Dress To Impress

 My mother always told me that it was really important to always dress to impress and this lesson has lasted me throughout my life - a little word of wisdom from a ray of sunshine.

No matter what you are wearing it should always be worn to its full benefit. Whether you are dressing

formally or casually, or even if you are in uniform or going to a pyjama party your clothes should be as appropriate and fashionable as possible.

First of all make sure that the clothes you wear are clean and pressed because nothing detracts more from an outfit than if it is unkempt. Then ensure that your clothing style suits the occasion. If going to a wedding or the races or a red carpeted social event it is appropriate to wear long gowns and tails. Jeans are not acceptable. Dress codes for these events are dictated by the promoter and it is important to adhere to their requests.

If going shopping or visiting friends, casual clothing is called for. But in order to impress clothing must be well cared for and worn in taste. I was at a rugby game the other day and an attractive but rather chubby young woman was in front of me. Her skirt was so short that you could see the edge of her buttocks and it looked terrible. Now it may be acceptable for a Maori Warrior in NZ to bear is bare tattooed bottom to Prince William and his lovely wife Catherine but protocol and decorum must be followed. This girl was quite a pretty little thing but spoilt her whole look by appearing slutty. I am sure she didn’t mean to have that look and my mother would not have let me out the door in an outfit so revealing. Now I am not a prude but clothes worn in this manner do not impress but rather attract ridicule and criticism in stead. The Maori warrior certainly attracted a lot of media and social attention.

Take the case of Princess Beatrice who wore that ridiculous hat to William and Catherine’s in 2012. Her inappropriate fascinator did not impress but earnt ridicule and scorn from newspapers and social media comments from all over the world. Do you want to be the subject such negative publicity and a source of such derision? If not then choose clothes which make a good positive impression rather than bring in negative comments.It may not be related but it seems to me that this episode had a significant impact on social protocol with Royal Ascot announcing in 2012 that women will have to wear hats, not fascinators, as part of a tightening of the dress code in Royal Ascot's Royal Enclosure.

If at work it is not appropriate to wear clothing that reveals too much skin. A place of work is not a meat market, unless of course you work in a brothel which has an entirely different dress code requirement. Always dress demurely for work. It is more important to be noticed in the workplace for what you do in your job rather than how sexily you dress. Save the sexy look for when you go to a nightclub or out to dinner with your boyfriend.  

A good way to dress to impress is to accessorize to your outfit. Especially if you cannot afford a new designer outfit and the clothes you have in your wardrobe are tired and drab. An accessory  completes an outfit and if chosen carefully adds a unique sense of glamor and sophistication to the wearer's look.  Bold, glitzy, ostentatious and colorful necklaces, bangles and rings and other pieces of jewellery, scarves, shoes and handbags can be thought upon as lavish pieces of art, worn to attract attention. They are an important status symbol, because this type of body adornment is easy for others to notice immediately and says something about who you are.

Make sure that whatever you decide to wear is stylish and complements your base outfit and enhances it – not the other way. The good thing is that if chosen carefully to match your outfit, your accessories will not only be beautiful, trendy and stylish but they can be affordable as well and do not need to break your budget particularly if you buy it online.