Dressing For Success pt.II

1. Dressing For Success pt.II By: Ron Billingslea LeAndrew Davis Kerry Dixon Durya McDonald Willie McKenzie Sean Watson Kenny Spencer

2. Grooming Tips • Nose: Make sure the nostrils are clean before you step out of the door. If you have allergies, keep tissues and a pocket mirror with you always. • Facial hair:It is fine for men to have facial hair, as long as the hair is neatly trimmed, and free of debris. Make sure it is of a shape that complements the face. Think about the message your hair is communicating. Facial hair on a woman, however, is not a pleasant sight, as it is not associated with being feminine. I have seen too many women with a soft moustache. Pluck them. Wax them off. Shave them. You want people to see you and listen to you, not distracted by your hair. • Keep the hair on your head clean: It seems so simple, wash it when it is dirty. But so many people have been bought by the myth of not washing the hair every day to keep them from falling out, or that daily washing is too drying for the hair. Different people have different needs - some need to wash their hair daily; some twice a week. Run your fingers through your hair. If it's not silky smooth, it's time for a wash. • Breath. It is not as simple as popping into your mouth a breath mint or gum. I'm sure you have experienced someone talking to you with bad breath covered with mint - the bad breath is still detectable. The breath mint and gum are bad camouflage. Bad breath has much to do with the body's condition. If your body is healthy, your breath is clean. Vice versa. Some foods may cause bad breath. So, when you are to meet someone important, cut down your intake of sugar, dairy and white bread. Do make sure you eat something though, as hunger may cause bad breath as well. It doesn't hurt to brush your teeth and tongue before going to an important meeting.

3. For men: Avoid extreme hair styles or colors and apply minimal styling product; facial hair should be neat and trimmed; excessive earrings and facial jewelry should be removed. Choose a silk tie, but avoiding flashy or extreme designs. For women: Apply natural-looking makeup, wear conservative earrings, and choose fitted shirts or light-weight shells under jackets with appropriate collars and necklines. Grooming Tips Continued

4. Interview Attire (both) When choosing interview attire, remember these basic guidelines: • A two-piece matched suit is always the best and safest choice for interviewing • Choose conservative colors: navy, dark gray, or black

5. For men: Wear leather lace-up or slip-on business shoes in black, cordovan, or dark brown; coordinate your shoes with your belt. Socks should be calf length in a dark color matching your suit. For women: Wear comfortable closed-toe pumps that coordinate with your suit; avoid stiletto or chunky heals. Hosiery should be plain, opaque, or natural toned to complement your suit; skirts should be long enough to cover your thighs while sitting. Avoid high slits. Interview Attire Cont’d

6. Proper Business Attire (men) • In men's clothing, fashion does not change significantly from season to season but proper business attire is about being professional and not about being fashionable. It's about presenting yourself in a way that makes your clients feel comfortable and confident with you. Dressing for success is still the rule. The professional businessman should keep in mind these few points when deciding what to wear to work.

7. Men attire cont’d • Choose a conservative suit in navy, black or gray either pinstripe or solid. The quality of the material speaks as loudly as the color and can make the difference between sleaze and suave. • A solid white or blue dress shirt with long sleeves offers the most polished look. The more pattern and color you add, the more the focus is on your clothing, rather than your professionalism. • Ties should be made of silk or a silk-like fabric. Avoid the cartoon characters and go for simple and subtle if you want to enhance your credibility • Socks should be calf-length or above. Make sure they match not only what you are wearing, but also each other. A quick glance in good light before heading out the door can save embarrassment later in the day. Check for holes as well if you'll be going through airport security and removing your shoes. • Shoes should without question be conservative, clean and well polished. Lace-up shoes are the choice over slip-ons or flip flops. Don't think for a minute that people don't notice shoes. Many people will look at your feet before your face • Belts need to match or closely coordinate with your shoes. Once again, quality counts.

8. More Men Attire • Keep jewelry to a minimum. In a time when men sport gold necklaces, bracelets and earrings, the business professional should limit himself to a conservative watch, a wedding band and maybe his college ring. • Personal hygiene is part of the success equation. Freshly scrubbed wins out over heavily fragranced any day of the week. Save the after-shave for after hours, but never the shave itself. • The finishing touch for the business man is his choice of accessories: briefcase, portfolio and pen. When it comes to sealing the deal, a top of the line suit, a silk tie and a good pair of leather shoes can lose their affect when you pull out the ball point pen you picked up in the hotel meeting room the day before

9. Greetings • For women and men: Greet employers with a firm handshake; present clean fingernails; women can wear complementary polish or clear coats. Wear a conservative watch; avoid multiple rings or bracelets; and remove all tags from clothing (especially important for men with new suits: be sure to remove the tag from the sleeve, and open vents and pockets that are sewn shut.)

10. Men's Business Casual Attire

11. Pros Casual wear makes you appear more friendly and relatable than traditional business dress. Employees are more relaxed in comfortable clothes and tend to be more at ease with their coworkers. Casual days boost employee morale by demonstrating that even though you're business, you're not JUST business Cons Relaxed attitudes lead to relaxed performance. An increase in tardiness, absenteeism, and early departures. An increase in foul language and inappropriate conversation. A decrease in polite, mannerly behavior Pros and Cons of Business Casual

12. Men's Professional Attire

13. Tips for a more Successful Image • Wear dark suits. • Avoid brown suits in business settings. • Unless you have an expert eye, use caution with black suits. • Wear ties in bold colors, as opposed to pastels. • In high-powered business situations, wear white shirts that are superbly cut and made from the finest cotton. They make your image more powerful. • Avoid pastel shirts, like pink and blue. • Develop good posture. It is worth a million dollars in terms of image. Stand up straight, take a deep breath and get a “proud chest.” Maintain that posture, but let the shoulders relax a little when you exhale