What Your Business Accessories Say About You
What do your business accessories say about
you?
For most women (or men), they don't say much. Accessories
are often an after thought, thrown together without a
plan. So when you do meet someone who's got her act
together, it often leaves an impression...a very favorable one
at that.
Most image experts agree that you should allocate 40% of
your clothing budget to accessories. If that seems high,
remember that these well-chosen appointments can last for years
with routine care. You'll also probably be wearing them
more often than your wardrobe items, and some --like handbags
and shoes-- may see use everyday. If you choose wisely
and use clothing capsules, you'll only need a
few pieces to coordinate with your entire wardrobe.
One of the most telling descriptions I've read about
accessories comes from John T. Molloy's "New Dress For Success"
(Warner Books, 1988). Here's what he wrote in his
observations about accessories for men:
"There are very successful men in this country who wear
expensive suits, expensive shirts, expensive ties, and who
drive expensive cars. Some of these men are
$200,000-a-year pimps, some are $200,000-a-year
executives. Without seeing them, but merely having
their major articles of clothing described as expensive, we
would find it difficult to distinguish between these two
groups. By describing their accessories, we would
know the difference immediately."
So what's my point? That the business accessories you choose are very
revealing--whether you realize it or not. Depending on
where you work and the impression you want to make,
"appropriate accessories" can mean different
things.
Here are some guidelines:
Jewelry
Jewelry can be either an asset or a deterrent, depending
on the situation.
As a general rule, try to avoid pieces that clank, make
noise, or are overly-cute when conducting business, unless
you happen to sell those types of items. The dangly
earrings and clunky bracelet will pull attention away from
what's being said.
Handbags
Years ago, any woman who considered herself fashion
savvy would perfectly match the color of her handbag to her
shoes and hat. Today the rules are a little more
flexible, but do call for some coordination. Again,
if you follow the clothing capsules concept, you should be
able to span the seasons with only a couple of handbags
Shoes
While casual footwear seems to be making its way all
over these days, appropriate business shoes still call for
a closed toe style worn with hosiery (or socks).
Debate this if you want, but know that women who wear hose
with closed toe shoes repeatedly test as being more
credible and of more influence than women who wear no hose
and open toe shoes.
Want to boost your credibility? Follow this simple
rule.
Hose
As mentioned above, hosiery of some sort-socks, tights,
knee-highs, pantyhose-should always be worn when conducting
business. In test after test, women who wore no hose
were viewed as being less credible and having less
authority than their hose-wearing counterparts. Some
also reported receiving more sexual innuendos when they
went without hose. Bottom line: wear
hosiery.
Briefcase
"Definition of an expert: Someone from out of town
carrying a briefcase." -- Anonymous
I've heard this saying many times, and while it may or
may not be true, there's no denying that a briefcase
carries a lot of clout. If you regularly transport
documents in your line of work, a briefcase could come in
handy...and boost your credibility to boot.
If you haven't given your business accessories much thought
up to this point, now's a great time to review your accessory
inventory. Consider how your accessories are coming
across to others, and make sure they're saying whatever it is you
want them to say.
=======================================================
Need more help in building your
business accessory wardrobe? Grab a copy
of Business Wear
Magic by author and
image consultant Diana Pemberton-Sikes to
discover how to increase your income
by dressing appropriately for your line of
work. You can find it online at
www.fashionforrealwomen.com
.
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