By Julie Rath, on Fri Nov 15, 2013 at 8:30 AM ET 
This week’s episode of The Bachelorette illustrates that there are no shortcuts to having your clothing to fit correctly.
Moments after Ames was given his walking papers, we see him approach Ashley to say goodbye, and in that instant, an ugly truth is revealed: his jacket is pinned in back (this is the third episode where I’ve noticed this). In real life, you can’t walk around with your clothes pinned, and it seems from these pictures that you can’t get away with that on reality TV either, even if you think the cameraman has your back.
Ames, I thought you were a good guy, and I was sad to see you go, but let’s get you some clothes that fit. Call me!
By Julie Rath, on Fri Nov 8, 2013 at 8:30 AM ET
If you’re still rocking that North Face parka over your suit jacket, it’s time for an upgrade.
Nothing ruins a great look faster than a not-so-great coat. For some reason outerwear often seems to be at the end of peoples’ priority lists, but I can’t stress enough how important it is for your coat or jacket to be up to par with the rest of your outfit. Think about it: you walk into a restaurant to meet a date.
Before you take your coat off, she’s already formed an impression of you. The same goes for your office elevator. People tell me all the time that they sneak in to their office building in junk clothes/shoes and change once they’re there, but if you’re riding up in the elevator with people in your office, the damage is done.
So, have I convinced you of the merits of a good overcoat yet? Good! Here are my suggestions on how to choose one.
Fit: I see too many people around in oversized, too long overcoats – such a disappointing look! It makes me think of a little kid playing dress-up. Ideally, your overcoat should fit comfortably over a suit but still be slim enough to look stylish with just a shirt and pants. The best, most versatile length for a modern but still classic look is around your knee.
It should hit anywhere from mid/low-knee to just above it, depending on how modern you want the look to be (the shorter you go, the younger the look). A good-fitting overcoat should make you look taller, leaner and broader across the shoulders.
Sizing: An overcoat is meant to fit on top of your suit, so when buying off-the-rack, start by going up one size from your suit. Try it on with a suit jacket or blazer and be sure it can close. The sleeves should cover your suit and shirt sleeves.
Buttons – Make sure it buttons to a location on your body that you’re comfortable with. I like this houndstooth check coat above from Balenciaga, but notice how low it buttons on the model’s body. If it’s too low, and you get cold easily, you might want to choose a coat that buttons a little higher. Remember that you’ll likely be wearing a scarf with it on very cold days which will give you additional coverage. What about the number of buttons? Most people will need 3 buttons for a classic single-breasted style, but if you’re very tall (over 6’ 3”), you should get 4.
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Julie Rath: How to Buy an Overcoat
By Julie Rath, on Fri Nov 1, 2013 at 8:30 AM ET I’ve been getting more and more requests from clients wanting outfits with interesting layered combinations. These types of looks are comprised of simple, classic pieces (things everyone should have in his closet), but when pulled together correctly, they become a whole greater than its parts. It’s clear that some thought was put into the look, but there’s no risk of looking like you tried too hard. If you’re the kind of person who wants to be noticed for your style but not right away (i.e., “who’s the sharp guy in the corner…?”), this style of dressing is perfect for you.
In order to have a wardrobe where you can do this you must first collect enough pieces that combine well. Below are 12 essentials to get you started mixing and matching:
1) Navy blazer – note: this must fit impeccably or the entire look is shot.
2) Grey sportcoat – see note above.
 3) Thin hoodie – I like this fleece wool one from Thinple because it’s polished despite being a hoodie.
4) Great-fitting jeans – dressy and dark or weathered and sporty are fair game but please nothing crazy on the back pockets.
5) Casual pants like chinos or corduroys.
 6) Patterned t-shirt – this Missoni shirt would look terrific peeking out beneath a solid navy henley, under a sportcoat.
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Julie Rath: How to Create Layered Outfits
By Jason Grill, on Mon Oct 28, 2013 at 1:30 PM ET From the Kansas City Business-Journal:
 A Kansas City company is hoping a Kickstarter campaign can help it launch a new line of socks, designed with the business executive in mind.
In fact, co-founder and “sockpreneur”Jason Grill says as pants get shorter and as the tie becomes less popular, socks are the new statement piece to complement men’s business suits.
It’s a growing industry. For the 12 months ending in April, socks brought in $4.22 billion — a 5.6 percent increase over the previous year.
Sock 101 emerged from the idea that quality socks could be more affordable. Currently, the startup sells socks for $7 a pair online and is selling its products through a number of local retailers.
Sock 101 also has the “Sock of the Month Club” — a subscription-based model — which companies have used as monthly client gifts.
It’s working so far. According to Grill, the business launched about a year ago without taking on any investors and is already profitable.
Now, he is trying to add “team socks” to the mix with an addition of seven new pairs whose colors represent a handful of sports teams.
It’s also dipping its toes into custom socks for companies, complete with logo. Some of the Kickstarter funding will go toward creating a tool on Sock 101’s website where users can create their own customized pair.
Sock 101 has almost reached its goal of raising $25,000 through the crowdfunding website. It’s got less than $3,000 left to raise before the campaign ends Oct. 31. Although it’s sold about 3,000 pairs of socks so far, if the company hits its Kickstarter goal, it will have to manufacture more than 2,100.
A number of prominent Kansas Citians are already wearing them, from Mayor Sly James toUMB Bank President and COO Peter deSilva to Sporting Kansas City player Aurelien Collin.
Click here for the full piece.
By Julie Rath, on Fri Oct 25, 2013 at 8:30 AM ET I’m not going to lie, the term POWER SUIT makes me cringe a bit. Yes, the right suit can help you look powerful, at least if it fits you perfectly, but just donning a suit does not by itself do the job. There are other pieces to the puzzle. So if you’re going into a situation where you want people to sit up and take notice when you walk in, read on for 4 easy tips on how to manage your appearance.
1) Straight lines and angles in patterns and clothing silhouettes signal authority. An easy way to apply the former is with ties: the tie above left is much stronger because of its angularity than the tie to the right with its curved lines. For silhouettes, you can see this everywhere from glasses, to suits, to sport jackets (if you wear glasses, my article on how to choose glasses frames is a must-read). For example, a squared-off jacket shoulder is more commanding than a soft shoulder.
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Julie Rath: What’s Your Power Suit?
By Julie Rath, on Fri Oct 18, 2013 at 8:30 AM ET
Even George Clooney didn’t always get it right.
I’m all about instant gratification. Give me the choice between store-bought and homemade, and I will almost always go for the quick fix. My family calls it “Rathness” to want to get things done yesterday. Unfortunately, in my line of work, there aren’t always shortcuts. Obtaining a new wardrobe can take time, not to mention the tailoring that’s inevitably involved. One place where I can satisfy my Rathness, however, is with updating clients’ hairstyles. Call today for an appointment tomorrow, and boom, you’re well on your way to a new and improved you.
I get that the idea of changing your hairstyle can be intimidating, especially if you’ve been rocking the same look for several decades. But it’s defeatist to assume that if you’re past a certain age it’s too late to make a change. So what if you’re 40 years old and have been wearing your hair the same way since you were a kid? That’s all the more reason to consider an update, especially if you (and your spouse/partner) think it looks stale. If you’re on this site, chances are you’re already thinking a change may be in order, and perhaps hair is part of it. To that I say, dive in, go for it. If you don’t like it, it will always grow back in a couple of weeks.
That said, it’s key to go about your hairstyle upgrade thoughtfully so that you get your desired results. Below are 8 tips on how to do this.
1) Ask others with hair you like for the name of their hair stylist. (A lot of people have a hard time asking questions like this, but it’s not a big deal. Just say that your barber is retiring, and you need someone new.)
2) Check on a user-review site like Yelp in your area for a hairstylist who’s well-recommended for men’s scissor cuts (not clippers).
3) When you call for an appointment, see if you can go in for a consultation first. That way you can discuss your goals in advance and ask how s/he would go about achieving them before breaking out the scissors.
4) After you’ve found a stylist who’s the right fit, it’s imperative that you communicate clearly with him or her. Explain what your job is (including how conservative your look needs to be and what you typically wear to work), what image you’d like your new cut to convey, and how much maintenance you’re OK with. If you’re a chameleon and want something hip for outside of work, but conservative for everyday, tell the stylist. In many cases, all it takes is a subtle difference in how you fingercomb your hair when you get out of the shower to distinguish between looks.
5) Part of clear communication is bringing with you at least three pictures of looks you like. Hair stylist James Hernandez of James Hernandez New York says, “Texture and density play a big part in determining the end result. But where the visuals help is in capturing the concept of the look you are after, both what you want to achieve and what you don’t want. Any stylist that is opposed to you using visuals, I would be little leery of their understanding of the craft of haircutting.” Stylist James Joyce agrees, “In the conversation before starting the service, the stylist can decide what element of the pictures you bring is grabbing your eye. Sometimes it’s the shape of the head, and sometimes it’s the texture of the hair. Either way it’s a big help to have a non-verbal idea. Pictures can be printed off Google images or clipped from magazines.”
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Julie Rath: How to Change Your Hairstyle
By Julie Rath, on Fri Oct 11, 2013 at 8:30 AM ET “I hate shopping, except for the part where I am back in my apartment with new clothes.”
Does that sound like you? A prospective client once emailed that line to me. It made me laugh, but I get it. Shopping can be tiring, stressful and frustrating. Planning an effective shopping trip takes strategic thought. While it should be easy, often things get in the way. But, take it from me, shopping can be a smooth and seamless process. Below are 9 of my best tools and tricks for a well-executed shopping trip.
 Here’s a dressing room snap from yesterday as I was getting things ready for a client.
1) Find a good salesperson. Some of my best relationships have resulted from following my intuition in a store and simply walking up to someone, introducing myself, and explaining what I was looking to accomplish. A good salesperson will make shopping hassle-free – without an overbearing salespitch (more on this in #6). They’ll also give you advance info on when the sales are and in many cases ‘pre-sell’ items to you – which means you get dibs on things before they go on sale to the general public.
2) Shop when stores are least crowded, in the morning and early in the week. Try to avoid after work or the lunch rush.
3) Shop with a plan. No good shopping decisions are ever made by wandering into a store without an agenda. Have a list, printed out if necessary – I always shop with the client’s list in my pocket – prioritized by need and budget. Consider getting multiples of basics that work.
4) Once you’ve assessed your needs (conducting a closet edit can give you clarity on that), shop early. If you need an overcoat, but you wait until January to start shopping, you’ll be out of luck. The fashion calendar is quirky and requires you to think ahead. So spend time before each season begins thinking about what you’re going to need before you need it. Ask yourself, what did you run out of, or what were you missing last year? Put your answers at the top of your list.
5) Take a break when you need one, and bring reinforcements. Pack a bag with anything that will help you stay focused – snacks, drinks, etc. Hungry very quickly becomes hangry while shopping. What else might you want to have on hand? This may be TMI, but a client once had something in his teeth that was distracting him during a shopping session. I happened to have a package of floss with me, which he was grateful for. He took care of business, and we got back to business.
6) Be wary of overzealous salespeople. It gives me stomach pain when I look in new clients’ closets and see that thousands upon thousands of dollars have been spent on items that don’t even come close to working for them. Sure, the clothes are beautiful in many cases, but if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. In one case, a client was sold a whole slew of dress shirts from a major luxury brand that shall remain nameless – half of them were different sizes from one another (he had obviously been coerced into buying whatever was in the store), and most of them hadn’t even been bothered to be tailored. The sleeves were a good 5 inches too long on every single shirt. Remember, most salespeople work on commission, so they’re incentivized for you to buy more. If they’re telling you how absolutely amazing everything looks on you, chances are they aren’t being sincere. It’s actually a good sign when a salesperson tells you not to buy something.
7) Related to the above, make sure you buy your actual size, not your fantasy size. I frequently encounter people who say that they’re going to lose weight and that they should therefore buy things that are too small for them. That doesn’t work, and it’s a trap. You’ll feel awful about yourself if you have a closet full of clothes that don’t fit you. And how can you expect to lose weight feeling crappy about yourself? If you really are committed to dropping lbs, purchase a few things that fit you now. When you have clothes that fit you as you are and therefore look good on you, you’ll be more likely to take care of yourself and reach your weight loss goal.
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Julie Rath: Secrets from a Shopping Pro
By Jason Grill, on Wed Oct 9, 2013 at 1:30 PM ET  We are 28% there in 1st Week.
We started the Sock 101 campaign just last Tuesday and, thanks to you, we have raised over $7,166! 130 donors to date. Thank you for supporting us!
We still need your help spreading the word. Sock 101 has 22 days to raise the remaining money! We know we can do it with your support!
Check out our campaign here!
If you haven’t pledged to get your socks, would you consider pledging today? We need to reach our goal in order to launch and grow other exciting offerings moving forward.
Check out the Sock 101 Kickstarter campaign, choose a perk that suits you, and pick out which socks you want us to send you. It’s that easy!
We are offering discounts for Earlybird Funders which save you about $12 off our normal pricing! What a deal!
Also, please continue to share our story!
 Please share this email about our Kickstarter Campaign via email, Facebook, Twitter, phone calls, text messages and through old fashioned conversations. This is the key to going viral and spreading the Sock 101 story and new line offerings.
By Jason Grill, on Fri Oct 4, 2013 at 3:00 PM ET  Recovering politician, and former Missouri State Representative Jason Grill, talked about the government shutdown, on The Mitch Albom Show.
Click here to download the podcast.
Click here to learn more about (and invest in) Jason’s latest venture, Sock 101.
By Jason Grill, on Fri Oct 4, 2013 at 10:00 AM ET  People first started supporting their favorite teams with jackets, sweaters and shirts. Then people moved to hats, t-shirts, jerseys, kids cheerleader outfits and body paint.
Now, you can support your favorite team with your socks!
Introducing the Sock 101 Team Line! There’s only one catch…Sock 101 aren’t launching the team line unless they raise $25,000 on Kickstarter.
Sock 101 has 30 days to raise $25,000! We need your support!
Please out Sock 101’s campaign and video HERE: http://kck.st/1fG7kLo
What’s in it for you? You can grab some sweet new socks at a discount and step up your style!
How can you help?
1. Make A Pledge
Check out the link Sock 101’s Kickstarter campaign and video above, choose a perk that suits you, and pick out which socks you want us to send you. It’s that easy!
Sock 101 is offering discounts for Earlybird Funders which save you about $12 off our normal pricing! What a deal. Imagine what you can do with that savings. Buy yourself a beer at the game, grab some food and proudly display your new threads.
The Earlybird Funder discounts are limited to the first 100 people for each Earlybird discount level.
2. Share Our Story
Please share this email about Sock 101’s Kickstarter Campaign via email, Facebook, Twitter, phone calls, text messages and through old fashioned conversations.
The more people Sock 101 reaches, the more likely we will achieve our funding goal to bring our team line to being!
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Jason Grill: Sock 101’s Kickstarter Campaign has Officially Launched!
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