Looking for a job? Hoping to get promoted?  Want to get noticed by that special someone?  It won’t happen if your style is "basic" and you look like everyone else. Don't buy into outdated information that tells you to wear a conservative suit and accessories.

In today’s economy, we want a self starter; someone who is pro active; a mover and shaker who is worth her weight in gold.

The woman on the left wears the ubiquitous blazer-style suit. It is very ordinary in terms of both style and color. Pastels do not convey power; they make you look wimpy and passive. A single strand of pearls make you look even more demure. Save them for Sunday School.

When choosing a suit, look for a style that is distinctive and in a style that flatters a woman’s hourglass figure. Dark colors convey authority, and you have many more options than a man has. Black, charcoal and navy are “their” colors, but you can branch out into deep shades of royal purple and royal blue. True red and cherry red, fuchsia, magenta and dark emerald green or racing green are also good color choices.

The man on the left is older, giving him a slight edge, because of implied experience. However, he wears an invisible tie, taking away any edge he may have had. A man’s tie is his power tool, and it’s also what distinguishes him from other men in suits and ties. The white shirt and “matching” tie look blah and make him appear indistinguishable.

In reality, neither man looks powerful. The younger man wears a pastel pink tie, and while it’s not invisible, it doesn’t suggest power or authority. He has a “fashion” look as opposed to a “boardroom” look. He could be a museum curator or work in an art gallery. It’s a refined and pleasant look, but it suggests an artistic streak rather than a power look. The darker the color, the higher the authority, so the pale grey suit needs a power tie to convey any authority.

There are a lot of things wrong with this picture, but here's the most serious error of all, and it has to do with focal point. The face must always remain the focal point, and something is wrong if we're compelled to look down at your feet.

The woman on the left wears boots that look so dated and clumsy that they catch the eye. The woman on the right wears bright yellow shoes that don't seem to belong to the rest of her outfit, so they also catch the eye and will command attention intermittently. Not a good idea if you're engaged in serious communication or negotiations.

What else is wrong?

Look at the woman on the left and you’ll see that she wears no makeup, no accessories and has stringy, unprofessional hair. Her skirt is too long, so it makes her look dowdy, and her blouse is uninteresting and powerless. Additionally, boots often look cumbersome when worn with a skirted  business suit. Check your mirror to see whether or not your boots become the focal point or if your face does.

The woman on the right looks professional and dynamic, even though the outfit she’s wearing is literally “a dime a dozen.”  When that’s the case always set yourself apart from others by having great accessories – a brooch, bold earrings or a bold Omega necklace, for example. This woman’s hair looks very professional, and the woman on the left could take a cue from her and pull her hair back when she’s having a bad hair day or a bad cut. Black classic pumps would be better than the yellow ones.

This man has a lot going for him. He is handsome as well as slim and toned, so he looks great in his dark navy blue suit and slim-fit shirt in French Blue. However, there are a few things that need tweaking.

First of all, the belt buckle is too large and sporty looking. A classic belt that is worn with a business suit (see photo above) should be more discrete than the one our executive wears, and it catches the eye because it’s so shiny and large. On the positive side, his tie falls at just the right distance. However, he’s committed a classic faux pas with his tie.

Our executive’s tie would be more effective if it had a pattern, because a gentleman never wears a solid color tie when his suit and shirt are also in solids. It comes across as unimaginative and smacks of a uniform of some kind rather than the look of an executive. Of course, he could wear a blue and white striped shirt and solve the “blandness” problem.

The best solution, however, is a tie in a contrasting color; yellow with blue stripes or small repeating patterns. Another good choice would be a tie in the red family, including, magenta, burgundy, plum or raspberry (see raspberry tie in photo above).

Lastly, in terms of body language, this “gunslinger” pose can be construed as confrontational; but it can also have an element of suggestiveness. It depends upon whether you are a man or a woman who is encountering this man.

Kate Middleton, the enchanting wife of Prince William, has a very good eye for style, and she knows what suits her. Nevertheless, every now and then she picks something that doesn’t flatter her perfect hourglass figure. Most often, Kate shows off her tiny waist. However, the suit on the right makes her figure appear so straight that she looks almost boyish.

Kate is known to prefer garments with V-necklines, perhaps because they accentuate her slim waistline. However, the rounded cowl collar of the two-piece suit looks matronly. The “sloping” hemline of the skirt also misses the mark, because it creates a rounded arc, which makes the young Duchess appear bow legged.

Cowl collars are difficult for women of most ages. If you’re past forty, you definitely want to avoid them, because of their inherent matronly look. Wearing a cowl collar if you’re under thirty may result in looking as if you’ve borrowed your mother’s jacket. If you’ve got jackets with cowl collars, have your seamstress remove the collar and turn your jacket into a collarless V-neck design.

If your legs are as slim and shapely as Kate Middleton’s, stick to pencil skirts so you can show them off. Fuller skirts slim the legs, and they’re a good choice for women who want their legs to look slimmer.

-------- Oxford Blue --------------- Original French Blue --------- Current French Blue -------

Former French Prime Minister Alain Juppé was the first person to have worn a business dress shirt (center shirt) in a shade of blue several times darker than the classic Oxford blue. It was about 1995, and my Belgian husband Stefaan and I were living in Brussels at the time. I noticed how attractive the shirt looked, and also how flattering it was to Juppé’s skin, so I went to nearby shops to purchase one for my husband. The only blue shirt available was Oxford blue, so on our next tip to Paris we found one. Christian Dior had the only one available and Stefaan guarded that shirt ferociously until it finally wore out. That’s it in the middle, and the reason you see only the back side of this shirt is because over the years the front has faded slightly.

Within a year or two, the popularity of the color had grown and it became known as French blue. It was available in Brussels, not just Paris, so Stefaan bought more of these lovely French blue shirts. On the left you’ll see a classic Oxford blue shirt, which is quite pale. In the middle is my husband’s slightly-worn original French blue shirt, which I showed to male clients so they would know what color to look for when shopping for a French blue shirt of their own.

To the right is today’s classic French blue shirt from Brooks Brothers. The one thing you’ll notice about a French blue shirt is the very subtle purple undertone when compared with other blue dress shirts. Royal purple got its name for good reason: it’s a regal color, and it gives French blue shirts a very classy look.

Over the years, the French blue color got darker and darker, until today what is called French blue bears no resemblance to that original shirt from Dior. In fact, most men wear a version of dark blue that is too dark to look businesslike. Please note, that the shirt on the right is the very darkest French blue a man should wear with a tie and business suit. That’s because darker shades look gangsterish. They also make classic red or yellow ties look very bright and garish, because their color is intensified when placed next to the dark blue. Unless you want to be known as the man who wears garish colors, use darker shirts only as sport shirts.

Many men with light brown hair are drawn to brown suits or sport jackets. However, the first rule of thumb to remember is that you never match your garments to your superficial appearance. That is, unless you're a spy and want to go completely unnoticed.

The second rule of thumb is that your tie must make a statement, and in order to do that, it needs contrast. Thus, the dark brown plaid jacket in the photo on the left looks dreary when compared to the photo on the right. The “matching” brown paisley tie is a poor choice in terms of both color and pattern.

Paisley patterns are too “girlie” to ever look businesslike, and you should never wear a brown tie with a brown jacket. Two strikes and you are out, so this man doesn’t look like a winner.

Blue is business personified, so it takes the sport jacket up several notches, especially when paired with a power tie in dark burgundy. If your closet is host to brown suits or jackets, resist the urge to wear them with an ivory shirt and brown tie.

“It seems there’s no limit to where a makeover can lead!” This was a remark made by Mary Ann after a weekend Stiletto Camp. She continued, “I was very empowered and energized by your Stiletto Camp. I bought a few key pieces to get going in the right direction and applied all the principles you conveyed. I’ve continued to get positive feedback, and I sense an attitude shift both in myself and in others towards me.

“The people I saw every day at work took me for granted. Once I made the image changes, as I came in contact with new people, they took me seriously. It didn’t take long for my old associates to see me as a “wow” person who had all these great ideas and tremendous energy. I also saw myself with different eyes. I needed to change on the outside, but I never suspected I would also change so much on the inside after a makeover. It actually gave me laser-sharp direction to move in.”

In fact, Mary Ann was so inspired that she reformatted her resume and was quickly in the running for a technical executive leadership position in her company. She went through three rounds of interviews and was summoned to the corporate headquarters to meet with the corporate leaders. She went to one more interview and was informed that she had the position! Indeed, there’s no limit to where a makeover can lead! she said.

The most impactful change was with Mary Ann’s hair. I used my ceramic flat iron to re-shape it into a more flattering line. Her hair was like most of the clients I see. It was layered too much, so it appeared choppy. Her bangs were non-descript, so that’s where I began first. Once they were “updated” I smoothed out her hair so it looked as if it were one length and not so choppy. I suggested she begin growing her hair to one length along the sides and back so that she could ultimately get a hairdo that was sophisticated but not difficult to maintain. I sent her photos to show to her hairdresser.

Because of subtle red highlights in her hair, Mary Ann was drawn to colors that usually appeal to redheads, such as her lime green shell and orange scarf. “I didn’t bring any clothes to the session,” she explained, “because they’re all too big and I’m sure none of them are right for me anyway.”

She was probably right. Lime green and orange turned out to be her worst colors. She looks better in their polar opposites, violet and emerald green or royal blue.

Mary Ann discovered that her black suit was great, but that she needed to wear makeup and accessories with black to bring out its most positive characteristics: “big city” panache and high authority without intimidation. Lipstick made an immediate and dramatic difference, because it truly made her face the focal point. As always, the right foundation and blusher color gave uniform color to Mary Ann’s face and made her skin look more youthful and natural. Bolder earrings also bring out the best in big city black. I hid most of her scarf for the photo, because orange and lime green look harsh next to black.

Mary Ann discovered that you can make a new “first impression” if you make truly powerful changes with your image. Dramatic changes are normally scary, and Mary Ann admitted that having four other women in the two-day Image Boot Camp she attended made it easier. “We had a chance to go home and let things settle in before moving on to the next step the following day. And it was great seeing the other women going through the same “turmoil” I was! We all cheered each other on.”

Both #1 and #2 are fashion looks and not power looks, because of the color of the shirts worn. The dark brown shirt, in particular looks gangsterish with the white tie. The red shirt and matching pocket scarf look fashionable, indeed, but this look is for someone in a very creative field and not a competitive business arena.

The man in #3 (on the right) appears businesslike except for his jeans, so this look is also for a creative arena. In addition, everything he wears is in a solid color. At least one of the three items worn (shirt, tie, jacket) must have a pattern so as to not produce a monotonous look. A striped shirt or suit, or a tie with patterns would suffice.

A man’s shirt sleeve should extend one-half inch (.5cm) below his suit sleeve. In the photo left, the white lining of his suit jacket is showing, so his shirt sleeve is obviously well above it. The jacket of the man in the center photo is too long, and his extended hand reveals an arm instead of a shirt.   The man on the right has no visible shirt cuff, so his shirt sleeve is too short or he is probably wearing a short-sleeve shirt. Short-sleeve shirts are never acceptable for business attire. Furthermore, jeans are out of place with a jacket and tie in a formal business setting.

All three women above are beautiful and elegant - and they all have some sort of bob. In the middle, you see Patricia Arquette with the original and classic bob. All the hair is one length.

Gwyneth Paltrow's bob (at left) is the American and British version, and it's a takeoff on the Vidal Sassoon look - longer in the front and shorter in the back. Heidi Klum's bob is in the French style and has pointy layering that frames the face.

Which hairstyle is best for you?

The classic bob is a little dated looking, even though it remains popular. If you have any shortcoming around the jawline or chin, don’t go for a bob this short, because it draws attention to the chin and will make it look longer and/or or more pointy. It’s better to do the classic, one-length bob in a shoulder-length style.

My favorite bob is the French version, right, because it frames the face so beautifully and looks the most natural. If you want to make your face look like a perfect oval, this is the style for you. It can be worn with or without bangs/fringes, but the angled side-part bangs look great with this bob.

The English bob, left, looks much more stylized, so it doesn’t shout “natural.” It works best with hair that is straight with good body so that it doesn’t look stringy. Unless you have very good features, this may not be your best choice. If your face is very angular or pointy, this style will accentuate the fact.