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
business 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.
Hosiery
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 accessories
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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