Image and Etiquette
World-renowned colour authority Pantone Inc. has just declared Honeysuckle Pink colour of the year for 2011. Described as “a brave new colour for a brave new world,” watch for this vibrant, blushing pink to make its mark on everything from fashion and makeup to interior design.
Posted on December 15th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Body Image, Celebrities, Dress, Fashion, Image, Makeup, shopping | 1 Comment »
Clothing does send a message. But there’s an enormous side benefit to a well-groomed appearance and general sense of “dressing up” — it gives you a lift. Big time. One of the greatest advocates of this philosophy is my friend Bill Shaddy. As a former International HR Director at Pepsi, Bill knows “the right stuff” when it comes to stocking his closet. These days, however, things are a little more complicated. ill, I should explain, has been living with MS for the last 18 years and snaps are just easier than wrangling with a button and bitty hole. Rain or shine, Bill dresses up. His only concession is a stylish cane by his side.
Posted on October 26th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Body Image, Business Etiquette, Diane's Reflections, Dress, Image, Image Consultation, Menswear, Workplace Etiquette | No Comments »
Working with positive people is, indeed,
a blessing; they bring joy and brighten the day. It’s like a gift of sunshine.
Posted on October 24th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Accessories, Diane's Reflections, Food, Image Consultation, Social Etiquette | No Comments »
the real measure of Ms Sullivan’s Executive Presence is surely her grace under fire. The rebranding took place during extraordinarily challenging financial pressure: plummeting stock prices, selling off the men’s and kid’s divisions; criticism for overpaying for recently purchased casual retailer J. Jill. Throughout all this public scrutiny, Ms Sullivan and her team rolled out the rebranding and never lost their poise or their vision.
Posted on October 14th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Celebrities, Dress, Fashion, Image, Menswear, shopping, Womenswear | No Comments »
Creating the right image is a powerful tool for success. This is as true for corporations as it is for individuals. Over the last few months, I’ve been fascinated to watch as traditional retailer Talbots re-branded itself from a chain for conservative, some would say stodgy, sixty-somethings to a destination store for younger, hipper, edgier, career women.
Posted on October 5th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Celebrities, Fashion, Image, shopping, Womenswear | No Comments »
When it comes to air travel, anything more than a carry-on is counter productive. It’s not just the lost-luggage-factor that has most women wheeling, not carrying, a single bag onboard. The hassle, the time lost, and often our travel partners, with little or no patience for hanging around carousels, have conditioned even the most passionate [...]
Posted on September 8th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Accessories, Dress, Fashion, Image, shopping, Travel, Womenswear | 1 Comment »
In fitting rooms across the planet, “Does it make me look fat?” — is without a doubt the pivotal issue that makes or breaks a clothing sale. Ultimately, it’s a rhetorical question because the woman doing the trying-on will make the call herself. If she has even the slightest uncertainty that the garment doesn’t shave [...]
Posted on August 31st, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Body Image, Celebrities, Dress, Fashion, Image, shopping, Womenswear | No Comments »
When department store tycoon Gordon Selfridge opened his namesake store in London, over 100 years ago, his flair for marketing was apparent from the moment the front doors opened. As one of many innovations, he located the perfumery, or scent department as it was called then, adjacent to the main entrance to mask the smell [...]
Posted on August 26th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Business Etiquette, Communication, Diane's Reflections, Dining Etiquette, Food, Hair, shopping | No Comments »
In my book, eavesdropping is snooping. It may be accepted behaviour in spy novels and British mystery programs but unless your name is Inspector Poirot, eavesdropping is a no-no. Last week, I admit, I had an Inspector Poirot moment. Really. I couldn’t help myself because as I was having lunch outside at a local restaurant, [...]
Posted on August 12th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Accessories, Body Image, Business Etiquette, Dress, Fashion, Image, Womenswear | No Comments »
Image has a profound impact on both professional and personal life. When people are comfortable with the way they look, they are most likely happy, relaxed and self-assured. They even communicate more effectively. With this confidence comes the ability to set, manage and achieve personal goals.
I was reminded of the importance of this much needed, self-assurance component in everyone’s life when last week two emails, one from my colleague Catherine Bell and one from a client’s mother, reached my inbox almost simultaneously. Catherine sent me a recent article of hers entitled Look Beyond the Disability that touches upon the difference between how she’s treated when she uses a cane — necessitated by the late effects of childhood polio —and when she doesn’t. As I scrolled through Catherine’s article, my thoughts turned to my client Melissa Vassallo and coincidentally, an email arrived from her mother with news about an upcoming celebration.
Posted on April 25th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Body Image, Communication, Image, Social Etiquette | 1 Comment »
