Deodorant Is Essential

The use of deodorant is essential for good hygiene and personal grooming. Apply it daily. For some people, and depending on your activity level, more than once a day.

If you don’t like to apply processed chemicals to your body, health food stores sell natural deodorants.  Being green does not give you permission to have body odor.  Without the use of a deodorant, you will emit an unpleasant odor from your underarms.  Most people find the odor offensive.  If you have it frequently, you may find it difficult to socialize with others or hold a job.  Nobody wants to share your funky smell.

It’s important for parents to talk to their young teenagers about the use of deodorant.  Without a little coaching, teens may not realize when they need to start applying it as their body matures.

Do Not Spritz at the Table

Personal grooming is inappropriate at the table. Do not comb your hair, apply lipstick, file your nails, or, the most recent etiquette violation I observed, apply perfume.

I was enjoying dinner at a restaurant the other evening when a woman, sitting in the booth behind me, applied perfume from a spray bottle.  The odor was so intense I could only taste and smell her perfume for the remainder of my meal.  My dining experience was ruined and I left with a headache.

Never apply perfume, body mists, or scented lotions in a public place - especially at a restaurant. In fact, when dining, wear very little perfume or none at all so your senses can appreciate the taste and aroma of the food without distraction.

Gentlemen, this rule applies to your cologne and aftershave too.

No Comb-overs Please - Male Grooming

Combing a long piece of hair from one side of your head over to the other side might make you feel more confident about your image and the fact you’re losing your hair, but it doesn’t fool anyone and makes you look like you’re insecure about your hair loss.

First of all, balding is not shameful.  It’s a normal fact of life.  Some very sexy and famous men are/were bald.  Think of Telly Savalis, Yul Brynner, Samuel Jackson, Sean Connery, Bruce Willis, and Vin Diesel.

As you begin to lose your hair, find a good hair stylist who can help you make the most of what you’ve got.

Men Need Manicures Too

Gentlemen, manicures are not a grooming process for women only.  It’s important for men to have handsome hands. They will be noticed in a professional environment as well as a social or dating environment.   Ladies do not find dirty hands or fingernails appealing.

Nails should be short and cut to the quick.  If you are a nail biter, it’s time to break the habit.  Hands, especially the area underneath the nails, should be kept clean.

Find a good manicurist and visit them at least once a month.  They will remove or push back unsightly cuticles, trim and shape your nails, and buff the surface of the nail.   Some men like a clear coat of polish on their nails to protect the nail and give a well groomed appearance, but this last step is a personal preference only.

In between manicures, use tools you can purchase at any drugstore to maintain your nails.  These tools may include nail clippers, a file or emery board, an orange stick to push cuticles back, and a nail brush to keep your nails and hands clean.

While you’re taking care of your fingernails, don’t forget to check your toenails.  For some women, including yours truly, unsightly toenails are a turnoff.

Finally, if you need more incentive to visit a nail salon other than maintaining your nails, you will be surrounded by a bevy of women who will adore you.  I can’t think of many other places where there’s such a good male to female ratio and the only thing the men have to do is sit and be pampered.

What Side Should You Wear A Pocket Watch On?

A pocket watch should be worn on the opposite side of your dominate hand. You should be able to write with one hand and check the accurate time with the other.

Always Have a Tissue Handy

It’s that time of year again when our noses tend to do more than we consciously ask of them.  They run, sneeze, tickle, and clog up.  Most annoyingly, they do these things at the most inconvenient times such as when you’re giving a presentation, in an interview, or on a date.

To out smart the foul plays of our noses, I suggest having a tissue available at all times to handle all unsuspecting circumstances. It is most improper to use alternatives to the tissue such as your sleeve, hand, or on-going sniffling.

Place a tissue in your pocket before leaving the house. Since ladies don’t always have pockets in their attire, they may want to place a tissue in their handbag or tuck one in the sleeve of their outfit.

You may even want to consider purchasing a small pack of tissues to have in your desk drawer, briefcase, coat pocket or purse.  You will not only have enough to take care of your nasal needs, but can come to the rescue of others too.

Remember, what goes in the pocket, must come out.  Please don’t forget to take the tissue out of your pocket at the end of the day.  A tissue is not welcome when discovered in the laundry at the end of the wash cycle.

Test Fabrics For Wrinkles - Professional Attire

Professionals frequently have days when they have to look as crisp and neat at a dinner meeting as they did at their early morning staff meeting.  One key to mastering this skill is to select professional attire made with quality fabrics that wear well.

Before purchasing an item of clothing, give it the wrinkle test.  Scrunch the fabric in your hand and hold for a few seconds.  After releasing the fabric, observe how the fabric looks.  Does it wrinkle?  If so, are the wrinkles falling out?  If the wrinkles do not fall out, this item may not be a good addition to your professional wardrobe.

Because I like to spend my time doing things other than ironing, I give this test to all my clothing purchases, casual and professional, so I can always look my best with a minimal amount of care for my wardrobe.

Also, consider giving this test to clothing before selecting it to pack in a suitcase for a trip.  Making the right clothing selections before you arrive will allow you to look your best in a moment’s notice while on the road.

How To Hold Or Carry Gloves

The subject matter of my posts often come from recent experiences in my life. This is how I selected today’s topic, “How To Hold Or Carry Gloves”.

I am performing in a local community theater production and the chorus girls are required to wear gloves. During one of the musical numbers, they must take the gloves off and carry them. Of course, I was quick to share the proper etiquette for carrying gloves with the showgirls and would like to share this etiquette lesson with you as well. Even though we infrequently wear gloves in a social setting anymore, we do wear them in cold weather and the same rules do apply.

When carrying or holding gloves, hold them by the fingers. This keeps the visual image very neat and organized. If you were to hold them at the wrist end, the fingers would be flapping and look sloppy.

Did you know there is a glove flirtation code? For example, if a lady drops one glove, she is saying yes. If she drops both gloves, it means, “I love you”.  Don’t jump to any conclusions too quickly.  In today’s world, she may have very well dropped the glove because her hands were full.

Perhaps for fun, I’ll share the entire code with you in a future post.

Attire - Flip Flops

Flip flops, which are flat rubber thonged sandals, are summer casual beachwear. They are meant to be worn at the beach with swim wear or worn casually with shorts. They are also frequently seen in locker room showers.

Never ever are flip flops to be worn with dressy attire or to a nice restaurant during dinner hours.

This evening, while dining in a nicer restaurant, I was admiring the lovely dress of the young lady seated next to me and looked down to notice she was wearing flip flops! As I was leaving the restaurant, I saw another young lady wearing flip flops with a social pant suit. In both cases, what could have been a very flattering, elegant look, was killed by the flip flops. What surprised me even more was the fact they were donning these flip flops when the temperature was still less than 50 degrees. That is not a beach wear demanding temperature by my standards.

A few years ago, I remember reading an article about a college student wearing flip flops with a sun dress when she visited the President at the White House. Her mother was appalled when she saw the photo in the newspaper.

Shoes need to be appropriate to the attire we are wearing. Casual shoes are worn with casual attire. Dress shoes are worn with business, Sunday, or evening attire. Evening sandals, satin shoes, or shoes adorned with beading and sequins are worn with evening, cocktail, and social attire.

Remember to keep the theme and color consistent. Hopefully, you would not wear an evening gown with white sneakers to gym class. Would you?

After Hours and Weekend Business Attire

If you are going in to the office after hours or on the weekend, you should dress in casual business attire such as khakis and a button down or polo shirt.  Clothes should be clean and pressed just as they would be during the workday.

Do not wear the clothes you lounge around the house in such as old jeans, tennis shoes, and a sweatshirt.  You may feel comfortable in them, but you never know who you might see at the office or who might see you walking in.

A professional image should always be maintained in order to positively represent yourself and the company you work for.