What was he thinking?

The names of the men pictured below have been withheld, but one of them is currently governor of a state. Guess which one.

If you guessed the man in the attractive suit and tie, I’m sorry to have to tell you that you are wrong. Are you as shocked and dismayed as I am to see a current governor at an official event dressed in a horrid, worn-out denim jacket and drab olive sweater instead of properly representing his office, his state, and his colleagues at this event?  Even at ground-breaking ceremonies with shovels and dirt, men still wear suits!

What makes this scene even more egregious is the fact that this governor was there for a rally before election day.  How do you think the man on the left felt, running for election and having to be endorsed by…well, what looks like just some guy off the street who cares more about his own comfort than anyone else’s?

One of the biggest mistakes people make about “business casual” (in which this governor’s outfit doesn’t even remotely qualify), is to put their own comfort above those of their colleagues and clients.  It is arrogant to assume that you can dress any way you want and that people “won’t really care.”  Even if they can’t put it into words, people are affected by the way you dress, so you want to make sure they react to you in a positive manner!

Readers, what do you think about the manner in which this governor dressed at an election rally?

From left to right:

The woman on the left looks reasonably good. However, she looks like an entry-level greenhorn because of (1) her long teenage hair and (2) lack of accessories such as earrings and a belt. A little (3) lipstick would also give her a more professional and powerful look.

The man next to her (4) wears a white shirt with (5) jeans. White shirts are very formal and are usually worn with a dark power suit – or unbuttoned to reveal a hairy chest, a la Tom Ford, the fashion designer. Jeans do not even faintly resemble professional attire; and his wide belt is too sporty.

The woman in the middle (6) wears a shirt in a blah pastel, causing her to look washed out and passive. Her shirt is (7) not tucked in, so she looks like she is ready to do chores instead of working in an office. She (8) wears no accessories, such as a belt and earrings; and (9) teenage makeup (lip gloss).

The next woman has (9) teenage hair and (10) makeup. She wears (11) no accessories. She will be given the benefit of the doubt with regard to her white garment. It is possible that it is a dress; however, if it is a long top worn in the teenage style (hanging out below the length of the jacket), she would lower her credibility.

The man on the right wears his (12) tie too short, looking somewhat clownish as a result. He also wears his (13) trousers too low, giving a less classy appearance and also suggesting that he has a hanging paunch. The last item isn’t truly related to a professional look, but rather, to aesthetics, so it won’t be officially counted: he needs to let his hair grow a bit fuller at the ears and have it just barely cover his ears, somewhat like the man to the left. The current “line” of his hair is not flattering.

Lastly, everyone has (14) arms crossed. This will be counted as one error; because, no doubt, either the photographer or the group chose to have a uniform look. Crossed arms create a psychological barrier and can suggest any number of subtle but negative things. The woman in the center personifies the most common result. Rather than a full smile, she has a resolute look of inflexibility, suggesting that she won’t budge on her position.

Katie, there you go again. Another “new hire” look. This is so ordinary looking, it just isn’t you! You need to look as special as you are.

April 19th is Visit the hospital day. A few years ago I was interviewed for an article on dressing for success even when your dress code is scrubs (link here). The nursing profession is a noble one, and the uniform of a nurse sets them apart from other staff and alerts patients to the seriousness of their training and position—or at least it should. Wearing cartoon characters (unless you work in the pediatrics ward) has just the opposite effect and is a credibility killer for nurses.

Yesterday was the 50th birthday of an American Icon- Barbie!
There is a lot of controversy surrounding this American Beauty. She has been transformed so many times – from the 50’s hoop skirt and All-American girl to Disney Princesses; and now they are even giving Barbie Tattoos and body piercing.

Besides the issue of what kind of example that sets for our children, (just look at the famous “Barbie Twins” with admitted eating disorders and Sarah Burge, the self-proclaimed “real life Barbie” who has had nearly a half million dollars in plastic surgery to transform herself into what she sees as the “perfect” body). As an Image Consultant I am concerned when we see Barbie, who is supposed to represent All-American and youthful beauty, being transformed into something mainstream and low-class looking. Having tattoos and body piercing certainly will not help young people when it comes time for them to find a job. By making it appear so accepted that “even Barbie is doing it” we are sending the wrong message to our youth. We’re telling them that tattoos are acceptable for wholesome young women.

What do you think? In our society, are tattoos acceptable for an all-American young girl or woman?

US Airways pilot, Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger, known as “the pilot’s pilot” has been called a super hero for saving the lives of more than 150 people who were on board the plane he piloted January 15. As the entire world knows by now, his monumental skills and leadership capabilities were instrumental in his successful “crash landing” on the icy Hudson River. Landing on water is like landing on cement, and pilots throughout the world are in awe.

As the story unfolded, I couldn’t help but think of another “pilot” to whom the world be looking for momumental skills and leadership capabilities to steer the United States into safe waters.  Captain Sully proved that one skilled expert can be a source of inspiration and save the day.

Tomorrow, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.  I am counting on his innate and masterful leadership skills to guide and steer the country to safety.

As an image consultant, I can’t help but add that I am also counting on him and the First Lady to set the pace for image, per se. Both the Obamas have proven that you don’t have to spend a fortune to look plished and professional.

Shortly after the election, I wrote about the ineffective pastel blue ties that currently permeate Washington. Both President-elect Obama and VP-elect Biden wore pastel blue ties for their first press conference after winning the election. The blog was entitled “Barack Obama States that CHANGE IS COMING. If Only He Meant That Blue Tie!” Two weeks later, Wendy Donahue wrote an article for The Chicago Tribune entitled “Obama’s Call for Change Doesn’t Extend to His Blue Ties.” Hmm…Although I don’t mind the apparent parallels in our choice of words, I am troubled when she deems “powder blue as the new power red”.

While there may be an art to style, there is a definite science to color, and to color psychology. It’s time to face up to the fact that the baby blue tie Bush made popular is not a good choice for a strong world leader. It is a pastel, and pastels suggest passiveness. It is wimpy! It might be an appropriate tie to wear if you were an insurance salesman calling on the widow of your client, hoping that she would choose you to invest the money she received from your insurance company.  So a power tie would make you look too “businesslike” and less compassionate for her situation.

What President-elect Obama needs to project is strength to guide this nation through the tough times ahead. Just as young teens don’t really want their teachers to dress like they do for “identification,” neither do we need a president to dress sweet and kind given America‘s current situation. Teachers need to look big and strong so they can challenge bullies. Presidents need to do the same. The darker the color, the higher the authority, so a better “blue tie” would be a striped version with a small navy blue or black stripe alongside a wider stripe with a Chinese blue, for example, instead of the pastel blue that pervades the scene today. Chinese blue is super-friendly but not wimpy, and the dark blue stripe would give the blue greater substance and authority. I would also suggest Obama continue to wear navy blue suits; that would provide plenty of “blue for trust.” I salute his choice of a dark red tie, but true red ties are still appropriate for the Commander in Chief. Purple ties in classy shades are also a good choice, since purple is a regal color. Other good choices are the newer shades in the raspberry family, particularly those that are close to maroon.

The most effective way to make a statement with your outfit is by using color or accessories. Giorgio Armani states, “accessories are important and becoming more and more important every day.” Going out without accessories is like a robot look–it is bland, and the outfit often wears you instead of you wearing it. When you accessorize, you make your own unique statement with that outfit.To date, Michelle Obama hasn’t hired a personal stylist, but she is already becoming a fashion icon who chooses her clothes with confidence. Her style is classic with just a touch of flair, elegant but always approachable. Michelle also clearly has her favorites: favorite designers, favorite shopping haunts, and favorite accessories. She has a fabulous sense of style when it comes to accessories. I’ve seen her wearing a certain set of round colorful rhinestone brooches on a number of different public appearances. Best of all, Michelle’s clever use of brooches is completely wearable for any woman; she uses them to adorn the kinds of basics most women already have in their closets.

1. The large yellow brooch acts as the clasp for her classic black sweater set, and is flanked on either side with smaller but similar twin blue brooches.

2. The full J Crew ensemble where the bold print of her tank leads her to opt for the yellow brooch by itself.  (She has also worn the yellow sweater at an outdoor speaking event with a white shell and all three brooches set the same way as in the first photo.)

3. Wearing a simple fitted sheath, Michelle proves her savvy style by bucking the tendency to wear a brooch on the shoulder. She clusters the three brooches together along a corner of the squared neckline, and it makes quite a statement!

Quantum of Solace, the latest James Bond movie opened last weekend with the usual fanfare over technological and automotive innovations. This time around though, James Bond himself gets a makeover. Tom Ford, already accustomed to dressing actor Daniel Craig on the red carpet, was tapped to design 007 a whole new wardrobe.  The changes are subtle, but as Ford points out, “By dressing him in a very simple way, it accentuates that it looks simple on the surface but it isn’t. It’s a metaphor for the perfect suit — the construction that goes into a good suit is a lot of hours of handiwork, but you shouldn’t see any of that it the end result. It should look easy and natural and a part of you.”I found it interesting that Ford chose to put Bond in a shawl-collared tuxedo, rather than the classic peak lapel style that Bond usually wears (see “Casino Royale” and any of the older films). The shawl-collar is a curved, less masculine line, whereas the peak lapel accentuates the masculine, inverted triangle shape that we associate with men. Perhaps this choice reflects the deep emotional turmoil of this particular James Bond, still devastated from the ending of “Casino Royale”. His tuxedo is also a midnight blue rather than black, which I think is a good choice as it won’t drain his face of color the way that black can sometimes do. I suspect too, that Daniel Craig can get away with wearing a shawl-collared tuxedo because of his rugged good looks. Most men, however, would do well to stick with the classic peak lapels.

Casino Royale peak lapel style tuxedo 

Quantum of Solace shawl collar style tuxedo

On Sunday, Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes gave an exclusive interview with First-Couple-to-be Barack and Michelle Obama. Barack Obama looked very presidential in a black suit with crisp white shirt and deep red tie. This suit combination works well because it is a flattering and authoritative look for most men. I’m also glad to see he favors slim-cut suits which look better than traditional styles for men with his build. I would like to suggest though, that a more effective suit color would be navy blue. While black definitely denotes authority, it can also be perceived as austere and unapproachable. (So it’s a good thing the President-elect has such a warm and easy-going smile!) Navy blue confers the same authority as black, but with the positive element of trust. This is why police officers wear navy and not black, which might remind people of the Gestapo. When he wears navy the simultaneous contrast naturally adds more color to his face and camouflages the bit of gray he’s begun to show after his historic marathon race to the White House.  

Michelle beautifully illustrates this point of color in her classy navy sheath dress. She often chooses simple but elegant styles in solid colors that flatter her skin tone and light up her face. She has a high-fashion hairstyle and a bold multi-strand necklace (although she should try a larger pair of earrings to help frame her face). Her makeup is subtle, and just enough to show off her lovely smile and sparkling eyes. As far as body language, it is a breath of fresh air to watch a political couple who are obviously very much in love with each other (note the constant hand-holding). Their style of banter is intelligent, respectful and playful as they poke fun at themselves as well as Steve Kroft. They often look one another in the eye and show they are paying attention when the other is speaking.One last note: President-elect Obama forgot to unbutton his suit jacket while seated. (This would have prevented it from awkwardly bunching up during the interview.) As I’m sure he knows, a gentlemen always buttons his jacket when he stands, but he may unbutton it when he is seated.