The Rules | Cory Q

1

Cohesion first. Do the pieces agree on where you're going?

Matching was never about color. Three pieces from three different plans put one body in an argument with itself, and the whole room can hear it.

2

Fit is what people notice first when someone has it handled.

Shoulders, sleeves, hems. A forty dollar hem does more than a four hundred dollar jacket. Tailoring beats price.

3

Great shoes are the one thing every professional must own.

Kept impeccable. The room reads your shoes before it reads your face, and dull leather says neglect.

4

One signature piece. Not several things competing.

Something people remember you by. Two signatures cancel each other out.

5

Wool, cotton, linen, silk. Your skin absorbs what sits on it.

Natural fabrics drape better, breathe, and last for years. Synthetics are an upgrade waiting to happen, never a crime.

6

Never wear cleavage or legs to a business appointment.

Not a moral point. A point about where eyes go. In a business room, skin pulls attention away from the message.

7

Neglect says you don't take care of things.

Wrinkled, worn, stained. It is the worst mismatch because it tells the room exactly how you will treat their business.

8

Loud logos read as trying too hard. Money shouldn't shout.

Three bold colors, flash, a label on the outside. The room hears insecurity, not success.

9

Expensive isn't the same as credible.

The shoes may cost more than the suit across the table. Credibility is what the outfit says, not what it cost.

10

Dress for the people who have to look at you.

Elegance is dressing for the audience and the occasion. Your clothes tell everyone how you feel about the people in the room.

11

The shorter the skirt, the lower the heel.

A cardinal rule, and old because it works. A short dress on a high platform tells the room one thing. The same dress on a flat says "I'm comfortable here." If the hem comes up, the heel comes down.