Recently published photos of female CEOs wearing sleeveless dresses have made a statement. Jan Field, president of McDonald’s USA 2012, and Madeline McIntosh, chief executive of Penguin Random House, were recently featured in the New York Times Sunday Business section. Both work in male-dominated industries. Both were wearing sleeveless dresses. Madeline McIntosh was also wearing a statement necklace. It was understated but had impact. Businesswomen, such as these, confirm they are women and leaders in their own right. How they dress makes a statement. A sleeveless dress, a bold move away from a suit, is a power dress.

These days, as we are all wearing masks, your eyes are often what people see and notice. Eyebrows help frame your eyes. Sparse eyebrows or a lack of eyebrows brings less definition to your eyes. We want eyebrows to have an expression of questioning or agreeing–not just a blank look. Eyebrows that are too heavy can be alarming or intimating. There are numerous products to help define eyebrows. If you’re not sure what to use, take several pictures using your phone and send it to other individuals for feedback.

Leggings are making their way into the world of professional dress. Legging-style pants provide a very slim pant that does not hug the calf and falls easy around the ankle. Business casual leggings do slightly hug the calf. Dress leggings don’t have a seam running the length of the leg. Tight leggings are strictly for casual wear and workouts. Athletic leggings have several seams in order to withstand high stress workouts. Being aware of the different styles of leggings, and legging style pants, is critical to properly dress for casual, business casual, and professional situations.

Gym shoes, tennis shoes, athletic shoes . . . they go by many names. The athletic shoe trend for women started years ago with women wearing them to work and then changing into work shoes (professional styles). At that time, white was the mainstream color and was considered to be the most practical. Shoes didn’t come in the variety of colors they do now. Now, 20 years later, athletic shoes come in a wide variety of colors and patterns—from neon green to white, which is currently very popular. We even see fancy athletic shoe designs for brides. What is the right style and color to wear? There are no hard and fast rules for sneakers. Keep in mind these guidelines: comfort, fit, and feel. Also consider the appropriateness of athletic shoes in the situation and the shoe’s appearance. Some people like slim, lightweight styles. Others like bigger, clunkier styles. If the shoe fits (the time and place), wear it.

Gray hair, either the salt and pepper combination or pure white, for men and women has become more popular. Not yellow tones, though! Folks with auburn hair tones need to stay away from coloring that highlights yellow whites.

Most folks who capture their color in the eyebrows will look the best because it highlights true coloring. Gray eyebrows work well with those who have natural gray tones in the hair and even better with an accent of the natural hair coloring before going gray. The role of the eyebrows is to capture the eyes. Strong eyewear frames can offset gray eyebrows.

Leggings are back in full force. I love them because they feel comfortable for workouts and just running around in and out of the house. Jennifer Lopez has taken the look to the extreme by wearing lounging or bedroom clothes as street wear.

They are too casual for business or workplace casual. Skinny jeans and pants can be like leggings when they are too tight. If they bunch up around the knees and hip areas, you might as well wear leggings!

Color can be used in full force if the style and cut of the clothing item works. You can even wear the same color top to bottom!

Michelle Obama, the former First Lady has been on a whirlwind. 99% of the time she wears a suit (Yes!) in an array of colors from a metallic cyan-hue suit to a multicolor strip golden suit. Material chosen, cut, and styled, plays a major role in expressing a powerful statement with color. It also needs to be the right occasion.

Her stage presence has always been as a dynamo!  This includes her book tour presence which has been a showstopper and fun to watch. Her suit colors and choices accent her brilliance.

Fashion today breaks all the rules of traditional color and fit guidelines. From mixing colors on opposite ends of the color wheel to wide shoulders and pants legs for women and very narrow pants for men, how do you stay current and not look dated or matronly?

Chose a middle ground. Find a style that works for you in business and socially by following these five guidelines:

1. Feel comfortable
2. Find professional and social role models close to your age range
3. Review current garments you own that work within the first two guidelines
4. Experiment by shopping but not buying
5. Buy a complete outfit to mix, match, and work into your existing wardrobe

Here we go again with the eye brows – eye brows should accent the eyes, not create a strong reaction like – what the heck is that on your face! Eye brow shapes including no eye brows, depend on the total face and how the hair frames it. The best eyebrows enhance rather than take away from the eyes. Do a test by taking a quick look in the mirror. Do your eyes blend in or shout out?

The most common fit mistake in a garment is the sleeve length. It’s either too short or too long. It can be time consuming to find a tailor or you might need to wear the piece before you can get it altered.

Using self-adhesive tape for a sleeve or pant length can work as a temporary fix. The best option is to purchase clothing where tailoring is offered or find a tailor who will alter while you wait.