"Cause everything that you are,
is everything that is.
Survive the golden dreams you try to escape from,
...
It's the nature of inviting." myspace.com/iamx

The track remembers melodies of Fad Gadget's electronic New Wave sound. The metallic beats vibrate in a warm, golden light through a dark blue night. Some of the beats shatter into radiating diamonds.

December is the hardest time for the ones who don't like socializing at cocktail parties. Dresses in elegant style, handbags with special decoration, jewellery that glitters are the keywords for the cocktail outfit. It's not easy to find a cocktail dress where you can stay yourself. But the ones who like to attend the party have to follow the clothing rules. That's the nature of inviting!


fig.: from above (the pieces are from the fall/winter collections 2009/10 and/or available in fall 2009)

• Metallic golden dress 'Aurora' by St. Emile
• Platinum Blonde Shampoo by Paul Mitchell brings glamorous brilliant shine onto blonde, grey or white hair.
• The green-blue colored nail lacquer 'Frost at all Cost' by Jessica Cosmetics has a touch of grey.
• Ring in white gold with diamonds and brilliants from Juweliere AE Köchert
• 'Feather and Chain Disco' bag by Angel Jackson; seen at www.reyerlooks.com
• Black leather Overknees supersize, seen at www.shoemanic.com
• Clinique's fall trend 2009: nudelook on the eye lids, fresh pink on the cheeks, elegant natural color on the lips. Not on the picture but it belongs to this look: the mascara in black for long lashes.
  

• Formal Business Attire- For women this constitutes business suits (a matched skirt and jackets) and, in most workplaces, pantsuits (matched pants and blazer). Closed-toe shoes (no sandals), blouses, hose and conservative hair, jewelry and makeup are expected.
• Corporate Casual Looks-Working women have interpreted this to mean everything from shorts to sundresses, but in its most literal sense it means "smart business." Dressy pants and a blouse, sleek jersey knits and skirts and tops are all examples of corporate casual. Denim, T-shirts and flip-flops -- all '90s phenoms -- are only acceptable in the most casual of work environments.
• Casual Friday - Depending on the business, this can mean anything from corporate casual instead of formal looks or "Wear your company logo polo and jeans." If in doubt, ask a superior.

Unlike a fashion faux pas, a career killer outfit can do your professional image permanent damage.

Looks to avoid in the workplace:

• Too sexy: see-through lace, miniskirts, spaghetti straps, sheer sundresses, strappy stiletto sandals.
• Too casual: jeans, shorts, T-shirts, hats, sneakers.
• Too sloppy: wrinkled clothing, too many layers, baggy-fit clothing.

Don't know where to start working on your career image? You're not alone because most companies don't have specific guidelines about what to wear to work.

One of the best clues to company dress codes is what your boss wears. Just think about the styles that the highest-level woman in your organization wears and use them in your wardrobe. Does she wear mostly skirt suits? Or does she rely on pantsuits? Does she wear hose or bare legs? Open-toed shoes or pumps?

If you don't have a reliable female executive to emulate, then trade on what the men are wearing. If they don suits and ties every day, your best bet is to use pantsuits and skirtsuits: the most formal of business looks.

Some organizations encourage employees to dress as well or better than their customers, especially for sales people and others that meet clients outside the office. For information technology professionals, this may mean corporate casual (more on this below), for pharmeceutical sales it may mean a pantsuit, for a lawyer it may mean a matched skirt suit. One way to always be prepared is to keep an extra "meet the client" outfit at the office for surprise meetings.

Getting dressed for the office doesn't mean leaving your personal style behind. Find out which looks give you a polished, professional look and which fashions can be a career killer.

Cynthia Nellis

Your goal to getting dressed for work is to project a professional, competent image, regardless of your employement level or career path.

The styles, colors, lengths and fit of your fashion choices will speak volumes about your ability to do your job. If you are concerned about your career, you'll be more concerned with looking professional than looking cute or trendy.

In general, the more distracting a piece of clothing or jewelry is, the less appropriate it is for office wear.

More guidelines to looking polished:

• Color plays a big part in professional image. Traditional career colors include red (aggressive), navy (trustworthy), gray (conservative) and black (chic). Most of these colors work well in pantsuits, skirts and shoes and mix back with softer feminine colors that are appropriate like ice blue, lilac, soft pink and ivory. Loud colors like hot pink and wild prints are much riskier in the office, but some creative types can still pull them off.
• Jewelry that jangles (chandelier earrings, stacks of bangles) is distracting. Opt for stud earrings or single bracelets.
• Slouchy handbags look sloppy. Choose structured styles that project an organized image.
• Most of what constitutes a polished image is in the details: manicured nails, run-free hose, scuff-free shoes, neat hair.
• Fit is everything when you are talking about tailored work clothes. Pants should be fitted, but free of visible panty lines. Skirts, especially straight styles like pencil skirts, should be loose enough to sit down in comfortably. Jackets should be able to be buttoned. And blouses shouldn't gap between buttonholes.
• Designer labels are great, but heavily logoed clothing and accessories look cluttered and frivolous in the work place. A small designer bag is fine; a logo trench coat looks ridiculous. Choose well-made items that are free from obvious designer labels for the most professional look.