Custom Clothing For The Corporate Work Place

It is awfully important to know what is and what is not your business. - GERTRUDE STEIN

I’m a self-made man, but I think if I had to go it over again, I’d call in someone else. - ROLAND YOUNG, Actor

It’s always better to be looked over than overlooked. - MAE WEST

Fourteen voice-mail messages after lunch. Thirty-two-mails to return. A PowerPoint presentation coming up in there weeks. There are enough pressures in the office these days without having to worry about what you wear every day. If you can maximize your wardrobe’s potential and learn the principles of smart dressing, you will remove (or at least reduce) a potential headache the night before an important meeting or lunch and can ease your mind so that you walk in fully prepared.

WORK EMERGENCY KIT: DESK
We all grew up with “be prepared” as a mail mantra. In adolescence we carried our “prepared” in our wallets and nowadays the less exciting jumper cables in the car. Being prepared is also good at work, especially since you never want to be unprepared for fate. So if you get a chance to shine be sure your shoes do, too. Always keep the following quick saves in your desk drawer.
- Clean white shirt pressed and wrapped from the cleaners
- A solid or tonal dark tie
- Deodorant- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- A comb- Disposable quick wipe shoe buffer
- Spare set of shoelaces- Spare set of collar stays
- Sewing kit from a hotel or travel kit
- Nail clippers- Eye drops
- Disposable razor and small travel shave foam

THE TIMES ARE CHANGING ARE YOU?
In the mid-90s, as the economy grew exponentially, many established companies embraced the notion of casual Fridays and some firms even abolished dress codes codes altogether. When you’re making that much money, who really cares what your employees are wearing to work?But as the economy started to turn, it was no longer acceptable to be so laid-black about one’s appearance. And when people began to lose their jobs, looking serious about work became a priority again. Consequently, people are showing up early, working late, and finding safety behind a jacket and tie. Or didn’t you get that memo?

WHO GOT THE MEMO? LOOK AROUND
Has the office dress code changed in the last few months? Have you even noticed? Look around. Has your boss stopped wearing khakis to work? Has a bohemian colleague shaved and cut his shorter? Are you the only one wearing jeans?Chances are, your colleagues have been dressing up again for work, and if you haven’t been, now is the time to dress smarter.

Now that you’ve been on the job for a while, it may be time to evaluate your career and your wardrobe: Are they giving you want? Or need?

ASSESS: ARE YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO BE?
Is your career going the way you thought it would? Are you doing the kinds of things that challenge you and make you happy? Have you stopped setting your alarm in the morning? If things are going well, where do you want to be five or ten years from now and will it take to get there?

Now look at you want to be, what is holding you back? Did you set unrealistic goals and expectations for yourself? Are you too hard on yourself? Too easy? Have friends been passing you by? Getting promotions? Taking on greater responsibilities? Is money as important as you thought it was? Is it more important than you care to admit? Is your wardrobe too junior now that you are more senior?

DEJUNK: WHAT IS HOLDING YOU BACK?
If you’re not where you want to be, what is holding you back? Did you set unrealistic goals and expectations for yourself? Are you too hard on yourself? Too easy? Have friends been passing you by? Getting promotions? Taking on greater responsibilities? Is money as important as you thought it was? Is it more important than you care to admit? Is your wardrobe too junior now that you are more senior?

RENEW: COMMIT TO THE GOALS YOU’VE MADE
Once you’ve determined what’s holding you back, it’s time to figure out what you want to accomplish next and how to get there. Find a mentor: Someone who can counsel you about your career and shoot straight without departments in your company or other companies altogether.Now take a look at your closet. Do you look like the people you admire professionally? Are they dressing with a certain authority that you respond to? Perhaps it’s time to look into another clothing investment to take your career to the next level.

BUILDING A CAREER WARDROBE
The reality is, a man could wear the same suit there times a week and on one would notice. A blue suit, if pressed or steamed properly, would look new every day if you paired it with the right shirts and ties, and occasionally threw in a sweater or two. By mixing up what you wear a striped shirt one day, then blue, then white, then a bold color you can stretch your limited wardrobe by buying suits of higher quality and being creative with the combinations. Although you may lack in quantity, you can now buy a finer suit that will last longer and follow you up the corporate ladder.

DON’T TAKE FRIDAYS OFF
Even if your office believes in casual Fridays, it doesn’t mean you have to. There’s no actual rule that says you have to look casual. And if you’re looking for a promotion or a raise, why risk looking laid-back on the one day that your boss may take notice of you? Think of yourself like a team looking to make the play-offs-you can’t let down in the stretch. So go the extra step to look your best when you want to move up. You never know who’s paying attention.

We remain with Best Regards,
E-tailor at www.mycustomtailor.com

Dressing In The Corporate World

Get the Job No Excuses

You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and nothing is more professional looking than a suit whit a shirt and tie. It’s strong, authoritative, and shows that you’re serious about what you do for a living. Is it enough to get you the job? Maybe not. But the proper attire will send the right message: You’re ready for business.

GIVING GOOD INTERVIEW

There are five elements to consider when preparing for an interview.Each one will get you closer to your ultimate goal.

1.Be confident. Perhaps no attribute is more important for an interviewee than confidence. It signals to the interviewer that you can handle responsibility, authority, pressure, and, above all, that you can deliver. And even if you don’t actually have confidence, there are some smart ways to fake it. Look the other person in the eyes when you firmly shake hands. Sit up tall. Be articulate. But mostly, just be yourself.

2.Be prepared. Anyone who’s ever been a Boy Scout understands the importance of this credo. If you want to know where the confidence comes from, it’s right here so know where the confidence comes from, it’s right here so know your stuff. Read up on the company and read up on yourself . Anticipate the questions you might be asked. Look into whether you and your interviewer have any people or hobbies in common anything to give you an edge.

3.Be Knowledgeable. By researching the industry and the company itself you will have intelligent questions ready it you’re asked. After all, you’re not the only one who is being interviewed here. You’re just the one without a job.

4.Be enthusiastic. What you may lack in experience, you can certainly make up for whit enthusiasm. Companies constantly need new blood, and that’s what you provide, so don’t be anemic. Your enthusiasm should be infections.

5.Be the man. Once you have the four other elements, you can focus on the outward presentation: Your clothes, your hair, your delivery. When you’ve got that nailed down, the job will be yours to lose.

HERE COMES THE GROOMING

Being the best-dressed man in the room won’t mean a thing if your hair looks dirty, you haven’t shaved, and your nails could earn you a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Grooming counts. Make sure your hair looks neat . As for facial hair, clean-shaven is always the safest way to go, but if you do wear a mustache or beard, keep it neatly trimmed leave the scraggly facial hair to the guys in ZZ Top. Nails, meanwhile, should be clipped at least once a month. Get yourself a nail trimmer and wash your hands regularly to get the dirt out. Finally, if you’re the kind of man you wear cologne, make sure that only those people who come in close contact with your neck know you wear it. The whole office didn’t agree to wear your scent.

THE DRESS REHERSALA

day or so before your interview, put your outfit on. Move around in it. Get used to sitting down in your suit or crossing your legs, anything that might be awkward. Does the jacket fit like you thought it would? Are the pants wrinkled? The idea is to be as comfortable as possible in these clothes, so you don’t get distracted.Next, make a list of all the things you want to bring to interview , and have some question you might have for your interviewer ready to go. All of this preparation will only fuel your confidence, and assuming you present your best self, then…well…

CONGRATULATIONS: THE SECOND INTERVIEW

Okay, so you made a nice impression, but now what do you wear the second time around? Clearly you need a variation on a theme here, so go for a different shirt-and-tie combination with the same suit. If you wore a white shirt on first interview, try blue second. Remember, the jacket is just the frame, the shirt and tie are the picture.

ENOUGH ALREADY. THE THIRD CALLBACK

Well, clearly it’s looking good. If you get asked back again, it’s almost always a sure sign that the job is yours. Usually the third meeting is with the boss himself, so be at the top of your game. Go back to the white shirt with your blue suit and try a different tie. Your suit’s been busy lately so make sure it’s pressed. The last thing you want to do is appear wrinkled in front of the boss.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER, ETC.

If one your interviews is scheduled for a meal, don’t lose your lunch over it. Yes, table manners will come into play, but the same rules apply: Dress just as you would for an office meeting. And whatever you do, don’t order a drink to relax yourself. Especially at breakfast.

BE PREPARED

Employers say that candidates who manage to land interviews are increasingly unprepared sometimes woefully so for the interviewing process, “Many can’t provide details to probingQuestions,” said Paige Soltano, senior partner for Bozell New York, an advertising agency. “if they tell you they completed a successful project at their old job, and you ask them why it was successful, they aren’t able to give you any details.”New York Times8/8/01“Each person is his own message, whatever medium he chooses.ROGER AILLES

We remain with best regards,

E-tailor at www.mycustomtailor.com