Aug 17
Tiger Woods doesn't feel very good about himself, and that's understandable. Instinctively, when a man wants to hide or crawl into a big black hole and disappear, he grows a beard - and occasionally a goatee. Think of Al Gore after the presidential election.
Of course, Tiger is also very vain, so perhaps he looked in the mirror and decided he didn't like the way he looked and shaved it off. I would agree that it makes him look like he has chubby cheeks.
Permanent link to this article: http://sandydumont.com/tiger-woods-hiding/
Aug 17
Bad Style vs. Good Style
Dear Secretary Clinton,
The jacket on the left is in a splendid color for you, but large polka dots are very whimsical, so not appropriate for a formal state occasion, nor for a person of your stature. In addition, big patterns always make a person look bigger; furthermore, big round circles suggest roundness. The best place for polka dots is with blouses or shells worn underneath a suit. The smaller the pattern, the more sophisticated; the bigger the pattern, the more whimsical.
In sharp contrast, the blue suit on the right is very slimming and elongating, because it is a solid sweep of color from head to toe. It can be dressed up or down, unlike the jacket on the left. Lastly, you look especially good in jackets that are worn open.
Permanent link to this article: http://sandydumont.com/secretary-hillary-clinton-good-bad-styles/
Aug 16
President Obama in VERY Casual Attire - and in Casual Atatire
Dear President Obama,
Where is your tie? As President of the United States, you don't need to dress down for any occasion. You are there to represent the office of the President of the most powerful country in the world. Just as an expert speaker wears a tie (but not a jacket) when he does a workshop at a weekend retreat where the dress code is "casual." He walks into the room with a powerful presence and commands immediate authority. He doesn't "offend" the audience by not dressing in khakis and a polo. When you're the "outside expert" you don't dress for so-called "rapport" - you dress to impress!
Wearing a white shirt with a blazer and no tie sends a mixed message. A white shirt is the most formal of all, and it begs for a tie. It is a classic example of "business casual" but the jacket must not be removed, because then, the white shirt looks like a fish out of water when its tie is missing. A French blue shirt, on the other hand, does not look so out of sync without a tie - with or without a navy blazer.
My suggestion: wear a French blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a striped business tie. You are there for business, not to attend a picnic. In my corporate workshops, I show side-by-side photos of a man in a French blue shirt with navy blazer and no tie, and the same man in the same shirt, but worn with a tie. I ask the audience which man has the most capability and authority. The man with the tie gets 90% of the votes every time.
Please note that your staff, and many audience members wore ties out of respect for you. They also get it when you dress to impress them !
Permanent link to this article: http://sandydumont.com/president-obama-wheres-your-tie/
Aug 07
Fuchsia is a regal color, as Princess Charlene of Monaco proved in grand style. Jewel tones are the rage this year, and none is more flattering to women than fuchsia. It's feminine, flattering and fabulous. What more can you ask for.
One fashion journalist derided the style of the young Princess, but I think her style is elegant. And she dares to wear bold colors, unlike many women who prefer an "understated" look. As Susan Catherine noted, "Dressing in understated good taste is the same as playing dead."
Permanent link to this article: http://sandydumont.com/princess-charlene-fabulous-in-fuchsia/
Aug 04
Today I received one telephone call and one email about wearing a suit in hot weather. Both women live in very hot climates and don't want to wear a suit jacket in the summer. Here's my advice to them. If you work in a very competitive field, like financial services, you still need to wear a jacket, but choose one in lightweight cotton, perhaps with short sleeves, and a collarless neckline. Collars are the hottest part of a suit in my opinion. In reality, if you wear a very plain cotton shell under your suit jacket, you can remove your jacket as you drive or take public transportation to work.
Here's my suggestion for those of you in less competitive fields. Wear lightweight scoop-neck shells in power colors like ruby red, deep royal blue, navy blue, red, black, fuchsia and magenta. Power up your shell with chunky hoop earrings and other accessories - including leather belt, a brooch or dynamic necklace.Wear your shell with lightweight slacks (so you can definitely skip hose) and nice shoes. Jogging shoes may be comfy but they will make you look klutzy when you wear them with work clothes.
Whatever you do, resist wearing a sporty-looking top such as a polo shirt. You're either dressed for business or for sports, and you owe it to yourself to protect your brand.
Permanent link to this article: http://sandydumont.com/what-to-wear-in-a-heatwave/
Jul 24
There’s been a lot of talk and even furor over Kate Middleton’s sheer and shimmery pantyhose. Some women have taken an oath to never wear pantyhose again, and they are up at arms over the situation. Pantyhose sales are up and women are emulating the stylish Duchess. “Don’t give in,” these “liberated” women cry in unison.
A word to the wise, however. Don’t be too quick to give up your pantyhose, because there are certain advantages to wearing them. This is the case if you’ve got visible “distractions” like spider veins, bulging veins, or skin so pale it looks like skimmed milk (far left photo). These are serious distractions that will cause the eyes to be riveted to your legs, but not for good reason. In reality the shimmery pantyhose that Kate Middleton wore are a bit of a distraction because of their unusual sheen. Legs simply don’t have that much sheen on their own. I’d much rather see the Duchess wearing ultra sheer pantyhose without the shimmer. The more “natural” your legs look, the better.
That's because, ultimately, the human eye is drawn to anything that seems out of the ordinary. Nearly everyone has little laugh lines and a bit of a double chin, so these things are not judged to be unusual and we skim right over them. However, splotchy skin is not the norm, so we’ll take note of imperfections on the skin anywhere, including the legs.
What’s a girl to do? There are several options. Get a tan on your legs at the beach or in a tanning salon; or spray a tan on. It doesn’t have to be more than a shade or two darker. All that’s necessary is to even out the color. At the same time it camouflages any protruding veins.
Ultimately, if your legs look as if you could be wearing pantyhose, you don’t need to wear them. However, if you’ve got major distractions, you’re doing yourself a disservice by not camouflaging your imperfections in some way. You’re not actually “liberated” when you have to worry about whether your broken capillaries or bulging veins are the center of attention when you sit down to meet with your peers.
Permanent link to this article: http://sandydumont.com/kate-middletons-pantyhose/
Jul 19
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.
Permanent link to this article: http://sandydumont.com/from-drab-to-to-dynamic/
Jul 18
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!
Permanent link to this article: http://sandydumont.com/obamas-boring-blue-tie/
Jul 11
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.
Permanent link to this article: http://sandydumont.com/hillary-yes-to-yellow/
Jul 08
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.
Permanent link to this article: http://sandydumont.com/hillary-tale-of-two-suits/
