INTRODUCTION
Shopping is a sport, and I am both coach and faithful cheerleader. I have lived, loved, and breathed clothes my entire life. All my memories include the outfit I was wearing at any given time; as a kid, I remembered the first day of every school year by what I wore!
Growing up, I loved watching my mom get dressed for work. She embodied my passion for style while also instilling in me a sense of professionalism at a very young age. Identifying and abiding by dress codes, especially growing up as a Cuban American in Miami, Florida, proved to be a life skill that I turned into a career. Whether I was headed into Publix on Le Jeune Road (which required a different dress code than the one in Kendall) for weekly grocery shopping with my family or on a college tour in New England (which called for very different dress than tours at Midwestern schools), I always shared my thoughts on what everyone should wear.
When I entered the workforce, the most exciting times for me centered around shopping for a wardrobe to match my internship or job. I bought my first suit at the BCBG store in Pentagon City Mall in 1997 when I was living in Washington, D.C., for the summer and interning on Capitol Hill. Enamored with business attire, I felt a delicate balance of femininity and power in those stylish wide-leg black pants, black skirt, and fitted suit jacket. I also invested in a camel suit and supplemented with tops from Banana Republic in Georgetown, dresses and accessories from Joyce Leslie in New York City, and scarves I found at street vendors. I re-wore and restyled my modest wardrobe that summer and absolutely loved the challenge. In fact, those staples reappeared as I dressed for my own journey from the fashion closet at Elle magazine to the luxury boutiques of Tel Aviv’s fashion district. As my clients can attest, my style philosophy of combining high and low pieces hasn’t changed much!
I am honored and privileged that so many clients have let me into their closets and into their lives. I have been dressing men and women professionally for the last ten years, and I’ve had the opportunity to expand the style awareness of hundreds of people and lead them into the world of fashion. Working one-on-one with individuals and presenting style seminars at Fortune 500 companies through my fashion consulting company, Styleauteur, have taught me how to encourage people to embody their commitment to being better dressed. Though we may not like it, we are all judged by our image. From peers to bosses, everyone has an opinion.
As I often discuss in my column on style and politics in the Huffington Post, “Fashion Whip,” it is important that conversations include one of the most common modes of nonverbal communication: clothing! When you are successful, you should look successful, and this book will define a “successful look” in a customizable way. Chances are very good that I’ve dressed someone your shape, your size, and with a job similar to yours. Whether I am on national television discussing why it’s empowering for women when First Lady Michelle Obama shows off her arms or on a radio show talking about the importance of upping your style quotient, I offer tips and anecdotes that help the everyday person with the balancing act of managing his or her appearance.
Style Bible: What to Wear to Work is a user-friendly handbook for the modern professional. Our culture has reached a state of complacency with respect to style and appearance. Current as well as future leaders are missing the opportunity to experience how good it can feel to “dress up” and how much impact exceptional style gives their communication. Style at work should be professional. What happened to being polished? This book takes a stand and helps you put your best-dressed self forward.
You may or may not want to go to work on a given day but the fact is, aside from the occasional “mental health day,” most of us have to report for duty. And, if you have to get dressed, you might as well do it right. Be proud to dress to impress, and always dress for the job you want, not just the fabulous one you already have!
The Style Bible will help anyone who interacts in a professional environment—intern to CEO, PTA mom to boardroom diva. Your style of dress can signal income, occupation, social class, ethnic and religious affiliations, attitudes toward comfort, and level of confidence. It is possible for only one item to signify who you are according to any and all of these measures, so make sure you choose the outfit or accessory that is right for you at any given time. Clothing and style convey your message and are a big part of the overall visual cue you present to your public.
Dressing for work is less formulaic today, and there is more room for employees to express their individuality. You can become a power player and convey authority and seriousness with interesting cuff links, a statement necklace, or fun shoes that will keep your look unique. The casually dressed executive is a new figure in our society, and we need to define and better understand dress codes so they can guide us in times of uncertainty.
What does your style say about you at the office? It’s possible that the perception of you is completely different from the reality of who you are, and you want to help manage your messaging. Do you look approachable and warm or young and inexperienced? Professional and uncomplicated or just frumpy? Well dressed or overly trendy?
Achieving style is a process. I won’t always tell you what to do (though some clients would love that!) but I will help you listen to your own voice and meet your own goals. People want instructions. They want to look good. I make style and fashion education easy, empowering, and time saving. I raise awareness about topics easily ignored: Are you wearing the right size for your shape? Is your space effectively organized for ultimate dressing success? Have you let yourself go because it’s too overwhelming to figure out what works?
As much as I love fashion, trends, and even fads, my advice to clients is based on tried-and-true combinations that work in professional environments. I have interviewed countless executives, human resource professionals, and senior management at many different companies, and I have learned their visions of successful style. That’s what I teach my clients, whether they are twenty-five or sixty-five, and that is what I will convey here in my book. My lessons are not about being part of the in crowd; the principles I offer here simply make sure that you don’t stand out by looking too frumpy, too old, too young, or like you just don’t care.
Your style quotient is always the most challenging part of dressing well, but the most important part of your style is to be neat and appropriate. And, just by choosing this book, you are demonstrating that you are willing to learn more. In chapter 1, you will learn why style matters. Next, in chapters 2 through 5, we will review fashion basics and accessories, as well as beauty and grooming habits. Chapter 6 identifies and defines dress codes in different regions and industries. Chapters 7 through 9 are favorites for many of my clients: you will learn what constitutes a proper fit, best practices for shopping your closet, and tips on how to hit the stores. Last, we shine the spotlight on you and discuss the importance of your appearance in our hyper-connected, socially driven, virtual world.
This book follows the same organic order I use in my presentations; it can be read sequentially or consulted as a reference. The individual pieces of advice are just as valuable as the whole. Men and women have a few separate sections, but most of the general advice applies to both genders.
The most difficult hurdle to overcome when matching your shape and style in the fitting room is your own mind set. My clients often think the hard part is getting into a dress or a pair of pants. Really, the most challenging thing for them is seeing what I see: that they look incredible! I hope the anecdotes throughout the book inspire you to transformational moments; to help protect my clients’ privacy, some of the stories are based on recurring experiences I’ve had as I built my business rather than on specific individuals. Please also note that I was not compensated for mentioning any stores or brands in Style Bible; these are truly retailers I believe in and have been shopping with clients for years. Dressing people for work is the riskiest area of fashion, and I’ve had the pleasure of watching style awareness evolve in even my most risk-averse clients. It might sound counterintuitive, but the hardest part of this process is helping people understand what works for them, and the easiest is injecting style. Let the lessons begin!