One of my clients is a Senior Vice President in a progressive organization. For example, women can skip the hose and wear sleeveless tops and dresses. She wears 3 inch heels. The reasons it does not matter for her is one, the culture and secondly her clothing choices are tailored so that the heels are not even noticeable.

However, in very conservative organization, that may be a problem as well wearing clothing choices that appear too trendy. It might lack the professionalism you want.

Fortunately, there are many shoe choices that offer a smart look without three-inch heels. Stuart Weisman has a great kitty heel pump that is classic and rich looking without sacrificing comfort or needing to make trips to a podiatrist later on.

The challenge for wearing tee shirts are that, in general, they are made in very lightweight cotton and can look like athletic and sleepwear.

But, now, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Donna Karan have them in fine cotton and silk. These shirts do have a dressier and more polished look. However, wearing them makes it very difficult for senior management to police the difference between the very casual cotton and silk materials.

Maybe, the organization could help by allowing one day a week that tee shirts would be allowed. Further guidelines could be that shirts must not have any wording on them and that solid colors work best. Wearing tees with jeans or twill pants would be fine for casual days.

Ladies, do not wear tees with leggings or capris. That is too casual but capris would work for an outdoor event.

Boots are here to stay, short, long and mid, throughout the year for women. We see them with high, mid and low heels. They are being worn not only in the winter but in the spring and summer. It is important for them to keep their shape and be fresh to preserve the leather or suede.

The cost of good boots, even on sale, range from $75.00 up to $1600.00 for Valentino boots. First of all, before you even wear them, leather needs to be polished and a preservative spray needs to be applied on suede and cloth boots. When not wearing them, have a cedar shoe tree inserted in each one along with boot shapers for the knee length ones. If you follow these tips, your boots will be walking for a long time.

Often, clients will tell me that they cannot mix gold with silver…that earrings, necklace and bracelets need to be in the same metal. I ask them to think about mixing metals in a smart way. For example, gold earrings can be worn with a silver necklace. To help make the transition, wear a necklace that has gold in it or wear the same metal color for the accessories (necklace and earrings). Mix it up with bracelets and rings. I wear my dad’s yellow gold jade ring with a gold bracelet. My watch is gold and silver. My earrings and necklace are white gold. And it all looks great together!

When wearing capris at a casual pool party, the shoe we like is a sandal. Not everyone can wear them, though, because of a physical deformity of some sort. If you do wear a sandal, a pedicure is important. Neutral is best unless you have beautiful toes, then choose a color that will enhance the look of the sandal.

You can also wear white gym shoes. Not the heavy athletic ones though. Choose the brand, KEDS.

Years ago, men’s styles changed once every eight years. Today, they seem to change daily- men’s slacks especially. They have become narrower and sport a flat front for the younger man. There is very little break or the pant length just skims the top of the shoes.

There are definitely no cuffs on these slacks.

For the man who wears the traditional slacks with pleats and a fuller pant leg they do tend to have cuffs and a bit of a break in the length (which is considered a dimple on the slack).

Men do have a choice and it really depends on their audience wants and what they want to achieve with their personal brand.

Using a guest volunteer in a recent presentation, I wanted to demonstrate what worked well in her professional attire. I had commented how she was able to wear a necklace and earrings that complemented each other but did not match because wearing matching earrings and necklaces has gone by the wayside. Now, it is smarter to wear complementary pieces.

Have said that, there are exceptions, one being gem and natural stone pieces. Also, when wearing matching pieces, the earrings must be smaller.

The latest trend is personalization with names spelled out or initials on necklaces, bracelets, rings, tote bags, purses and even sweaters.

I think initials on a bag or on a necklace can be smart. My feeling is that personalized items are great to wear on weekends or if you are in the fashion and/or art field. And one personalized item is much smarter than to wear several items with your name or initials on it.

In the Midwest, a black tie event for men means a tuxedo. However, the trend has been moving toward an evening jacket in a color other than black. For the conservative man who wants to stand out, navy and burgundy have become options.

A good friend of mine who is very fashion forward wore one in a gold (not shiny) material. What is not recommended for a black tie event, is a plain black suit, even though I have seen some men wear them.

A black tie event for women does not always mean they have to wear a floor length gown. Tea length (slightly above the ankle depending on the height of the women) have become popular as have cocktail length (below the knee) dresses. A trendy option is the dressy top with a pair of palazzo pants but a dress will always look more elegant for a black tie event.