The April 28th, New York Times article, Tricks of the Trade, talks about “The Message a Man Sends With His Work Bag.” The article stresses the importance of the function and look of the work bag also known as a purse, briefcase or messenger bag.

Here are my Golden Rules for choosing a reliable work bag.

Golden Rule No.1
A brief case, tote bag or purse must compliment your clothing. It should not be the first thing noticed when someone sees you.

Golden Rule No. 2
Your bag of choice must be functional and easy to use. A good test when choosing the bag is to bring all the items you would carry in the bag to ensure it works before you buy it. Easy to use means: Is it easy to open and close? Will it stand up to everyday wear and tear?

Golden Rule No. 3
You must like the bag. Too often, folks purchase a bag because it works even though they are not really crazy about the look of it. A bag you carry is personal, especially a purse or brief case. You must like the way it presents your image.

Golden Rule No.4
You bag must look clean and well taken care of. Whether it is crafted of leather or microfiber, when it begins to look scratched, torn or bare as in the case of fabric thread, it must be retired.

Follow these 4 Golden Rules and the bag you choose will send the message you desire, become a trusted friend and serve you for a long time.

Often, we hold on to certain pieces of clothing because they are comfortable, mainstays in the wardrobe or because we cannot find a replacement just like it. So we hold on to it.

When seeking replacement clothing, look for something a bit different that will also add an updated look to your wardrobe.

Here are some tips about when to put clothing out to pasture:

• Stretched out in shoulder or arm area
• Baggy in the seat of the bottom
• Fabric has tiny balls of fuzz ( pilling)
• Color is washed out (very easy with dark colors)
• Fabric has become hard and stiff

Be diligent about removing clothing with these features from your wardrobe. If you do, you will always look fresh and polished.

What button and how many of them should be buttoned whether they are on a jacket, blouse or sweater?

For Men Only
Single Breasted Suit Jacket – Three buttons including the middle button
Double Breasted Suit Jacket – Always buttoned
Dress Shirt (no tie) – Leave the top two buttons unbuttoned
Sweater – Can be worn unbuttoned

For Women Only
Single Breasted Suit Jacket – Depends on the style of jacket – no hard and fast rules
Double Breasted Suit Jacket – Always buttoned
Shirt Blouses – Leave the top two or three buttons unbuttoned
Sweaters – Either leave the bottom or top button unbuttoned

Follow these guidelines and you will always look smart and elegant.

In a recent “The Good Wife” episode, Alicia Florrick was being coached by Eli Gold (Peter’s campaign manager), for an interview about her husband’s indiscretions.

He suggested that people do not always listen to words. They watch your facial expressions and body language. They want to know if you show confidence and look comfortable and sincere.

So, when you are being interviewed face to face, remember, it is more about body movement, facial expressions and a projection of sincerity. If you can convey this, your audience and interviewer will be engaged and connected to you.

Often, we do not have the opportunity for face to face meetings. Because of that, it is critical that your phone voice build a relationship with the person or persons on the other end.

Today I witnessed a client ace a phone interview which resulted in a job offer sixty minutes after the interview! Yes, the client had the technical knowledge and experience. However, as we know, jobs and the opportunity to interview are scarce these days. Now more than ever, it is the person who can create a relationship with trust who will land the job.

In this case, following are six elements my client used to engage the interviewer:

1. He opened with a thank you and closed with a thanks for the opportunity to be interviewed.
2. He repeated key questions to give time to think thoroughly before answering.
3. The interviewer was never interrupted.
4. He spoke with energy and passion about his leadership skills.
5. He spoke about what he would bring to the position and used key stories to paint the picture.
6. He commented on the interviewer’s key points by stating “I understand what you mean.”

Remember these six key elements and you will always engage the interviewer. And most likely, you will put yourself in prime position to get the job.

On the cover of this week’s Golf Digest there is a picture of Rickie Fowler, Golf Digest’s Playing Editor. He is wearing orange slacks, matching orange hat and print shirt with yellow, blue and orange stripes. His shoes even match.

Is this the norm for golf attire today? Rickie pulls this off because he wears it confidently. He is also a professional golfer who wants to call attention to the designer, Puma.

Here are some guidelines to use when choosing golf attire regarding color, fabric and fit.

• Color: A dash of color is good in the shirt or hat. Keep your slacks neutral. If you want to match, choose to match two of the items, not all three (unless you are being paid by the clothing designer!).

• Fabric: A popular fabric today is wick. It breathes, reduces sweat and will not stick to your body. This fabric is especially effective in very hot climates.

• Fit: You want to be able to move easily in the clothes you select. Remember that clothes that are too loose or too tight will hamper your golf swing.

Follow these simple rules and on the links, you will look like a seasoned golfer with style.

Change, as we all know, is difficult. It takes time and patience. Keeping a daily log on a particular habit you want to change is a way to ensure that you stay on track.

Start by writing the habit you want to stop on a piece of paper. For example, let’s say that you have a habit of filling dead space when you speak with “ahs”. You would like to remove the “ahs” out of your speech. So, each day, log how many times you say it. The goal the next day is to reduce the number. (Note: A tip to replace the “ahs” is to pause when you know one will come out.)

Keep this log for a month. Check it each week and note your progress. This is a sure way to feel a sense of accomplishment by making a change one step at a time.

Gossip causes more unnecessary damage to both personal and professional relationships than just about anything else. A study done at the University of Michigan indicated the person who did the most damage regarding the gossip was not the one who starts it, but the person who hears it. That’s because the person who hears it can either pass it on or stop it.

So, remember that when someone starts to talk about another, you have the power of preventing that piece of gossip from going any further.

So many times I hear from clients they feel self-promotion is a negative thing. The thinking is that if you are good at what you do, self-promotion is not necessary. However, self-promotion is critical to business success if it is always done inclusively not intrusively.

Doing the few things below will make sure your self-promotion is inclusive and acceptable:

Social Media: Be on Linkedin
Be an author: Write an article, get quoted in a trade publication or write a book
Facebook: Tailor it to your profession or company guidelines
Networking: Be active in trade or civic associations
Twitter: Offer advice that will enhance your visibility
Face to Face: Have a professional introduction ready to use

Self-promotion is a good thing when done inclusively because it will connect you to your audience. They will then do the promoting for you.

The current color for shoes is neutral, which means color shades of beige, taupe, and camel. The first time a neutral color shoe appeared in the movies was in the remake of Sabrina. Sabrina wore a taupe shoe with a black suit.

The neutral shoe can make the leg look longer and slimmer in a heel. When wearing it in a flat shoe, it can make the foot look smaller.

What actors wear in movies tends to set trends. For example, in the Prince of Tides, Barbra Streisand wore a blouse not tucked in but worn out over a skirt under a jacket. That’s when fashion designers began designing blouses to be worn out for women.

That look has become acceptable in most professional settings for women. The blouse worn in the right length can make the body look slimmer.

Look for the designers to test and some cases set trends by trying their fashions out in the movies. If you stay aware, you can be a trendsetter by observing what actors wear in the movies!