Self Grooming Tips

Grooming for Women

Grooming does not only mean looking great but it is how you carry yourself and your body language. A lady may look very attractive until she sits in an unusual manner, or say some illicit stuff that damages the whole appearance. It is very important to take care of how to sit, how to speak, when to speak, what to speak, it may all seem basic, but hold a lot of importance especially when you are stepping in the professional world.

• It is very important to look clean and tidy
• Have your nails neatly manicured. Avoid wearing showy nail colors that are too bright or catchy
• Wear a perfume but do not spill the whole bottle over you. Too much of a perfume may be annoying to the people around you
• Make sure that you wear very simple and light makeup for formal workplaces. However, no makeup will also be considered as an unethical act
• Avoid wearing too much lipstick that it spreads on the napkin or the glass when you take a sip of water
• You must also not wear a lot of jewelry, especially jewelry that is noisy and too large as it would annoy people around a serious discussion.
• When you are at work, tie your hair and move them away from your face. Your hairstyle must also be simple.
• You must dress appropriately and dress conservatively
• Your shirts collar, cuffs should be clean and there should be no missing buttons Dress for comfort and professionaln effect.
• You should avoid wearing strappy sandals; open toed shoes are acceptable if they have a business look. No sequin work, just plain simple leather footwear works best for sandals. Heel height should not be too high or low (ideally 2 inch)
• Scratchy heels, shabby toes, or unpolished footwear are considered unprofessional
• Grooming also involves eating etiquettes such as putting the napkin on your lap instead of your collar, making minimum noise with the utensils while you are eating, etc
• Use a mouthwash or see a dentist if you have a bad breath
• Make use of the basic courtesy words, ‘sorry’, ‘thank you’ and ‘please’

Grooming for Men

• You must shave daily, in case you want to keep a moustache or beard, it should be neat and well trimmed
• You must trim hair that frequently peep out from your nose and ears
• Keep your hair way above your collar and keep side burns trimmed and short
• Your hairstyle should reflect your personality and, of course, clean at all times
• Keep your nails short and clean, as it is a part of your overall personality
• You must wear very little fragrance that smells fresh and nothing too heavy in aroma. Avoid strong fruity or spicy smells for work
• Darker suits carry more authority such as dark blue, grey and black
• Solid colors and pinstripes are best, as long as pinstripes are muted and narrow
• Safari suits are not considered formal attire at work place
• Wear Light colored shirts that are either plain or with horizontal/vertical stripes
• Loud and big checks and Prints of any kind are to be avoided
• A long-sleeved shirt should always be buttoned at the cuffs and never rolled up. White, off white, blue, cream, beige, baby pink, pale and light yellow are the best office colors
• Always wear an ironed shirt. When wearing long-sleevedn shirts, cuffs should extend a quarter inch below suit sleeve
• Cotton/polyester blends are acceptable. The higher the cotton content, the more groomed you will look
• The legs of the trousers must not be so long as to fall in folds over the shoe
• Trousers should be short enough to look neat and long enough to cover the bare skin above the socks when they are hitched up in a sitting posture
• A printed, striped or checked shirt ought to be worn with plain trouser and if the trousers are striped or checked, the shirt should be plain If the trousers are of dark color then the shirt should be of complimentary light color like a light blue shirt with dark blue trousers
• When wearing a shirt without a tie, only the two collar buttons may be left undone
• Your tie should compliment and add color to your suit with width approximately the same as lapels, generally 2¾ – 3 ½ inches wide
• Front end of the tie should touch the tip of the belt and back endn tucked in well. Avoid ties with cartoons, huge flowers etc
• Black/brown lace up shoes, cap toe, and wingtips are the most conservative
• Shoes should be well polished and must not be tattered and worn out
• Socks must complement the suit. They should not bunch around your ankles. They should be long enough that skin is not seen when legs are crossed
• It is always better, that your socks are of same color as the trousers as it gives a polished look
• You must not wear white socks and sports socks at workplace

Accessories for Men

• Jewelry should be very simple and conservative
• Nothing more than a wedding band and a single, very fine gold chain is acceptable
• Briefcases should be of leather either brown and black in color
• Watches should be simple and plain. Avoid leather, metal straps are the best
• Belts should be of leather and should match or complement shoes like wearing blue/black/gray with black belt and shoes and brown/tan/beige suit with brown belt and shoes
• The buckle should be simple and sober

You must wear tie pins and cuff links as it adds to your professional character