I truly believe in the necessity of a good tailor (I’m sure you’ve figured this out about me by now). I wanted to share this alteration with you because it’s something that I feel people wouldn’t automatically think to tailor… but I certainly would! Here’s a bit of background: I was looking for more of a dressy-casual summer dress that was more feminine and “light” looking (does that make sense??). I stumbled across this fun and flirty dress at Thread Hill, a great boutique in downtown Edmonton. I fell in love with the dress but realized that it needed some tailoring to make it work for me. Since I’ve been working with my tailor for a few years now, I usually do a mental run-through to see if a garment is worth tailoring. Here’s my mental checklist: How much is the garment? I usually ask this question to see if the additional cost of tailoring is worth purchasing the piece I’m interested in (i.e.- what’s my cost per wear after the tailoring job??). How much will tailoring cost? This can be difficult to answer since I don’t always know what the prices are for the tailoring job I have in mind. However, I do know my tailor pretty well (I see her on a monthly basis… I know, that’s nuts) so I have a good idea of how much she charges. Do I REALLY love it? If I like it, and am willing to pay the money for the new piece AND the tailoring, I usually ask myself if I’ll actually wear this custom piece. For garments that are basic or neutral, I usually lean towards “yes” but for those items that can’t be worn on a regular basis, I have a much tougher decision to make So, I decided to purchase the lovely dress – of course with specific alternations in mind. I decided to share each stage of the tailoring process with you! The lovely dress… as is. It’s WAY too big on me but definitely has a lot of potential (my tailor took these pics). Here’s some pictures of what my tailor intended to fix. You’ll notice all the areas that have been pinned. Here’s the final dress! It’s custom-altered… just for me. I love what she did to this dress. This is what was done to this dress: The back was taken in because it was too wide for my frame. This was causing the beautiful lace to fall off my shoulders and expose my bra… not cool! The waistline in the back was raised to align with the waistline in the front. Originally, the dress drooped in the back which made my butt look saggy (and it’s not… in case you were wondering). Extra material was removed from the back. Initially, there was too much billowing above the waistline in the back (more than what my preference is). As you can see, it didn’t take major work, on the part of my tailor, to take
A smile’s worth… well, what IS it worth?
I met up with a friend of mine, David, and noticed that he looked a bit different. He had just got braces! David, a 30 year old entrepreneur, felt that it was time to do something about an issue that had been bothering him since he was a teenager. I was quite curious as to why David decided to get braces at this point in his life, particularly for a guy who always comes across as confident and comfortable with who he is and what he’s about. So, we got into it (of course David was experiencing the usual difficulties people have when first getting braces) and here’s what I learned… David has always been self-conscious about his teeth and hence, probably doesn’t smile as fully as he’d like to. Since he’s self-conscious about his teeth, he probably doesn’t put himself ‘out there’ as much as he would if he didn’t have this problem. David has a lovely girlfriend who has never really been bothered by his teeth issue. David is a talented and successful entrepreneur whose business has growth tremendously in the past few years (he’s in a major growth phase as we speak). The most common thing that he has heard from friends and family (they were probably trying to deter him from incurring the time/cost involved with having and maintaining braces) is that they have never really noticed that David’s teeth are worthy of braces! Does it really matter though that others think he shouldn’t have bothered with this “minor” augmentation? Since our coffee date, I’ve been thinking about what he shared and here’s what I’ve come up with: David has to live with his teeth for the rest of his life. These are his teeth we’re talking about and he can do what he wants to do (wow, I’m a little strict today)! Regardless of what others have to say about David’s decision, HE is the one that has to be as confident as possible when presenting himself to prospective and current clients, new acquaintances, the media, etc. A confidence-booster will only help David grow, both personally and professionally. When he is proud of his (soon-to-be) new smile, he might: Take on new challenges: he will have the confidence to stretch himself and enter into situations that he previously wouldn’t have. Take bigger risks: David might decide to take on bigger projects or focus more on business development (this might have been a challenge or risk for him in the past) because he can speak (and laugh) more freely with new people he meets. Feel Good: the old saying “when you look good you feel good” might be absolutely true for David. This will let him feel more comfortable… even around his friends and family. I’m sure people close to him will notice his new energy. I’m willing to bet that each of us can think of a small change or two that will enhance our confidence. How could this improve opportunities in your personal and/or professional
Don’t Underestimate the Importance of a Great Fitting Blazer
Having a great fitting blazer can speak volumes about you, who you are and what you’re about! I’ll get right into it… Here are a few of the things I notice when I see someone, in a professional setting, wearing a blazer: “I mean business”- when you see someone who has taken the time to put on a well-fitting suit, including a tailored blazer, I automatically think that they are ALL business! This person has taken the time to present themselves in a way that will not only gain the respect from others but also position them as an authority. The details are important – focusing on the details such as fit, structure, colour and material of a blazer let’s people know that you care… care about yourself, care about your clients and care about making the right impressions. Employers and clients want to know that you (the highly respected and highly paid professional) are taking care of their needs. Focusing on the details is a great way to instantly let people know that you WILL do what’s necessary to take care of them. Time and effort – those that wear an impeccably-tailored blazer, are letting people know that they’ve taken the time and effort to present themselves in a positive manner. They understand that what you wear is more than just the clothes that you put on but rather a step towards inspiring confidence in others (back to my point on gaining respect and being the authority). When you take pride in yourself, employers and clients will be confident that you’ll also take pride in your work. Now, I completely understand that you may WANT to achieve a more professional look, by having a properly tailored blazer, but may not KNOW how to do this. I’d like to share a few key tips on what you should look for in a blazer – either for blazers you already own or those you’d like to shop for in the future: The Fit – Wearing blazers (or any clothing for that matter) that are either too big or too small is doing nothing for your shape! When a blazer is small, it’ll be too tight around the shoulders, won’t do up properly and will crease all over. The blazer will pretty much look like you stuffed yourself into it – talk about uncomfortable! A blazer that is big just looks like your swimming in it! From an impressions management viewpoint, it looks like you’re wearing your Mom or Dad’s suit. I’m sure you don’t want people thinking you’re wearing your Daddy’s suit, do you? What you should look for is a suit that is closely fitted to your frame. If you happen to be really tall and thin, wearing a suit that is fitted (not tight… fitted!) to your body is much more appealing and attractive that one is hangs off your lean frame. The material – Based on your size and shape, you should consider the type of material you