What Is Business Casual?
It was supposed to make life easier, but confusion reigns
by: Anne Field

Excerpt:
If you're like Jack Steeg, you, too, are probably bewildered by the new mode of dress pervading the business world. It's the ultimate sartorial irony: Less restrictive dress codes were supposed to make life more comfortable for everyone. Instead, with the old rules gone, many people are in a state of dress-down confusion. As a result, companies are refining their dress policies or hiring consultants such as Maysonave to help. ''People are struggling over just what the new standard of appearance should be,'' says Dominique Isbecque, an image consultant in New York. Click to read the whole article

Working It
Goodbye shoulder pads, adios chinos. The power suit is dead,
but you don't have to dress like the interns, either (or J.Lo, for that matter).
by Pilar Guzman

Excerpt:
If you're like most men, picking out clothing for women is easy: You don't do it. After all, if you buy something too small, she feels fat; if you buy something too big, she thinks you think she's fat. And besides, it's too easy to get distracted by the electronics department in the mall. But buying clothes for your wife or significant other can be done successfully, and it definitely has payoff potential. When you pick a winning addition to her wardrobe, "women feel as if you've paid attention to the little things that mean so much more than the typical flowers or candy," says Dominique Isbecque, coordinator of the image consulting program at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. It also shows "that you're willing to take a risk. There's something very endearing about a man that's willing to do something he's not comfortable doing, like going into a lingerie shop." Here, some tips for going it alone.

Click to read the whole article

Suiting Up
You know your life in chinos is over, but what to wear now?
Here's how to inject some serious style — simply — into your wardrobe.
by Chris Taylor

Excerpt:
Think "Ocean's Eleven," the new Rat Pack remake with George Clooney. Slimmer looks, higher armholes — and baggy is "just not OK," says Dominique Isbecque, a New York-based image consultant. Plus, after suffering a bad rap for several years, pinstripes are back in a big way — and not just for bankers, either. (Even Banana Republic has gotten in on the act, offering stripes on wool for $350.)

Companies Honing Employees' Etiquette
by DONNA KUTT NAHAS

Excerpt:
Experts say the surge in interest in corporate and international etiquette among Long Island businesses is growing and mirrors a national trend. The number of businesses around the Island consulting etiquette professionals has risen about 25 percent during the last two years, said Dominique Isbecque, president of the Association of Image Consultants International in Manhattan, a trade group.

Click to read the whole article