Business Rockstar Image

Here is the 2nd piece in our 4 part series of guests bloggers!! This one comes from Laura Hunt, President and CEO of Freeway Fashion. This weeks topic- ROCKSTAR IMAGE!!

BUSINESS ROCKSTAR IMAGE

Dress like a BUSINESS ROCKSTAR

By: Laura Hunt, President – Freeway Fashion What does image have to do with being a BUSINESS ROCKSTAR? Glad you asked.  Being a fashion and image consultant who has many clients with professional backgrounds, I can tell you image has a lot to do with being a BUSINESS ROCKSTAR.  Having a refined, stylish image is important.  It encourages others to take you seriously and lends credibility towards your overall demeanor as a professional. Of course, dress codes vary from company to company, but looking polished is always a fabulous rule to follow when it comes to being a BUSINESS ROCKSTAR! Below are more of Freeway Fashion’s simple business image rules.  Some may seem like a no-brainer and comical (to say the least), but you would be surprised at what I have seen sauntering though some of the finest corporate offices! WOMEN:

1. The clothes you would wear out to a bar are NOT the same ones you should wear for business meetings, the office or even fun, corporate functions.  Image is everything and you should keep that in mind; even if the event includes ROCKSTAR music and alcohol, there is a time and place for everything.

1. None of us want to walk around looking like we borrowed our grandmother’s skirts, but please, be mindful of your skirt lengths.  While you are seated, you want to be sure the majority of your thighs are covered. This generally means the skirt should fall about 2 inches above the knees. Also, be sure the skirt fits and is not so tight you have hard time bending over to pick up that pen you dropped standing at the water cooler!

1. Okay, now on to boobs!!! You knew this was coming, didn’t you? Sure we all know sex sells, and cleavage is ever-present in advertisements and marketing campaigns splattered across the Interstates. However, cleavage is not appropriate for business meetings and although people won’t admit to thinking this, it generally will make you look quite a few notches below your professional peers in intelligence level.  Trust me on this one.  I have talked with many men and women in the corporate world who feel this way.  Save your cleavage bearing ways for when it will count the most – like gaining free drinks at the bar!

MEN:

1. Please, please, please no wrinkles! Iron your shirts! A crisp clean button down and pressed trousers makes you look so much more polished than walking in like you just slept in your clothes.

1. Wear dark calf-length socks with your dress shoes.  So many men will put on white socks and that’s fine if you want to look like Cliff, the mailman from Cheers, but if you want to be taken seriously, opt for the dark socks.  Yes, something as small as sock color can make a difference!

1. Ties can make or break an outfit.  Business image etiquette says ties should be silk or silk-like in fabric.  Classic styles used to be the safe way to go, but if it suits your personality (no pun intended), go for a bright designer tie with contrasting colors.  Leave the cartoon ties at home unless again, it suits your personality or is fitting for the type of meeting you are in.  Like, if you work for the comic strip department at the New York Times.

Well, there you have it BUSINESS ROCKSTARS! Some very simple image rules to follow in the business corporate world.  As mentioned earlier, dress codes may vary from office to office and depending on the industry you are in, rules may change just a bit.  After all, in my book, some rules are made to be fashionably broken! * Founder of Freeway Fashion, Laura Hunt is a Fashion Stylist, Image Consultant and Fashion News Reporter.  She is also the Fashion Editor for AS*I*BE Magazine and Editor in Chief of Diva Drive, an online fashion news blog. To contact Laura, send an email to laura@freewayfashion.com Check out their website @  www.freewayfashion.com