Corporate Class Inc.

Canadian designer creates the ultimate business underpinning

Cleavage, or décolleté, has its place. Bikinis, bathing suits, strapless gowns and party dresses are all cleavage-compatible. And with the Academy Award nominees just announced, thoughts turn to the annual revealing review of starlets and celebrities as they stroll the red carpet.

That said — cleavage has absolutely no business in the boardroom. Yet, it’s a recurring theme whenever I’m asked to address the topic of appropriate business attire. Doesn’t matter whether I’m presenting to financial institutions, law firms, government agencies or large corporations — invariably, my clients will reinforce the importance of discouraging ‘distracting décolleté.’ Deeply cut necklines create a discomfort-zone for everyone in the office.

When women in the public eye violate a sense of decorum with ‘indecent exposure,’ the media moves quickly. I remember when Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, The Honourable Maxime Bernier attended the Cabinet Swearing-in Ceremony, with his scantily clad girlfriend. I was inundated with media calls.
When a blazer didn’t add dignity
And my observations

During this controversy, designer Andrea Clair, the creator of Wink Intimates Inc., contacted me. She had read my remarks in the Toronto Star and wanted me to see her so-called 9to5 Bra, specifically designed to cover cleavage, or in Andrea’s words, “a business bra”. Initially, I was skeptical but Andrea was well spoken and convincing. I became intrigued and agreed to meet.

Andrea brought her 9to5 Bra and I immediately realized she had truly designed a problem solver to address business attire, plus, the ideal solution for well-endowed clients. With my penchant for multi-tasking, it swiftly occurred to me that here was the ideal underpinning for Diane von Furstenberg’s ubiquitous wrapped dresses — regardless of body type. And I’m not alone. Monika Schnarre, former supermodel and actor calls her 9to5 Bra a ‘must-have’ and recording artist Jann Arden praises the comfort factor.   Take a look

Last year, Andrea confided that in search of investment capital, she had taken her 9to5 Bra to the prominent TV show, Dragons’ Den. She was sworn to secrecy until the episode aired.
Intriguingly, the male Dragons — and captains within the corporate world’s boardrooms, I might add — didn’t get it. They vocally embraced the concept of cleavage and flatly turned Andrea down. Conversely, Arlene Dickenson, CEO of Venture Communications and the only female Dragon, was ready to jump in and invest $150,000 — providing she assumed 55% ownership of the company. Andrea declined.   Watch the episode.

Maybe you’ve witnessed a fashion faux pas or misstep —in the boardroom and beyond. Please let us know your thoughts.

———————————————————————————————

How Is Your Personal and Professional Image?

Are you wondering why your closet is filled with clothes that don’t make you look and feel as fabulous as you are?  Tired of spending loads of time and tons of money trying to get the look you want?  Are you confused about what suits YOU best, how to manage trends, dress age appropriate?

What if I told you that you that you will never have that problem again?

Join me for my new Image Enhancement Course for the Professional Woman – a 4-part course where I will share teach you how to create your own look of success!  It all starts on Monday April 5, 2010.

Details and Registration!

Subscribe to our FREE monthly newsletter

Posted on February 5th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Business Etiquette, Dress, Fashion, Womenswear | No Comments »

Last month marked both the end of a dynamic year — expanding our international client base, launching both my blog and image enhancement teleseminar courses, maintaining a heightened role in community service —and a new beginning for Corporate Class. In early December, just before the holiday frenzy began in earnest, we moved our offices to 60 Bloor Street West, Suite 1100.

With all this activity, I welcomed the idea of an interlude before embarking on my 2010 journey. What could be more perfect than Christmas in Paris?

Although I’d been to Paris before, this was my first Christmas celebration in the magical City of Lights and I can truly say everything sparkled —from the shimmering streetlights to the magnificent chandeliers illuminating the city’s finest dining rooms. And what better time to visit this world capital of gastronomy!

On Christmas Eve, we attended Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral and then went to dinner at the Hotel de Crillon’s historic restaurant, overlooking Place de la Concorde. A talented pianist played throughout the evening and despite the romantic setting and glamorous atmosphere, I was disappointed by the absence of Christmas music. When we made our request, the pianist explained that he rarely played this genre but would do his best and he did in fact oblige us with a beautiful rendition of White Christmas. But — I’m still puzzled by his limited repertoire for a Christmas Eve performance. Maybe everyone’s had enough by the time December 24 arrives and perhaps I’m alone when it comes to hearing Christmas music, especially on Christmas Eve?

As an inveterate shopper, I headed out on December 26 expecting to find the famous Paris sales or “soldes” I’d encountered at summer’s end on previous visits. Not so. Strict government regulations dictate when merchandise can go on sale in France and as luck would have it, January 6 was the scheduled start day for this season.
Information about the Paris timetable for sales

Happily, I didn’t leave Paris empty-handed. While we were exploring Montmartre, I discovered an absolute gem — a fabulous fabric shop — PARIS TISSUS, 15 Rue de Steinkerque, 75018 Paris, France. (Tel: 01 42 54 33 51. E-mail paristissus@noos.fr) I met the owner, Rolland Brami and was thrilled to find an unusual cashmere and mink fabric with a subtle sheen, thanks to the mink, and a silk print by designer Robert Cavalli.

Rolland chatted with us about his business; he’s also a fabric designer of considerable renown. His red Chantilly lace and matching silk satin, with crystal beading, were selected by Dallas clothing designer Michael Faircloth for Laura Bush’s 2001 Inaugural gown. Rolland said that although he was truly proud of his accomplishment, he didn’t feel it was the best choice of colour for Mrs. Bush. I agreed!

Every day began with freshly squeezed orange juice and warm croissants. Lunch destinations varied from bistros and brasseries to the sumptuous assortment of delicacies at Bon Marché Épicerie. Very loosely translated, this is the delicatessen counter at the Bon Marché department store but in reality it’s a gourmet’s paradise. At every restaurant meal, a cheese course with numerous selections preceded dessert, often a deliciously rich pastry. Dinner was frequently fish — always eaten with the special fish fork and knife, long out of favour with North Americans, that the French reserve for fish. The other side of the coin, however, is that France dispensed with bread and butter plates years ago — even in the finest restaurants. And speaking of fine restaurants, here’s a look at Hotel De Crillon’s New Year’s Eve menu. Regrets I can’t comment — we’d left for home.

Alors, following a wonderful week, I’m happy to be back and have already embraced 2010. I have my business plan in hand and my goals are well laid out — I’m excited about the New Year.

And I hope you are, too. I invite you to share with us how we can serve you through our blog and newsletters.

Happy New Year!

(Note that you can now have our blog posts delivered to your Inbox by clicking on the Subscribe link on the right side of this page.)

———————————————————————————————

How Is Your Personal and Professional Image? 
Is your style congruent with your brand? Are you confused about what suits YOU best, how to manage trends, dress age appropriate?

Join me for my FREE, 55 minute pre-training class:  Style for Women Virtual 4-part course where I will share tips on how to create your own look of success!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 3:30 pm Eastern, 12:30 pm Pacific
Tuesaday January 26, 2010, 9:00 pm Eastern, 3:00 pm Pacific

Register Now!

Subscribe to our FREE monthly newsletter

Posted on January 18th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Diane's Reflections, Dress, Fashion, Food, Relaxation | No Comments »

One of my key responsibilities as an image consultant is to ensure my client’s new look is “doable” — that it can and will be maintained. With Liz, I know she’ll slip back into a cozy hoodie for an evening at home and that’s to be expected but I’m confident she’ll maintain her new hair colour and highlight regime. I’ve watched her embrace every stage of the process, yet now that we’re about to embark on the final leg of her journey, makeup, I’m anticipating a few challenges.

Experience has taught me that when I address the idea of a professional makeup artist for this last step, clients frequently call upon the same mental roadblock; it’s called The Natural Look. At some point iconic American designer, Calvin Klein, obviously encountered this kind of resistance because he coined the perfect phrase: “The best thing is to look natural, but it takes makeup to look natural”.  How right you are Mr. Klein!

Happily, Liz was enthusiastic about her planned makeup application and lesson with makeup artist Genny at The School of Pro Makeup Art. Together, we discussed Liz’s lifestyle, the new demands of her career and her comfort level with makeup and its application.

Liz had brought along her makeup bag and we began the elimination process. In comparison to some “collections” I’ve seen, Liz had a bare minimum. I was delighted. (So often over the years, I’ve seen makeup bags that were potential breeding grounds of bacteria: bits and pieces from cosmetic promotional gifts, hastily purchased lipsticks and shadows, old sponges, dried-up mascara wands, ancient pencils and worn-out brushes. Please, don’t hang on to tired, old products. There are very specific guidelines for how long a product is safe to use, e.g. no longer than 3 months for mascara.)

Once the editing process was complete, Genny began applying makeup to the right side of Liz’s face — explaining her product choices and techniques. Then, it was Liz’s turn to match the left side. While Genny guided her step-by-step, Liz learned to hold a brush, to gauge the amount pressure to apply and new techniques of stippling, feathering and the art of blending. True to form, Liz was a stellar student and was well on her way to applying makeup like a pro.

Here are 5 quick tips for finessing your makeup application:

1. Apply bronzer with a large fluffy brush on the forehead, nose, chin, cheeks, jaw line — all places the sun would hit — using large, circular strokes.  Add more to the area just below the cheekbones to create a chiseled contoured look.  Next, apply a pink shade of blush on the “apples” of cheeks for a healthy glow.
2. Line lips with a lip-coloured lip pencil and blend well to avoid a conspicuous, telltale line.
3. Fill in eyebrows with taupe eye shadow powder and a small, angled brush. Use short, hair-like strokes in sparse areas.
4. 4. Curl eyelashes using a rounded rubber eyelash curler to really open up the eyes, before applying mascara. Shu Uemura’s eyelash curlers are internationally praised — they were even mentioned in the movie, The Devil Wears Prada.
5. Apply 4 clusters of individual false eyelashes to outer corners of the eyes to add volume and look natural. Perfect for New Year’s Eve!

Here’s Liz with a recap of her session with Genny:
“I usually don’t wear very much makeup, probably because I’ve never been exceptional at applying it — but Genny from The School of Pro Makeup was an excellent teacher.  She went over the techniques at each step then she would let me try and provide feedback. Applying cake eyeliner was especially challenging — I actually got it in my eye! Over the last few days I’ve improved and now the process is pain free. I really wanted to learn the techniques for a good reason – the end result of my makeup lesson was transformational.  I was amazed by how Genny was able to balance my features using tiny touch ups. Between the makeup and the hair I feel gorgeous. My new look is very polished.  Thank you Diane, I’m thrilled. And just in time for the holidays!“      

Stay tuned!   (Note that you can now have our blog posts delivered to your Inbox by clicking on the Subscribe link on the right side of this page.)

———————————————————————————————

How Is Your Personal and Professional Image? 
Is your style congruent with your brand? Are you confused about what suits YOU best, how to manage trends, dress age appropriate?

Join me for my FREE, 55 minute pre-training class:  Style for Women Virtual 4-part course where I will share tips on how to create your own look of success!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 3:00 pm Eastern, 12:00 pm Pacific

Register Now!

Subscribe to our FREE monthly newsletter

Posted on December 18th, 2009 by Diane
Filed under: Image, Image Consultation, Makeup | 3 Comments »

Accessories can make or break an outfit. They can update a classic, breathe new life into an old favourite and turn daywear into elegant eveningwear.  On the other hand, the wrong accessory can spoil the success of a really great look.

Simple truth #1
Eyewear is the most obvious accessory.

Simple truth #2
The right eyewear is crucial to the right look.

Simple truth #3
Eyewear is tricky.

The time had come to address this most obvious — and functional— accessory with Liz. No doubt about it, at Freda’s she received an “A” in Accessorizing, but picking the right glasses presents a real challenge. There are thousands of frames to choose from. The right choice enhances the appearance, while the wrong one becomes a costly mistake —rather like buying an expensive coat that doesn’t keep you warm.

My recommendation is to take a trusted friend to help with the selection process. It’s very difficult to be objective on your own and in my experience, many people rely on opticians. Trained to determine the right kind of lenses for your prescription, few opticians understand face shapes and the nuances of skin colouring — important factors when it comes to choosing frames.

Let me explain:

• Your face shape is the starting point — square, round, triangle or oval. Say for example, that your face is square; you’ll want to avoid square-shaped frames that mimic your face shape and choose instead oval or round glasses. In other words, try frames that contrast or “contradict” your face shape.
• The size of your face and features play a critical role. Delicate features disappear with frames that look amazing on a larger face with stronger features.
• Same story with the nose — slender and small takes a different bridge than long and prominent or short and broad.
• Moving on to the eyes — close-set versus wide-set, drooping or tipped, dark circles or crow’s feet, there are so many considerations.
• Cool or warm skin tone and eye colour can make the difference between whether to choose anodized metal, “tortoiseshell” or even gold or silver trim.
• And then there’s the entire issue of personal style. Which category do you fall into: dramatic, classic, natural, romantic, gamin or ingénue?

A final checklist:
 Replace your frames at least every four years.
 Check yourself in a full-length mirror before finalizing your frame choice — you want to be certain the proportion is right.
 When in doubt about the right frame, look for an almost universally flattering oval shape.

Liz has a few thoughts:
“My old glasses will need to be replaced this spring and although Diane approved of the shape, she showed me how to choose a colour more becoming to my eyes and complexion. She also walked me through the initial frame selection process and showed me how to avoid the wrong shapes. Thank you Diane, another mission accomplished!”

Stay tuned!   (Note that you can now have our blog posts delivered to your Inbox by clicking on the Subscribe link on the right side of this page.)

———————————————————————————————

How Is Your Personal and Professional Image? 
Is your style congruent with your brand? Are you confused about what suits YOU best, how to manage trends, dress age appropriate?

Join me for my FREE, 55 minute pre-training class:  Style for Women Virtual 4-part course where I will share tips on how to create your own look of success!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 3:00 pm Eastern, 12:00 pm Pacific

Register Now!

Subscribe to our FREE monthly newsletter

Posted on December 9th, 2009 by Diane
Filed under: Accessories, Fashion, Image, Image Consultation | No Comments »

The real foundation of a wardrobe plan is just that — foundations. Today, most women’s lingerie drawers hold a diverse mix, from luxurious lacey confections to functional, full-support sport bras. There are special undergarments for wearing with knits and tees, bras with artfully engineered straps designed for halters or backless dresses, seamless bras, strapless bras, demi’s and body shapers — the list is endless. And yet, experts say that the vast majority of women have never been correctly fitted. Not only are they wearing the wrong bra size, they’re not doing their figures “full justice”.

And this is where Melmira, North Toronto’s wonderful bra boutique comes into play. It was time to take Liz on her first shopping trip: destination Melmira, www.melmira.com. 

I explained our mission was to find the right pieces to enhance her figure and ultimately, form a base for her wardrobe. Undergarments play a key role in improving both the look and fit of clothing. Equally important is the psychology of lingerie — almost like a secret security blanket. A woman’s confidence increases when her underclothing holds everything in place and feels superb next to her skin.

I had made an appointment with Holly, one of Melmira’s owners, for a custom fitting. There is no substitute for expertise and experience when it comes to fitting bras; everyone on staff is a trained professional at fitting undergarments and swimwear. After a warm welcome, Holly ushered Liz into a large, private fitting room. We discussed Liz’s lifestyle, colour palette and wardrobe plan before Holly left to select a range of bras. Our goal was to address Liz’s basic undergarment needs and help her become more discerning about fit. As Holly showed Liz the difference between bras to avoid and flattering choices, it was a true “before and after” experience. The entire process took about an hour and included some tips from Holly on fit, quality and care. Liz made a final selection of two bras that are ideal for her immediate needs — both flattering and supremely comfortable!

Liz has the last word:
“The staff at Melmira is phenomenal. I’ve never experienced such amazing customer service. I don’t have a large bust and was skeptical that I’d see any difference between a new bra and what I owned. I walked out with two!

The bras are so comfortable I feel as though I could go for a run and they aren’t even sports bras. I tried on a jacket in an old bra, and then changed into a new one. The jacket looked so much better — I was pleasantly surprised.”

Stay tuned!   (Note that you can now have our blog posts delivered to your Inbox by clicking on the Subscribe link on the right side of this page.)

———————————————————————————————

How Is Your Personal and Professional Image? 
Is your style congruent with your brand? Are you confused about what suits YOU best, how to manage trends, dress age appropriate?

Join me for my FREE, 55 minute pre-training class:  Style for Women Virtual 4-part course where I will share tips on how to create your own look of success!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 3:00 pm Eastern, 12:00 pm Pacific

Register Now!

Subscribe to our FREE monthly newsletter

Posted on December 1st, 2009 by Diane
Filed under: Dress, Fashion, Image, Image Consultation, Womenswear | No Comments »