Recently I have decided to give some of my beautiful suits away. I used to wear suits on a regular basis before slowly moving to business casual, really a more really professional casual.

When presenting to groups, I still wear a suit but it’s a much more relaxed version, containing no dark colors and in some cases, I like a mix and match (With the jacket as more of a companion color to the pants or slacks).

I’ve discovered that the most difficult part is giving away wonderful suits that have helped my business. I remember at an event, a colleague told me that I always look like a major company CEO. This proved to be very important when meeting with staff from Fortune 500 companies.

Now these suits must go to a worthy cause to women to help them in their work world. The guidelines below have helped me feel good about giving these friends away:

1. Keep one to three key suits to wear for presentations and pair them with all the companion pieces (shirts, ties, etc.).
2. Put the clothing in a plastic clear bag – marking the date. If you have not worn the clothes in one year, donate them.
3. Once you touch the item and bag it, do not touch it again.
4. Always try the item on before making any decisions. It is too romantic if you don’t. Old memories can cloud reality.

Hillary Clinton wore an elegant, tailored Ralph Lauren white pantsuit to accept the Democratic nomination for president at the recent convention. A white pants suit can be worn for different occasions. My favorite is for an evening business or social event. The key to making it work is the fabric and shades of white. A great way to know the difference in whites is by going to either a fabric store or look at white paint chips. This will help determine which white works best for you. Hillary’s white pants suit was close to a true white and the fabric projected a softness that balanced stark white coloring.

Recently, I was a victim of wedding dress party guest nightmare after going through ten dresses along with multiple pairs of evening shoes. However, the reality is that going to a wedding as a guest and not as a member of the wedding party, what to wear is not dictated by pictures, which is good. Also not having to wear a long dress makes it easy to pull something from my wardrobe.

These are the following tips I learned to help avoid having the wedding dress party guest nightmare:

• Many stores do not have all their dresses in stock…order on line.
• Dresses that look great on the hanger…chances are that they won’t look good on you.
• Be sensitive to your body shape…buy a dress that will enhance it.
• The dress must be comfortable…no matter how great it looks on.
• Long dresses are really long…be prepared to spend upwards of $75.00 for alterations.
• Be sure you have a pair of shoes to wear for alterations.

If you follow these six guidelines, I guarantee that shopping for a dress to wear to a wedding will not be a nightmare. It even might be fun.

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.

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!

Often, folks ask if they should get a custom suit or shirt made instead of buying off the rack. The reason is that they want clothing to fit their body shape perfectly. If you had an unlimited funds and the time to find the right custom clothier this can be done.

Recently a comment was made about Hillary Clinton’s clothing. Some say it is better than the colored pants suits (that looked like a rainbow of popsicles) she used to wear. This year, some say she looks like a CEO and others say the clothes appear too homemade. The real issue is probably her lack of time and the job of always being on stage everyday while on the campaign trail.

Also, Hilary wants to make sure it is not about her clothes, first, and secondly, her body type adds pounds in front of the camera. Most of her clothing has been tailored for her but it appears that she lacks the time to always get it right. My hope is that her go-to person for her “look” is taking notes and watching videos so the clothing gets adjusted to ensure it fits and moves right. Hillary’s preferences also count for a lot. My thought is that she wants to feel good 24 hours a day. Hillary has my vote in that she gets it right about 80% of the time.

Number two is a lesson from an expert who should know better from the countless times I helped men and women pack for business and pleasure. When it came to packing for myself, my own advice took a trip to forgotten land! Bringing us to lesson two- remember the do’s and don’ts of packing.

Don’ts
Don’t pack with the idea that you will be attending similar events during the entire trip
Don’t pack for one-season weather
Don’t pack a wardrobe you have not tried on

Do’s
Do pack for multiple different events, whether they include hiking, dining at a five-star restaurant or eating at seaside café
Do pack for different temperatures, from the very cold, to the very warm and for precipitation, rain and possibly snow
Do pack only things you have recently tried on to ensure they fit
Do pack outfits and multiple colors that coordinate with each other

Do these things and you will not be traveling fashion disaster!

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.