Jewelry (earrings, necklaces, bracelets), belts, shoes and watches are accessories that should enhance your style.

Proportion, appropriateness and how the individual wears them are critical to the effect. Accessories should be a style enhancer only.

A tip to determine what does not work is when the accessory becomes the topic of conversation as in: “Did you notice her red shoes or did you notice that belt buckle.” Then, the accessories may be too much. Remember that you are the center of attention. Accessories are just to polish your shine.

At a recent event Dee Dee Myers, the former press secretary for Bill Clinton, talked about being authentic as women. She mentioned how often we forsake this piece of us because we want to fit in, especially in the professional world. This is true of both genders. It is difficult, especially in this economic environment, but in the long haul you will not be happy if you’re not authentic.

So, I recommend to clients to keep a log on major and minor issues. The log will help define the important situations. Secondly, take a reading of your physical being because I believe internal instincts should never be ignored. Lastly, you can always get a dose of reality by checking with a good friend or colleague. 

By keeping these check points in mind you will not have to give up your true self. Being true to yourself will help you be your professional best.

How many times do we neglect to just say thank you to a compliment? We instead offer reasons why we don’t deserve the nice words said about ourselves. It is not being modest or humble to bring up what went wrong. What you are doing is not respecting the giver of the compliment.

So, the next time someone pays you a compliment say thank you. Tell them how much you appreciate they noticed whether the comments were about a piece of clothing or a project you were successful at.

Just say “Thank You.”

At a recent event, you could tell the high level executives from the ones who were not by what they carried. For example, I travelled with a colleague who had a bunch of papers in her hands plus some other items. Was it too much? No, because she was able to carry it in a combination purse/briefcase. I understand the trend is small purses, but if you need to bring documents, a larger one is acceptable.

Then there was another attendee with a heavy backpack (she called it her office). Avoid that. The same for the roller bag. It makes one look like an assistant instead of a professional.

Since we were at a hotel, they could have checked their bags with the bellman and picked them up later. Remember less is more.

Carrying too many bags is too much baggage!

A key component of a true executive and leader is to be able to manage time effectively. Being constantly late and rushed projects a very poor image. It indicates a lack of organizational ability.

Stephen Covey has a program called “Focus” which provides time management skills. One major tip is to plan only 75% of your day. That leaves room for dealing with the unexpected. It is understood that as you gain additional responsibilities and more prestigious titles, that time becomes more important than money.

So, when you complete what you have prioritized for the day, and no emergencies have popped up, refrain from adding more to do’s to your day. Instead, use the extra time for strategic planning.

When you can do this consistently, you will be managing your time effectively.

I was recently asked what a professional travel wardrobe is. How is it different than your everyday wardrobe?

A travel wardrobe must pack easily and basically be 80% wrinkle free. It should have multiple functionality, so that the suit or jacket worn in the day can also be worn at night.

Accessories are also critical to adding a touch of panache to your ensemble. For men, it is the shirt and tie. For women it is the blouse and jewelry.

Toiletries, especially if you have a carry on, must be within the legal guidelines.

Most of all, choose colors that easily mix and match and give you a fresh, relaxed, confident image.

Audrey Hepburn, in the movie, Sabrina, wore a pant that ended at the ankle with flats. The trend last year moved to the same look. For example, you may have seen Diane in the TV show, The Good Wife, wearing slacks with flats.

Another trend today has been wearing the ankle length pant with high heels. This pant leg is tapered and not wide. I recommend it for a more a casual look.

You will see many versions of these pants that end up above the ankle. Unless you are a size 2 to 6, avoid those slacks. They make you look shorter and may even add weight to you.

Comfort should never be sacrificed with shoes. In a recent interview with female celebrities, it was pointed out that they will go on a three day or even a week diet/body cleanse so they can look their absolute best when walking the red carpet.

But, all too often, they make a mistake with their shoe choices. Their clothes may fit and they may look their best but it does not matter if the shoes are uncomfortable.
 
Men and women do not have to give up comfort to wear a business-like shoe even when they are used to wearing flip flops or sandals. The shoe designers have gone the well beyond the extra mile to ensure shoes feel comfortable.

There are wonderful brands for women such as ECCO, Munro, Anyi Lu, Earthies and Aquatalia. For men you have Ecco, Cole Haan Air and Bass. You can look sharp and feel great in the appropriate shoes(other than flip flops or gym shoes!).

The rule of thumb has always been to button all the buttons when wearing a double breasted blazer for both men and women. However, there are exceptions to the rule when it comes to jackets (not a suit jacket) that are double breasted. You don’t always have to button it all the way up. In some cases, when there is a tie with the jacket you only have to button half way up, leaving the top two buttons open. A double breasted jacket with a tie usually projects a casual look.

Listening skills are critical to effective and inclusive communication. So often, people interrupt before another person finishes. Today, I happened to hear an example of this. It was on a television program where one person kept interrupting the other speaker because he did not agree with him.

Instead of obtaining my support for his view, I immediately thought how rude and abusive the speaker was. In fact, I could not even listen to his comments. When someone is trying to explain a point that you do not agree with, you must listen and allow the other person to finish. If you do this, I can promise that when you do speak, the other person will believe you have listened.

And then they will listen to you.