There are some of you who do this all the time without thinking twice. I see it all the time. Showing off your bra straps at the office looks tacky and immature. You’re better than that. Light, sheer, flowy blouses are so popular and seem to be everywhere. I too love them. Especially ones that are more menswear inspired like these ones below. Equipment – Slim Signature Blouse ASOS- Detail Front and Drape Neck For many occasions, this sheer look is awesome. Having said that, most of these are better left of your casual wardrobe (yes, casual attire is much more than sweat pants ladies). Here are some great examples that you can incorporate into a casual day or night look. Sourced from: http://besteozer.tumblr.com/ Nasty Gal What about for the office? This simply doesn’t work in an office environment. Plain and simple. What message does this send in a professional setting? You don’t care You’re fine being sexy at work Showing your bra is more important than showing off your great ideas Career advancement is not important to you I’m sure none of these things are true. You’re magnificent and talented. What can you do? I know. You love the look of a soft, light blouse for work. Here’s what you can do to get more wear out of these blouses in a professional setting. DO: wear a cami with straps thick enough to cover your bra straps. The easiest colour to pair with your blouse is nude. In some cases though, this may look funny. Also, consider adding a bold coloured cami for the colour contrast. DON’T: wear a spaghetti strap tank top under a sheer blouse. This looks ridiculous and doesn’t actually cover your bra strap.
Wrap that hair around your finger = ditzyville
Whoa! Sorry about my busy schedule. I’m back in blogging action. Sooo… what words come to mind when you see someone doing this? (photo from: lastforypercent.com) When interacting with a potential client, colleague, senior leader or new acquaintance, we all want to put forward our best self. It’s a pretty normal thing. We all have bad habits that we just don’t want out there. Twirling your hair is, without a doubt, one of them. When I see others doing this, it makes them look ditzy and silly. They likely aren’t ditzy or silly but right away, this is the impression that is being formed. It is fair? No. Does it happen… all the time? Yes. Say what? Guess what? I’m a major hair twirler. It’s a habit – a bad one – I’ve had since I was a kid. Over the last 5-7 years or so, I’ve taken very deliberate and purposeful steps to stop doing this in any in of professional setting. I, like many others who are hair twirlers, am not ditzy or silly. Why would I want even a single person thinking that about me? I don’t. Here’s what I do to kick this habit: Each and every time I present myself, in a professional capacity, I remember that what I say and do is a complete reflection of everything I stand for – whether I intend it to or not. I often remind myself that I am not ditzy or silly. I then ask myself “why would I want to look that way?” I do allow myself to indulge in a good hair twirl when I’m not out in public. When I slip up, I acknowledge it and move on. I’m not perfect. I do work hard at breaking bad habits though. You can break this habit too. And you should. You never know when sill habits could limit a potential opportunity on the horizon.
Stop saying “like” so much. It makes you sound dumb.
“Like, I went to this show….” “He was like…” “So I told her to like go and like try to….” “Like, you know what I mean…” Here it is in plain english. Stop saying the word like so much. It makes you sound dumb. You’re not dumb. Why would you want to come across that way? As someone who speaks about building a personal brand that is reflective of you, your skills, your talents and everything else you bring to the table, I want to let you know that “peppering” your conversations with the word like is, without a doubt, a knock to your credibility and intelligence. You know who says like the most? Young professionals. Stop it. You’re smarter than that. Now, I understand that this word is engrained in our culture and yes, there are times when we all say it, but using it after every word – or every other word – is ridiculous. I know you know it is. Also, I do understand many people are uncomfortable in a public speaking situation. I get it. The word like seems to be a default that people fall back on. My advice is to practice (in the mirror if you can… it sounds nerdy but it works) cutting that word out of your presentation. That’s not what I’m talking about though. I’m talking about the everyday, conversational use of the word like. Avoid saying: “I like really want to like go see that {insert anything}.” Instead, say: “I want to go see that {insert anything}”. Can you see how the first statement makes you sound stupid? You’re not stupid. You’re intelligent, talented and competent. What you say is a reflection of who you are and what you’re about. Whether you like it or not, this is true. With this in mind, my advice for you is to start being aware of when, and how often, you say the word like. It sounds like a little thing but it makes a huge difference when presenting yourself to new clients, a recruiter, a potential partner or anyone, really. You’re better than that.
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