by Angela Taffs | Mar 9, 2015 | Personal and Lifestyle
The basic essentials to make the most of yourself and look good at all times
When you are running your own business, you are literally the face of your business. Whether we like it or not, how we look can have an impact on how people perceive our business.
For example, a beautician who goes out without make up, with chipped nails and looking scruffy will not paint such a good advertisement for her business as one who is well groomed.
So what key areas do you need to think about when representing your business?
Hair.
Have regular hair cuts to keep your hair in good shape. Leaving any cut any longer than 12 weeks will result in dry, scraggy ends with no style definition that just gets harder and harder to look good. Find a style that is easy for you to maintain and always have a backup plan for a bad hair day, whether that is to tie it up in scrunchie or get out the straighteners.
Skin.
Wear sun block at all times. Always follow a daily routine of cleanse, tone and moisturise. Ensure that you find a product that suits your skin type. Go to a professional beauty counter for advice. Don’t just follow the trends of your friends or the latest article in a magazine.
Healthy Eating.
The old adage ‘you are what you eat’ is so true and when you have a balanced diet, it shows. This makes you feel good inside and this feeling radiates to your appearance. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and avoid those that have plenty of preservatives. This will aid your energy levels which we all need to have at the highest level when running our own business.
Dress well.
Find a style that suits you and is comfortable. Don’t just follow the fashion trends because they look good on the model. Unless you have the exact figure, height and colouring undoubtedly the outfit will look totally different on you. Try new styles and take advice from friends. How you see yourself can differ greatly from how others see you. Find colours that suit your skin tone and hair and stick with these as the main colour for your outfits. This doesn’t mean that a dog groomer need go out and buy a Chanel suit but it does mean they can look neat and professional.
Be nice.
This is the most effective way to look good, if you are nice to other people, they will appreciate you no matter how you look. They will neither remember whether your hair was coiffured or windswept or whether your nail varnish was chipped and flaking. They will only remember how you were with them and how you made them feel.
It is important for anyone to look good. Having a well styled hair and smooth skin will surely add up to your self-esteem. It is also important to have a healthy diet in looking good. If you are healthy, you will have a natural glow and will always feel good inside. Having a nice set of clothes on will also do the trick, but the simplest most important way to look good is to have a positive attitude towards other people.
Follow these simple ways to look good and also feel better, and more confident, about yourself.
by Angela Taffs | Dec 29, 2014 | Personal and Lifestyle
Business dress for women doesn’t have to be boring!
Business dress for women can sometimes be a little dull, so recently I invited an image consultant to be a guest speaker at a women’s start-up business club that I run.
As soon as everyone arrived, I realised that I was the only one sitting in my regimental black. I know they say you should never wear black, but it is such an easy fail-safe colour to choose, especially for work. I have black skirts, tops, trousers and dresses that I wear almost daily to work. I accessorise with my usual silver jewellery but it tends to stop there.
So often women are afraid of going to a style/image/colour consultant as they think that after the session they will have to buy a whole new wardrobe, but that is not the case.
First off, the consultant decided that in all her 20 years of working in the business, she had never found anyone so difficult as me to colour match and eventually gave up saying I would need a one to one session with her for a few hours. Well, I like to be an individual I guess! But the inability to correctly colour match me turned into my advantage. Whilst others tried on different colour clothes that they didn’t already own, I stayed in my black dress but started playing around with the accessories and colour swatches to hand.
Accessories update a boring outfit
In the day-to-day routine of life, I had completely forgotten how much a few simple accessories can completely transform an outfit. I was wearing a simple v-neck black wool dress with a simple star-shaped silver necklace. By removing the necklace and putting on the most chunky leopard print design necklace worthy of Cleopatra, I suddenly transformed my simple look into one of style and wow. I felt fantastic.
Next came the scarves. By being shown how to tie a scarf properly (more research on this soon) I could change my dress into a zingy fun outfit with lime green, or sophisticated luxury with a silvery sheen little number.
So when I got up this morning and automatically put on a black top, skirt and black boots, I suddenly stopped before leaving my dressing room and started to look around. I found a beautiful topaz blue necklace and earrings which I put on instead of my usual understated silver. Suddenly my look was more interesting and I felt more interesting.
I then took this off and played around with different coloured belts and reminded myself that such a simple and cost-effective accessory could completely transform my outfit.
I really must make more effort, and have more fun when dressing.
So here are my top 5 accessories for chopping and changing to transform your look and to illustrate how business dress for women doesn’t have to be dull.
One dress, many outfits
Scarves
Remember they don’t have to be tied around your neck. Use them as a belt or tie to the handle of a handbag for added interest
Jewellery
Whether a necklace, earrings or bangles, jewellery can instantly give you a different look. With costume jewellery being so inexpensive, you can play with different colours, designs, shapes and sizes dependent on the look you want.
Belts
Again, different colours, shapes and designs can transform your outfit in an inexpensive way.
Shoes
My passion of course! Take a black dress and add a red pair of shoes and a statement is instantly made. Swap the red for leopard skin. Change the heel height from flat to stiletto. The possibilities are endless.
Bags
If you are on an evening out or shopping during the day, a bag can be a simple way of transforming your outfit in just the same way as other accessories. A simple small clutch for sophistication. An oversized shopper for casual elegance. A decent handbag can be expensive but go hunting in the charity shops. It is amazing what you can find.
Business dress for women doesn’t need to be dull. Utilise some of these ideas to transform your business attire and let your personality shine through.
