Sara Blakely’s Spanx began as the new version of a modern control tummy garment for women.They are the updated, modern version of girdles in many different forms. They have been wildly successful in providing products for women in helping them control their figures.

Now, Sara Blakely has designed Spanx for men. They come in two full tee-shirt and tank-top versions (http://www.spanx.com)and are gaining popularity in helping men keep their stomach’s flat In fact, the New York Times Sunday Style section just featured Spanx for men.

If you’re new to these garments, you might want to begin with the cotton compression tank. It’s easier to wear and does not feel so constricting. It will help minimize a slight tummy but it will not take more than two inches off your belt line. It is supposed to help flatten your tummy, improve your posture and support the lower back.

Women have had the advantage of Spanx for awhile, now. So, it’s about time men get to experience them.

Sleeveless tops and Capri pants are some challenges companies face because of the warm weather.

If you wear them, you might think that less clothing on a body will help you stay cooler. However, that’s not true.

The same reasoning goes if it’s cold outside and you want to stay warm. Wearing layers of clothing will not always keep you stay warm, either.

The key to staying cool or warm is fabric. Natural fabrics will help you stay cooler when it’s hot and keep you warm when you layer clothing.

Cotton and linen are great to wear when it is warm. Covering your skin in cotton will help retain moisture and protect you from the sun. The lighter the weave, the cooler it will be on your skin.

Layered heavyweight cotton will keep you warmer than polyester, rayon or viscose.

Cashmere and wool are also great fabrics to wear in the cold climates.

You can manage your temperature sensitivity by being aware of your fabric choices. When you do this you always be in control, no matter what the temperature.

We often see folks wearing jackets, sweaters and shirts that either should be buttoned or left unbuttoned. In the New York Times Sunday Style section, Bill Cunningham’s May 21st On the Street photos, showed men and women in cardigans, jackets buttoned and unbuttoned.

In the pictures you saw how some individuals buttoned their sweaters and jackets and some left them open. The following are some general guidelines to make sure you appear “fashion aware” instead of sloppy.

For men:

• Three button blazers: Button only the middle button.
• Two button blazers: Button only the top button.
• Double breasted blazers: Keep buttoned when walking but you can unbutton when sitting down.

For sweaters, leave the bottom button open, only button the top button, or do not button at all.

For Women:

• Jackets: Strategically button so that you look slim and smart.
• Sweaters: Whether they are long or short. cardigans, use the same strategy. Button them so you look slim.

Note: If you button all of the buttons on a sweater, always leave one open at the bottom.

When you button the correct number of the buttons on your jacket or sweater, you will look stylish and smart at the same time.

What does it take to be a member of the C Suite?

This is a question that comes up quite often. There are number of best sellers on the market that claim they have the secrets. I should know because I probably own most of them!

Here are my top six critical attributes if you aspire to the C Suite:

1. Work smart and hard
2. Know you belong as a member of the C Suite
3. Speak in headlines
4. Look the part (body language, facial expressions and clothing)
5. Understand the audience
6. Manage up
7. Have a good sense of humor
8. Always be ethical
9. Treat famous people like they’re not
10. Treat not famous people like they are

Most importantly, possess the drive and passion for what you do. That element almost alone, will propel you into the C Suite.

Google search came up with About 11,900,000 results to the question: Can you wear white before Memorial Day?

Traditional guidelines suggest one does not wear white before Memorial Day. This means white shoes (exception white gym shoes) slacks, coats, handbags, etc. Tell this to the folks under 40 and the fashion designers.

Today you can wear white before Memorial Day but it really depends where you live and what you’re wearing. White leather shoes designed to look like an athletic shoe but worn as a casual shoe, are being worn year round in warm climates. Other fashion hits this year have been white trench coats, ski jackets and jean jackets

So, now if you want to wear white before Memorial Day, pick a clothing item that makes sense. You never want to be the Fashion victim.

There is one rule, though— never wear white hose unless you are a nurse!

Hearing loss is not only for the older person. Because of ear phones, cell phones and loud music, many folks are having difficulty hearing. So, here are some things to remember to make sure you can be heard when you are having a conversation with someone who may have a hearing problem:

Do:

• Chose quiet area to sit in
• Make sure you are facing the person you are speaking to
• Maintain eye contact
• Speak slowly and pause after each sentence
• Ask questions twice
• Let them know when you are going to change the subject

Don’t:

• Sit near a door or near an entrance
• Shout at the person
• Turn your head away before you finish your sentence
• Change the subject without warning
• Be impatient when they cannot hear you
• Speak while they are speaking

If you follow these guidelines, communication problems will be minimized and conversations will flow easier.

Recently, it seems we have gone from casual clothing that’s too tight to clothing that appears too baggy. Casual clothing tends to be on the relaxed side. However, there is a significant difference between relaxed and baggy.

You know your clothing is too baggy when:

• Your jacket, shirt or sweater is falling off your shoulder by an inch or more
• The seat of your pants has an air pocket coming out of it
• You can grab an inch to an inch and half of material on the sides of your pants

Natural fabrics tend to lose shape, causing them to look baggy, if they’re not occasionally cleaned.

We never ever want to our clothing to look baggy. It is definitely not an in or a smart look.

It has been determined the growth of business in the U.S. will come from small businesses. As an owner of a small business one of the challenges I face is rejection. This is especially acute when I’ve worked hard to put together a proposal or responded to a casual inquiry from the internet.

No matter how long I’m at this, it is still hard when I don’t hear from people after they have promised a call. We take it harder because our reach for clients is not the same as a large corporation.

However, when we are the person doing the rejecting –do we make that call? If so, how do we to tell them we have hired another person? More often than not, we do the same to these folks that we don’t like being done to us.

So, I have made it a practice that once I realize that I will not be hiring a person I call them immediately. I thank them for the time they have spent learning about my needs.

I also mention that in the future if I know of someone who might use their services, I will mention their name. It has happened that I have given a vendor’s name that I didn’t use but that was a potential fit for another.

It is much more professional to be up front than not to call or e-mail at all.

It is easy for men because their jeans are 99% straight legs. That means they can wear sandals, boots and any type of shoe to dress up or down their look. Either the relaxed or fitted leg style works best for men.

For the gals, it not so easy. Here are some guidelines:

• The straight pant leg can be worn with flats, heels or boots.
• The slightly flared pant leg looks best with boots and a mid or high heel.
• The widely flared pant leg looks best with boots.

Color is what suggests the jean to be casual or dressy. A darker color without stress marks is considered dress. If you are going to wear jeans on a casual day at work, a darker color will always look more polished.

We always want to look smart and in with style even when wearing jeans.

How many times have you seen someone roll their eyes? They could be answering a question to you directly or answering a question in front of the audience. A Google search for “rolling eyes meaning” yielded 457,000 hits

Here are some of the writings from the internet:

• An expression of dismay or exasperation: actually or metaphorically moving one’s eyes to follow along an imaginary line of vision through the extreme range of the eyeball on the periphery of vision above the horizontal, from right to left or left to right.

• Idiom: If you roll your eyes, you show with your eyes that you don’t believe someone or aren’t interested in what they’re saying.

• Rolling your eyes is considered rude because it is a gesture saying you’ve got to be kidding or is she even thinking? It’s kind of like if you were talking and I let out a big sigh.

• It shows that you’re not interested in what they have to say. It’s equal to flipping someone off.

So, what do you do when you need to answer a question that may seem ridiculous or redundant because you just answered it? The best solution to prevent your eyes from rolling is to look the questioner in the eye, repeat the question and answer with a smile. You never want to be accused of rolling eyes.