Mood depiction through color

Particular colors of clothing that you wear depict your mood and feelings. So make a choice of the color by keeping following these representations of the colors.

• Red is symbolic of dominance, passion and sensuality. It is a color meant for bold and firm people who love to lead the world. It is the color of confidence and power. It is an ideal color for women at workplace.
• Peach and pink shades are indicative of coolness and calm. With pink, you'll look as fresh as a flower. Colors of pink can range from frosted to very dark magenta pink.
• Black, an all time favorite represents power. Acting as a symbol of elegance, versatility and grace, this color can smoothly sail in all functions.
• If your focus is on looking neat and clean, white is just apt for you. It indicates purity and simplicity. It is the perfect summer color. It is like a detoxification of your system and will make you feel re-energized. It's the perfect color of women's clothing to wear when you are starting something new like a project, or a job.
• Blue is a color of warmth and trust. It's a fabulous shade that can be found in almost every man's cupboard. Blue signifies that you are at calm and peace.
• Yellow is the color of beautiful sunflower. It conveys anxiety and alertness of mind. But do not forget it is also the color of deadly fire.
• Burgundy is indicative of spirituality. It is a rich color that decides how passionate you are. Burgundy shirt looks stylish.
• Green comes from greenery. It is a color of nature with beautiful green leaves, fresh green vegetables. It represents freshness, relaxation and calm. Lighter colored green is associated with growth and a new beginning.
• Brown is meant for classy informal styling. It conveys reliability and trust.
  Gray is indicative of the fact that you are a balanced person in life. It looks elegant and is considered to be brainy.

So, depict you mood through the color you pick for the day.

P.S. Data compiled from various websites.

Dressing Disasters

When it comes to dressing despite being properly dressed, we do not look good. This may happen as despite following trends, there may be some element in our dressing which might be disturbing. That certain element can be a deal breaker and can project a badly dressed image. Knowingly or unknowingly we tend to make these dressing mistakes which can land us in dressing disasters.



SOS provides with some basic disasters which should be avoided.

1. Do not wear short pants which may rise on sitting or low socks which may show skin.

2. Male must avoid ill fitted shirt with falling shoulders or too body hugging or loose.

3. Too many prints together are disturbing for the viewer.

 4. Pinky rings with formal clothing do not look go at all.

5. Heavily cologne at work gets disturbing for the colleagues.

P.S. The images used are not belonging to SOS

Lights, Camera, Action.... A check list for appearance on Camera!

Whether dealing with television or camera, your appearance can mark your value. For a groomed and well styled image, here are some Don'ts and Do's which should be kept in mind.

Clothing and Accessories

Don’ts

• Avoid small high contrast patterns or vertical lines, like herringbone, bold checks, plaids, close stripes. These patterns reflect illusion to the viewer.
• Do not wear white shirt as it reflects too much light.
• At times cameras are placed at low levels. Avoid short skirts or clothing which can be revealing.
• Do not wear body hugging or too fitted clothes, which are uncomfortable on standing or sitting.
• Do not wear distracting trims like large bow, numerous ruffles, shiny or light reflecting laces.
• Do not keep pen or eyeglasses in pockets and these can reflect light on camera.
• Avoid shiny fabrics as they can pick up the chrome key lighting making post production a nightmare.
• Avoid shiny, reflective jewelry; it reflects light and can damage cameras or create a flaring effect.
• Avoid dangling earrings which can distract viewers.


Do’s
• Wear solid colors with a colorful scarf or tie.
• Choose an outfit that looks good when standing and comfortable when sitting. Slacks, knee length or longer skirts are recommended over short skirts.
• Choose solid colored accessories or ones with simple patterns that don't appear too busy.
• Keep jewelry simple so it does not make noise when you move your head or body.
• Wear full sleeves shirts to project a more formal look.
• Wear a blue, gray, pink, or beige dress shirt if you are going to wear a dress shirt.
• Bring clothes made of natural fabrics that tend to breathe easily under the warm studio lights.
• Wear comfortable shoes.

Clothing Color

A camera doesn’t see light the way your eye does. Too much bright to dark contrast and something’s got to give. So either the bright or dark color loses detail.
Don’ts
• Avoid pure white and black clothing, as they make skin tones appear harsh.
• Bright reds and oranges sometimes "bleed" or smear on television; avoid them.


Do’s
• Bring solid colored clothes. Best bets are navy blues, grays, purples, dark creams, browns, and neutral colored suits.
• Choose a subtle color like light blue or beige.
• Mild or pastel colors and subtle patterns work best under television lights.

Make-up Tips

• For Women - foundation and lipstick help to keep you from looking tired or washed out.
• Don't wear dark, heavy makeup colors; television tends to create its own natural shadows.
• Style your hair off your face to avoid shadows.
• For Men - Shave before appearing if you have "5 o'clock shadow" (stubble beard) or use a powder close to your skin color to lessen the appearance of your beard.
• A light powdering on balding heads can prevent shiny spots as well.

P.S. Images used are not belonging to School of Styling

Choosing the right tie

The availability in infinite numbers of colors, patterns and fabrics in a neck tie surely creates a state of confusion when it comes on choosing the right tie for the occasion. Always look for quality material and good construction when choosing a tie, and avoid anything that appears poorly crafted. The most common material in ties construction is silk, and for most it is considered the gold standard. Beware of cheap polyester impostors; polyester doesn't possess the same drape as silk, and tends to bear a high sheen that leaves an impression of poor quality. While choosing the right tie for the occasion, here are some tips which would refine your choice and make it easier for you.

The Solid Tie colors

A solid tie is easiest to match; one simply selects a tie that coordinates with one of the colors in the suit or shirt. However, within this simplicity lies the danger of over coordination.


These tie color combination with the shirts can save you from disasters and project a better styled image.
o Red- Accentuates overall outfit, combines well with almost any suit and shirt, especially great match for a darker suit and white, blue or gray dress shirts.
o Burgundy- Business classics. Good for almost any occasion.
o Blue- Also among the standard and most popular colors for neck ties. Lightens a darker suit and especially worn for receptions, networking events and similar circumstances.
o Navy- Business classics. Perfectly combines with all other colors. Perfect for various business occasions.
o Pink- Usually worn with white shirt. Good choice for spring summer. If not bright, still fine for formal events.
o Yellow, Green, Purple- good in spring and summer and/or with darker suit-shirt combination. Green ties are a perfect match for a classic white shirt.
o Brown- Considered being quite casual. Very hard to match with any other color. The best use for a tie of such color - a weekend or an informal gathering.
o Black- Worn with very conservative black suits.
o Grey or Silver- looks neat with a classic white dress shirt. Occasions for such a neck tie include birthday parties, cocktails, various celebrations and other event of the same nature. Grey ties can be worn at work too.

The Striped Tie

Equally classic is the men's stripe tie, which is easily matched with solid suits and shirts by selecting a stripe that complements. In the case of a patterned jacket, shirt, or both, the key is to maintain colors that complement and attend to diversity of scale. A finely pinstriped suit calls for a boldly striped tie, while a strong checked shirt would be better suited by a more subdued stripe.

The Plaid Tie

Harder to find, this choice of neckwear is a great way to embolden an otherwise plain outfit. Creating the illusion of dimension, this tie will draw attention to itself so do not pair it with an overpowering shirt. Look to pair this tie with solid colored suits and shirts. These ties look best in winters.

Dots, Paisley and Pattern tie

Small repeating pattern have become much more common over the years. If kept in good taste, avoiding flamboyant colors and designs, these ties can liven up any solid or striped suit. Such ties are matched to an ensemble by their primary color, with attention paid to avoiding secondary colors that visibly clash with the shirt and suit. As before, when the shirt, suit, or both are also patterned, the key is to maintain a difference in scale between the patterns.

P.S. Images used are not belonging to School of Styling

A new vision of Singhs to be kings!

Singhs are definitely king when it comes to dressing, the movie ‘Singh is king’ depicted this truly. Be it a village Singh, the dressing was entirely of a typical village sardar like a pathani kurta with a payjama or dhoti and the turban worn in a typical style. When the same class of people are shown internationally, the dressing transforms into well styled semi formals like coat, straight cut trouser and shirts with proper color combinations. The clothing carried rightly; also the style of wearing turban also appeared changed and clean. Keeping in mind the outlook of the ‘gangster’ the wardrobe was crisp and neat. Spotted colors like green turban with earthy colors check coat made a fantastic screen appeal. The movie carried the right dressing throughout, with situation, place and occasion. So definitely when it is about the right styling Singhs are kings!!

Are you in the right shoe?

Footwear adds as a great accessory and a necessary article for everyone. But are we really clear of what type of shoe are we into? There are various shoe kinds and SOS provides you a peep into the types of formal shoes which you can combine with your business dressing outfits.




Derby Shoes


Also known as Gibson shoe is a type of formal shoe characterized by shoelace eyelet tabs sown on top of vamp. Also referred to as ‘open lacing’ shoe. These are male shoe.

Oxford Shoes


A kind of derby shoe, oxford features round toes, usually with a cap and closed lacing. It is a type of ‘closed lacing shoe’. These are often referred to as ‘dressy’ types of shoes. These are both male and female shoe.

Brogue Shoes


A style of low- heeled shoe, traditionally characterized by multiple pieces, sturdy leather uppers with decorative perforations. Brogues were traditionally considered for casual footwear but now are also considered for semi formal wear. Originated from Scotland and Ireland, these shoes can also be found in canvas. These are also both male and female shoe.

Monk Shoes


It is a style of show with no lacing, closed with a buckle or strap. It is a moderate formal shoe, a main category of men’s shoe.

Mary Janes


A female strap shoe typically low healed, broad and rounded closed toe and a single-buckle strap across the ankle it comes in formal wear. Traditionally made of black patent leather, now also available in various other colors. Mary janes comes both in flat and heeled shoe type. The name comes from a comic character created by Richard Outcault for his comic strip, Buster Brown published in 1902.

Kitten heel shoe


A short and slender heel shoe it is an ideal for office wear. Introduced in late 1950s as formal fashion attire it is worn by women of all ages. It is a kind of stiletto heals despite of the height which is generally 5 centimeters or less in height.

P.S. Images used are not belonging to School of Styling

New Input

Glad to inform you all that School of styling has started a column "Personality of the month" on the website Schoolofstyling.com


This month we have posted profile and a complete interview of Mr. C Nagesh who is creative director of Van Heusen.

The interview is posted on the home page bottom L.H.S.


Would appreciate if you could read through the valuable discussion we had with Mr. Nagesh.

Pinch of Style!

The must haves for a stylish male corporate wardrobe

1. Fitted slim fit business suit
2. Contrasting formal tie
3. Formal waist coat
4. Shirts with stripes and checks.
5. Khakhi pants


The must haves for a stylish female corporate wardrobe
1. Formal skirt
2. Waist coat
3. Well fitted business suit
4. Knee length business dress
5. Formal Jacket


Add these articles to your wardrobe to add a pinch of style to your dressing!

School of Styling meets an HR Honcho from a leading health insurance company.

In our continued pitching with corporate clients, we recently met a senior HR person.
After our services were talked about in detail, there was an interesting comment he made during the discussion. His take was that our services were a good to have thing but not exactly must have remedy.
We were flattered by his analysis and are confident of being on service to them soon. Follow up talk has boosted our confidence.
Internally, his comments made us go back to the drawing board. We contemplated; one reason why we are considered a good to have is because of the not so established nature of this kind of service. There we felt proud to be India`s first full service provider on dressing and styling.
Given our belief “Style is value” and each one we have met so far seems to agree. We were only happy. Fact is that it is the intangibles like appropriate business dressing that clinch the deal. In management lingo, one can say that it is the invisible, understated or not so obvious strengths that provide the real edge to win over competition.
(In our case the edge we impart is visible and worth appreciating)
Great dressing does provide the memorable message, is a much easier thing to learn and master and is a sure shot edge.

But for some of us, above thoughts may only make up for good talk, hence what we have decided to do is to incorporate certain tools  and exercises as part of the workshop so that benefits are  measurable and not just arbitrary. Great business dressing is a must have and we would love to move up the thought ladder from our patrons.

Here is a little proof to substanciate our thoughts

90% of HR Pros believe that well groomed candidates make a better impression.
84% of HR pros say well groomed employees climb the corporate ladder faster
92% of HR pros agree that candidates who are well groomed exude confidence.
90% of HR pros believe that being well groomed is key to making a good first impression
Source - http://www.gillette.com/en-US/#/grooming/careeradvantage/en-us/index.shtml/

Thank you for forcing us to contemplate. We only stand to gain.

Dipped in lavender

Purple is the color of the season. It is everywhere. The best buys for the color would be a checked shirt at United Colors of Benetton, also check out purple cardigans and dresses at the same store. Accessorize it in the color, as the store also have belts and vallets dipped in the same. So grab either of purple, lavender, mauve, violet, periwinkle before it goes out!! Make sure this season you have to have purple in your wardrobe!! As we always say 'Style is Value'!

Winter dressing 2010

As winters setting in, stylish outer wear for both women and men are a vital part. To keep it trendy this season, here are some sweaters styles which are ongoing trends this fall winter.


The cardigans are very stylish article in for this season. Layering the cardigan with formal shirts communicates well for formal wear. Sweaters with V-neck line combined with a good formal shirt are also a trendy office wear. Try contrasting colors with these styles.


This winter turtle neck sweaters are also an ongoing style. These can be worn to office with a slim fit trouser or a pencil skirt. Long sweater length is in for this season. Cropped sweater are completely out this winters. As purple color is picked color for this season, so a purple sweater is a must worn trendy article this winter. A mauve sweater can be worn at work.


Another trendy silhouette which will be retailed this season is a sweater dress. It is an ongoing international trend. Sweater dresses with collars can be worn at work as well. Team them up with leggings, slim pants/jeans or boots. The sweater dress’s length can vary as per the body type, select accordingly.


To know more trends and accessorizing your look, keep reading.

Color Trends Fall Winter 2010

The fall winter 2010 is dominated with colors like bright red, as the color represents warm feeling and is a joyful. Pair it with seasonal cool colors. Tones of Brown are another picked color for the season. If not in garments, then accessorize your attire with the color. Another must color for your wardrobe is Purple, an enchanting color for eyes and looks amazing for fall winter season. Add tones of Green to your wardrobe, from light green to forest dark green, all shades look fabulous. Choose the color as per your skin type. The timeless color Black is always an elegant trendy color of the season. Combine the color with any trendy color of the season to keep it stylish! Some other colors such as yellow, gray, dark blue, beige will also be the stylish colors of the season.

Source- hubpages.com

School of Styling witnessed the graduating show of WLCI ‘Quintessence 2010’ at Crowne Plaza, Okhla.

The students splashed various colors reflecting versatile themes. The setup of the ramp was proper for

a fashion event. The jury members were quiet eminent personalities from fashion industry as Anup Bhandari, Ashish Batra, Gautam Rakha, Munish Khanna, Nikhil Thukral, Payal Jaggi, Shaan Thadani, Vikram Seth and Varun Rana. The show was choreographed by Anup Banarjee.

The show started with welcoming of the guests and jury. The first collection by Vashundhara Srivastava was inspired by ‘Candies’ and was rightly presented relating to the theme. The Abhishek Chakraborty’s

bridal collection inspired by the ‘Sacred Lotus’ also showcased the ethereal beauty of the flower.

Vinita Motwani’s collection inspired by ‘Chromatic Allure’ included various elements of garments and

were beautifully combined with the brilliant vibrant color schemes. Priya Arora’s collection inspired by

the ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ had innovative silhouettes. Anshul Nakra’s represented a move against cruelty

to animals, showcasing a collection to save tigers ‘Trapped in the Wild, unless we Save them’. The Aditya Khare’s collection ‘Roots to Wings’ was accessorized well. Also Niketa Singh’s ‘Le Cirque’ was also well accessorized. Every collection had their own specialty, although the maximum numbers of awards were won by Abhishek Chakraborty.

The usual visible fault with some of the garments was use of cheap fastenings and ill fittings which seemed to bother the models. Also some models were not in right shape which dropped the garments look.

The music of the collections was rightly selected as per the themes and the prizes awarded were justice to the collections.

School of Styling finds Sony Vaio 'Go Vivid' Advertisment the most stylish ad on T.V. Kareena projected the right image for being stylish and the transformation of colors as per the product. The 'Go Vivid' motive is stylishly depicted, the changes in the dresses is remarkable. The Kareena's dressing sense is also noteworthy from the day she got into bollywood till now.

So 'Go Vivid', Get Stylish!

Going the Skirt way

Monotony of formal tailored clothing can be broken by adding different silhouettes to the business dressing. Formal skirts are available in different styles such as A-line, pleated, with belts, etc can be chosen according to the body types.

Formal skirts are usually in cotton, twill or wool fabric. The best skirt silhouette for office wear is A-line as they create a waistline and widen at hem, balancing out larger hips.

A business skirt can also be combined with waistcoats or formal jackets (with or without collar). This attire gives a complete professional look. To give a cleaner look, the top can be tucked in but not creating a bulge or pull around the skirt waist. Tight skirts should never be worn at work. Formal skirts slit should be at or below the knee. A proper slit in the skirt provides movement flexibility.

They are available in both solid colors and patterns.

Nowadays varieties of fabric patterns are available in skirts like twill. But the color selections for the formal skirts should favor business dressing like black, white, grey, beige or brown. Flashy color tones reflects negative on the other person.

A formal skirt can have elements like a bow on the belt, pleats, godet or buttons. These never have unequal hemline and should be rightly fitted. A business skirt should not be too short that it shows off the thighs on standing or sitting. A mid length falling below or above the knee cap is ideal.

Women business styling with basics

Professional business dressing is subset traditional attire, yet, it can be styled in various other ways than usual. Business dressing does not restrict to basic tailored clothing, it is way beyond this. A difference in basic dressing and advanced dressing is brought by styling.

Women have more liberties to dress up in more colors than men. But shrill color combinations should be avoided at work places like banks, insurance offices or other high corporate offices.
Variety of clothing can be added by combining different articles, this creates new looks out of the available options.

Accessorizing the whole look can add style to basic. But at the same time accessorizing should be minimal and as per the attire. Jewels should be modest like pearls, silver or gold, or decent costume jewelry. Watch adds to a great accessory to work.

Slouchy bags are not advisable for office purpose. Structured leather bags are suitable bags for office.

Story of Suit

The man's suit of clothes, in the sense of a lounge or business or office suit is a set of garments which are crafted from the same cloth. The suit is a traditional form of men's formal clothes in the Western world.

The suit is the traditional form of male formal clothing in the modern world, and it has been that way for almost 200 years. Although the modern suit did not appear until the nineteenth century, the origins of the suit coat can be traced back to the revolution in men's clothing set by British royalty as early as 1600.

In the 1660s, King Charles II decreed that at court, men were to wear a long coat or a jacket, a waistcoat, a cravat – which later mutated into the modern necktie – a wig, and trousers. The entire ensemble would eventually become the standard business suit that millions of men wear everyday working day of their life.

By the early 1800s, styles had changed enough that the trend led men to wear understated, beautifully cut, perfectly tailored coats, along with elaborately knotted neckwear.

In the early 1800s, Brummel's style (named after the arbiter of men’s fashion in Regency England) led European men to wear understated, well-cut, tailored suits, adorned with elaborately knotted neckties. Brummel's influence introduced the fashion of the modern suit and necktie.

What we call the modern suit was originally a nineteenth-century American innovation in dress: seeking a casual alternative to the long, heavy frock coats then considered appropriate business dress, men began to wear lighter coats cut just below the waist when not engaged in business.

A formal version of the suit, called a tuxedo or dinner jacket was popularized at the time of world war I, helping to doom the older tailcoat and morning coat worn as parts of formal wear. The waistcoat or vest was worn regularly with the suit until World War II, but is rarely seen today.

Innovations such as sewing machines and more comfortable cloths have had their impact but do not detract from the essential consideration that Tailoring is an art form.

The business formals nowadays are available in wide variety of styles and colors. They keep changing with the emerging new fashion trends.

India`s First SOS

Yes ! SoS (School of Styling) is India`s first boutique firm that provides consulting on dressing and personal style. We live by our initiative to democratize right dressing and smart styling across platforms and people.

Here we go

Hey,

This is our first post from the School of Styling.

First the shouts..

This blog is for actual people around us with their actual issues of personal architecture or financial constraints.

These are things we cannot possibly wish away. So it does refer to and pertains to the reader right now right away.

Will provide a formal intro about School of Styling in the next post.