happens in corporate America. Men are judged to be more powerful because of their stature and their deep voices. Women need to add stature and presence by dressing in powerful colors and styles and wearing powerful accessories so that they make a powerful statement when they enter a room.

Hillary’s red jacket is a great power color but the style is ordinary. It’s literally a copy of daddy’s jacket and she needs to ditch all her pantsuits, particularly those with boring blazer jackets. They say “follower” instead of “leader” - and furthermore, pantsuits are not as powerful as skirted suits. Pantsuits are for comfort and for  I.T. staff who need to do physical activities.

Hillary should have said Yes to Vogue Magazine and appeared on the pages with a skirted red suit in a high-fashion distinctive style. The way you look and dress announces the outcome other people can expect from you, and a red suit would have shouted to the world, “Get on my team, I’m a winner!” As it is, her wardrobe suggests she is a follower most often.

The way you look also announces how you feel about yourself - and you will be treated accordingly. Notice how Hillary beams in the red jacket. That kind of energy is contagious and makes other people feel good about themselves as well as Hillary.

Obama wins the contest in terms of image, even though he doesn’t always look Presidential. With that in mind, Hillary could gain an advantage if she dressed in a more distinctive and dynamic manner.

Christina Binkley wrote a great article yesterday entitled “Law Without Suits: New Hires Flout Tradition.” She reports that young male and female lawyers generally abhor having to wear a suit. They prefer dressing for their own comfort. However, it was noted that legal associates who aren’t dressed properly may be left behind when headed for a court case or an important client meeting. A plum assignment was given to “a polished, profesional-looking associate” over a “brilliant” and experienced associate who ignored pleas to improve his appearance.

Fourteen pages of comments showed up on the WSJ law blog and “Kodiak” summed it up perfectly when he said he loved to wear nice suits because they feel like pajamas because of their light 100 plus fabrics. He concluded, “I typically wear my jacket all day. It is who I am.” 

When you put on a suit for a “special occasion” and have’t worn one for six onths, you will never have the pressence and demeanor you wouldhave if you habitually wore a suit. And the people you deal with wil know it. When you dress down, you send out the signal that you are a law student, a part time and, consequently, someone who will probably waste your time. If you feel good about who you are and what you do,  show the world WHO YOU ARE by dressing like a Go-Getter instead of a slouch or time waster!