It is interesting to see flip flops become somewhat of a main footwear choice on Main Street. Flip flops are designed now in every material from rubber to upscale leather. Recently, at a 5-Star restaurant for dinner, I was disappointed to see men wearing leather flip flops! It was a dinner not lunch. There are so many cool casual shoes that resorting to flip flops is not necessary.

White has been in style for the last two years. In 2016, it hit in athletic shoes and in recently replacing sandals especially for men.  Give credit to the shoe designers. We have seen the colored footwear boom in everything from bright orange to screaming yellow hues. Smart designers decided to add a white and it became a trend. It makes sense because you can wear white with any color outfit. The new white shoe is not clunky so add it to your closet!

In a recent New York Times Style section, it shows President Obama wearing an open collar shirt with his suit. The trend lately has been an open collar shirt without a tie for high profile men. This reminds me of a zillion years ago when DreamWorks was formed with Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and David Katzenberg. The only person wearing a shirt and tie was David Katzenberg. Steven and David Geffen both were millionaires and David Katzenberg was really still a working man.

In many firms, it’s okay to wear a tie with no jacket unless it is required for a presentation. So, there are situations where certain folks can escape from wearing a tie. However, when President Obama speaks to the nation he is still has on a tie. Also, not every man can look elegant when tieless unless the shirt is impeccable.

Christmas red is very popular during the holiday season when see an explosion of the color. We find that the more reds we see in lights and decorations, the more our spirits get lifted… it’s beautiful!

Wearing reds can be a nice way to celebrate the holidays; however, when I see someone wearing red shoes, red stockings and a red suit… I say No, No, No!
To keep in the spirit, keep the red suit, dump the red shoes and stockings or keep the red shoes, stockings and skirt and wear black on top. I also love the red-beaded necklace on a black dress. A touch of red, especially around the neck, for the holidays is fun.

Men’s jackets and suits come in short, regular and long. Recently, when shopping with a client, the sales person handed him a regular 42. Because of his height that would be the right size. However, I felt he would look much better and more elegant in a 42 long. The reason we ended up with the 42 long is because he measures with more length from head to waist so the longer jacket proportionally looked like better fit. Rules can always be broken if it works in the eyes of the beholder!

Why are we surprised when we see actresses and actors who look short in real life? That’s because on the screen, their clothing has been tailored to scale to give an impression of greater height.

I like to stretch accessory guidelines. I have been told many times that only certain items should be worn on tall folks and short people. For instance, the rule is that a short person should never have cuffs on their slacks. Also, a tie on a shorter man should be worn slightly longer than appear too short. However, I feel that if the proportions are working and the accessories look good, that usually works no matter what the person is wearing.

Stretching the guidelines on accessories can make an outfit truly stand out.

Recently, I was with a client and her staff. The question came up about professional dress: Is it a requirement to wear a tie or can a sport jacket or suit be acceptable without a tie? Sometimes, clients are dressed without a jacket but always in a shirt and tie. What should they wear to always be acceptable and not under or overdressed?

In a first time meeting, always wear a full suit with a tie. If it is a very casual environment, a gray suit or a navy blazer with gray dress slacks can be worn instead. When making a first time presentation, it is suggested to always wear a blazer in very casual settings without a tie. You can always remove your tie or take off your jacket if the environment is very casual.

Walking in the first time in full dress sets the stage that you are the expert. It is more difficult to appear to be the professional if you come in with just a shirt and dress slacks because jackets always project the leader and subject matter expert look.

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.

The new trend is wearing bold on bold in patterns and colors. It is the fashion industry trying to mix it up. I myself love the new trends. However in my profession, the center of attention is on the client and the audience so I stay more conservative in my dress.

But in my personal world, I like living large! All my sport clothing is in bright yellows, greens and pinks. I have yet to embrace the patterned leggings, though, maybe next year. I have encouraged my C-suite clients and friends, men and women, to add bits of boldness to their accessories. For the women, larger necklaces and very smart print underpinnings look good with their black and gray suits.

Men can wear the tie and shirt selections with a bold print in the tie and pick a shirt color to match the suit. They can do the bold stripe socks as long the sock is in the same color family. Recently, a client wore a grey striped sock with his gray suit. It was fun but not distracting. Having fun with clothing selections will definitely make you feel more uplifted.

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.