If you, like a lot of people, are making plans to go away for a weekend or so to Florida or the islands - even to South America - what do you need? Perhaps help packing?

Remember that less is more when traveling! Also, even if you're not going away until March, it's not too soon to identify right now what you want to take.

For those of you who haven't flown recently, there are new regulations regarding how much of your favorite suntan lotion you can bring! And, if you're planning to leave the country, there's also a new regulation regarding passport requirements. I've heard that traveling to the islands after Feb. 1st, 2007 will now require a passport to get back into the country. Be aware that it takes 6 - 8 weeks to get a passport, so get them now!

At any rate, important changes have taken place so DO check with a travel agent well in advance to be sure your trip goes smoothly.

As a result of our unusually warm fall and winter, the stores are overstocked with boots, coats, and all cold weather items. People just are not stocking up. So, now is the time to replace your favorite, 15 year old, heavy wool pants, which is exactly what I did recently.

My favorite black pair were just the right pants for a very cold day but, after all this time, I needed another pair that looked better! The pair I found was on the 2nd markdown so, even though I don't consider that there's much "winter" left on the calendar (will winter come at all this year?!), they were too good a deal to pass up.

Moral of the story - by and large, the coupons are gone, however the stores have a lot of merchandise to move out, so don't be surprised if special sales and more coupons pop up this month. Generally speaking, sales are scheduled well in advance of a season, however, here we are at the end of the season and there's still too much merchandise left! The way to move it, of course, is to mark it down. Remember, the prices are good even without coupons.

Did you know that there are only two seasons in retail? They are spring and fall, which begin on Feb. 1st and Aug. 1st, respectively. FYI - major stores are conducting inventories this month and they may close early one day for this or they may close for a whole day. There may not be a lot of notice, so if your shopping time is limited, double check with the store to make sure it's open when you're wanting to shop.

One more thing - in January, just like in August, the featured garments in stores are jeans. Right now is an 'in between' time - too late to feature cashmere sweaters and too early to feature bathing suits. Also, jeans are a part of everyones wardrobe.

So, it's a good idea to check your jeans inventory twice a year - in January and August. If you're fashion forward, you've already purchased your 'skinny jeans' but if you wear jeans more for casual/practical purposes, your only criteria should be a good, comfortable fit. No need to get crazy with the trends.

Personal note - if you wear jeans often, you probably also wear a lot of comfortable shoes/athletic shoes/sneakers so you might as well look for another pair of those now, too.

Sales continue! Go shopping!

This month, I want to focus on the challenge of winter dressing. I know, there's no snow here yet and we've been hitting record high temps, however it WILL eventually snow.

On snowy days, getting to and from work can be a very cold and messy undertaking. It can call for wearing heavy boots, coats, hats and scarves that then need to be changed upon arrival at the office. THEN, in some offices, there are challenges with certain areas being too cold. Under these conditions, it's very tempting to wear 'ski trip' clothes to the office but that really isn't appropriate OR necessary.

If your staff are coming to work dressed for the slopes, suggest instead that they wear LAYERS of clothing. This is something that most men already do - they wear tee shirts under their dress shirts. THAT'S layering and now there are 'winter weight' tee shirts for men and comparable garments for women. One such brand for women is "Cuddle Duds." These are light weight, long sleeve tee shirts that work beautifully under shirts and light weight sweaters.

I'm talking thin layers which work remarkably well to keep a person warm. Now, it's ok to have an extra cardigan on the back of your chair but it could easily be a nicely fitted cardigan or jacket that looks professional.

When at work, the message doesn't need to be "It's cold therefore I have on the bulkiest sweater I can find and the dress code is suspended for now." With all the options available today in clothing, wearing outdoor attire in the office really isn't necessary. Layering is the effective look for business anyway -tee shirt, dress shirt, tie (or not), sweater or vest (or not), sports jacket or suit jacket (or not). You get the picture. Yes, you need to be warm but you don’t have to emphasize that there's been yet another snow storm. (I know, I know - pretend with me here. Winter WILL come and you'll want to be ready.)
Oh, and one more thing -it's more challenging in the winter with boots, gloves, hats etc., and getting dressed and to the office involves more work so allow more time.

So, until winter DOES arrive, enjoy this unseasonably warm weather but be prepared for a change to cold and snow at SOME point!

For information about working with me on YOUR company’s image-in-the-workplace issues, Click Here

I was asked recently, by a client, what I thought about his wearing a different pair of pants with a suit jacket. An excellent question! This client had a dark charcoal gray, pinstripe jacket and wanted to know if a pair of dark charcoal gray, glen plaid pants would go well with it.
I went back and forth - at first glance it looked like the combination worked. However, I ended up concluding that the combination was just "off" enough that it looked as though he put his suit jacket with the wrong pants. Instead, I suggested he wear a more traditional black blazer with that particular pair of pants. There was also another option - since this gentleman has dark hair, brown eyes and a medium skin tone - he could try going totally monocromatic by wearing a dark charcoal shirt, even a silk tee shirt or a mock turtleneck, in order to make the outfit more of a play on tone and fabric - all dark gray.

Short story - if the pants to your suit are gone, can you wear the suit jacket with another pair of pants? The broad answer is "no." The truth of it is, trying to make another match is almost impossible. Also, wearing the suit jacket over jeans or khakis (like a sports coat) probably won't work either.

Conclusion: don't put another pair of pants with a suit coat and call it a 'suit' - it just won't work.

By the way, watch for my next booklet, "The Truth about Business Casual" to be available soon! In the meantime, my current booklets can be purchased here.

What do you wear to an informal job interview?

First of all, I recommended she wear coordinated suiting pieces, not matching pieces. Also, I recommended that skirts be avoided for the following reason. If a woman is not sure if the interviewer will be a man or a woman, slacks/trousers/pants are more of an equalizer.

As for color, blues and greens for the shirt/top are usually the safest bet. Why? Because creams/ivorys/whites can be too formal and too bland. Show a little color in informal situations. It's common ground.

We selected four outfits - even down to necklace, earrings, handbag, totebag, shoes/boots. Part of the criteria was dressing for the temp - i.e. a warm balmy day in January in Boston? or perhaps it would be a cold, snowy day? - put together outfits for either possibility so you'll be ready.

The TYPE of job should also be taken into account. If interviewing for a position in a graphics dept. - pay attention to jewelry and color. If it's for a compliance dept (such as HR) - wear a more traditional outfit such as a sports coat and slacks. If, however, it's for a technical position - keep it simple and not overly traditional - wear a turtleneck instead of a blouse or shirt.

I'm thrilled to report that my client had positive results with her very first interview! I received the following message from her just yesterday.

"Hi Julie,
Thanks for your recent help. At my meeting, the senior manager took one look at me, literally, and said, 'I can tell just by looking at you that you are very intelligent and obviously qualified to do the job. We are looking for someone very polished.' I smiled and thought, 'Thank you Julie!', and knew that the interview was off to a great start."

*****

For more information on working with me on YOUR style,
click here.

I'm so excited to be a presenter again - for my 4th year! - at the Winter Women's Wellness Weekend at the YMCA camp in Beckett, MA. I'd love for you to join us for a wonderful time!

While there, you can do everything or do nothing. As it says on the camp website, "All of your delicious meals prepared for you, all our wonderful activities planned for you, your hardest choice is when to schedule your massage." I can hardly wait!

The camp takes place the weekend of Jan. 19th - 21st. For more information and a registration form, go to www.bccymca.org . Click on "Year Round Programs" on the left hand side of the home page. Then click on "Winter" and then "Women's Winter Wellness Weekend."

I hope to see you there!

*****

*****

Copyright 2001-2006 Julie Foley. All rights reserved.