Avoid potential fashion faux-pas: Five no-fail style secrets for five high-pressure fashion situations
Pagination
- 1
- 2
Even the most style-savvy among us can get lost in the closet when it comes to dressing for events and meetings where impressions are everything. Whether it's a first date or your first meeting with the future in-laws, we've put together some simple style suggestions for dressing for success – in any situation.
1. The cocktail party
The little black dress, or LBD is your number one, no-fail outfit for a cocktail party, says Sarah Collins, President of Sarah Collins Image Consulting in Toronto. "Everyone should have a little black cocktail dress they feel good in." Collins also suggests making sure your LBD has about five pounds of "wiggle room" for those days you don't feel as toned as you'd like, or, for instance, there happens to be a buffet table at the party. Plus, we all go up a few pounds around holiday time, so it's best to leave yourself room to breath in any all-purpose cocktail frock.
The dress should be a sexy, yet flattering length which will depend on your height. Someone petite should avoid dresses that cut them off at the knees and instead choose a hemline that falls about an inch above the knee. Someone taller can get away with more variety, but just above the knee or mid-calf are always classics.
Pair your LBD with a simple string of pearls for instant elegance, Collins says. It's an accessory you don't have to think about. "It immediately adds class and takes your outfit from ordinary to extraordinary." Now throw on a pair of black pumps (always a classic), grab a clutch purse big enough for the essentials (lip gloss, car keys and tissues) and you're ready to impress!
2. The job interview
You can't go wrong with a well-tailored, crisp-collared white shirt, says Collins. "It will always ensure you look polished and well put-together." You can go affordable (H&M, Club Monaco) or more upscale (Pink Tartan, Jill Sander), but the result will be the same – professional and sophisticated without trying to hard. Pair your white shirt with a narrow black pant and fitted blazer, and the look is complete – sans headache from stressing about what to wear.
Tucking in your shirt for an interview is also an absolute must, says Collins, so you look as neat as possible. She also suggests you avoid being overly feminine. This means lay off anything frilly, lacy or too pink. A job interview also isn't the place to strut your fashion-forward sense of style, Collins says. Her advice: Keep it simple and polished and you'll do fine.
How to dress for business meetings, first dates and meeting the in-laws on the next page!
