Adding polish to your style: fashion critic offers tips - Inbox - Lloyd Boston - Brief Article

Black Enterprise, August, 2002 by Sonia Alleyne

Our grandmothers often told us that "clothes don't make the man," but they really could impact a career. And as more and more companies abandon casual Fridays and business casual, the return-to-corporate-dress standard has implications even for those who never lost the suit. The word for the season--and as you develop your career--is update. "People across the board--whether just getting into the workforce or climbing the ladder as an entrepreneur--are starting to look at themselves as critically as they would their career paths," observes Lloyd Boston, on-air style contributor for NBC Today and host of E! Entertainment's Style Network. "We're really starting to see the power of style hitting that equation. It's not just about your resume It's this thing people think of as a second skin, but it really is our primary skin because we don't walk into the workplace naked."

At a time when competition for jobs and performance demands are at an all-time high, polishing up all that you bring to an employer includes your wardrobe. "Updating your style is as important as all the other professional tools you use to improve job performance [such as] computer skills and time management skills," comments Boston, who also authored Men of Color: Fashion, History, Fundamentals (Artisan, $25).

The good news is that updating doesn't have to be expensive, mainly because today there are so many more options in colors, fabrics, and styles. "You can update every season if you think about what works for you vs. what's hot for the season," says Boston.

"For men, investing in a timeless suit could take you through an entire year if you choose a classic silhouette like a two- or three-button suit that's double vented or really fits your body type." For more of a modern edge, he suggests choosing one with pick stitching along the lapel or a high-notch lapel as opposed to a leisure suit lapel, which is lower and larger. "It will take you from day to night. A crisp white shirt for conservative business days and a more colorful shirt for evening [should suffice]."

Women have more options with an emphasis on outfit equations: tops and bottoms that can be crossed matched and then enhanced by simple accessories. "Choose a pant suit with a skirt," he suggests. "Underneath, wear a soft ruffled blouse or a white T-shirt." For women there's also the return to femininity and comfort. "Women have had a hard time because they're constantly fighting this gender war and have a tendency to do it through their clothes as well, leaving their femininity at home. Women look great in pinstripes, but [they should] choose a silhouette that's soft and figure flattering, not a female translation of a man's boxy suit,"

Updating your wardrobe is really about rethinking some traditional elements and then finding what's comfortable for you. It's worth your time and effort. "Oftentimes executives get bogged down in the work. You don't want to look like a worker bee all the time. Take a moment to look aspirational because the people around you--and especially the people above you--notice it."