Category Archives: Personal Image

Into the Closet

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If the faltering economy is preventing you from looking fashion forward, now is the perfect time to take stock of what’s lurking in your clothes closet. Over the years of auditing clients’ closets, I have been concerned about the crazy consumption on clothing left unworn, or not worn enough to have warranted the purchase in the first place. It’s time to get back into the closet and get your wardrobe organized.

Carol Stephen, owner of Stephen Organizing Services in Sunnyvale, and I dished about the disorganization we both see in our clients’ closets, and therefore in their lives. Without naming names and outing our honored clients, we had a heart-to-heart about helping them both in the closet, and out. “Usually, I don’t see any organization,” Carol said of the spaces clients hire her to manage. “There’s stuff on the floor, on the bed, on exercise equipment. So there’s no underlying structure.” This might tempt a person to reach for the Calgon bath, but it won’t clear the clutter.

Stephen says the top mistake people make with their clothes closets is “they keep stuff because they paid a lot of money” for various clothing items but that “it doesn’t lift their spirits. Usually when they get rid of it they feel a lot better.” I couldn’t agree more. Often people buy something new to lift their spirits – call it retail therapy – but if the item wasn’t purchased to coordinate or to complete a look it tends to hang in the closet with the price tag attached as a constant reminder of buyer’s remorse. Carol, whose positive spirit is as breezy as a day at the beach, encourages clients to rid their closets of these items so “something great can come into their lives.”

Another reason for the closet chaos is that people “hold onto things for the wrong reasons. Sometimes they think – like with shoes – they’re going to break them in. I’ll just wear them a little longer and they’ll get comfortable,” she said while kindly imitating the good intentions of a client. Apparently not enough people know the rule to shop for shoes after 5:00 p.m., when feet are as swollen as they will be after being active all day. Also there’s a correlation between clutter and weight. “People whose weight vary a lot have a lot of different sized things; so it’s harder to organize,” she claims. “When they let go of things, it’s weird, but that’s when they start losing weight. When they get something that’s really gorgeous and appropriate, they can finally see the difference.”

Then there is the issue of holding onto clothing that’s not age appropriate. “They’re missing out on the beauty that is their age,” says Carol, who has lived just long enough to use herself as an example of appropriately maintaining a youthful appearance. “Accessorize at Forever 21, just don’t buy your whole wardrobe there,” she advises women clients, and says everyone needs to let go of the past. I concur with Carol and think it’s helpful to assess what your goals in life are so you can think about how you want to project yourself as you currently are rather than as you were in college.

The key to organizing the wardrobe is to develop a system. Carol warns against purchasing a closet system without first inventorying what you have. Even trying to decide between organizational systems leads to a lot of confusion, she says. Even if all you have to work with at first is a closet rod, at the very least figure out a way to group items by clothing category or color. For a more sophisticated wardrobe, try to group items by wardrobe cluster. Separate items that you won’t wear again until next spring and summer from the ones you need to wear through fall and winter. If all else fails and you’re ready to pull your hair out, seek out the services of one of us well-organized types.

Carol was known by her peers at such companies like Sun Microsystems, Hewlitt Packard, and 3Com to be quite organized. As a technical writer, “I had to be organized for my job. So I started helping my family and friends. Writing is lonely work, especially technical writing. You can get there when it’s dark, see no one all day and get home when it’s dark.” Somehow through the darkness, she saw the light and nuanced her natural talent into a viable vocation. “I’d like to encourage people to just let go of things. Most of the time, they’re not even going to remember that they owned a particular item. The closet does not need to be so stuffed.”

Organizing Tips:
1. Find items rarely or never worn and look for items in the closet to wear with them. If you don’t find good combinations, let them go.
2. Eliminate items that are not the right fit, color, or age appropriateness.
3. Create separate spaces for seasonal clothes.
4. Organize what’s left by style, color, work-related, non-work casual
5. Invest in a closet system once the wardrobe has been inventoried and you know what needs to be organized to make your ‘look’ and your life easier.

Designing and managing your image is the secret science of your success.

Joseph Rosenfeld helps professional men and corporate workgroups create effective visual brands. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.

Grooming is Good

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Today I received an inquiry from a company interested in providing its employees a wardrobe and grooming seminar. It sounded like grooming is a sticking point for some in this company’s office. It’s not yet clear if the offending employees’ poor grooming habits are culturally based; or brought on by ignorance or laziness.

Hopefully the company will hire me because I want to help these employees develop better personal grooming standards and habits. It’s good to give everyone an overview, but the few employees with particularly poor habits should have some 1:1 time with me. It can be wounding for one worker to hear from a colleague that s/he has chronically bad breath, for example. It’s hard to recover when the employees work with each other daily.

Skills are a really important component to achieving success. But poor grooming habits are barriers to achieving success, regardless of the skill level. If someone can outgrow poor habits then it is possible to reach one’s full potential.

Designing and managing your image is the secret science of your success.

Joseph Rosenfeld helps professional men and corporate workgroups create effective visual brands. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.

The Third Season Trifecta: Traditions, Trends, and Trials

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With the world in such a state of monetary mystification, political perplexity, and societal shake-ups, you can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll be yearning for change, whether in your hand or on your body. Change is fashion’s raison d’être and this season proves to be as good as any to embody the concept. Let’s take a journey through fall’s fashion maze, a full range of mainstays and mayhem. Some will be eminently wearable, while others will be costumes beyond compare. Through the sublime and the silly, we’ll make sense of fall’s fashions for men.

Traditions, as fashion trends, are always rife with retrospection. Jean Paul Gautier, Junya Watanabe, and Lanvin each sent looks down their runways, redefining look of The Gent as rite of passage. Young men, topped off in bowler derby hats and wearing tailored coats, cravats, and chunky soled shoes, were caricatures of grown-ups from a by-gone era. Other designers, like Michael Kors, Valentino, and Paul Smith, made the vest one of their best accessories. Whether it’s a knit sleeveless cardigan worn with a tweed jacket, the third piece of a superb suit, or a contrasting colored and lapelled piece layered to foppish effect, the vest’s been treated with an attitude adjustment that should make it popular for lesbians and lads alike.

Viktor & Rolf even took a traditional tone, and reworked the white tuxedo shirt into one that could be worn in a non-traditional manner. The thought process even paid new attention to the bow tie. Burberry Prorsum went metallic, Neil Barrett did a classic black bow and white shirt with skiwear, and Ralph Lauren’s guy looked like a sexy paper delivery boy, complete with sneakers.

Designers create trends to transmit themes and entice customers to try (and buy) something new. This fall’s fads should influence men to look fearless. Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, and Z Zegna showed shaggy and sheared coats in bold designs, and with broad shoulders. The sweater, nearly non-existent for numerous seasons, has made a huge reappearance in a wide array of styles: from fresh and fluffy, flamboyant fisherman looks to classic ski looks for the most fearless of downhill skiers. We could all use a dose of fearless fashion this fall.

Along with fearlessness, boldness continues with this season’s punchy plaids. Costume National showed a bold plaid coat over a somber gray outfit. D & G took the hunter’s approach with a Scottish plaid jacket with over-the-top plaid pants, while Paul Smith put his best plaid forward, toning down a plaid vest and pant with an earthy, solid, tweed jacket. Less colorful, but bold nonetheless, the edgy black-on-black look emerges from the shadows this season. Black leather, velvet, silk, wool, and cashmere have been mixed masterfully, creatively showing bright and dull, flat and textured, monochromatic effects in looks ranging from the Nancy Boy to Gangsta.

And now for trials. These would be this season’s edgiest lines for men. Trials are truly experimental, envelope-pushing fashions that shed light on what’s happening in the world. Often they belong on mannequins rather than on men. The slim styles shown by lines like D Squared have a narrow audience. Collections from Bottega Veneta and Yohji Yamamoto are going baggy, bucking the bonier styles, showing the opposing extreme. The pattern mixing shown by Etro and Dries van Noten are creative, complex, and memorable. Though not likely to be worn by many, plenty would consider sending them up a flag pole or two. Two rabble-rousing designers defied convention. Raf Simons, and particularly Muccia Prada, brought gender-bending clothes to the runway, complete with a bikini bottom peeking out of a pair of pants and a bralette!

Whatever your desire, the designers have successfully updated what modern men’s clothes should look like. The choices available this season make it easy to play it safe, take a chance, or throw all caution to the wind.

Designing and managing your image is the secret science of your success.

Joseph Rosenfeld helps professional men and corporate workgroups create effective visual brands. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.

Spoke at West Valley College Today

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Today I had the pleasure of speaking to students and faculty at West Valley College in Saratoga, CA. The topic of the presentation was “Interviewing Success: It’s all About You”. During the one-hour talk, I wove together the importance of appearance, behavior, and communication during the entire interview process. Questions from participants included:

• what core items should someone just starting out make sure he owns?

• can a job candidate wear fragrance?

• can you go to a job interview without wearing a business suit?

• are there acceptable exceptions in Silicon Valley?

After the presentation I received a great compliment from a man who appreciated how the presentation showed the interconnectedness of appearance, behavior, and communication. Another appreciative comment was about how I explained how dressing better affects the bottom line of the interviewing process. Who really wants to leave money on the table?

It’s very enjoyable speaking with people who are interested in improving themselves. My feeling is that for many, it’s just about dressing a little better. But for the most engaged participants, it’s about more than clothing, a tool to help convey a strong, positive self-image. But without good business and social skills, good communication and body language, the clothes would just be surface matter. I was so happy everyone ‘got it’ today!

Designing and managing your image is the secret science of your success.

Joseph Rosenfeld helps professional men, women, and corporate workgroups create effective visual brands. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.

Fall 2008 Women’s Runway Wrap-Up: Recession Proof

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A year ago, fashion designers in Milan, Paris, and New York all must have been advised by the same crystal ball that foretold tough economic times. The collections, presented in February and early March, are right on target for the state of our world, showing great insight into the psyche and savvy of many a designer’s mind, as well as our very own. Ultimately, the fashions fall into two factions. Most designers put forth practical designs as proof of the recession, while a minority of others opted for opulence for their recession-proof clientele. Let’s take a look.

The first fashion shows took place in New York, an equally fitting place for a financial meltdown as it is for fashion materialism. Three collections stand out as examples of the New York state of mind. At Ralph Lauren, urban urgings gave way to exurban escapism. Who saw the gritty economic graffiti on the proverbial brick wall when Ralph created these get-out-of-town looks? Inspired by his own Colorado ranch, he deftly drew upon plaids and paillettes to merge the “Rocky Mountain High” and high-rise city attitudes. In stark, recession proof contrast, Oscar de la Renta was showing rich, opulent, fur-trimmed cashmeres and complementing wools, including a fitted pleated skirt, a mainstay for this season. The first-rate clothing, worthy of First Ladies, carries a price tag worthy of a bailout. BCBG Max Azria shows signs of what’s to come from Europe: fresh, flirty and feminine looks awash in neutral tones. Body consciousness is inconspicuously introduced, save for belts and slightly skimming silhouettes.

Across the Atlantic, the Milanese designers channeled inspiration from the 1970’s and the 1990’s to create very different looks to get us through tough times. At Prada, a lace remnant was the foundation for an entirely feminine cache of clothes. The dark neutral palette was punctuated by pale blue and metallic. Lace was layered to offer transparency through a garment while covering up the body’s shape, creating a harmonious contradiction. The look is feminine, yet not overtly sexy, and reminiscent of the austere times of the early 1990’s. Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana took to the London streets of the 1970’s. Gucci resurrected and glammed up its London rock chick with Russian tapestry textiles, chains, fringe, and charm-like baubles worthy of a ruble-rich Russian rock star. Dolce & Gabbana gave their girls touches of town tailoring tinged with country chic checks and texture. The resulting looks ranged from boyish Bohemian to rustic romanticism, perfect for London, circa 1970’s, or for today’s toned-down times.

The Paris shows continue to prove it’s a place of inspiration, if not outright optimism. At Dior, John Galliano set the tone with cheery bright color, in uncharacteristically understated get-ups that seem to channel Jackie Kennedy. Galliano’s girls showed his theatrical side with temperamentally heavy eye makeup. But the abundance of paillettes and embroidery make it a party-ready collection. Over at Louis Vuitton, American designer Marc Jacobs made girl dresses for grownups. The collection was sober yet sophisticated, echoing the elegance of a sculptural silhouette and a perfectly fitting full skirt with a waistband fit to a T. Even luxe Lanvin took a practical approach. Albert Elbaz showed restraint in a tight color palette of black, navy, and metallics. His nifty use of grosgrain ribbon as a fabric simultaneously showed restraint and opulence, and huge jewelry helped to hammer home a bit of escapism, making us forget about everyday reality.

Especially entertaining during difficult days, the fantasy that is fashion can keep us rooted in reality and enable us to escape. So while we may be tempted to tighten our belts when it comes to buying fashions, it still pays to find some femininity this season and wear it for all it’s worth.

Joseph Rosenfeld helps professional men and corporate workgroups create effective visual brands. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.

Exercise from the Inside Out

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I wrote a recent column that concluded with a suggestion to accept yourself as you are and that you reject trendy notions that don’t work for you. It’s a lofty resolution to kick off a new year. That may have been the end of that column, but it is only the beginning of a holistic approach to self-improvement. As gym memberships and sign-ups for diets spike at this time of the year, you may do well to heed some expert advice to prevent good intentions from morphing into a cliché.

Shane Esposito owns CORE Definitions in San Jose. As a private personal trainer, Shane puts an emphasis onnutrition counseling. He’s very fit, has a great smile and an unpretentious personality. If you’re serious about physical wellness, you may benefit from an enlightening conversation we recently had that made me see how there is a better way to care for the body.

Take a five-part approach to redefining your body. Combine smart nutrition with resistance training, flexibility development, cardio, and what he refers to as recovery.

“The word diet is a bad word because a diet is something you will eventually go off. You need to go from the diet idea to daily discipline.” He says that many people don’t eat enough of the right foods at each meal, and that people need to know how to properly portion their meals. The 1970’s ushered in the era of larger portions served with a side order of greater inactivity. Combine that with misinformation about what’s really healthy to eat, and you’ve got a recipe for nutritional chaos.

As an example, carrots, tomatoes and potatoes are high on the glycemic index, and as a result, each got a bad rap. However, they are actually very good foods because they are very low in calories and provide the body with glucose, which feeds brain function. Shane claims that “nothing is going to replace hard working good food” that comes from the earth and is filled with healthy nutrients, and cautions his clients on the use of expensive supplements.

Improving flexibility is important because it positively affects your overall good health. “If you can’t move it you can’t use it,” he says. If your hips and upper legs are stiff, you’re prone to having lower back pain. If your shoulders and neck are stiff, you’re likely to get nasty headaches. Forget for a moment about wanting to look hot. How good would it be to consistently have a tension-free body?

As for recovery, if you’re not getting seven to eight hours of sleep nightly, you’re body is not being given enough of a chance to eliminate waste. Also, your brain is not getting enough of an opportunity to produce serotonin and norepinephrine, both of which affect mood and energy levels, as well as to produce growth hormones and replenish cells. Esposito assures that, “the best energy drink is your bed.” Yum (or yawn).

Since clothing tends to fit tightest around the stomach, we tend to focus on wanting the elusive 6-pack abs. Shane insists that no diet or cardio program can give you what every fitness magazine promises on every single cover. Ah, those pesky fantasy moments! However, with a good exercise program you’ll first notice slenderizing along your cheekbones and neck. Moreover, you’ll lose weight from all areas of the body, especially from the inner thigh; upper chest; mid and lower back; and stomach; all of which are areas where most fat is stored.

It’s so important to remember that your body type dictates its potential physique. If your body type can yield the six-pack, more power to you and to your abdominal muscles. Whether you covet the covers of Self or Men’s Fitness magazines, or if you want those firm abs, sculpted calves, or pumped biceps, your personal trainer will be worth his or her weight in gold when they help you set realistic goals about what you can successfully achieve with a healthy nutritional and exercise program.

Shane advises that, “it’s better to have three mediocre workouts than one super hard workout,” and advocates slow, gradual changes to developing a successful exercise routine. He also points out that two types of goals go into devising a regimen that works for you. First there is a body goal that is all about making physical improvement, like increasing flexibility. The second goal is fitness, or performance, based, such as being able to bench-press a certain weight. But both goals have a very special component in common: they are about more than how you look; they are about how you feel physically and emotionally.

Your body is your temple. Be kind to yourself from the inside out.

Designing and managing your image is the secret science of your success.

Joseph Rosenfeld helps professional men, women, and corporate workgroups create effective visual brands. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.

Paris, Here We Come!

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We’re just about packed, thank goodness. I’ve had an enjoyable time contemplating what to pack for a two week wintertime trip to the City of Lights. Paris is a city that can bring out the romantic in just about anyone. For me, that means packing enough clothes to look and feel special without going overboard. For example, nothing that we’re doing will require formal attire; so I’ve packed no neckwear, not even a suit.

I’d describe the overall mood of what I packed as ‘sophisticated-sexy,’ with leather shirts, body-conscious knit sweater tops as highlights with beautifully colored, patterned shirts, and even a gorgeously textured and versatile sport coat, for a few dressier occasions. So I plan to be chic yet comfortable, fashionable and sexy, enjoying Paris with my partner. What on Earth could be better?

As you can tell, the trip has all ready begun. Preparing and packing is actually when the trip begins. And, if you give yourself ample time for packing, it can be a totally enjoyable experience. You can envision when you’ll wear one particular outfit, and where you will be when you get the chance to wear another, and so on. Clothes are such an obvious part of our daily lives that making selections can seem mundane. But here I found myself wowed with my selections and looking forward to chilly, rainy Paris.

More soon, from Paris!!!

Blink

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Last night we had friends over for an impromptu dinner. They’re a young married couple, both of whom are in grad school. One of them has an internship at National Semiconductor in Santa Clara. He asked if I’d ever read anything by Malcolm Gladwell, the author of The Tipping Point and of Blink. Gladwell’s great at taking the cultural pulse. We are so instinctive about the way we see people and things, our judgments are made on impulse.

Also during dinner, it came up how concerned we are about how our gadgets look. Whether it’s Motorola’s pagers and phones, or Apple’s Mac computers, we want to look at attractive objects. This stands to reason why it is so important to consider how we look.

People are judging each other in the ‘blink of an eye.’ We spend so much time focusing on the things around us that perhaps we don’t spend enough time focusing on taking care of ourselves.

If a person buys an Apple computer based on a more superlative operating system as well as how the machine looks, then that same person should be just as interested in how he or she takes care of their inner-self and outward appearance.

Looking Stylish for the Holidays

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Being well dressed is not just intended for the holiday turkey! So, guys, get some style this season with corduroy, leather and velvet. It’s the time of year and a season for jackets, fine knitwear, and well shined shoes. Consider creating a special outfit for Thanksgiving, for the holiday parties you’ll attend this season, and for New Years Eve. Click here for more stylish ideas for men for the holidays.

The Art of Shaving

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I’m a big fan of the company The Art of Shaving. Recently they opened a retail store in Valley Fair, northern California’s largest shopping center. Their products have been available locally at Nordstrom in San Jose and at Neiman Marcus in Palo Alto, but it’s so great to see they finally have a larger presence by having their own store.

To commemorate the opening of their first Silicon Valley outpost, I decided to dedicate my most recent ‘Style’ column of Metro Silicon Valley to the opening of their store. I made attempts to interview a company representative, but nothing came of it. Despite their seeming lack of interest, the column was written to celebrate a ritual that nearly every grown man has to do on a daily basis: shave.

Tonight my partner and I ate dinner at Taiwan, a Chinese restaurant in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood. While there, I could not help but notice how many men in the establishment were sporting facial hair in addition to me. I hope that a few of those men, as well as some of the smooth-faced guys head over to The Art of Shaving store to try some of their amazing products. Their products will treat your skin with much more care than their corporate management treated me.