November 2008 Newsletter and Nashville Business Journal article about MODA
Dear Clients and Friends,
As 2008 comes to a close, it is the perfect time to start thinking about your goals for next year. January 1st brings you an opportunity to reinvent yourself, change things you don’t like and start down a fresh path. Maybe you need to jumpstart these changes with your image image and fashion done correctly will boost your confidence and help you reach goals that you may have put on the back burner.
Ask yourself these questions:
· How do people perceive me? Do I want to change that image?
· What kind of first impression do I give? Do I want to change that impression?
· What do my clothes say about me? Do I want to change what they say?
Everyone deserves to have their own signature style and to make a statement about who they are through the fashion. I hear people say that image and fashion aren’t important and they don’t care about making a statement but they are making a statement and it says I don’t care.’ Take the time to assess your goals, dreams, and create lasting New Year’s resolutions…and ask yourself if your clothing and image are helping you to achieve those goals or hindering you.
Please give me a call if I can help you to reach your dreams and have a bit of fun along the way!
Happy Holidays!
Mila Lukich
Don’t forget to pick up the latest edition of At Home Tennessee where you will read my fashion column about holiday party fashion!
image | Dressing for success a lot cheaper than alternative
Nashville Business Journal – by Joe Morris Nashville Business Journal Contributor
.jpg)
MILA GRIGG
President
4117 Hillsboro Pike
Nashville 37215
615-218-6831
Todd Stringer | Nashville Business Journal
You only get one chance to make a first impression. And there are many, many pitfalls to be dodged.
But a little common sense and some attention to detail usually can save the day, says Mila Lukich, president of MODA Image Consulting. Lukich is often hired by companies to coach top and emerging executives how to dress to win.
“You’re really creating a brand, and you do that with what you wear, how you wear it and how you are groomed,” Lukich says. “All that determines how people interact with you, and whether or not they’ll believe what you have to say is going to be of value to them.”
When advising people on image, Lukich sticks to the basics. Your hair and grooming should be neat and tidy, regardless of style, and by going with some classic elements, your wardrobe will project a quiet confidence.
“If your clothes don’t fit, if they’re wrinkled or stained, nobody is going to take you seriously. It’s just that simple,” Lukich says.
For women, the closet must-haves include well-fitted black slacks, a classic white shirt – Lukich recommends Brooks Brothers – and a matching bag. Add to that good shoes that are clean and scuff-free and nondistracting jewelry.
For gentlemen, a well-cut, tailored suit is the major player, with appropriate shirt and neckwear playing secondary roles. And, as for women, check to make sure those loafers aren’t scuffed.
Lukich also strongly suggests dropping the backpack in favor of a briefcase.
“Do not take a backpack anywhere unless you’re going to class,” Lukich says. “You’re attempting with your appearance to say I’m in charge,’ and that definitely doesn’t do it.”
At the end of the day, it all boils down to basics.
“You’re competing for a job, and by looking your best you go a long way toward getting hired, or getting that piece of business,” Lukich says. “It doesn’t matter how smart you are if they’re looking at the gap between your blouse buttons instead of listening to what you have to say.”
5 Tips For Dressing To Make The Right Impression
1. You have 30 seconds; check to make sure everything’s where it should be before entering the potential employer’s, or client’s, office.
2. Be thorough: Is the skirt at the knee, the blouse buttoned, the tie free of stains? If you notice a problem, so will everyone else.
3. Cut your hair, trim your mustache, shape your sideburns. Hair, especially facial hair, that’s out of control on men will kill an opportunity quickly and efficiently.
4. Don’t complain about the cost of a suit. If the MBA cost $30,000 and the cheap suit keeps you from getting hired, where’s the value?
5. Accessorize appropriately. Dangling and jangling are don’ts, whether it’s earrings or other jewelry. Save the bling for later.
Joe Morris is a Nashville-based freelance writer.