Offices today are trending toward open spaces with many folks occupying them. Because of flexible office hours they are rarely filled. Sometimes, though, there will be occasions where everyone is in the office.

So, be careful of odors that can be offensive like ones that may emanate from smoke, cologne, hair spray and gels, body and food.

To make sure you are not the one causing the smells, one hour before a meeting:

• Do not smoke
• Stay away from dining places in a small, closed environment
• Do not pick up or eat food in your car
• Always wash your hands before a meeting. It helps get rid of odors.
• Carry breath mints

In a recent event I was asked about the trend regarding dresses. Are they replacing the suit as the go to uniform for business women? Should women be rushing out and replacing suits with dresses?
Actually, it depends on the wearer. Some women find dresses easier to wear because they are one piece. Others find dresses difficult to accessorize with the right hose and shoes. However, a dress for some women is much easier to find than an appropriate pair of pants. My recommendation is to wear what you feel most comfortable in while showing your best self.

In the US, if men wear loafers with shorts socks should not be worn. It’s a major fashion faux pas made worse if the socks creep downward or are in a color other than a neutral tan that matches the shoes. Why does it matter? It does not look smart or elegant. Plus, if you are older it definitely will date you.

Often, we have items in our wardrobe we will never wear or only wear once. And the next time we do put it on, we see it is out of style!

Do not purchase clothing if this is what tempts you:

1. Stay away from the latest style; wait until next year to purchase if you still like it and it is still around.

2. Do not buy it just because it was great bargain (for example, 90% off).

3. The item is too small but you know you will lose weight soon and be able to wear it.

4. You are not sure if you will ever wear it but you really like it.

5. It needs more than two alterations (more than a hem on the pants and waist alterations).

6. You don’t have an occasion to wear it yet (for example, formal wear) but you go to an event once every five years where it will work perfectly.

7. Buying shoes that look good but hurt your feet.

We all have money wasters in our closet. If you remember these tips you will have less of them.

In today’s economic situation where the dollar needs to go a long way, purchasing quality items for your wardrobe without breaking the bank can be challenging. At the same time you need to be efficient and ensure the pieces you add support the personal brand you want to create.

Here are some tips to help you get the most for your money while continuing to create a good wardrobe:

1. Shop in your closet; look at pieces that can be worn differently to create a new look.

2. Shop during the big sales. For example, buy in the middle of this season for next year. Classic clothes never go out of style and retailers are making room for new items. That makes it a good time to shop.

3. Shop with a plan and purpose.

4. Buy only what is on your list.

5. Buy an item that you can wear with at least three others already in your closet.

6. Shop at outlets.

Remember these tips when you’re considering refreshing your wardrobe. They will help stretch your dollars while enhancing a smart wardrobe.

A number of years ago I had a meeting with a Senior Vice-President of a large company. He arranged for me to meet his VP who I would be coaching. The VP was a Guatemalan. In his culture, personal space is nose to nose unlike in the US where one arm’s length is the accepted norm. I did not step back from him because I knew this. The fact that I understood his background was important to him and I ended up working for his group over a period of ten years before he retired.

Here are some tips about personal space:

• In the US, one arm’s length is the norm and the only time you touch someone is during the handshake.

• In Spain, people tend to stand much closer together. They also touch each other more frequently than do their US counterparts. Trying to create personal space is viewed as shyness or rudeness.

• On the other hand, Australians require extra personal space—at minimum of an arm’s length or more is typical.

A combination of red and white, pink exudes the need for action conveyed by red and the insight offered by white.It is the passion and power of red softened with the purity, openness and completeness of white. The deeper the pink, the more passion and energy it exhibits. Pink in the world of fashion has been considered a color worn mostly by women.

However, over the last few years pink, in many different tones, has been popular for men as well as business women. Recently, a political commentator wore a bright pink tie with a blue plaid shirt and looked very smart. It combined the masculine with the feminine.

Pink also works well with gray, brown and dark camel. It continues to edge closer to being the new neutral worn in professional settings.

You can learn more about color by reading “The Power of Color” by Dr. Morton Walker.

Nail polish has replaced the lipstick women bought when they felt they needed a pick-me-up. Your nail color can complete the total look.

The first lady, Michelle Obama, recently wore the nail color gray. What I love about this color is that it is one of the new opaque colors. It modifies the very fashionable colors to more conservative neutrals. One of my favorite brands is OPI in nail polish. It has wide range of colors—neutrals to the vamp black shades.

The trend for new bold colors began about five years ago when some young women wore candy colors. Then we moved into the very dark colors with shorter, square shaped nails. The first lady bridged her color choice by keeping her nails a bit longer and not squaring them off. It looked perfect and smart.

A New York Times (NYT) Sunday article featured Mario Batalli, chef, cookbook author, television personality talking about working in his kitchen. His philosophy and communication style as leader is that you do not have to shout to work with each other.

The culture in the kitchens of many restaurants is to yell to communicate. The high pressure, time sensitive, noisy environment lends itself to this.

On Tuesday, August 28, acclaimed chef, Charlie Trotter, was featured in the Chicago Tribune because his restaurant is closing on Friday. He discussed what he did to change the atmosphere and talked about chefs who became famous but may have paid a high price for that fame.

So, here we have two celebrated chefs, successful leaders in their own field and businesses, with two different styles. One style was forged twenty some years ago and the other is relatively current.

The questions to answer are what works best for you, does it benefit you and do you learn from it?

Recently we spoke about the white casual and athletic shoe making a comeback. As we all know, fashion always changes. Look at the Summer Olympics, especially the runners. The colorful shoe is back flashing many combinations. Another change is that the shoes are light weight with slim lines. This trend has also shown up golf shoes.

Sock colors are also undergoing a bit of a transformation. Mixing colors appear to be the next new phase. So, the rules have been broken. Have fun with your new shoe colors!

Attached is a good example.