Sneakers with Business Suits and Other Credibility Crushers

I received several emails asking the same question: "Where can we get wrinkle-free clothing?" The answer: travel clothing companies. Their clothes cost a bit more, but they're easy to maintain, coordinate beautifully, and resist wrinkles. Cool!

I also received several emails about my "What to Wear When" ebook that's in the works. Called OCCASION MAGIC, it continues the WARDROBE MAGIC series and will reveal a simple way for you to always know what to wear when, plus dozens and dozens of examples. Look for it soon.

Finally, it's come to my attention that more and more emails are getting filtered from getting to me. If you sent an email and I haven't responded, please try again. I try to get to everything within 24-48 hours during the work week, so if you sent me something and I haven't responded, chances are good that it's gone astray. Sigh.

So what's on tap for today's article? Clothing credibility crushers (say that three times fast!).

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Not long ago, as I was driving down Main Street, I happened to see a woman I know walking to a restaurant with friends for lunch. She was dressed in a nice business suit and looked lovely from the ankles up. What was on her feet? Ankle socks and tennis shoes.

The next time I saw her socially, I pulled her aside to tease her about the combination. She looked at me with a blank expression before exclaiming, "But Diana, that's what women in New York wear!"

Now true, this trend did originate in Manhattan. It was during the 1980 transit strike when women in the financial district ended up walking miles to their Wall Street offices because there was no other way to get there. Most abandoned the combination once the trains got moving again, but photos of New York business women in tennis shoes were splashed across the country's newspapers, and a trend was born that lasted throughout the 80's. By and large, it was "over" by 1990.

So let's all "turn a page" on this, okay? Forget the socks and sneakers with suits and opt for neutral-colored flats instead. They don't have to be expensive - a $15 pair from Payless Shoes is fine - so long as they're a simple style that will compliment your business wear. Wear them instead of the sneakers and watch your credibility skyrocket during commutes.

Stuart Weitzman
GothamCityOnline.com

It all boils down to human nature: we like shiny things and we're easily distracted. Give us a choice between a regular can and a dented one and we'll take the regular one every time. Tell us to peer out a window and we'll look at the scenery beyond - unless the window's dirty, in which case we'll notice the dirt instead.

If our attire is aesthetically pleasing and appropriate for the situation, they'll quickly surmise that we're "on the ball" and pay attention to what we have to say. If it isn't, they won't. They'll stumble on the defect - the dent in the can, the dirt on the window, the tennis shoes with the business attire, or whatever - and they'll continue to be distracted by that throughout the interaction.

It doesn't matter if we're at work, at school, in a social gathering, or the like, we seem to be riveted by the "what's wrong with this picture?" element. Depending on the situation, that offending element can damage our credibility.

Few people I know actually like to iron, but skip this maintenance step at your own risk. When the teacher wore a wrinkled shirt to a class I attended recently, one of the male students made fun of it at every turn.

Pack on a few pounds recently? Hey, it happens. But ignore the change and try squeezing into your old size at your own peril - particularly if you're going to be getting up in front of a crowd.

After running my daughter to the bathroom during a recent school association meeting, we reclaimed our seats and I asked the gal beside me what we'd missed. She chuckled. "We're laying odds that Jen's (the speaker) zipper will hold until the end of the meeting." What did Jen talk about? I have no idea.

Been putting off replacing some of your more expensive accessories, like a watch, a handbag, or a briefcase? See to it or risk snide remarks. When one of the "brag abouts" (brags about possessions, trips, income, etc.) I know showed up to an important meeting dressed well but toting a worn, dirty canvas bag for her papers, one of the others in the group felt unkindly compelled to remark, "What's the matter? Can't afford a REAL briefcase?"

An intelligent, articulate, well-funded 40-something professor I know -- who looks like a modern-day hippie and has no interest in clothes -- often teaches class wearing a t-shirt, sweats, and no bra. While attending a mixer with this woman and dozens of others in her department, I happened to overhear one of her male students say to another (after they'd both downed a few drinks), "Could you image her naked? Sheesh! I think my old man's right: when gravity takes over like that, it's time to trade the old gal in for a younger model."

Now I know it's hard to be "on" in your appearance 100% of the time. Crazy mornings, insane schedules, no time to shop, etc., happens sometimes. It's called life. But to cling to old trends (sneakers with suits, warmed-over hippie), squeeze into sizes that are too small, or ignore simple maintenance (ironing, replacing worn pieces) suggests to others that you're out-of-touch or just plain lazy. Not exactly a flattering picture, particularly if you're in a competitive field or situation (up for promotion, running for office, etc.)

So take a few minutes to ensure that you're presenting your best side before you walk out the door. Update the clothes, hairstyle, and makeup. Iron out the wrinkles, polish the shoes, and toss the worn pieces. Before you know it, people will start treating you with more respect. Try it for yourself and see.

Need some more help pulling together a polished look? Then download a copy of BUSINESS WEAR MAGIC

http://www.businesswearmagic.com

to see how easy dressing well for your industry can be.