Chapter 2 Professional Dress for Men & Women Best Impressions in Hospitality By Angie Michael

Objective After reading this chapter, you should be able to: Understand why hospitality professionals who do not wear uniforms need to pay attention to their clothing selection and grooming. Describe what it means to be a “well-dressed professional in hospitality.” Identify the benefits of knowing your personal coloring in order to select the right colors for your clothing. 2

Color Wheel Each student will make their own color wheel using paint. They will use the color wheel to select clothes for males/female to wear in a professional setting. Materials Paint (primary colors) Color Wheel Handout Paint brushes 3

Pick your favorite color & sit at that table. Gray, White, black, brown, green, blue, purple, yellow, orange, red

Psychology of Color Read the handout of the psychology of color.

Introduction If you do not wear a uniform, your challenge as a hospitality professional is to communicate to the world, through your clothing and personal grooming, who you are. Your clothing (along with your voice, words and behavior) will speak for you. As clothing normally covers 90% of our body, we need to be aware of exactly what our dress in communicating.

Your appearance, behavior and effectiveness on the job really do affect the organization’s bottom line and , hence, your own bottom line. In hospitality we are in the “people business,” and our professional appearance is an essential element for excellence.

Regardless of our position in the organization, our appearance must reflect quality, service and friendliness. Achieving a professional image of excellence includes the art of selecting clothes that complement our physical characteristics and are right for our particular job and the company for which we work.

Most employee manuals in hospitality mandate that non-uniformed employees wear clothes that are “professional,” but little or no description is given of what “professional” means.

Dressing For A Global Market In hospitality we dress for our guests, and our guests come from all parts of the world, representing diverse cultures. The use of clothing to reinforce those messages and images of power has been changing to communicate messages of approachability and credibility.

As the world shrinks and borders “disappear, "the culture dress symbols become more international. This creates more options and more creative alternatives to business attire, especially in hospitality.

There are still guidelines that must be followed to ensure that the messages that we convey with our clothing are still professional. These internationally accepted guidelines for business will work for your whether you are working in the U.S. or abroad, and regardless of the clientele you serve.

In hospitality your dress symbols will be conservative and business-like, but with flair. Your attire needs to assure clients guest, colleagues and suppliers that your are competent.

Being well-dressed means that you wear clothes and accessories that: Complement your coloring and body type. Combine in color, fabric and pattern. Fit you properly. Are appropriate for the occasion. Reflect your personality and your position. Are current.

Color At Your Service One of the most critical elements in the selection of clothing is color. When there is balance and harmony between your won coloring—skin, hair and eyes—and your clothing, you look healthier and more alert, and people notice your in a positive way.

The right color will help you project credibility, authority, and accessibility. Dark colors can make you look more authoritative. They can also be intimidating, and they can overpowering a person if his or her skin and hair coloring is light or medium.

Medium colors such as blue-gray or medium charcoal project less authority. They are better used for less formal occasions. They make you look more approachable, friendly and calm. With an increased interest in the environment earth tones—such as subtle brown patterns and tan in men’s business suites—are more acceptable.

It is best to wear them only in the summer to on those days when you do not have an important meeting. Professional women should wear pastel colors with care. They are more acceptable in warmer climates. When you wear them you need to be more assertive to project the same level of credibility as other colors provide.

For men’s suits, keep in mind that when choosing shades other than navy and gray, the fabric as well as the workmanship of the suit must be of exceptional quality. Women at work are expressing their credibility with outfits that offer more variety than ever before. (reds, corals, olive, turquoise).

Knowing the colors that compliment you best not only helps you look healthier and more credible, it also helps simplify your shopping and dress.

Your Coloring and Color Choices Your personal coloring is determined by your skin tone, hair and the color of your eyes. Intensity---dark, light, medium Undertone—true red, blue red, or yellow red Clarity—bright and clear or subtle and muted.

Making Paper dolls http://www.makingfriends.com/friends/f_p ick_freinds_outliness.htm You must go to the website and do 3 paper dolls. They must be colored, and glued to construction paper. Pick the career section to get your instructions from.