The Eyes Don’t Have It- Nine Essential Shoe Tips for Men & Women in 2014

by Cathy Berger, Fashion Societe

Why since the dawn of time is there so much fascination about footwear? After all, shoes simply provide protection from the dirty mean streets of the world, right? A “good pair” will outlast most clothing. But does a pair of shoes get noticed before a pair of eyes? Eyes are windows to the soul but shoes, they say, Make The Man – and women are, admittedly, addicted.

For anyone female or male, young or old, rich or poor, who is looking to sartorially reveal something about themselves, shoes are a most popular indicator. The wrong ones invoke hushed snide remarks. The right ones invoke stares and envy. Articles abound that proclaim to reveal what shoe choices really mean about the wearer.

So Ladies first – here are five points for successful shoe looks at work and play:

1. High heeled pointy shoes are all the rage. Studded, colorblocked, ankle-strapped, D’Orsay– we encourage you to peruse with pleasure. Problem is, this trend is hell on toes. If you can’t/won’t wear them because of discomfort, there is an option: Companies like Nike have paired with Cole Haan to offer sleek looks that offer delightfully comfortable toe boxes. This allows breathing space at the point via an ever so slightly round or square “cut off” that still has that desired sex appeal like the pointy toe sports.

2. Know how high a heel you truly can pull off . Face it, not everyone is meant to walk around in five inch stilettos! While sky high heels do look great and make legs look long and beautiful, so do certain lower heels when cut low on the vamp and high on the back of the heel. This gives the illusion of a deeper decline. If you still can’t balance yourself properly with a heel, then try a platform shoe which conceals the elevated area underneath the ball of the feet.

3. Ever leave the fun behind because “my shoes are killing me”? Proper fit is key to happy feet and a good attitude. Make sure your shoes hug the sides and length of your feet regardless of the “size”. Space = Sliding and sliding creates nasty, painful blisters.
Dr. Scholls and others sell padding options that close gaps and ease pressure — use them!

4. Treat yourself to a stylish pair of flats which have been and will remain so on-trend in 2014. Carla Bruni looks hot in them standing next to her husband, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy. For us mere mortals, choose something pretty in a neutral color with a little sparkle for an easy go-to, run- around shoe. And a word to our fellow party-lovers: always keep a pair on standby for those nights when you know your feet will need a break from heels.

5. Take care of your shoes. Clean them, polish them. If they are becoming
worn-looking, take thee to the shoemaker and have them repaired with new taps or soles. [This goes for men too, who also should make sure laces are in good shape and not frayed.]

We find men often have more questions about what pant length should be worn with their shoes, rather than what shoe styles are essential.  So Men — here are 4 pointers to guide the right overall look from your knees down:

1.  Jeans – look best when worn with boots or sneakers or casual loafers. The hem should cover the back heel and you should not be able to see the socks (if worn at all).

2.  Chinos – best worn with edgy (not gym) sneakers and should hang quite long over your shoe.

3.  Cuffed [Suit] Pants – should be worn with classic, clean line shoes, nothing casual or thick-soled. Wear with a sharp crease down the front; let them cover and sit on top of the shoe.

4.  Un-cuffed Suit Pants – can be worn with classic, somewhat casual yet current shoes and the hem should come down a little further than with cuffed suit pants and allow for a small break.

With a new year ahead, what better time to “get it right” by starting at the bottom and working your way up! Style and comfort is our fav blend for 2014. Just don’t forget to think of something as you walk that makes your eyes sparkle as well. ~

Forget looks – if any one of us had a ton of power, how would we behave?

The winners of the 2011 AICI Civility Star Award are the Tokyo Chapter and Singapore Chapters

The news seems to be overloaded with important, influential people that the public has at one time –and a long time at that- greatly respected. Then one sunny day, a story unfolds where his or her utter lack of respect for others (particularly for someone especially dear) obliterates our opinion of them.

Could it be that despite the rise in awareness of the need for civility still hasn’t gotten around to some of those with power?

With the many definitions that civility encompasses, the meaning that civility is an outward-looking approach to life rather than inward sits right in my mind and heart. One single word simply sums it up- RESPECT. Being mindful of situational manners especially in combination with recognizing the differences in another person and their culture is another notable focus of civility. We can disagree; we can live our lives differently, but let’s handle it by communicating this respectfully.

So, how do we recognize respect? If character is the tree, manners are the shadow. Polite people are not necessarily civil. Civil people wear their values on their sleeve. Their manners- social and corporate- communicate what they stand for and it is obvious.

So You Want to be a Civility Trainer! was the subject of the AICI Annual Conference in Orlando during May 21’s evening’s session, and a well-attended one. Experts Yasmin Anderson-Smith MCRP, AICI CIP, CPBS and Lewena Bayer ICTC MCT, CC™ knew it would be, as the impact of Civility in today’s fast-paced world has them developing international respected training programs, receiving a U.S. Congressional citation, running a youth empowerment program Every Girl Can ™ and “Macaroni and Please”, garnering awards as spokespersons and authors as well as focusing on the long-term goal of an International Civility Conference. Yasmin is president of KYMS Image International LLC based in Washington D.C.  Lewena is the founder and executive director of the Center of Culture Competence and The Civility Experts Worldwide in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. She is also a recipient of the Canadian Civility Star Award.

During the session the ubiquitous “How do you think that landed?” was addressed as it commonly is a question asked to determine whether communication went well. Why? Because there is so much riding on the success of your communication. Lew shared the story of purposely impressing an important hotel manager who only made her gasp due to his awful conduct. She relied upon a code of conduct of 3 specific principles that define civility in order to deal with him: #1 respect, #2 restraint (personal) and #3 responsibility in order to maintain the dignity of the meeting.

There are misperceptions that Civility is only about etiquette. Some have said that it might have something to do with the military. Under the big umbrella of Civility lie good manners sprinkled with a heavy dose of feelings and concern about the comfort of others, plus much, much more. “Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you”, practice humanity and embrace other cultures with openness are the working fundamentals of civility.

What does civility have to do with image consulting-alot! To really embrace Civility, you acknowledge that the common thread is that both Civility trainers and Image Consultants share the common goal which is to provide a meaningful, positive experience. There are several considerations the image consultant can ponder in approaching teaching civility:

1. What approach suits your training style?
2. Who is your audience?
3. How will you portray the situational context i.e. will you be persuasive but not preachy?
4. Which type of specialist will you describe yourself as:
   a. Consultant
   b. Coach
   c. Trainer
   d. Expert
5. What will set you apart from the growing numbers of civility trainers out there?

You will build your own credibility in the civility business through a combination of continuous learning, consistent effort to maintain high personal and professional standards, and constant attention to real-life applications and benefits of civility to others. For more reading and resources about civility, I recommend The Power of Civility, Yasmin Anderson-Smith, Lew Bayer et al, Choose Civility and Civility Solutions by Dr. P. Forni, and Speed of Trust by Stephen Covey.

How to get into the blogging phenomenon, stylishly.

What a remarkable session Imogen Lamport, AICI CIP provided on Sunday afternoon, May 22nd at the AICI’s Orlando conference. And take that from a perennial blogger! From posing the question “What are the 5 most-asked questions people call you with?” I knew the time spent in Blogging and Writing Your Way to Expert Status would be constructive to the audience of image consultants. Why? The answers to that could lead right into creating a very successful source of new clients!

The attendees replied that they are frequently asked:

♦ What should I wear to a funeral?

♦ Should I get plastic surgery for this?

♦ What can I wear to get hired?

♦ What is appropriate attire for my new job?

♦ What do I need to know about clothing for people with disabilities

This interactive exercise led into how one finds the right subject for a blog. For image consultants, this means to go directly to the 5 main aspects of their business: What are they? Break the 5 down and explore the millions of ideas you can think of from there. And here’s the best tip: start off with what people consistently tell you that you are very, very good at! By delving into our passions we are naturally led to find our natural “voice”.

Imogen was very passionate about case study writing, because people love to read about stories they can relate to themselves. Case studies are popular because the outcome becomes a tried and tested “lesson”. Conclude she says, with a question that encourages them to comment about their own personal experience. This engages them to come back again and again to your blog, and works even if they’re not inspired to comment just because they’ve read the article.

Imogen Lamport B.A Comm, AICI CIP, buys only the finest designer clothes, has the body of a supermodel, and never worries about what to wear. And if that were true, she never would have started her company, Bespoke Image. With a BA in communications and a background in PR, Imogen served as past President of the AICI (Association of Image Consultants International) Melbourne chapter. In 2009, she became one of only eight image consultants in Australia to earn the Certified Image Professional certificate, acknowledging her highly competent level of training and experience. Imogen’s blog, Inside Out Style, gives free daily style tips and attracts devoted readers from around the world. She is also the Plus Size Womens Guru on LifeTips, with style tips for the curvier woman.

Style, Certified.

In the world of image consulting, being a certified member of the AICI puts this industry and our clients at an advantage. Not only does the certificate add to the accomplishments of many of Fashion Societe’s team of speakers, it also opens a world of resources to you, the reader/consumer who can benefit from a qualified image expert guiding you to express your highest potential in a) physical appearance, b) behavior (including social skills, stress management, etiquette, cilivity and protocol) and c) communication skill (including body language, relationship-building and conflict resolution).

Like any learning process, pursuing a certification keeps image consultants working towards their full potential and stay competitive within the industry. There are three levels of certification with the AICI—First Level Certification (FLC), Certified Image Professional (CIP), and Certified Image Master (CIM). With an FLC the consultant has met business standards in industry development and technical awareness; as a CIP the consultant has proven that they are well-versed in hands-on training methods and have passed the AICI FLC Test in addition to submitting the AICI CIP Application; a CIM is the most accredited of image consultants and has worked, with verification, over 2,000 annual full-time hours while establishing a sound continuing education track along with acquiring a lineage of professional achievements. With each of these certifications an image consultant is afforded public exposure and professional support while their clients are assured guidance by a competent and trained individual.

Learn more about the certification levels with AICI and how you may begin your road to becoming an image consultant.