VOIR COUTURE

Feminine or Powerless? ...

The history of fashion indicates the direct link of powerlessness with femininity. Women's garments were designed to inhibit movement, i.e., long skirts pegged to the extreme, oriental foot-wrapping, etc.

In the 1990's, the powerless feminine image is still shown by the subtle design of little girl or fluffy clothing. Cute, sweet and sexy may be appropriate for after-business hours, but during business hours it indicates lack of confidence and can hamper your business profitability.

Friendly, approachable clothing with authoritative undertones would indicate your confidence in your femininity, not powerlessness. There is, after all, strength in femininity.

Styles or garment design should be straightforward. People you do business with should not have to guess at the reasons for your approach.

Fabrics should have geometric designs, such as plaids or square figures. Remember phrases such as "square deal" and "to the point". Rounded designs and flowers are not serious. (Did you know that interior designers suggest rounded prints and flowers for relaxing rooms, geometric designs for work rooms?)

Quality garments not only last longer but project an image of class and sophistication. Your appearance indicates how you feel about yourself and your business. Would you rather do business with a confidant woman or a cute little girl?

Some questions to ask yourself: Would I wear this out to dinner and dancing? How do I feel when I wear this -- confident or slightly uncomfortable? What compliments have I gotten on this? Remember, compliments are most often descriptions of your appearance. Do you hear "What cute shoes (earrings, etc.)" versus "You look great!"?

If you look at your co-workers or associates and feel like you are looking in a mirror, it may be time to take a closer look at your appearance. Fitting in with a group may just be a habit that you need to break to further your career. Clothing is a valuable tool that we should be using in both our business and personal lives, not having it use us.

Color cannot be ignored. People often react to color without conscious decision. The psychology of color is being studied now more than ever before. Having your colors done is a valuable tool, but after reading

the following results of my color survey, note that it is important to keep in mind the effect colors have on the people around you. Some colors automatically provoke specific responses in people.

Using the results of the color survey when choosing garments for a specific situation could be very helpful. If there is one descriptive word that doesn't fit the specific situation, perhaps another color would be better. For example, read the descriptions of black versus navy, etc. What would be the best dominant color, the best accessory color? For a dramatic effect, choose a color with varied or strong descriptive word response. If you wish to blend in without standing out, there are colors that have very gentle descriptive words.

The colors listed are ranked in order of preference by those responding to my survey, along with the descriptive words applied to each color.

Red    Attention-getting, exciting, energetic, vibrant, happy, snappy, daring, confident, terrific, hot, sophisticated, fun loving, bright, sexy, powerful.

White Self-assured, calm and good, fresh, clean, necessary, summery, pure, sparkling, refreshed, crisp, demure, innocent, stark, happy, soft.

Black Authoritative, confident, smart, sexy, sophisticated, severe, formal, dignified, sexy or serious, after 5, crisp, professional, harsh, classy, dramatic.

Turquoise Cheerful, rich, vibrant, pretty, seductive, centered, fun, alive, bright, casual, playtime, looking good, energetic, balanced, happy, feminine.

Navy Businesslike, professional, confident, sophisticated, power, rich, well-dressed, conservative.

Yellow Feminine, happy, bright, sunshine, bold, lighthearted, cool, sweet, refreshing, mellow, cheerful, creative, energy, alive, perky, excited.

Wine Sophisticated, classic, old, attractive, feminine, elegant, sexy, self-assured, classy, glamorous, subdued, relaxed.

Pink     Loving, feminine, happy, energetic, silly, soft, youthful, cute.

Peach Pretty, soft, feminine, gentle, semi-rich, friendly, cool, healthy, clean.

Purple Regal, fun, silly, romantic, sophisticated, bright, confident.

Light Blue Flattering, cool, calm, attractive, wholesome, peaceful, happy.

Muted Blue Flattering, subtle, classy, calm, cool, demure, soft, drab, quiet.

Cream Work, elegant, ick, soft, feminine, sophisticated.

Violet Sexy, flowerish, feminine, comfortable, silly.

Forest Green Nice, enthusiastic, a forest, rich, serious, business, confident.

Taupe Self-assured, powerful, versatile, calm.

Dark Blue Businesslike, professional, power, serene, confident, drab.

Beige Work, classic, professional, blah, youthful, faded, power, calm.

Apricot Soft, yuk, pretty.

Green A tree, outstanding, old, alive, healthy.

Grey Sophisticated, casual, basic, soft, formal, sexy, mellow, smart, subtle.

Orange Awful, obnoxious, energetic, terrible.

Rust Warm, icky, elegant, sophisticated, attractive, old.

Brown Work, rich, sexy, old, dull.

Gold Old, warm. Note: This was not chosen as a favorite color.

If your favorite color, that is, the color that makes you feel good, has descriptive words that are not appropriate for work situations, use it for casual and social occasions.

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Voir Couture is the recognition and confirmation of each Judith, Couturiere client. You are confident and distinctive, value tradition, and demand quality and individuality. Voir celebrates your uniqueness!