The economy is tight right now but please continue to tip appropriately. These folks make their living through tips:

• Always tip between 15 and 20 percent on meals. If a light eater then 20 percent.

• Coats, valet service for cars always tip at least $2.00. For bags at airport, the standard is $2.00 for the first bag and $1.00 each bag afterwards. Consider giving $2.00 per bag when the weather conditions are at their worst.

• For cab drivers, $1.00 for a $6 dollar fair is recommended.

• 15% is the minimum for salons. An exception is when the services get to $200 or $300. Then you decide how you want to handle the tip but consider at least ten percent.

Tipping shows you not only that you appreciate their service but that you are world class professional.

Shoes

The dictionary definition of shoes is: an external covering for the human foot, usually of leather and consisting of a more or less stiff or heavy sole and a lighter upper part ending a short distance above, at, or below the ankle.

But shoes do more than just cover your feet and protect them from the elements. Shoes add the final touch to an outfit. They can make your inexpensive ensemble look expensive or make an expensive outfit look cheap.

But did you know certain style shoes can make you look thinner and taller? For women and men a tapered shoe will make your feet look longer. This draws the eye outward thus adding height. A darker shoe will make your feet look smaller. A shoe with pattern leather or colors will make your feet look larger having the effect of making you look larger.

So, select your shoe choices wisely. You will add the finishing touch that will make you look very smart. Check out my favorite sites for shoes Zappo.com and Nordstrom.com.

Today’s clothing choices are driven by the fashion industry, media and celebrities. It’s rarer to see folks dress their age. Instead, we see folks who try to look younger when they really can’t mask their age any longer. Of course, you have the opposite situation—people who try to look older. They end up looking like kids playing dress up or looking just plain silly.

We saw one of the young female stars at the Oscar’s last night who tried to dress older. It only made her look younger and a bit foolish. I will say 99% of the stars including men, looked age appropriate. I especially liked that the men wore the correct cut tuxedo (jacket and lapels) for their age and body type. I also liked how we saw every man over 40 wearing a properly tied bow tie – no clip ons.

So, it does not matter what the occasion is. You will always look smarter when dressing age appropriate.

It is amazing how someone’s facial expression can affect us. Also, it can give you some insight about what they are thinking.

Recently in the “Live” section of the Chicago Tribune, Julianna Margulies, who stars in the CBS show, The Good Wife, was measured for facial expressions and eye movements. She engages the audience so thoughtfully that she connects her viewers to her and to the character.

As I mentioned in one my recent blogs, Bill Clinton locks his eyes on whomever he’s speaking with. This, plus his facial expressions and manner, places the conversational partner at center of his universe.

We know for a fact that when a complete stranger smiles at you, it can make your day. At the same time, the person who looks right through you sends the signal you are invisible, which can make you feel worthless.

So, we want our facial expression to be one that suggests to others that you might be a good person to know.

A belt is a flexible band, typically made of leather or heavy cloth, and worn around the waist. A belt supports trousers or other articles of clothing, and it serves for style and decoration. Belts have been documented for male clothing since the Bronze Age. Both sexes used them off and on, depending on the current fashion, but it was a rarity in female fashion with the exception of the early Middle Ages, late 17th century Mantua, and skirt/blouse combinations between 1900 and 1910 (from wikipedia.org/wiki).

Today the belt has become a fashion accessory. They come in many shapes, colors and fabrics. For women, wide belts look best on thin bodies if the belt is a different color. If you do not have a thin shape, choose a belt that is the same color as the outfit you are wearing.

For men, it is always about the buckle. Simple is better for professional dress. If you’re seeking fun, go for it with various sizes and color.

Your belt choice should always be a fashion statement not a fashion disaster.

How many times have we made mistakes or hurt someone’s feelings to the point where we had to apologize for our transgressions? Apologies have credibility only if they’re followed by consistent actions.

An apology, whether by Tiger Woods or by a person who is always late, will only be valued if the offenses are not repeated. Of course, the words of the apology have to be meaningful and sincerely delivered.

So, when you make a mistake, apologize with sincerity and back it up with the appropriate action.

Black is a power color and it’s a wonderful sight against the back drop of white ice. It is amazing when I have watched the many skaters’ costume choices and how those choices have worked for and against them. If you watched the skaters you know the ones I am talking about. Sometimes, you ask yourself – what were they thinking?

Evan Lyacek’s accents of silver visually accented against the black worked very well, though. It broke up the starkness of the color and at the same time worked visually with his moves.

Whether you are performing on ice or speaking in front of a group, synch your color and clothing choices with your body movements. Make them relevant to your performance.

Plus, if you are thinking of wearing black, make sure it works as well for you as it did for Evan Lysacek— the winner of the men’s gold metal figure skating.

How many times have you been with people at a party or in a meeting, who never let you get a word in edgewise? And you’re stuck listening to the self imposed subject matter expert of everything we do.

They make our bodies go tense, cause us to make faces, and raise our battle instinct in preparation to enter a war of words. Quite simply, our dark side comes out.

Here are three tips to help us handle these folks:

• Do not try to join in the conversation. It only prolongs the talk (and the agony).

• Let them have about two minutes of talk time. Then do something physical (offer to get them a drink or show them an interesting item).

• Acknowledge their input. Often these folks are insecure and feel they have to show us how smart they are. When we acknowledge that, they may stop talking. (And leave enough oxygen for everyone else!)

Today everyone wants the best value for their dollar. How can we say seek this out without sounding rude or needy?

For example, I have a mid-luxury car. Whenever I get it serviced, it is triple the going rate. I continue to go to the dealer because a permanent service record will exist when I sell the car.

However, I never pick up my car without holding my breath before I look at the bill. This time the car needed some extra service and the cost was substantial. So, instead of getting huffy, I asked calmly and with a smile, “Would you consider discounting this for me?”

I ended up getting a 10% discount!

So, always ask for a discount politely. Use the phrase” Would you consider” with a smile and you will get a discount the majority of the time.

We get very comfortable with what works. A great example is hairstyles.

How many folks do we see today that are still wearing the same hairstyle they wore in high school? This goes both for men and women.

Hairstyles constantly change. Women’s styles have gone from very puffy to flat, long to short, short to long. Note the conservative hair for men. It’s still short and getting shorter with the new styles.

When asked why he cut his hair, the Grammy-winning soul singer, Maxwell, recently responded:

“I didn’t want to be a caricature. There’s nothing worse than that guy who’s still rocking with his hair at whatever it was, 20 years after his heyday. The world’s moved on, and you’re stuck.”

So, when people look at your picture from 10 years ago and say you haven’t changed a bit – make sure the comment doesn’t refer to your hair!