Expert: Emma Barnes - 11/16/2005

Question
What do you think women should wear to work in order to look professional and suceed in their business?

Answer
Hi there.
 This is taken from http://www.looksmartclothes.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_3_59/ai_111850305

CLOTHES may not make the woman, but they can definitely make or break her career. In corporate America, business attire isn't just preferred, it's expected, and an impeccable style of dress is a must for Sisters who are just entering the workforce and for senior-level executives alike. It doesn't matter who you are, where you live, or what you do, the wrong outfit can send the wrong message, and the wrong message can block you from ascending the corporate ladder.

But stylish Sisters shouldn't fret; business attire doesn't necessarily mean boring attire, as professionals Michelle R. Smith and Mesha Williams, photographed at the Little Rock, Ark., Dillard's Park Plaza, demonstrate. Williams, Smith, and corporate stylists say you can show your personal sense of style without sacrificing your professional image.

How to Dress to Impress

Choose your threads wisely.

Congratulations, you've got the job! Now, what are you going to wear? Charles Black, visual merchandiser for Dillard's Park Plaza in Little Rock Ark., says that you should skip the urge to splurge and instead, build a professional wardrobe, one piece at a time.

"You don't have to sacrifice quality for quantity," Black says. "Build the basic [corporate] wardrobe with a little black dress, a look that you can easily take from day-to-evening and a black or navy blue blazer with a matching skirt and pants. With this basic wardrobe, you can mix-and-match your tops and bottoms and accessorize with jewelry and shoes."


Put your best foot forward.

Fashion experts say that a pair of shoes can either complement your look or kill it. So don't be cheap with your feet. Buy quality shoes and keep them buffed and shined. If you routinely run down your heels or scuff the toes by pounding the pavement, it may be a good idea to wear a pair of inexpensive shoes during your commute to and from work and change into your good shoes after you reach the office.

Save the After-5 look for after hours.

Susan, a banking executive from Philadelphia, couldn't believe her eyes when she saw her bank teller sitting in the front lobby wearing a firecracker-red sequined dress. "She told me that she didn't want to change her clothes for our New Year's Eve party, so she wore her party dress to the office," Susan said. "I really like her, and I wouldn't have cared about her unusually festive look, but a branch manager was due to visit that day, so I had to send her home. I was so embarrassed for her."

If you're attending an office party, wear the basic black dress with a blazer during work hours, and afterwards, vamp it up with festive accessories and a pair of funky, party shoes. Go easy on the makeup. If you want to be taken seriously at work, accentuating your natural beauty is the best way to go, says Fashion Fair makeup artist Nettle Winfrey. She says that Sisters should emphasize skin care, and opt for a cleaner and polished look.

"You don't have to wear colors that match your clothes; that's no longer the rule. You can always wear neutral tones and earth tones. These colors match any outfit and are very complementary to all skin tones." And there are a few common makeup mistakes that Winfrey wants Sisters to avoid: "Don't wear the extended black eyeliner [like Cleopatra]; don't wear blush that extends from your cheekbones to your forehead/like Star Trek]; and don't wear black eyeliner around your lips. Instead, use the appropriate shade of brown."

Hint: For an everyday professional look use a maximum of two eye shadows on your lids; if you want your look to go from daytime to evening, "smoke" the eyes by adding a deeper shade in the crease of the eyelid. For that party glow, add some shimmer powder to cheeks and/or shoulders, and wear a deeper shade of lipstick or gloss.

Don't get too casual on Casual Friday.

Fashion experts say Casual Friday, as it is loosely defined in Corporate America, is a day where your three-piece suit isn't required; but it's not a day for parading around the job site in miniskirts, cat-suits and go-go boots.

If, for any reason, you're uncertain about whether or not a Casual Friday ensemble is safe to wear on the job, consider this: A professional is as a professional dresses.

well,  a well dressed person will always suceed in whatever they do... so this site will also help you

http://www.bonprixsecure.com/uk/shop.htm?id=147978532072352663-0&nv=1|24