January 2003 Newsletter
Welcome to 2003
Happy New Year Everyone. Well 2003 is here already. I remember being a teenager and thinking I’ll be so old when the millennium changes. Let me tell you I don’t feel that old. I realise the millennium changed a few years ago and I didn’t feel old then either.
Hands up everyone who has made a New Year’s Resolution that they do intend to stick to. I can tell you I have and it will be to everyone’s benefit. My resolution is to help as many people as I possibly can to achieve their desire to Look Great. I resolve to give away as much information as I can possibly muster through my Weekly E-Tips and my newsletter and I resolve to stop complaining to my husband about his noisy bike. OK so two out of three won’t be bad. While he is in the garage I am free to work inside.
This year is going to be another big year. Over the coming months I am going to concentrate on the why’s and how’s of dressing that is appropriate for business dress. Describing for you the many levels of Business Casual vs. Traditional Business and the when to wear and how to wear these items of clothing.
As I know many of you are more interested in how to look good and what is happening in the fashion world I have decided to split the newsletter into two sections so that everyone has something to read. A personal style section and a business section.
The Weekly E-Tips are doing very well. Last year I managed to send out 63 tips over 9 weeks under the headings of,
“How To Look Slimmer”
“How To Look Younger”
“Your Corporate Style for Women” and
“Style and Grooming for Men”
If you too would like to receive these free E-Tips every Monday morning just send me an email to Clare@CorporateConfidence.com.au and tell me which of the four titles interest you. There is no limit to the number of titles you may subscribe to. The E-Tips will begin again on the 6th of January.
Summer Hair and Skin Tips
For those people reading this newsletter from overseas let me explain Melbourne to you in a nutshell. It is a fabulous city, very cosmopolitan, with great restaurants, great shopping and all four seasons in one day. Yes, it is summer and two days ago we were melting in the heat and now I have my coat out again and my pants on to stay warm.
Dressing is not a simple fact of pulling out the summer frocks for the next 2 – 3 months and putting away our winter woollies. We really need to have all of our mid seasonal clothing out all of the time.
There is another issue for us with this weather. Our skin and our hair. It is vitally important to rehydrate regularly during this time. Our bodies and our skin are ravaged by the affects of the wind, heat and air-conditioning. Water is essential to glowing healthy skin. I know it can be difficult but make an effort to drink at least 6 glasses of water a day and more if possible. Let me give you a good reason for this .Not only will your skin look fantastic but also any excess weight will just drop off you. Double whammy there for us so no complaining from this quarter.
If your hair is prone to becoming frizzy in the heat, especially the days with high humidity it can help to either tie it back or go with the flow. Let it sit wild and wear one of the current seasons peasant tops.
Another area of issue for our hair and for those of us who colour it is how quickly it can fade during summer. Here are four foolproof steps to keep your colour and your hair strong and fresh looking.
1. Wear a hat as much as possible, and especially on the beach when it is wet, to reduce the amount of fading caused by the sun.
2. If you have been swimming in chlorinated or salt water rinse your hair immediately to reduce the effects of damage these two elements can cause.
3. To keep long hair in good shape you can apply a leave-in conditioner after you have been swimming to rehydrate your hair.
4. If you are a sporty person, and are in the sun a great deal, then you may like to use a shampoo with colour in it to keep you colour topped up between trips to the hairdresser.
Many of us want a tan in summer without the ravages of skin damage from excessive sunbaking. A great solution is to apply a tan in the comfort of your home. There are five simple steps to applying an instant tan easily and without streaking.
1. Exfoliate your skin everywhere you are intending to apply the tan. This is best done in the shower with a light loofah to remove all dry skin. Especially give the elbows and ankles a good going over.
2. Pat yourself dry so that the skin is still dewy and the tan will slide over the skin.
3. Wear very thin gloves (the disposable kind are excellent) and apply the tan starting in the centre of a limb so that the end joints, ankles, knees, wrists and elbows don’t bear the heaviest application of tan. Work your way out to those areas and apply an even tan all over the body. The gloves stop your hands from getting the tell tale tan spots from application.
4. Once you have finished applying the tan remove the gloves and spread the tan, very lightly, over the backs of your hands.
5. No matter what the product says I still think it is advisable to sit on a towel or wear a light robe for about half an hour to give the solution time to set onto the skin and ensure it does not come off on your clothing.
A little note here is not to apply an excessive amount of tan to your face as you will more than likely make yourself appear older than you are.
Lastly- on the subject of tanning and solariums. If you wish to use them be sure to adhere to the suggested guidelines for use. I have lost count how many of my friends, in their quest for a great tan, have gone over the time and burnt themselves not only on their faces but other very sensitive areas as well. Why purchase a tan that may just peel off.
New Year, New Start, New You.
This is the time of year people start to consider what to do with themselves and take the opportunity to sometimes reinvent themselves. You may start looking for a new job, maybe even your first job, you may start that fitness campaign you have been planning for some time or you may find everything went so well last year you are going to do more of the same.
For those of you considering your first job or a new job it is time to look at your wardrobe. When you consider we spend over 35% of our waking hours at work in a 9-5 job we really should have a wardrobe that reflects this. Too many times we spend our money on clothes for personal pursuits and go to work in the same things week after week.
Our image is very important and unless you wear a uniform it is your image that can make or break your prospects for advancement. I was talking to a girl friend the other day who was saying that she works in male oriented workplace and they pay her no attention and at times walk over her. As we spoke it came out that she wears jeans to work every day and has not bothered with her appearance since she started in the job 7 years ago. I explained to her that if she wanted to be treated with respect she had to show herself some too and start dressing to go to work. As she is in the printing world I suggested she start to wear Business Casual Smart clothing. Rather than jeans a pair of smart pants and a top. She did not need to go to the level of wearing a suit but once she changed her jeans for pants she has already raised the bar on her appearance and personal level of respect.
It is a common complaint of many employers that when they employ new staff they look fantastic for the first week and then gradually their image starts to deteriorate. The cause for this is that many people borrow their friend’s outfits for the interviews and then once they have the position they applied for find they have a very limited working wardrobe. Building a strong working wardrobe does not necessarily mean purchasing a multitude of different pieces. Just purchasing the right pieces.
Next month I will be covering what is essential for a basic business wardrobe for all levels of dressing. Till then enjoy your new year, make lots of wonderful plans for your future and don’t keep me a secret. Share this newsletter with your friends.
Everyone has the ability to Look Great.
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