The Good Wife is a Good Role Model

My corporate clients often ask me “Who is a good clothing role model?  Who would you point to that always looks stylish and professional?” Alas, in many companies, there are fewer and fewer role models to follow. For men, I usually recommend looking to Lester Holt on the NBC Nightly News.  Williams, like his predecessors Brian Williams and Tom Brokaw, never fails to be impeccably dressed.

For women, however, the news desk is less consistent and television programming in general “sexes”’ up the female talent so that their authority and credibility is questionable -- at least visually. However, there is one standout television show that provides excellent role models for female corporate dress. The Good Wife, on CBS television, is not only worth watching for the story line, and the incredibly cool way Julianna Margulies plays her character, Alicia Florrick, but also because the show provides amazing wardrobe examples if you are serious about professional presence. It also shows three possible models for corporate life that never resort to a boring blazer. Christine Baranksi’s character Diane Lockhart wears the most luxurious suits as well as dresses that perfectly match her credibility as head of the law firm. 

Baranski's styling is always perfect!  She looks rich and successful.

A power dress at the office.  Rock it!

Margulies’s wardrobe of conservative suits has grown in sophistication, color palette and tailoring as her standing with the firm has increased (and as she clearly has more $$ to spend) 

Alicia's all business without being mannish in her wardrobe.

Archie Panjabi’s character Kalinda Sharma (the firm's investigator) shows an edgier side with leather jackets and high boots. This works for her particular job, and potentially for anyone in a more creative corporate work environment.  The key is that she never goes too bare...shirts are short but she's wearing hosiery and there's never too much skin showing elsewhere.

Kalinda's the coolest.  

For dramatic entertainment and an education on how to dress corporate, enjoy the first three seasons of The Good Wife. Note the impeccable fit and clean lines in the wardrobe worn by the female leads as well as the female guest stars.  Also pay attention to their use of a business color palette that suits each individual’s coloring and their role within the firm, without every being boring.

If you love The Good Wife and want to know more about the clothes, check out these interviews with Daniel Lawson, the show's stylist.

Image and Introversion

Most people are surprised to learn that I am an extreme introvert.  I do a fairly good job masquerading as an extrovert when it really matters – at business functions, during my own training sessions, when meeting new people, etc. etc. But there’s no denying my natural tendency toward solitude and quiet, and my great need to recharge after being around people.  I used to wonder what was wrong with me, but after reading The Introvert Advantage by Marti Olsen Lany, all became clear. Some people are hardwired to gain energy from being around people and others (like me) lose energy in the same situations. (OK, there’s more more to it than that, but you get the gist…)

The problem is that introverts get branded with many unattractive and often derogatory adjectives like "shy" "reticent" "loner" or "stuck-up".  And I have found after 11 years working as an image consultant that introverts may have particular challenges with many of the appearance, behavior, and communication skills necessary for impactful professional and executive presence.  If you live and work in a country like the United States that celebrates extroverted personalities, introverts need a little extra help understanding what behaviors to adopt in order to compete more effectively, influence more easily and communicate more robustly. Helping these individuals find more professional success has become my stock-in-trade.

More evidence that introversion is a hot topic is Susan Cain’s book Quiet – The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking. Check out NPR’s coverage of the book here and take the handy quiz to see if you tend toward the introvert side of life…. Cain suggests that 1/3 of people tend this way. If you, one of your loved ones, or someone you work with is introverted, it's worth learning more about this topic and, in particular, reading The Introvert Advantage, a book that literally changed my life.

Upgrade Your Shave

We openly acknowledge that visual image management is generally easier for men!  What with fewer fashion options, no makeup to wear, and no cellulite concerns, men generally have less to worry about than women when it comes to appearance. However, there's one area where guys must expend much more energy – on the daily shave. 

  

So, gentlemen, are you getting a close shave with no irritation that makes you look both rico and suave? 

   

Check out this excellent and comprehensive article “How to Get That Perfect Shave” and note three key elements:
  
1) A Good Brush -- genuine badger hair makes a difference!
2) A Good Razor -- not disposable!
3) A Good Shaving Cream  -- not alcohol based!
   
On the final point, the author emphasizes that Europeans have made excellent shaving products though the ages.  I highly recommend the Proraso products from Italy (affordably available from Amazon)  Proraso's been around for over 100 years from a unique recipe handed down through generations.  Smooth, soft and cool -- using Proraso will upgrade your shave and your image!

New Year-New Experiences!

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions when Jan. 1 arrived? Ours here at Image Matters is to get back to our blogging! Mine personally is to try new things this year-from new and different foods to new and different experiences. It should be interesting to see what this year brings!

And here’s one thing I didn’t think I would ever try. Crocs. Yes those awful ugly clogs that make you look like you have clown feet! I know they are “comfortable”, but really, you can find “comfortable” shoes that are not so ugly! They were first introduced in 2002 but as of late the company hasn’t been turning the profit they were back then. No great surprise to us Croc haters! The only person I know who was ever “allowed” to wear Crocs is a friend who had foot surgery and needed something to wear so she could get around. The foot has since healed and now she only wears them to tend to her dogs when it’s muddy outside. That’s as it should be!

But now Crocs are on the rise again. To mark their 10^th anniversary, they are embarking on a new marketing campaign that is highlighting Crocs with a new twist. The campaign is being introduced on an electronic billboard in Times Square on Thursday and in April issues of some magazines.  The tag line reads “New styles on the outside-Crocs comfort on the inside”.  The campaign shows models wearing the new Crocs styles as part of a stylish outfit. Well well well-just maybe I’ll have to take a look at these new Crocs! I’m all about comfy shoes (what woman isn’t!) and stylish shoes too. They look pretty cute in the pictures! It’s my New Year’s resolution-I’m trying new things! I’ll keep you posted and if you try these new styles, let us know what you think. We always love hearing from you!

Makeup Matters! Harvard Agrees.

Although I've been preaching this for 10 years, there's finally a formal study backing up what every image consultant already knows - cosmetics can affect how intelligent, confident, approachable and successful women appear. It helps to have professors from Harvard and Boston University lend credibility to what is often dismissed a matter of fluff or vanity. I'll be the first to suggest that women shouldn't be judged by this additional grooming requirement, but this article from the New York Times gives us plenty of reasons for taking the extra time to apply makeup, and applying it well. 

Wearing White this Summer? Four Tips for Looking Cool and Polished.



 Chico's Shirt/Jacket
Hey, it's a two-fer in cool cotton!

I’ve just returned from a conference in Orlando, where the temperatures soared to over 95 degrees each of the four days I was there. Thankfully, I packed mostly light clothes, including several white items. Nothing looks fresher and cooler than white as the temperature rises, yet the pitfalls to wearing white and still looking polished and professional are many. Let's review:

• Many higher-end summer whites are linen or linen-blends. While linen is cool and comfortable in hot weather, linens will wrinkle if you simply look at them wrong, and can be a complete mess by lunchtime. You’ll do better to look for a light cotton blended with spandex, a forgiving stretchy combination that’s comfortable, cool and more wrinkle resistant.

• Whites clearly show quality. While we can “cheat” quality considerations in dark clothes, whites and light colored items clearly show issues of workmanship. Because poor construction and cheaper fabrics will be obvious in light shades, you may need to spend more on these items to keep a polished appearance.

• Whites show everything! Vinaigrette splatters from your lunchtime salad, a stray ink mark from your pen-wielding colleague, and a smudge from the car door -- whites are hard to keep clean. A second problem is the yellowing caused from reused dry-cleaning fluid at your local cleaners. Always read the fabric labels in your professional garments to ensure you can meet the cleaning demands, but be extra cautious with whites. Washability helps! And if you must dryclean, expess your concern about yellowing and insist the cleaner uses fresh, unused fluid when cleaning your garment.

Yikes! These are form-fitting!
Better have a great bod or
some great Spanx underneath.

• Sheerness matters! Especially with white summer pants, we can usually see internal fabric seams, but also panty lines and cellulite bumps. Check out your backside carefully to determine the need for Spanx -- I know, you’re trying to cool off and I’m recommending Spanx... just know that everyone checks out your caboose and then think about the impression your hindsight is making!

Have favorite white piece in your wardrobe? Know a great source for white this season? Let us your comments!

A Closer Look In The Mirror

Take a close look at yourself in the mirror. A really close look. Do a few things on your face need some attention? Sometimes there are obvious things that we don’t even see anymore, but others see them every time they look at us. Hair growing in the wrong places can be problematic. Things like skin tags and raised moles can also be distracting. As we age there are more and more issues that crop up in regards to our appearance. Now is the time to address these issues. If you have heard Kathryn during one of her presentations you know she refers to our faces as our “money makers”. Is your face making you money? There are many options to deal with these issues, so don’t let your face become a distraction. Use it to make you money!

Let’s start at the top of your faces with eyebrows. If you watched the Royal wedding last week, you saw a perfect example of some eyebrows that need a little attention on the Archbishop of Canterbury (seen above in the photo) who performed the ceremony. Men, do not, we repeat, do not allow your eyebrows to become out of control like the Archbishop’s! Maybe he can get away with it, but you cannot. If you need help, look on YouTube for many tutorials. There are also many products on the market to help tame those caterpillars. Here’s a link to some great manscaping tools for all parts of the male body. For women the problems can range from too bushy to non-existent eyebrows. Any salon can wax your eyebrows and give you great arch. You can also pluck with tweezers. Just be careful with both of these not to overdo it. If you need fuller eyebrows due to over tweezing, look for eyebrow kits to help fill in that area. Avoid the pencil drawn on look and go for a powder eyebrow kit. The look is much more natural. Also ladies, if you color your hair, make certain that your brows match your hair color! Many times we color our hair lighter, but forget about our dark brows. This can be very aging. Your hair dresser can make your brows match if you just ask her!

Moving down to the middle of your face let’s take a good look at your nose and ears. Is there anything growing out of your nostrils or your ears? If you can answer “yes”, get yourself a nose and ear trimmer today! Many models are available at any drug store and most are less than $20. If you have this problem, chances are no one is going to tell you, but there is a huge “ick” factor associated with hair coming from the nose and ears. No excuses, just fix it today!

Next in our journey down the face is the mouth area. Men, first and foremost, we do not recommend facial hair in the professional work place. However, if you insist on facial hair, it must be well groomed and maintained to the highest standards. Also keep in mind that if your hair growth is a different color than your beard growth it can be quite aging. Avoid this by using any number of products available such as Blackbeard for Men to keep your beard color and hair color the same. For women, unwanted facial hair can be an embarrassing problem. Most times unwanted hair growth in older women is a normal condition that comes with aging. Sometimes it's because of genetics and is passed down through generations. But sometimes it’s caused by a medical condition such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). If you suspect this, consult with your physician. You do have options to remove this unwanted hair from above the lip or on the sides of the face. For the upper lip you can tweeze, wax or have it permanently removed with lasers. Waxing is probably the easiest way. This method takes care of the hair for about 4 to 6 weeks and can be done at any salon. If you have hair on the side of the face, you can use a precision groomer. You can also have all of it permanently removed with lasers. Laser hair removal can be costly and takes approximately six to eight sessions. The energy of the laser destroys the hair bulb. This method must be done by a licensed professional who is trained to do this procedure.

Skin tags or raised moles can appear as we age. If these have begun appearing on your face, consult with a dermatologist. There are many procedures that can take care of these problems. Just don’t ignore them.

Now go take that close look at yourself in the mirror. Be certain that your face is your “money maker” every day!