The untucked shirt is a shirt hanging over men’s pants. Now, there is a shirt for men made especially to be worn outside. The overhang of the shirt is short and sports a finished even hem. My opinion of the untucked shirt is that the jury is still out.

I was just at a major store and younger-than-25-year-old sales person was assisting me in a purchase. The man possessed a stocky build and wore a plaid red shirt untucked. This person also had a fashion sense, wearing black glasses with a touch of red on the side with well pressed slacks and clean athletic shoes. I was impressed the shirt hit his body at the right place. It looked smart and casual and not in a manufactured way.

I am fascinated by ties worn by politicians, especially the color and widths while watching news channels and late night talk show hosts. It seems like every color of the rainbow and tie width is making an appearance! Folks who are in style, wear more narrow widths and venture into the lavender, purple and burgundy colors, rather than traditional tie colors that come in wider widths and in blues, reds and grays. The right tie with a complementary suit and jacket sets the tone needed to deliver their message. Smart, elegant or casual earthy tones should be consistent with a desired long term outcome.

Many companies have gyms in their buildings for employees to conveniently work out during lunch or before / after work. While this is your private time, it does not mean that you should wear clothes that look like you are ready to clean your garage. You never know who you will bump into!

In fact, you can use working out as an informal way to network. You don’t have to wear the latest matching workout clothes and shoes (which I find a bit contrived but I do like the fun shoes men are wearing!).  Just look clean and smart. Also, make sure the clothing is not too small. I recently saw women wearing leggings that left nothing to the imagination – not an appealing sight.

Recent articles in the New York Times and Chicago Tribune discussed how the suits for Sean Spicer and Stephen Colbert work or do not work. In the real world, suits for men seem to be evolving daily. That is because the fashion industry has been trying change the look of suit styles mainly to drive sales.

The current style for the slim and younger man is closer fitting jackets and stovepipe look pants. No pleat pants on the fuller body type or older men and lapels are back in vogue on the jackets for everyone.

Sean Spicer suits have a dated look because the jacket fit is too wide. He cannot wear the slimmer, youthful one. However, he can trim down the sides and bring in the jacket shoulder to sport a more fitted, smarter look.

Stephen Colbert finally got the message to wear flattering suits and say good riddance to the awful ones where the jacket and pants made him look like a stuffed sausage. Colbert now looks and moves with ease when performing his monologues.

Unfortunately, Spicer has not transitioned to the custom tailored suits that make him look more elegant and balance his rough speaking style.

I recently noticed a professional woman wearing an oversized mock faux coat walking toward her car. I love faux fur coats when they look either real faux or real in-between. A faux fur looks best when styled to look that way. There are colors and fur types that shout: I am not real! Even so, they make a fashion statement. A faux fur that tries to look real without having a contemporary style appears cheap and matronly.

My late mother had a mink coat that she stopped wearing because it became too big and heavy. We brought her a faux fur in deep forest green in the traditional style. It looked sharp, fun and she loved it!

The color black is on the rise again. I think it is because there are many new variations and that a backlash is growing against bright colors in jackets and other clothing. I see more men wear black shirts with a print. Women are opting to go with the black jacket on a dress with color. I also thought bright colors were becoming harsher and a black jacket on a woman seemed more elegant. Dark, warm grays and berry colors also have a graceful vibe to them.

Leggings hug the legs almost like a second skin. There are some leggings made in a heavier weigh knit but they are still leggings. Instead of the skin tight look, opt for a pair of pants that have slim legs. The real good ones on the market are comfortable and will add a polished look to your business casual appearance especially when worn with polished boots. Also, the new shorter boots are becoming more of a traditional look than a trend.

I understand the trend is sleeveless tops and dresses have become more acceptable for business and social occasions even in zero temperatures. Low cut tops are now on the forefront especially with actresses and some news anchors.

However, be careful not to get carried away. Recently at a 4-star, high visibility dining establishment, a patron was wearing a top that barely covered her breasts. It was unflattering because of way too much skin showing and because of the fact that her breasts kept sliding out of the top causing her to constantly try and adjust it! Cleavage can be attractive but only if there is a hint of it.

A very important but frequently underestimated sartorial consideration is the framing of one’s face. After you are finished donning your ensemble, but before you present yourself to the world, take one last look at your face in the mirror to see if it is appropriately complemented by your choice of clothes and jewelry. For example, a closed collar strengthens formality and authority attributes whereas an open collar signals approachability and connectivity. The color of your shirt, blouse or jacket is a critical choice as it can lend a powerful but subliminal highlighted quality to your face. A necklace can also be chosen to enhance your preferred projection, but be careful not to let it be a distraction. A recent choice by Barbra Streisand was particularly interesting. Her face was well framed by her hair. She used a long necklace to accentuate her body length for this particular concert occasion.

Recently, when working with a client in refreshing her wardrobe, we realized that the jewelry that worked a few years ago needed to be replaced with more statement pieces for a couple of reasons. She was recently promoted to a senior vice president role and the office went to a more casual environment.

So now, for her, professional casual is more fitting. She also travels internationally. In upgrading necklaces and earrings choosing the right proportion of each is critical. Increasing the size of the stones by one half and wearing a more intense color will add the impact needed to create the elegant, smart, professional casual look.