A Little of This, A Little of That

Most of you know that I love Zappos. If you're new to the blog, you maybe don't, but I really do. Easy to shop, easy to return if needed. I found a new place to shop this week called 6pm. And guess what?!? On shoe clearance were some shoes from one of my favorite designers - Lisa Pliner. They have pretty good pricing on a lot of stuff, and I really like that you can narrow your search by size, color, style, price, and designer. So if you're looking for a pair of wedge sandals, under $50, that are yellow, you can do that! I can't tell you how easy it is to shop for specific items on this site, which is great when I know exactly what I'm looking for to help a client with that perfect style. Definitely a keeper!

Next thing up this week - my second year at the Carolina Music Awards. Last year, I hosted the Red Carpet Fashion Lounge, and this year I'm changing the pace and interviewing on the red carpet. I hope to have my video footage up on my YouTube channel soon after, but it will depend on how long editing takes. I've learned that sometimes it takes a little longer than you'd think. I can't wait to see what people are wearing this year - last year there was a mix of cocktail dresses, both short and long, and some of the guys showed up dressed for success, and some wore jeans and button-down shirts. I still truly believe that clothes make the man, or woman, and when networking and meeting new people, my advice is always to dress to impress.

And speaking of dressing to impress, I notice the Men's Wearhouse has a program that's new to me. It could have happened last year, but I really don't get to see that many commercials these days. Who has time to watch tv? They're running a lot of commercials this year about my favorite topic and providing a benefit, too. If you have a suit in your closet you never wear anymore, for whatever reason, you can donate the suit to the Men's Wearhouse, and get a coupon for 50% off. It's called the National Suit Drive, and they give the suits to men in need of something to interview and go to work in. During these economic times, any helping hand you can afford to give while cleaning out your closet is a good thing.

So that's my week so far - new place to shop, the Carolina Music Awards, and the National Suit Drive. What are you doing this week? Find anyplace new to shop? Donated all your suits already? Some exciting social event? Let me know what you're doing this summer...

Remember When...

...I told you I got to interview Lisa Pliner? Well, here it is! I hope you enjoy learning about her work and life as much as I did. She's very down-to-Earth in person, and easy to talk to. 

Dressing for Your Career

I'm having another I love my job week. To recap, last weekend I got to interview shoe designers Donald and Lisa Pliner, host the "Go Red For Women" fashion show for the American Heart Association at the Southern Women's Show, and host a "What's New" event at Macy's Triangle Town Center. I also had a wonderful and fulfilling experience this week. Do my various events keep me on my toes, heck yes! 

This week I had the opportunity to consult with the University of North Carolina on a project with their Career Counseling services. There is a stipend program called "Style For Success" that assists students with limited economic resources with purchasing professional attire in the hopes that they will get a job upon graduation. They asked me to work with two students, and teach them what and how to buy well fitting professional dress, as well as offer grooming and style tips. As part of this campaign, UNC wanted to update their website and You Tube account with videos about shopping for and wearing professional attire. 

Most students begin the interview and job seeking process with little knowledge about the importance of their initial presentation. When UNC asked me to do this, I decided that I needed to work with a store that offered both quality and value so that both students could begin to understand the process of building a working lifestyle wardrobe over time. With the allotted stipend, I knew value was important. I have been very fortunate in my over 21 years in the business to build some lasting friendships with many retail merchants. Travis Groome, who is now at Macy's, has always been a retailer who believes in paying things forward. Travis and I met and talked about the importance of teaching students how to put their best foot forward, making the right buying decisions, and how to go about it. We have worked together for so long that our views on dressing are always well suited for one another. Nice pun, huh?

Two students that were selected, one an economic engineering major and the other a communications major. Robert, the engineering student, had already attended an event where he was not adequately dressed for a meeting/seminar that he had attended a few months prior. He had arrived in jeans and a polo, only to find most others dressed in suits or a sports jackets. That alone can make anyone feel at a slight disadvantage. And there are some adults out there (you know who you are), who either don't care what you wear to any event or feel like you can't afford the appropriate clothing. And to be fair, business casual can be a tad confusing sometimes. Robert is trying to get his foot in the door at a time when a lot of graduates are having a tough time finding their first job, and making a first impression and looking like you will fit in to a company culture is important. 

Robert and Suzanne

As I have always told clients, it is that initial impression within the first three moments of introduction that can often make or break an opportunity. For Robert, he needed clothing that would be appropriate for an interview or business function, as well as an evening networking event. Teaching Robert how to purchase  suit separates, including a jacket, a few paris of pants, and a couple of shirts and ties would give him the option of mixing and matching for any job or business occasion. We also discussed if you don't know what the dress is for a particular function, that being overdressed is better than being underdressed. It is much easier to take off jacket and tie, and just have a crisp button down and dress slack on, versus wearing a polo and jeans. I was quick to notice the extra confidence that Robert had once he was dressed in a suit and tie. It also probably helped that we all told him how "dapper" he looked. Boy, I sound like a mother whose own son is graduating from UNC Law this coming week! Dapper he was! Between the new black shoe and belt, and few basic grooming tips and caring for his clothes, Robert was ready for his next business opportunity. He will be a man I will enjoy tracking his success!

Sam and Suzanne

Sam is a senior who is interested in working in all aspects of theatre. She is interviewing for a job with a small family owned theatre company that will involve working anywhere from behind the scenes of a production to handling the marketing or ticket sales. Sam's own wardrobe consisted of what most college students own. A short black skirt, stilettos, jeans, tanks tops, and a few dressy tops. My first job was to discuss with with her that although her job is not considered corporate, and therefore not really requiring a corporate wardrobe, that it was still important to dress more conservatively for the initial interview. If Sam is then asked back for a second interview, a less structured outfit would work. More importantly, cleavage and stilettos would not work to her advantage and should be regarded as something to not do. There were so many tips and tricks to offer Sam, here are just a few we discussed:

1. Hosiery is not needed unless interviewing for corporate companies.

2. Skirts and dresses should not be shorter than 2 inches above the knee. Believe it or not, many corporate HR departments have policies about your skirt being longer, and those policies generally put your skirt just above the knee.

3. No sleeveless tops or dresses. Plan to wear a jacket, simple shrug or sweater if you are wearing a sleeveless dress or top.

4. Blush color is an alternative to black pumps. Avoid open toed shoes and sandals, and no higher than two and a half inches tall.

5. Make sure your nails are well groomed without a statement color, and avoid perfumes or too much makeup.

Katherine, Travis and Suzanne

It was a long but wonderful five plus hours of filming, with many bloopers and many surprises about what was appropriate! I really commend UNC on recognizing the importance of dressing for an interview. I like what someone once said to me about dressing for the job you hope to have in years to come and not for the one you are actually interviewing for. Both Robert and Sam were terrific, and I wish them much success.

For more information on the "Style for Success" stipend program offered at UNC, check out  http://careers.unc.edu/students/job-search/styled-success-stipend.html. In the meantime, special thanks to Katherine Nobles, the Career Counselor at UNC, and of course my buddy Travis at Macy's Triangle Town Center. I will be posting the videos on my YouTube channel as soon as they are made available.

Shoes!

Ok, fashionista's, it is time to show or express that little shade of envy you have for what I get to do in life. I have been fortunate to interview a few fun people over the years, like shoe and clothing designer Vince Camuto and What Not To Wear's Clinton Kelly, but I am moving on. This coming Saturday, April 28th, Donald and his wife Lisa Pliner are coming to Raleigh's own Main & Taylor Shoe Salon for a meet and greet with their fans. I get to meet, greet, and interview Donald and his wife Lisa before the doors open! I have so many random questions that I want to ask, that I am hoping I just don't ramble and ask him if he needs a shoe tester. Let me give you a quick refresher on his life and career.

Donald was born in 1943 and raised in Chicago with his twin sister. Along with his brother, he worked as an apprentice to his father at Pliner's Florsheim Family Shoe Stores. With all that experience in the family store, we know where he got his shoe chops from!
1967 - Opened his first store, Pappagallo Beverly Hills, and sales went through the roof. Clearly a star in the making.
1971 - Donald began gaining ground with the Right Bank Clothing Company
1984 - Donald was recruited to head a Spanish-produced footwear line called Glace, and not only designed, but conceived the whole operation
1987 - Donald did a stint designing for the brand Erica, and sales increased dramatically
1990 - Donald began designing his own line of footwear and accessories, and creating his brand
1994 - Donald designed the first all-over elastic using comfort as his underlying goal

That all-over elastic was one of my first pair of his shoes! Do you remember your first Donald Pliner's shoes?

1998 - Men's footwear is introduced by Donald. Today, Donald's men's line includes dress shoes, boots, basic comfort shoes, sandals, sporty styles, and executive dress shoes, and complements his women's line in scope and style.

Boy, would I like to be a permanent fly on his wall!

What about Lisa Pliner?

With her formal education coming from the Parsons School of Design in Paris, the Miami native has been designing since fall of 2010, after years of working side by side with Donald. Lisa's signature green sole signifies life, and celebrates all things good. She defines good as growth, renewal, health, and the environment. Lisa designs for the active woman who is unwilling to sacrifice style for comfort, while offering ultra-chic style and stunning technical details in each shoe.

So, we are all updated with their careers, and especially the impressive one Donald has had. He was wonderfully gracious when I met him over 20 years ago, and I expect he will be the same this weekend. Come and check out the event at Main & Taylor Shoe Salon at North Hills this Saturday from 10-4. Bring or plan to buy a shoe, as he will sign them.