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.

This is the time of year when the temperatures can wildly fluctuate, sometimes by 30 degrees, in the course of just one day! It could be 40 degrees in the morning and 70 in the late afternoon. To cope with this clothing wise (and to avoid looking like Frosty the Snowman) try wearing close fitting, thin layers. This provides the option to remove layers as the temperature rises.

Generally, it’s best to use three layers (especially in the winter):

– An inner layer that keeps the skin dry (like silk or soft wools)

– The mid layer (wool, fleece, down, cotton, synthetic polyester) which provides additional insulation and helps keep you warm. It should be looser fitting to allow for insulating air between the layers.

– A shell layer (plastic raincoats, water resistant materials) that prevents moisture from entering.

However you layer, layering makes efficient use of clothing and also allows you to make use of clothing to produce different looks and mix colors in a stylish way.

– A resume writer can take a sentence like this:

Perform various analysis and audit procedures on specific accounts to ensure the accuracy of various companies financial information, ensure that funds were not misappropriated and that accounting records are accurate and complete

And turn it in to this:

Use analytical and audit procedures to ensure the accuracy of financial information and verify that no misappropriation of funds has occurred.

– A resume writer can provide a template that works not only for your work documents but for the job you are applying to.

– A resume can be however many pages that work but many hiring managers will not look past two, especially if a strong competitor has a well written two page summary. A resume writer can get your resume to the appropriate length for your career accomplishments.

– 30 percent of those wanting resume rewrites are over the age of 50. They may be experiencing how tough it can be to sustain their career while in that age group. A resume writer can “de-age” them on paper

– A resume writer can write a coherent, powerful career summary for a job applicant. Hiring managers prefer this is to an objective.

Steve Wyrostek, MBA, CPRW

No Cliché Resumes

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.

Often, I am asked to work with folks who tend to ramble and say more than they should. The more they ramble, the less impact their message has.

A great example of this occurred today. A top candidate for a new role in a new company kept going on and on. I even interviewed him the day before and mentioned to him that he tends to go on too long, rambles and talks in circles.

He is a very qualified candidate and frankly, is the candidate of choice. In the interview, he was told what held him back was his rambling. The advice we gave him was to answer a question with a five or ten word description and then stop. Rambling indicates nervousness, lack of confidence and even a possible lack of knowledge.

If you tend to ramble, it is because you have not practiced your answers. A good way to practice is to write the answer on paper and edit it with three bullet points. This will definitely help curb your rambling.

The black pump is making a comeback and I personally am very happy with this. I just purchased the last pair of Arche black pumps at Bloomingdales. They are so comfortable that I love wearing them.

Heels have always been a challenge. It seems like all the pumps were too high or too low and the toes were too pointy, round or square. What I want is a good looking, smart pair of black shoes that can be worn with slacks or a skirt that’s either longer (French slightly over the knee) or shorter, above the knee. And I have found them!

Having modeled in my early career, I follow these tips to ensure my photo looks like me and shows me in the best possible light.

In a professional photo, check to see if there is a makeup artist tied to the studio that you can use. Otherwise, engage one for the shoot. The artists use a makeup especially designed for the camera.

Begin practicing by moving your mouth up and down at least 10 minutes before the photo shoot so you look relaxed when you smile. If you have any neck wrinkles they will be less noticeable if you stretch your chin out a bit. Your hair style should be natural. If you wear glasses all the time, your photo should include them.

When standing in a group photo, a sideways pose is best for a slimmer, thinner look.

Following these tips will help your photo turn out picture perfect.

A 20% tip is a normal when I dine because I do not drink and am very light eater. Usually I have an appetizer, nonalcoholic drink and dessert. For a cab or car service, 20% is still standard for me. In New York, my friends recommend a dollar for every $6.00 charge which comes out to be 15%.

When traveling in Japan and China, tipping is considered rude so I do not tip. On a cruise, the tip is included and in some cases, we have tipped for special circumstances. In Europe, most restaurants have a service charge of 15% which is your tip. On bus tours, it is generally acceptable to provide a tip to the driver and the tour guide. The amount is up to you.