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.

The ubiquitous blue tie needs to disappear from the halls of power. It isn't a power tie!! It's a country club tie - its origins are the Deep South, where it's hot and that cool blue shade presumably makes you feel cooler. Mr. President, this tie doesn't make a statement. Furthermore, wearing a blue tie with a blue suit is unimaginative. A red tie with blue dots or other patterns would be much better.

A red tie with a blue suit shouts power and authority. Let's see more of this!

That's a lovely yellow jacket - the beautiful trim adds a lot of oomph and style. This is the perfect yellow for you; it's a soft chiffon yellow. Buttercup yellow, canary and mustard yellow are all warm shades of yellow and wouldn't suit you. Mustard yellow is also very drab and dreary looking. Your suit is a cool shade of yellow.

The suit on the right has overall warm tones, so it's not nearly as flattering to you.

There's that fabulous black suit with the wonderful ruffly blouse underneath. Take a look at the black and white suit on the left, however, and you'll see that there's lots of ivory in that pattern, rather than pure white. Black and white tweed or checked patterns look grungy when ivory is paired with black. Plus, you're so much better in cool colors.

My feeling is that the line of the suit on the left is a little out of whack. With the length of the jacket, it would be better with an elongated collar instead one that spreads out too much horizontally.

Dear Mr. President,

There you go again wearing the ever-popular baby blue tie. It may have been popularized by President George Bush, but this is a Palm Beach look, not a power  look. Ties should talk; instead, this one puts you to sleep. Just like a baby in a pastel blue room. Now you know why babies' rooms are always painted in pastel tones. Bold colors are too exciting for babies to sleep.

Your purple tie is elegant and awesome. I'd like the purple-striped tie better if the patterns were reversed. That is, if the thin stripes were silver and the dominant color were purple instead of silver. That way, there would be more contrast with your shirt, and the tie would pop. This tie would work if you wore it without a jacket and with a French blue shirt.

Dear President Obama,

Love that raspberry tie! I consider raspberry the "new red" because it's both powerful and regal. Nothing beats a red tie for pure undiluted energy and power; but remember, purple is part red and part blue. Purple is also regal - think "the King's robe."You can't  have too many navy blue suits and red-family ties when you're President of the United States.

Please give up grey ties. They just don't rise to any occasion - nor are they Presidential.

Madam Secretary,

You look so beautiful in the photo on the left. Your hair is lovely, and so is your suit and that face-framing blouse.  It's wonderful to see you in more feminine styles. Those blazer suits sometimes look severe; plus they don't usually flatter your figure or your persona.

That orange blazer suit on the right is probably the one you wore after the campaign, and because of the bold blue background that was chosen that night, it didn't look so bad. However, without the blue background to bring out color on your face, this orange color pales you out and makes you look anemic. Leave orange for the Marlboro man; it's a masculine and aggressive color.

One last tip: when you pull your bangs back and away from your face, it's not as flattering as with bangs, as in photo left.

Dear President Obama,

White shirts are very formal, so they always require a power tie, and pastel ties can never qualify as power ties. It's particularly important to take your tie into consideration when you remove your jacket, because there's always a loss of authority without a suit jacket. Thus, it's doubly important to avoid a washed-out tie.

Also, it's doesn't look good to see your T-shirt peeping through your shirt. If it's comfort you want, choose one of the new T-shirts that are designed to keep you cool. That way you'll LOOK cool, too. This doesn't look cool.

It seems that most designers are pushing the Maxi skirt. It didn't look good the last time around in the Seventies, and it won't look good now. First of all, if you're trying to wear it as a business suit, it will create a long straight line - and straight lines are forbidding and masculine. Women look better in lines that are more in keeping with their hourglass figures. Knee-length skirts look the most pleasant and attractive.

Most importantly, it is acknowledged that skirt lengths reflect the state of the economy. We don't want our skirts going down at this time, do we!! It's our patriotic duty to ban the maxi! Join me.

Madam Secretary, the photo on the left is simply fabulous! Your hair looks youthful, sophisticated and pretty. Your colors are perfect as well; and it's a fabulous necklace. In the middle photo, the suit is a winner, but your hair is pulled back from your forehead too much. It will look so much more flattering when you coax your bangs into place with the little "pompadour" lift like in the photo on the left.

I'm not wild about the beige suit. First of all, it's a boring style that shouts "daddy jacket." Give up this style, it's not for you! Secondly, it's an ordinary style, and you're an extraordinary woman. Third,  it isn't your color; it makes you look powerless and washed out. I don't mind your hair pulled back because your face has a good balanced shape. You look younger and prettier in the photo left, however.