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Written by Lucia T. Mc Carthy
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Banishing Daywear/Nightwear Dichotomies
In the current business climate of China, HR managers need garments that can take them from daytime meetings through to late interviews with potential new staff members, then on to corporate dinners and HR cocktail parties in style.
Power Dressing = Flexible Dressing
Gone is the simplicity of 9 to 5 dressing, with several luxurious free hours in which to return to one's home and effect a complete costume change. Power dressing in the current decade means flexible dressing and that's why NHR have consulted some of China's experts on how to make your wardrobe keep pace with today's varied working-hours, from day into night. After speaking with Shanghai Tang's Joanne Ooi, top designer Lu Kun plus photographer and HR consultant Todd Anthony Tyler, NHR have pinned down the key facts you need to keep your corporate image working for you.
According Lu Kun, whose store at Three on the Bund sees clients ranging from HR professionals, to China's top celebrities and super-shoppers such as England's Victoria Beckham, all you need to do in order to switch an outfit from desk to cocktail party is "be prepared!"
Lu Kun tells NHR that, "If you have space in your office, why not put aside a few small accessories such as a scarf, belt, or necklace or even some high heels, which can immediately transform an outfit, depending on the mood you want to create."
Glamour Kits
The idea of having some kind of "dress-up box" in your office may seem quaint, but don't laugh; being called out to an unexpected cocktail party to meet important clients means that a simple wrap, snazzy tie or sharp set of cufflinks may mean the difference between looking rushed or slickly elegant.
To wit, HR manager Cynthia Wang-Smythe keeps a stash of accessories in the largest drawer in her desk, calling it her "glamour kit!"
"I know that all I need in order to jazz up an outfit is right there in my desk," Wang-Smythe tells NHR, "so even if I don't have time to go home from the office before going out to an HR event, I can just dip into the ‘glamour kit' and add some high-fashion earrings, a stylish wrap or a cute clutch purse to instantly make sure my wardrobe is working harder to make a good impression for me!"
Fall Season
Lu Kun's idea of making a strong impression this fall includes his recommendation of the classic 3-inch patent red leather cinch-belt as a must have accessory, along with shades of transparent-black and red.
The garment that Lu Kun notes every woman should have is a "transparent-black fabric, round-neck top with long sleeves" which can be worn under a jacket during the day and then co-ordinated at night with "over-sized earrings" for instant glamour.
Otherwise this season Lu Kun's top-pick is gold for large, flashy jewellery as statement pieces that, he says, "will make you really stand out from the crowd."
Guys' wardrobe - No excuses!
Clearly, the option of whisking out the office door a changed person is not limited to female staff members. Guys have no excuse not to look their sparkling best at an after-work event or dinner when so many labels now offer simple, yet effective, accessories such as cufflinks which can easily be added to any outfit in a rush for instant dash. Lu Kun recommends that guys can move from day into night simply by changing lighter colours to dark. "When you have been wearing, for example, a light-blue tie during the day, why not just change it for a navy tie to take the look into evening. Adding some cufflinks is another way to add interest for evening wear to any men's outfit."
Menswear with panache for HR consultant and fashion photographer Todd Anthony Tyler is imperative to his image which constantly shifts from office environments, to photo shoots (for clients such as Vogue, Elle, Lacoste and Uma Wang) and the occasional modelling assignment.
For comfort with a distinctive edge, Tyler chooses easy-to-wear yet high-fashion labels such as Shanghai Tang.
"I'm often asked to rush out to a photo shoot after a business meeting and I need clothes that look corporate but move with me."
After a shoot, Tyler is often asked to attend fashion runway shows or other cocktail events, "so," he adds, "I need a wardrobe that constantly makes a corporate, yet fashionable statement and a consistently professional impression on the public."
Last Season's Garments - the Charity Box
Wang-Smythe notes accordingly in her role as advisor to her staff on corporate image, that "one can never be too careful when choosing the right attire; really, we all need to go through our work wardrobes at least once a season and check to see which outfits still work and which ones simply must be demoted to the charity-box."
To do this, Wang-Smythe goes through her closet "with a fine-tooth comb! Firstly, I pull out all of that season's garments and check them one by one for missing buttons, frayed seams and general wear-and-tear. Then, I try on each blouse, skirt and pant, checking for fit and general wearability. If I can't decide a good reason to keep it within twenty seconds, I simply place it in my give-away box."
Does this seem ruthless?
"I need to be ruthless," laughs Wang-Smythe, "Otherwise, I'm the world's biggest hoarder! Plus I'm becoming more realistic about my actual dress-size and have reconciled myself to the fact that the clothes I constantly hope to ‘diet-my-way-back-into' have to go. Delusion truly is the biggest thief of wardrobe space!"
Twelve Looks
"Secondly, I go through my accessories and jewellery selection and try everything on with each outfit. This way I prepare a series of about twelve looks which are ready to wear for the office, but can then be mix-and-matched into a party look simply by changing the belt or earrings."
And finally? "Last of all," says Wang-Smythe, "I check all of my shoes and bags to see which ones need repairing or even to be thrown out altogether. Many people are familiar with the term, ‘down at the heel,'" she advises. "Believe me, it's not complimentary. Every season you should check the soles and heels of all your shoes and see which ones need replacing or even just a good old fashioned shine with shoe polish. Put them all in a box and make a note of taking them off to the cobbler at the weekend. It's worth the effort and the difference it can make to your overall impression is noteworthy."
Accessories
Bags are, confesses Wang-Smyth, "my fashion-weakness! For work, I always need one larger bag for my laptop and notes, then a smaller clutch purse for my wallet and cosmetics. So, last of all, I go through my bag selection and see with which outfits and shoes they match best. During this entire process, I keep a list of what I need to buy so the next time I go clothes shopping, I'm focussed and not tempted to just buy whatever I fancy at the time. It keeps my attention on the corporate image I want to project."
HR Fashion Plates
A corporate, yet fun and flexible image, is something about which Joanne Ooi, creative director of Shanghai Tang, is an internationally acclaimed expert. Ooi advises that for women, "a beautiful printed dress, especially a modern qi pao, is the answer for day into night dressing. The print says, ‘festive,' while the qi pao styling, which is feminine and body-skimming, is suitable for work but also dressier settings."
So now, there's no excuse for you to not race out to an HR event or dinner because "I'm still wearing my work-clothes!" With a little planning ahead and the simple art of wardrobe maintenance, you will be noted as an HR fashion-plate in no time at all!
Still confused? Turn to our "Ask Todd" pages for more advice on "Black Tie" dressing for corporate evening pizzazz.
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