How to Look Slimmer by Choosing the Right Clothes

Every day we wake up to the challenge of what to wear. Even the style savvy person may experience a moment of doubt. Is the outfit appropriate, is it clean, does it fit, does it make me look slimmer? This article will assist in helping you choose clothes that make you look slimmer.

WEAR CLOTHES THAT FIT: Contrary to the current Chico's ad about the style secret of slimming sweaters, I believe that long, oversized tops and slim pants were overdone in the 80's. Today the first step in a slim look is to wear clothes that are the right size, not too loose and definitely not too tight. Don't be concerned about what the tag says as sizes vary among manufacturers. Buy what fits and be objective about what length flatters your body type.

USE OPTICAL ILLUSION WHEN DRESSING: Use optical illusion tricks to look slimmer. A-line shapes are great as well as contrast sleeves and color blocking. The black sleeves against the white body are slimming because they frame the white area making it look smaller. The black graphic camouflages will camouflage the chest area.

USE V NECKS, LONG PANTS, MONOCHROMATIC COLORS, VERTICAL LINES: A neckline where you can use jewelry will distract the eye from your midsection. Longer pants will accentuate your leg length and make you look taller and slimmer. Monochromatic colors are great as well as north/south accessories with vertical lines.

Brand Yourself with Color for a Job Interview

In today's job market you need an edge over your competition that is more than just a great resume. You literally want to be "picked" like a product from a shelf . So take hints from product branding and apply them to yourself. The easiest way to do this is to brand yourself with color.

From your resume to your interview outfit, pick a color that defines you and use it as part of your brand. The idea is to use a power color, for example red. However your brand color should both flatter you and be appropriate for your industry. Other good colors are navy, dark green and black.

Pick a symbol in your color that you can use on your correspondence. A red dot, a red square, etc next to your contact details is sufficient. You don't need to hire a branding firm, any geometric recognizable symbol will do. The simpler the better. All follow up or confirming e-mails prior to your actual interview should carry through with this symbol or brand. Use it as part of your signature.

Research the company dress code by calling HR or visiting the site. When you arrive at the interview, make your brand color part of your interview outfit. If you think a red power suit is appropriate then wear it. Or it can be a red cashmere sweater, red career bag, red glasses, red scarf, red shoes, etc. If you choose red, use it conservatively.

Follow through with your business cards. If red is your brand color, then your business cards need to show that. If you are seeking a position with an ad agency, maybe your entire card can be red. If it's a law firm job you are after, possibly just your name would be red or you would choose a burgundy instead.

A personal color will brand you if you use the color consistently. Make sure that you wear the color at all subsquent interviews with the prospective employer and if you get the job continue using the color with your clothing an accessories.

How to Dress Like You're the First Lady - Shorts Gate

How to dress like the First Lady has become a topic of conversation since Michelle Obama at 45 became the youngest First Lady since Jackie Kennedy who was 31. Both women have been talked about as icons of style. Times have changed and so has fashion, but from my perspective, elegant and understated are what becomes a First Lady.

DO NOT WEAR SHORTS: Good legs are a matter of opinion and not withstanding that judgment call, the legs of the First Lady should not be seen above the knee. Call me old-fashioned, but is a swimsuit photo next? Isn't there a protocol person on staff at the White House that could suggest summer dresses and skirts are what becomes a First Lady?

HIRE AN IMAGE CONSULTANT: I don't mind a few of my tax dollars going towards an image consultant for Michelle Obama. The constant press about what she wears takes away from her actions which are more newsworthy and notable. Should we really be discussing the First Lady's arms and legs?

DRESS UP: When you are the wife of the President of the United States, I think you need to dress up, and not in J. Crew. You need to look as perfectly groomed as possible all of the time. Your job is 24/7 and image is an important part of it. You are not like the rest of us any more.

Photo Credit: Mandel Ngan / AFP / Getty Images

Hallet Sweater Art Store Opens Saturday

Please come in and share the excitement!

Our online store is stocked with new arrivals. If you are an executive woman searching for a unique item to wear to work, you will find it here.

Look polished, professional and powerful in a cashmere sweater. Enjoy the slimming effects of our art inspired designs.

How to Dress Like You're the Boss

You’re the boss so you need to look the part. Your clothes should express your position. The days of demure are done. You want to project a powerful image. How you do that depends on your profession, but here are some tips to set you apart from your staff.

DRESS LIKE YOU ARE THE BOSS: You should dress better than your staff. You make more money and your clothes should reflect that. Wear natural fibers like cashmere, silk, and linen and invest in good leather shoes and career bags. A business suit is an easy way to dress for work, but you do not have to clone the dark suits of your male counterparts. Your image should be that of a polished and professional woman.

WEAR CLOTHING THAT IS AGE APPROPRIATE: As a female executive you may be older than your staff. Wear what is appropriate for your age group and avoid adopting younger trends. You do not want to look like one of the gang.

ESTABLISH YOUR PERSONAL BRAND: Be conservative and creative in establishing your personal brand and dress according to the standards of your profession. Acquire your "look" and stay with it on the job. Whether you prefer monochromatic outfits, power sweaters, jackets or dresses, be consistent. Do not keep changing your hair style or hair color. Keep your nail color neutral for work.

USE ACCENTS: An accent can become part of your personal brand. Maybe silk scarves are your trademark, or a red briefcase or career bag. Maybe it is your glasses. Think of a signature accessory that you can use or wear daily.

CHOOSE BUSINESS COLORS: Choose colors that flatter you. If you can, take advantage of strong business colors like dark reds, navy and burgundy. Leave the black and grey to the men. Stay away from pastel colors like pinks, lavenders, and light blues.

CHOOSE TAILORED CLOTHING: Tailored clothing is more powerful than either trendy or feminine styles. Oversized clothing, ruffles, short hemlines and low necklines do not project an image of power

ALWAYS LOOK WELL GROOMED: As the boss, your personal appearance should always be maintained at the highest level. You cannot look like you are having a bad day. Your hair should be neat, make-up fresh, and you should make sure your shoes are polished and your clothes pressed. Be prepared by keeping your work attire for work.

REMEMBER IMAGE COUNTS: Your abilities and performance are why you have your position as the boss. If you want the next job on the career ladder, take the time to work on your appearance and professional demeanor as another skill set.

The Classic Little Black Dress Optical Illusion Statement

The little black dress is the iconic optical illusion statement. Dark, monochromatic, of course you look thin in it. Just think, you normally wear a black cocktail dress in low lights. You are dressed in camouflage!

But thankfully, fashion is not war. We want to be seen, just in a way that flatters us. Monochromatic looks are great, but they don’t have to be black. It’s still summer so wear a color that looks good on you.

Don’t be afraid of white, you will feel cooler in white. Reduce the solid impression of one color by using different textures in that color.

Highlight your best features with well placed accessories that focus the eye where you want it to go. If you have a great cleavage use colored jewelry, great ankles try a contrasting shoe. Clothes are all about how you wear them. Make sure they fit and then walk out into the summer sunshine!

When fall arrives look for our optically slimming cashmere sweaters.

How To Dress for Your Body Type - The Athletic Figure

OK so maybe you are not athletic. But you do have a straight up and down shape. Your shoulders and hip measurements are the same and your waist is only slightly less. The new characterization of your type is the H.

Urban lore suggests that high powered jobs
have caused your body to react with androgens making you physically stronger, but less curvy. It's hard to believe that about Kate Moss...

But whatever the reason, yours is a model shape and great to dress. Of course you will want to wear fitted clothes, but what you need to do is to add the illusion of curve where you need it.

YOUR CHEST AND TORSO: The addition of curves may start with a padded bra. Choose tops that emphasize the bust you have created, and draw attention to your shape. V necks and cowl necks are good to broaden your upper body and create waist definition. Short fitted jackets, or jackets with peplums will work for you. Blouses with ruffles, bows, gathers, and pockets at the bustline will add chest dimension. If age appropriate, you may want to use empire styles and halter tops. Patterned tops will add feminity and softness.

YOUR WAIST: Add wide belts to create your waistline. To delineate it more, wear tops and bottoms in contrasting colors. Use full skirts and pants that flare to add proportion. Look for garments that have well placed horizontal lines.

LEGS AND TROUSER CHOICES: Show off your great legs in skirts and dresses. Balance your top and trouser choices by wearing fitted tops with flared leg bottoms. Pants that hit below the waist may look best on you, but experiment with higher waisted pants with belts and skinny pants that highlight your curves.

COLOR, FABRICS, DETAILS: You can wear color and prints so use them to your advantage. Complement your skin and hair. Avoid black as it will make you look too slender and undefined. Fabric with texture and shine will add dimension to your shape. If you can find them, look for skirts and dresses with banded hems in darker colors. These will make your waist look smaller. Choose princess lines that add curves.

What is Business Casual?

There has been much discussion about work attire, specifically what defines business casual. The words themselves are an oxmoron. How casual can you be at work? Not, too casual. The word is not to be taken literally.

Certainly what you wear to work is determined by your own work environment. You have to act as a member of your work team. And while you may not be required to wear a uniform, there is a dress code. In smaller companies it may be implied, but you can certainly observe it by watching other sucessful women where you work. If in doubt, consult your HR department.

Simply stated, your business casual work wardrobe should be just that. Clothing that is reserved for work. If you keep this in mind, your work attire will always be clean, pressed and ready to wear, and you will always be appropriately attired for the challenges of your day.

How To Dress Your Body Type - The Hour Glass Figure

Marilyn Monroe in the 1955 movie "The Seven Year Itch" is one of the most iconic images for woman with the hour glass figures. This body type is one of the most interesting. Its popularity has waxed and waned. Remember Scarlett O'Hara being pulled into her corset? Or Rita Hayworth and Sophia Loren?
Today we have Beyonce and Kate Winslet.

Folklore suggests that this body type had an evolutionary advantage. Women with
36-24-36 measurements supposedly have greater fertility and their wider hips suggest a body built for child birth.

If you've got it, you might as well flaunt it. My fashion tips for dressing your classic, sexy body type are:

WEAR FITTED CLOTHES: Fitted clothes that define your curves are most desirable. Bias cuts are made for your figure. Suits with short shaped jackets and narrow pencil skirts are also good choices. Dresses in solid colors, or tops and bottoms in the same color, look best on your body type. Try to find tailored shirts with V necks and use chunky jewelry. Look for high waisted trousers and jeans with flared legs.

WEAR BELTS: Highlight your small waist with narrow belts, just don't use the tightest notch.

REMEMBER PROPORTION: The single problem the curvy woman has is possibly looking "too curvy" for today's idealized type which is more athletic. That is for every woman to decide for herself. A few optical illusion tricks applied to dressing will make your figure appear more elongated and balanced:

• Try to use monochromatic looks.
• If you are busty, balance your chest with flared or boot cut slacks and biased cut skirts.
• Move the eye away from your waist with V neck tops and jewelry at the neck.
• Do not use wide belts.
• Wear clothes that fit and stay away from adornments that add volume like ruffles, bows, large sleeves, etc.
  

Tips for Effective, Fearless Networking

First impressions count and are difficult to change. Based on my appearance, in less than 7 seconds, you have decided whether or not you want to have anything to do with me.

In the Grasslands of Inner Mongolia, I am a princess treated with great respect. Anywhere else..... you get my point. Unfortunately it’s human nature to make snap judgements based on first impressions.

In business networking, a professional appearance affects whether a women will be taken seriously. There are no second chances. On the line are finding job opportunities to increase your responsibilities and lead to promotions and raises.

This article will give you tips on how to manage your first impression to your advantage.

DO NOT UNDERDRESS: At business casual networking events you want to stress the business aspect of your attire. Dress up, not down, wear comfortable shoes and carry a handbag that does not interfere with easily extending your hand. Wear an oufit you know you look good in so you can smile and project a confident image.

BE PREPARED WITH CONVERSATION: Have something prepared to say about yourself that is succinct and states what you do and why you are attending the event. Know what is going on in your community and the world so you can small talk and sound informed. If there is someone at the event you want to talk to, do a little research about them beforehand. Be a good listener.

AVOID DISTRACTIONS: Remember why you are attending the networking event and do not hide behind the food and drink, or eat and drink too much because it is free. Do not get stuck in conversations that do not forward your personal networking agenda. Do not chew gum. Turn off your cell phone.

BRING BUSINESS CARDS: It's amazing how people can either forget to bring business cards, or run out of them at a networking event. Make sure you have plenty of current cards with you. Generic business cards on cheap stock should be replaced with cards that reflect the impression you want to leave behind.

How To Dress for Your Body Type - The Pear

This is the second in a series of articles where we make fashion suggestions for different body types based on using optical illusion garments. Our first article was about the apple shaped woman. In this article we want to talk about the clothing choices that work for the pear shaped woman. This woman generally has hips that are wider than her shoulders.

Our list is not exhaustive but is meant as a guideline. The take away for the pear shaped woman is to emphasize the slimmer areas of her body and move the eye away from the hips.

CHOOSE FITTED TOPS WITH SHOULDER EMPHASIS: To balance your body shape, you want to create proportionality. Tops that broaden your shoulders with a horizontal line, boat necks, or colored yokes are good choices. Emphasize your positive attributes by wearing shaped tops and sweaters in bright colors and prints that attract the eye upward away from the hips. Remember, shaped is not tight. Tight tops will make your hip area look larger. Tops are best when they fall below the waist. Tops with dark panels at the sides are something to look for.

CHOOSE DARKER BOTTOMS: A-line skirts are perfect for your shape as well as low rise trousers with straight or boot cut legs. Skinny jeans and tapered legs will emphasize your hips. Stay away from side pockets and side zippers.

How To Dress for Your Body Shape - The Apple

Clothing is costume. We want to wear clothes that accentuate our best features and minimize our flaws.

It is all about optical illusion. The first step in this visual deception is to know our body type. Although much has been written about our various body shapes, and they have been given many names, the easiest classification for women is the one that compares us to apples and pears, hourglasses, and boys. Then because there are petite and tall women out there, too, you can understand why there are so many choices available at the store.

We are going to make optically illusion fashion suggestions in a series of articles. In this article we want to talk about the choices that work for the apple figured woman who carries her weight around her waist. Our list is not exhaustive but is meant as a guideline. The take away is to emphasize the slimmer areas of your body and move the eye away from your waistline.

Choose Monochromatic Clothing: Solid dark colors make you look smaller.

Choose V necks: V necks are slimming because they force the eye up away from the chest. Exposing too much cleavage brings the eye down towards the center of the body, the area the apple-shaped woman wants to hide.

Choose chunky jewelry: High neck statements focus the eye away from your mid-section.

Choose narrow pants and narrow skirts: You will look taller and thinner if you keep the proportions of your clothing correct for your body type. To add verticality, hem your pants and skirts as long as fashionably possible to accentuate your leg length. To keep the tummy flat, purchase bottoms that have side zippers.

Choose vertical lines: Closely spaced vertical lines lengthen the torso. Keep this in mind when choosing accessories. Don't ruin your vertical line or monochromatic outfit with a chunky rectangular bag.

Choose A-Line Tops: If you do not have a waist, the best way to disguise it is with A-line shapes that are tighter at the bust and flare away from the body at the waistline.

Stay away from: Double breasted jackets, ruffles, full skirts, belts at the waist, large overall prints, shiny fabrics and fabrics with texture.