At a recent workshop I was told by a supervisor that she always had to wear heels to have executive presence (no matter that she was 5’11’’).

Now, I believe you should always wear comfortable shoes. There are many brands like Munro, Ecco, NikeCole and Haan, for instance, that offer very comfortable pumps.

However, if you prefer to wear flats, look for these things in the design of the toes of the shoes: shoes with slightly pointed toes in leather with an ornament (like Tory Burch) or with a touch of patent leather. These will always look polished and smart.

I was just recently at a client for a workshop and it was on casual day. The women who wore leggings that appeared appropriate for the day were:

• Wore leggings in heavy dark fabric

• Wore leggings that appropriately fit (not too tight)

• Wore high boots (sometimes the same color as the leggings)

• Wore a long knit top that covered their hips

These women, tall, short and of varying physical shapes, looked very sharp on this casual day.

For women:

• Jewelry, such as necklaces and earrings, that appear too big or too small.

• Purses that are too small for a larger women or too large for a petite women.

For men:

• Ties that are too wide or too skinny.

• Skinny pants that belong on slender men worn by men with ample builds.

• Tee shirts that show bellies.

There are some proportion mistakes folks make because they want to make a fashion statement. If that’s the case, just be sure your audience understands that.

I see many women wearing long skirts with heels and I don’t believe the look is flattering, especially if the skirt is a bit flared. Flats, loafers, pointy shoes, clogs and sneakers do not work either. These combinations makes the wearers look, at best, matronly and at worst, too dowdy. It’s not a look for the office or even for a business causal setting.

The majority of your body is covered with a long skirt, so to create a flowing look (as opposed to an unbalanced one), what you wear on your feet needs to visually become a part of the skirt. That’s why a boot that is covered by the hemline of the skirt usually works. In fact, long skirts with high boots and a shorter jacket can look smart if the colors are matched appropriately.

If you’re a woman with wide calves you may have been embarrassed by trying on boots in a shoe store only to have them stop at mid-zip because they will not go on over your calves. This can be a problem especially for those with small feet.

When you’re buying boots, you want to check for two measurements, the shaft height and shaft circumference of the boot. Now, measure the height from your heel up your calf. At that point measure your calf circumference. Check the circumference of the boot. If the difference is a half an inch or less, it usually will not be a problem. Otherwise, you might have to get them stretched and who wants to do that.

I want to applaud the boot manufacturers for finally making boots with zippers and for wider calves for women. They are called wide calf or extended calf boots and they are great! Many of these styles have a 15.5 inch shaft height and a 16 inch shaft circumference when a regular boot would have a 15 inch shaft circumference,

The trick is to select boots that will provide a slimming look as opposed to making your calves look bigger.

A question that has come up is whether leggings can be worn with a short dress or skirt for business casual. It depends on the company, location and the field you are in but my first answer would be no. It’s fine for a personal social event and possibility a very casual business social event.

I have worn a dress that hit above my knees with Capri leggings for a personal social event but it is highly unlikely that I would wear that to a client event no matter how casual. The look is too trendy and not everyone would understand it.

Cropped slacks are still much in the scene. I, myself, am not in favor of them for workplace. First of all, they can make you look shorter and cause your legs to appear stumpy. I understand the popularity of them, especially when you think about the nuisance of hemming pants. A nice alternative is the slim ankle length pant where you do not have to worry about the length. They can give the illusion of height and make you look at least five pounds thinner.

Three-quarter sleeves are pretty much the norm when looking for a long sleeve shirt, especially in the summer time. They are a great alternative to short sleeves. The best three-quarter sleeves are when the width of the sleeve is not tapered. It conveys a more professional look. Nordstrom’s Foxcross label is a favorite of mine, especially in white when paired with black linen slacks.

Sleeveless dresses and shirts have become very popular due to Michelle Obama starting the trend since becoming first lady. However, not all office environments are appropriate for sleeveless dresses or shirts.

A wonderful item I found that makes the sleeveless option work is the Dress Shug at Talbot’s. The reason I favor this shug is because it is short and current looking. It does not have an old lady feel to it. In fact, I wore one over my black sleeveless dress to see Motown on Sunday with my sisters and their friends! http://www.talbots.com/online/browse/product_details.jsp?id=prdi32204

There are few terms related to color mixes that you may want to be aware of:

• Monochromatic: Using the example colors black and white to create this look, it would be wearing a cream color top with white or dark gray with black. This creates an elegant and stylish appearance.

• Complimentary: Using 75% black and 25% white, for instance, might turn out to be a white shirt and black pants or black shirt and white pants—low key and smart looking.

• Analogous: Using three shades of black, black pants, shirt and sweater. It is also called Asymmetry. An example is what you sometimes see on the red carpet— a black tux, black shirt and black bow tie. This tends to be very dramatic whether using darks or bright colors.

When you put colors together you can have them create the statement you’re seeking to make.