This article covers corporate and office attire. For those who work in construction and outdoor trades such as landscaping, pest control, and even window washing, we’ll give you sound wardrobing advice in our next update. We’ll address your specific needs relative to fit, fabric, environment, and audience. Next time!

The concept of ‘dressing for success‘ is far from new. Yet many office workers do not know how to begin. Just like your career, start at the bottom and work up. Shoes, women should stick to low heels in neutral colors. Men, two pairs, one black, one brown. One laced, one slip-on. Your choice. Women can get more variation from separates- that means skirts, pants, blouses, and tops. If dresses and jackets are your preference, know that your outfits will be more limited.

As for fabrics, knits are more wrinkle-resistant, which is something to consider if you commute by bus or rail. Poly blends wear well; sadly, moths like to eat wool and silk so limit items in these fibers. Banish acrylic. It is a cheap fiber that does not wear well. Hint: bigger ticket items such as rain and winter coats should be in neutrals. Add pops of color with scarves, gloves, a handbag, and footwear. For men, different color shirts, and ties, even pocket scarves can vary your workday wardrobe. As for color- select two to four colors and only buy those colors. This way you can pull an outfit together quickly as everything will ‘go’ with everything else. Here’s a quick rundown:

Women

Skirts: 4-5 options in the pencil style or modified a-line. Pencil skirts say “I mean business”. Keep the boho looks for when you’re home, not to make an office appearance even on casual Friday.

Pants: 2-3 pairs of dress pants. Cuffs to fall at the midway point of shoes. Buy neutral colors.

Dresses: 2-3 per season. Sleeveless or ¾ sleeve sheaths either below knee or midi-length can be paired with jackets, blazers, or a cascading cardigan. Solids offer more styling options than prints, while knits are easier to keep fresh and wrinkle-free.

Tops/Sweaters: 3-5 tops including tunics. A white button-down, wrinkle-free, shirt is essential. Stick to solids, then consider only classic prints such as dots, pinstripes, and paisleys. Better to err on the side of conservative than to appear too gaudy. Remember you’re there to establish yourself through your work first. Creative industries such as ad agencies may have a more flexible dress code, but get the lay of the land first.

Jackets: 2-3 Fitted suit jackets and a blazer. One must be black. Avoid too trendy wide lapels, etc. These choices can span three seasons and are classic.

Coats: A long coat, a car coat, and a raincoat. Consider a ‘winter’ coat with a zip-out liner to serve double duty as a raincoat when it’s warmer. Again, select a balmacaan or classic trench. Here’s lookin’ at you kid!

Handbag: Totes or leather designer backpacks will hold everything you need including your mobile devices with ease.

Hats: Not currently popular and could obscure vision on crowded sidewalks. For winter, consider ski headbands and wrapped earmuffs with Bluetooth compatibility.

Men

Suits: In a traditional office, there’s no getting around it. Men need suits in navy, black, and gray. No, resist the urge to mix and match. Wear gray trousers with a matching jacket…etc.

Fitted sport jacket and or blazer: Ideal for business events. It can be worn with suit pants or designer chinos as required.

Jeans: 1-2 pairs. Dark denim, the length is slightly longer than suit pants. No rips, tears, fading, or bleach, please. Ideal for creative environments and casual Fridays.

Shirts: 5 minimum. Colors should range from white through pastel blue to black if in creative. Opt for wrinkle-free if you do not send yours out to the cleaners.

Sweaters and Tops: Have 3-5 options. Opt for designer label polos. As for sweaters, if you loved a good shetland in college, you’ll love owning the same style in cashmere.

Ties and Pocket Squares: 3-4 ties, 2-3 squares. Adds polish and professionalism to your appearance. For ties, buy rep silk stripes and solids in neutrals to match your suits- navy and gray. Dots and discreet paisleys are also classic options. If you wear a pocket square wear a solid color tie to avoid a clash of patterns.

Brands

Get to know these icons and see which is the best fit for your work environment: Burberry, Coach, Jones New York, Michael Kors, Talbots, Ralph Lauren, Florsheim, J. Crew, Kate Spade, Tory Burch, Hugo Boss, Dooney & Bourke, Nicole Miller, Stuart Weitzman, and Vince Camuto.

TIP: Shop where the store offers in-house tailoring, or find one near you. No point in wearing ill-fitting investment clothing.

If you are still paying off grad-school, balancing car loans, Johnny’s braces, and a mortgage, there’s no need to despair. You can still have a great working wardrobe. There are several options. Online resale stores such as ThredUp carefully curate submissions and accept only the cream which is then competitively priced. Example: this author just scored a $1,500 Fleurette coat new with tags for only $88! That is not the norm, but there are true bargains to be had as well as solid quality for your spend. There are also numerous online businesses that offer style quizzes, send apparel based upon your answers- just pay for what you select, and return the rest.

One caveat: building your new corporate image is not an excuse for maxing out your credit cards. It is not necessary to buy a Rolex, those Manolos, a Hermes bag, or Louis Vuitton briefcase. Your new position is not a dress rehearsal. You’re expected to shine straight out of the elevator and have been prepping your day on your laptop on your commute. Overdoing it with extravagant daywear calls undesirable attention to your appearance instead of your work ethic. Besides, dressing better than your bosses makes your decisions questionable and you expendable. Congrats on your new position, now get shopping!

The post How to Build a Wardrobe that Works appeared first on Koshka.

Anyone who has ever lived in or has loved an older home knows that closets, prior to the late 1990s, have been on the small side. Also that in pre-war (that would be WII) dwellings, as this author can personally attest, closets are downright microscopic.The fact is, our foremothers made do. The majority of women did not work outside of the home, and left it only to walk to the market (i.e. the grocery or supermarket). They needed clothing for staying at home and keeping house (cleaning), a Sunday best outfit (singular) and rarely, a special occasion dress, usually in black. Our social scopes were not broad. We familied and we churched. This started to change in the 1950s when the building explosion spawned suburban tract subdivisions and neighborhoods began to socialize. Commerce boomed and this new-found middle class wealth was supported by women who furnished these homes and sparked increased demand for consumer products on all levels.

Enter the 1980s, when women as a whole began to work outside the home, although most of us remained the discretionary income. For this we required both transportation and more expansive wardrobing choices. It ushered in an era of plenty and with it elevated roles for women’s fashion in the concept to consumer models. For example, in the hands of a shrewd designer and marketer, Diane Von Furstenberg, the once lowly baggy dungaree became the form-fitted designer jean complete with embroidered pockets that accentuated the derriere. The price point for this phenom also jumped from under $20 to an exorbitant $200 back in the day when the average annual household income was about $17K! Other clothing items followed suit with financiers the world ‘round getting on board to satisfy the female consumer.

It did not take long for investors on Wall Street and elsewhere to recognize this new trend and to capitalize on it. Excess was encouraged; to quote Gordon Gecko, a fictional character from the popular 1980s film, Wall Street, “Greed is good.” Here is the current state of the fashion industry and where it is headed next:

In fashion, major design houses create lines of new clothing for every season. This provides temptation as well as an incentive to buy. While most of us do not wear designer clothing, the trickle down effect from the runway to the retail store means that these designs will be copied and translated into more affordable clothing for consumers. As a result, we buy more clothes. Lots of them. As previously mentioned, women play more roles today, have more interests, business, social, and recreational, outside the home than ever before. For this we need walk-in closets and more wardrobing choices.

Few realize, however, that the fashion industry has been male dominated for decades. Slowly, that is changing. Partly due to social media, women as cultural influencers is on the rise. We now live in a world where Tiger Woods struggles to regain his titles and earning power while Kylie Jenner, model and fashion designer under age 30, has become a billionaire. Yes: B. I. L. L. I. O. N. A. I. R. E. Gaining investment capital for woman-driven, concept-to-consumer goods has also increased markedly, and now big business wants in on the multi-billion dollar opportunities that female consumers represent. There is a simple message for undecided investors: “get on board or lose market share.”

Perhaps the biggest reason why women’s fashion continues to have currency and respect on the Dow Jones is the fact that it has sustained growth over the past 40 years. The U.S. apparel market projection for 2025 is $390 billion dollars. The in-store retail market value for apparel and footwear trails at $292 billion dollars, but is still a very healthy figure and a major contributor to the GNP.

Not to be a spoiler but the bubble has to burst at some point. This is partly because the boomer generation that initially fueled this industry has aged and most of us are retired or thinking about it. When we downsize our lives, our homes, our cars, we downsize our wardrobes also. There is less need for more clothing choices. Also, there is less need for more clothes for younger workers in certain professions. For example a large percentage of Millennials who either work in professions such as healthcare which requires them to wear uniforms, or in offices where the concept of casual Friday has spread to the entire workweek. Just about no one buys pantyhose anymore!

This is where investors have to become flexible and to follow the lifespan of the goods that are manufactured. Styles change, we find the handbag and shoes that we coveted are spending more time in the closet than on our bodies. The solution is resale. Even the luxury goods market, which has always been beyond the reach of most working women, has a silver lining. Online secondhand stores abound and just about anyone can afford to buy a gently used Hermes, Chloe, or Prada handbag for a fraction of its original worth.

Now that big business has initiated a binge/purge cycle by American consumers, online thrift shops and venues where secondhand goods are offered such as ThredUp and eBay, do a brisk business. Wardrobe items that are being jettisoned are sold and these sites offer plentiful options to buy someone else’s used clothing, footwear, and luxury items as well. ThredUp’s creed is to ‘buy used’ and elaborates how this responsible choice benefits mankind from less waste clogging landfills, to the option to fill those walk-in closets! Whatever the category, generally a cycle of excess is followed by a period of readjustment.

Going forward more of us will embrace the credo, “Less is more.” Rather than maintain what is essentially a vault in our homes where we cache clothing, we’ll carefully curate and pare down our apparel choices to just what we really use and nothing more. The result will be clothing we wear more often and replace only as needed. By that time some big, woman-run business will have anticipated our needs and already fulfilled them.

Today’s fashion industry is flourishing because more influencers and decision-makers are women. If they are not at the helm then they represent in the boardroom. This shift towards females determining women’s fashion outcomes is an example of success breeding continued success. And that paradigm is fashion’s commercial future.

The post Top 5 Reasons Why Women’s Fashion is Big Business Today appeared first on Koshka.

What’s that you say? Unless you have awoken from a coma, or have missed today’s news, today Musk unveiled and demonstrated the efficiency of his latest venture: underground transportation technology. Back in 2016 Musk boasted that he planned to start digging tunnels to provide relief from LA’s fabled freeway congestion. Now, hearing of this, most native New Yorkers will scoff. After all, we have had tunnels under Manhattan and a subway system since the late 19th century. Back then, tunnelling was a relatively easy technology to implement as Gotham sits on bedrock. Most every other urban oases do not and, up to now, their citizens could only look eastward towards NYC with envy.

Musk’s Boring Co. is Anything But

In recent years international tragedies have provided an opportunity for Musk to offer aid. As previously mentioned, Elon Musk is the father of six boys. That may have been the reason for his generous offer via Twitter to provide assistance for the 12 boys and their leader trapped in a cave in Thailand this past summer. As numerous rescue attempts were made over a two week period, Musk directed Boring and SpaceX staffers at the site to fashion a kid-sized submarine from a liquid oxygen transfer tube. Later Musk joined his team, but even his presence was not enough to convince the Thai government to abandon standard rescue procedures. However, Musk was allowed to leave the capsule (which had been tested and proven successful) in Thailand for future rescue attempts.

Using Technology to Further Humanitarian Efforts

Also, when disaster struck Puerto Rico a second time, plunging the entire island into darkness, it was Musk who sent Tesla batteries to the battered tropical paradise where they will remain in use until power is fully restored. Granted this is grandstanding to a degree, but it also demonstrates a major humanitarian effort. At a time when little aid or even kind words were coming from the Oval office, the Governor of New York was sending aid,and utility repair crews into the region, and many grassroots and relief organizations were doing whatever they could. By sending needed battery power as part of the rescue and recovery effort a voice who could make a positive contribution to help people in the stricken area to recover was heard: Elon Musk’s.

So we’re established that Musk is both a humanitarian and a trailblazer (there’s enough ink about SpaceX’s mission to Mars so we will not detail that here. Google it.) What does building a tunnel under LA do for his street cred? Is he serious about building a tunnel under LA as a model for other cities across the U.S.? Apparently so. Musk’s 1.14-mile long prototype to relieve traffic congestion is considerably more than just a reinforced hole in the ground. Reporters who braved the inaugural tunnel ride (which did not include Mr. Musk as a passenger), reported a smooth ride not unlike that at an amusement park. Which is fitting because Musk himself refers to the project as “a weird little Disney ride in the middle of LA”. For this weird little ride, Boring company built specialized tunneling equipment but to date, has been prevented by citizen groups from building another tunnel in his “LA network” by a group of citizens who took Musk to court and won.
Washington to NYC in 29 Minutes?!

That’s okay, because what LA is skittish about, drew raves in Chicago and Baltimore (which is looking to implement another commuter route to Washington D.C.) As we go to print, Musk is said to be drafting proposals for those cities, even as he states that his urban tunnels are ‘in the prototype stage’. Nor has he given up on LA just because its well-heeled citizens cannot get behind him. Currently Boring Co. is planning another LA tunnel, this time to connect Los Feliz, East Hollywood and other lower socio-economic regions with Dodger Stadium.

Across the nation, bloggers to seasoned journalists are asking if Musk is serious. After all, he built a castle in LA at the tunnel exit. At the grand opening party, a full-time staffer was hired to be its ‘Watchtower Guard’ and to hurl epithets with a French accent (as in the Monty Python movies). Yet his engineers and technicians are first rate and his ingenious approach to conveying traffic through his tunnel evolved from placing vehicles on an electric skate as propulsion, to self-powered vehicle transit. For the Baltimore-Washington project Musk is currently proposing to whisk passengers between these cites, and even to New York in his Hyperloops, a high-speed capsule inside a vacuum tube. Sound familiar? It should. That was the technology that Musk sent to Thailand to rescue the trapped scouts.

By this time, the light should be beginning to dawn. Everything Musk conceives is meant to dovetail some project at varying stages of its development. And utilizing these inventions as globally and as creatively as possible Musk furthers his branding, and his personal and corporate credibility. With Musk, a man of apparently great heart, it also appears that he believes that one hand washes the other.

The post Elon Musk: Modern Day Buck Rogers or Charlatan? appeared first on Koshka.

Up to the midterm, White House reports were grandiose in scale and have claimed responsibility for posting some of the highest employment rates in recent decades, along with the lowest unemployment rates for as long as this author can remember. And if we are doing so well, why has the stock market, granted it is ever volatile, just taken one of the wildest plunges in recent months? What does it all mean? And, most important, what does it mean to most Americans?

For those of us who cannot understand why the value of things are still measured in items such as pork bellies, stocks and bonds are never going to make sense. What real people need to understand is, “Will I have a job tomorrow?” “What is my spending power?” “Will my house sell for top dollar next year?” “My car has 180,000 miles on it. Can I afford to buy a new one or should I look at used cars instead?” And how does the Democratic party holding some semblance of power going to affect these outcomes one way or another?

It is important to assess what the Congress can and cannot do. A gridlocked House and Senate may not impact the economy as they do not control it. The House and Senate do not control economic growth, influence the willingness of consumers and commerce to spend, nor do either the House or Senate make monetary policy decisions. That is the job of the Federal Reserve. The Reserve as well as the U.S.’ chief trading partners, namely Europe and China, and our nation’s ongoing relationship with same influence the U.S.’s economic growth.

That means that increases and decreases in interest rates will eclipse corporate tax cuts to become the leading economic drivers. As the 2020 elections loom, congressmen and women who want to be reelected will shy away from any trickle down legislation that could possibly disrupt the economic cycle. In short, any major actions that affect the U.S. economy will be White House-driven, probably in the form of imposed trade tariffs, and not from the House.

Again, mindful of the the next election, it is unlikely that much legislation that could impact the economy will be passed, other than bills to improve our infrastructure (buildings and highways). This means the tax cuts or increases we enjoyed or bemoaned over the last two years are over. It also means that the current healthcare system will remain in place, and no more sweeping reforms or entitlements allocated to any economic sector.

Watchdog groups warn that an absence of legislation to curb the ever-expanding deficit will come home to roost, likely within the next 10 years. Taxpayers, brace ourselves! Perhaps the worst outcome from a gridlocked House and Senate is the negative impact the daily salvos have upon public confidence. It just makes voter turnout at the polls more difficult as the American public loses faith in their elected officials.

The Pros: Frivolous or ill-conceived legislation, such as allocating up to $25 billion to construct a wall the entire length of the U.S.and Mexican border will be reexamined, and likely highly modified. Also, in light of the recent disclosure that emails of top GOP officials were themselves hacked during the 2018 election, Hillary Clinton’s 2017 email debacle will finally be put to rest.

The Cons: Regardless of their political party, having the upper hand seems to go to the heads of those in power. In the name of Justice, time will be spent to uncover campaign wrongdoings, shots will be fired, most likely toward impeachment proceedings for both the sitting President and recent Supreme Court appointed judge, Brett Kavanaugh. With the term of office more than half over, these actions are pretty much a moot point, since the President, despite his veto, is a lame duck. Therefore efforts aimed at disgracing the 45th President would be a waste of time as well as a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Sadly, nothing can be done to prevent those early morning Presidential Tweets, read rants, that for many, have become ‘must read’ entertainment.

To summarize: The President retains veto power and the senate is notoriously known, regardless of which party controls it, as ‘the place bills go to die”. Therefore the upshot of the Democratic congress, especially for those seeking reelection, is not to forget why they are there: to serve the people. And if they (we) don’t, well, there is another national election in 2020. Stay tuned!

The post What a Democratic Congress Will Mean to the U.S. Economy appeared first on Koshka.

At the end of the third quarter 2018, price conscious Walmart began to phase in over 125 luxury brands. You heard right, luxury brands sold at Walmart. While other industry giants such as Toys R Us and Sears folded or shuttered storefronts, Walmart has chosen a very unlikely path to find its way out of the economic quagmire. The chain, known for its low-priced merchandise and lower income clientele, has partnered with Lord and Taylor, a longtime luxury retailer. While each side of this relationship must be regarding the other with suspicion if not hostility, their individual survival might well depend on the reputation held by one another. Walmart is hoping to attract the well-heeled, while Lord and Taylor is seeking new customers for some of its more affordable upscale labels. After all, there is said to be strength in numbers, why not mix up the demographics as well?

Whether this shakey union will succeed long-term is unknown at this point. Upon closer examination, however, it is just crazy enough to work. What is the magic component? As always, compromise. Luxury retailers are losing foot traffic and their demographic, consumers over 55, may not be online shoppers. Also, as their target audience ages, there is less need for evening wear, gold, silver, and precious stone jewelry, and seasonal wardrobing. For retirees who become winter snowbirds, there is little need for warm outerwear. L&T wants to lure more middle-class shoppers to its website and brick and mortars. While their purchases per item may not be high, they still require year-round clothing and that prompts continuous online purchases, brings shoppers into stores, and makes cash registers ring.

Both Walmart and Lord & Taylor are having one hell of a year. In January, Walmart announced massive store closings and layoffs across the country, including at its warehouse, Sam’s Club. In October 2018, it was Lord & Taylor’s turn to eat humble pie. Up to 10 of its store nationwide will close by end of year. The kicker here is that these store closures include L & T’s fabled flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. A Manhattan landmark for over 100 years, many insiders knew the chain was in trouble, but almost no one expected this. For both retailers who cater to consumers at opposite ends of the economic spectrum store closures generally precede filing for Chapter 11 protection.

To avoid bankruptcy and to turn this perilous situation around, decisive action had to be taken. But no one expected the white horse to be a retailer known for its starchy, nose-in-the-air-attitude, Lord & Taylor’s, nor the retailer founded in 1962 by a country hayseed. As for Walmart, Sam Walton might just approve their joint approach. While not a single Walmart standard has been sacrificed, nor a popular product discontinued, the inclusion of ‘something better’ will likely attract a new audience. Depending on how these new buyers rate their shopping experience will determine if they will become repeat customers.

The first stage has been to slowly introduce men’s women’s and kids’ clothing as well as footwear, accessories, and jewelry on Walmart’s website only- just in time for Christmas. Also, as if their quality alone was not enough of a differentiator, all 125 brands will appear under a separate category banner labelled, “Premium Brands” from Lord & Taylor”. Should these items sell briskly, the next step is to introduce some of the top sellers in select Walmart stores across the U.S. Each product description bears the legend, “sold and shipped by Lord & Taylor’s”. As you might expect, Lord and Taylor will receive a portion of each sale made on Walmart’s turf- online and down the road, in-store.
How Will This Alliance Work?

In case you were wondering, no Walmart merchandise will be sold either on the tony retailer’s website nor in any of its stores. While perhaps a small percentage will turn to this high-end retailers’ eponymous website or brick and mortars for special occasion clothing and better quality footwear, that is not the goal. The hope is that many existing Walmart stalwarts will make purchases from L & T’s exclusive category online, so that this category can be further expanded, and that both retailers will reap the rewards.

It is a simple enough theory that dates back centuries. The working classes are said to wonder how the other half (in this case the 1%) lives. By bringing carefully chosen brands such as L & T’s house brand, Vince Camuto, Lucky, Karl Lagerfeld, Democracy, Ivanka Trump, Calvin Klein, Miss Selfridge, Timberland, Brooks Brothers, and others not generally associated with Walmart, the brand is elevated without displacing its existing demographic. While it is not likely that stretch limos and Maserati will share Walmart’s parking lot with late model Hyundais and Ford Escapes, it is very likely that more affluent shoppers will visit the Walmart website and buy from other departments which include groceries, housewares, pet supplies, automotive, cosmetics and nutraceuticals, and even home decor.

Remember, the U.S. economy is not yet back to the level achieved in 2007. How affluence is defined differs now. Even for those who did not have to strictly budget their spending habits, nationwide and with an uncertain future, every household practices some degree of belt-tightening. For example, some households with incomes over $150K annually, now lease their luxury cars rather than buy them as they had previously. For many of us, online shopping has become a daily obsession, and hunting for the best prices is a new indoor sport.

As stated above, it is too soon to tell if this new alliance will succeed. For Black Friday, it was noted, that both Walmart and the Premium brands offered promotional pricing. Premium brands continued for the duration of the week that followed, hoping to influence shoppers’ buying decisions. If this scheme actually works, it could lead to some interesting pairings among retailers. If not, it was a chance, a financial risk well worth taking.

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