Yes, I dare to differ in my opinion regarding Michelle Obama’s dress choice for today’s Presidential Inauguration ceremony. While a majority of the population was in awe of Mrs. Obama’s gold sheath dress and coat, I was not.

First, not only did the color not photograph well but it wasn’t the optimal skin tone enhancer either. Secondly, the fit was off and as a result gave her a boxy looking silhouette. Lastly, the heavy lace brocade fabric on both the coat and sheath aged her a bit. Perhaps the outfit would have worked better if she opted to break up the two pieces and pair the dress with a solid darker color coat in a different textured fabric.

Happy New Year Everyone!

While the economy and dreary weather (well at least for those of us who live on the East Coast) has us all feeling a bit gloomy, this year vow to inject a bit more color into your wardrobe to help elevate your mood. Many of you have probably noticed the plethora of vibrant colors debuting for Spring 2009 and that is a direct result of the current economic situation.

Wearing color evokes a myriad of emotions and reactions. Wearing the color blue projects an image of professionalism, loyalty, and honor while red projects boldness, excitement, and creativity. Every color on the color wheel has a specific meaning and when worn correctly can be quite effective in achieving a positive outcome of any situation. So why is it that so many of us are afraid to add color in our wardrobe? When I go through a client’s closet, I’m often surprised at the lack of color I find. While I’m a big fan of neutrals as a building block to a good wardrobe, color is a great way to inject life and personality into your every day look.

I recently attended an evening business function that was held at the Friar’s Club in NYC. While I chose to wear an appropriate and professional red dress, the rest of the female attendees wore mainly black suits. During the event, a number of attendees approached me and complimented me on my clothing choice and indicated that since the event was held in the evening at such a legendary venue, they assumed a darker color choice would be more acceptable. Since when does evening equate to wearing black? Perhaps the misconception comes from the Black Tie request of an invitation. To help clarify, Black Tie simply means that one is requesting formal attire. For men, this means donning a tuxedo where women can wear either a cocktail or full length gown. The color choice is not restricted to black.

So the next time you are invited to an event whether it be a formal event, business function or any other gathering, opt to wear a color that will flatter your skin tone. You will feel confident and vibrant and most assuredly will stand out in the crowd!

Recently my husband and I spent Thanksgiving with his relatives that reside in New Hampshire. While there, we were fortunate enough to spend a lovely night in the beautiful and historic Marriott Wentworth By The Sea. The hotel offers an incredible Thanksgiving dinner for families so I wasn’t surprised to see a lot of children and their parents. I was however, surprised to see how many of these guests dressed in what I would consider not even appropriate for a trip to the gym!

After the Thanksgiving festivities were over, my husband and I went back to the hotel for a night cap in the beautiful lounge area of the hotel. It was still early so there were lots of families and kids walking through the lounge area while we sipped our cocktail. I did not see one dress on any of the young girls walking by, not one sweater vest or tie combo on the boys (remember those cute boy outfits). The parents dressed their children as if it was just another Thursday. A more disturbing sight was a woman who was in need of ice cubes that decided it was acceptable to walk through the hallways, down to the lobby and through the lounge in her full length flannel night and BLACK socks to fill up her ice bucket?!

I remember when I was younger and the holidays were upon us, the “occasion” attire came out of the closets and it was not a discussion or debate as to whether or not I (or my siblings) would dress up. We dressed up. While I might not have approved of this tradition at the time, I now have a greater appreciation for the fact that my parents provided me with the knowledge of making the distinction between every day attire and special occasion attire. Today, many people don’t recognize the distinction and perhaps that’s due to society’s more relaxed and comfort minded approach to dressing.

It is really important to understand that when one dresses up, one feels like a million dollars. You stand up straight, you feel more confident and more importantly, you feel good about yourself.

Be polished and proud!