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!

How many times do we put on the perfect outfit for a special occasion and are shocked when it does not look or feel right? It is important to try on that special outfit at least twice to ensure it is the right one. Secondly, if the occasion is really special, have a backup ready just in case. Weather changes or weight gains can take us all by surprise.

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.

Having just been to a black tie affair, I saw women wearing dresses in street, tea and formal length. There were strapless tops and jackets worn with pants. Men have the luxury of wearing a tuxedo for the black tie event and a dark suit for the black tie optional. Dressing for black tie or black tie optional used to have different meanings for women but now, women have the freedom to wear almost anything that has an evening look to it whether it’s a dress or a dressy pants suit.

I think of three things when choosing the right black tie outfit: knowing what the event norm is, making sure the outfit is comfortable and preparing at least two choices for the event. This is so that if there is a temperature change, I am ready!

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.

It’s very unpleasant to be wearing newly stained clothing. There are two great products to have on hand to immediately use after an incident that will help you stay spotless.

Scotch Guard works terrifically by spraying it lightly on clothing (except silk). It works well with cotton, wool and synthetics by  preventing stains from being absorbed into fabric.

Another great product is the Tide spot remover pen. I keep it in my glove compartment so when I recently noticed a stain on my sweater, I was able to remove it immediately while en route and remain spotless for my next appointment!

In Spectre, James Bond wears a closely-fitted suit, tailored like fine leather gloves designed by Tom Ford. Ralph Fiennes, who plays M, wears timeless suits crafted by the modern tailor, Timothy Everest. How a man in today’s business world wears a suit, including how it fits him, determines his style and, in fact, reflects who he is. A suit can suggest whether the wearer is conservative or progressive thinking and indicates his place in the business world… just like the men in Spectre.

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!

It is not easy to dress for the masses, especially on television. In today’s race for the White house, the male candidates have it much easier. Their choices are simple because it comes down to the shirt and tie combination. Their main battle is the fit of the jacket. President Obama has his suits tailored to fit him so he always looks elegant and crisp. He is also tall and slim, so his main issue is look stately and in command in an approachable manner.

For the heavy set candidate, it can be difficult to not look rumbled and clown-like. Women, on the other hand, have an even more difficult task. Their clothing choices are either too bland or tend to look matronly. Another challenge is that they must look feminine but like they’re still in command.

Television will add at least 20 pounds so clothing choices must accent the slim side of women. We are now in the midst of a presidential campaign so look for the dress style wins in the candidates and learn from those that miss the mark.