Cheryl Burton, ABC Chicago evening news anchor, wore an aqua blue multi-shaped bib necklace with a sleeveless scooped neckline coral dress. She looked stunning. The scooped neckline gave the necklace space to be featured. Cheryl also chose a complementary color so the necklace was balanced with the coral dress. If she had chosen to wear a black dress the necklace might not have looked as stylish.

If you choose the appropriate neckline and color to balance a bib necklace, you will wear the necklace; the necklace will not wear you.

It appears that beards are starting to gain in popularity again including being more acceptable in the business world. This is probably partly because some key CEO’s are sporting them.

The key for a beard to look sharp is to keep it maintained and worn close to the face. Beards look best as a neat face cover as opposed to allowing them to grow beyond the chin and down the neck. Scraggly beards will make the person look old and unkempt.

Enough of the stiletto heels. Even Jessica Sarah Parker of Sex in the City has a foot problem due to wearing them. In fact, that’s the reason for the recent popularity of the two inch stacked heel—because women are realizing the three to four- inch pumps can cause major foot and ankle problems.

Over time, wearing high heels can shorten calf as well as back muscles, leading to pain and spasms.

“Any time you wear shoes that restrict the natural shape of your foot, you’re at risk for experiencing pain,” noted physician, Dr. Nevins, points out. According to him, many women who wear high heels often also suffer a shortening of the Achilles tendon because once the heel is pointed upwards, it tightens up. Stretching it again or switching to flats can be very painful and even lead to plantar fasciitis.

Wearing the two-inch stacked heel will save your back and feet. Now, with Tory Busch and other notable shoe designers re-introducing them, you have a chance to be stylish too.

If someone has asked not to have you assigned to them, it is best to go along with it. However, some think that finding out what your detractors say is critical to professional growth. If that’s the case in your situation, ask your manager to find out what the issue is and share the feedback with you.

You can also address the issue yourself but that can be a little tricky. You have to go into it with a very open, non-threatening, non-judgmental spirit. And even then, the person may not want to speak with you face to face about it.

Recently I was asked what business casual meant regarding dress. Is it the similar for all industries? Does it apply the same way to everyone in that profession?

Business casual will always be confusing just because it is not viewed the same way for all business professions.

Here are some guidelines:

Professional Services (Finance and Accounting)

• Polished and upscale

– Tops include oxford shirts and sweater sets in heavier fabrics and shapes

– Slacks in fabrics (like gabardine) that shape the body

– Shoes in polished leather or microfiber

Technology

• More relaxed

– Tops include knit shirts and simple blouses with or without collars

– Slacks in cotton or linen

– Shoes can be more casual – sporty styles

Never wear wrinkled or torn clothing. Stay away from sweatshirts, cut offs and clothing that reveals too much skin.

If you are a female in management, a piece of signature jewelry is good.

For a male manager consider a tie, sweater vest and high-end accessories.

Follow these guidelines and your business casual attire will not be mistaken for weekend wear.

Today’s retailers are pushing bright colors like corals, greens and yellows. It can be very overwhelming but at the same time we can be seduced by it. Color is critical because it sets us apart from the folks in dark colors. Plus, certain colors can make us look and feel better.

• Men have an easier time handling colors in either a shirt or tie. (Neutral slacks are always best.) There are some shirts for men with unique designs and an abundance of color. The key is to make sure the shirt does not wear you. You wear the shirt.

• For women, the pop of color can be shown off in a jacket, shirt or shoes. But do not wear more than three colors at once and be careful on how you situate them.

When color is used wisely it can lift one’s mood, make inexpensive items look expensive and make a person appear younger.

Folks assigned to work on teams may not always be a good fit. An example of this is dealing with a team member who has a reputation of not working well with others. There are two ways to handle it. (Use the method that best suits the culture of your organization.)

One way is for the team leader to have a one on one conversation with this individual about shared expectations and what is the best for the team and organization. The second way is to have a team meeting with an open dialog on the key elements of impactful communications. Outline acceptable methods of how to handle any potential conflict and decide on the best way to agree to disagree.

The most important thing is ensure the team is successful as a group.

Summer time is great for stylish sandals. However, there can be a problem for women who cannot wear sandals because they lack support. This especially affects those have to insert orthotic insoles which take an extra size shoe.

Just recently I was with a client who experienced this issue. To cope with it, she wore clunky, wide, comfort shoes. But they looked like black work shoes. I recommended she buy colorful shoes because they would look funky but fun. Dansko is a wonderful brand with fun styles that turn what may be unattractive shoes into a pair of stylish footwear.

I have always hesitated to wear eyeliner because most of the time it ends up smearing and running down to the lower eye lash lids. But, the correct thickness of eyeliner on your eyelids will make your eyes pop and fresh looking. The challenging part is finding a liner that is easy to use and that does not have a tendency to run. Eye liner like that will always enhance your eyes.

On this topic, congratulations are in order for Bobby Brown! She has come up with a wonderful gel eyeliner pencil. I have used it for a week now and it does not run or smear.

When Samantha takes a walk, she always starts full of the potential excitement of her adventure. Her head is held high and her gaze is straight ahead, eyes shining with great anticipation about what she might see. For those of you who know, Samantha is my bison (you can see her picture on the far upper right corner).

Wouldn’t it be great if each time you walked into a room, you had the good anticipatory feeling of exploring something new? It projects in your body, facial expressions and even your walk. It is the aura of confidence and creates a wonderful first impression.