I know I will probably step on some toes with this article, but it’s not my job to be a cheerleader. My job is to provide the information that will allow you to maximize your personal and professional life. So, at times I have to call some people to the carpet. Today, it’s the ladies.

It’s time to stop dressing like you’re going to the club when you go to work. What looks cute at The Epicentre may not be appropriate for Bank of America. I know we all want to feel comfortable when we are at work. However, there is a thick line between comfort and conspicuous.

When you are at work, you should look professional. Don’t you want to be treated as an equal? Professionals dress with the intention of displaying power, confidence, strength and dependability. Their goal is to display to their clients that they have the ability to perform their needed task. Ninety percent of professional women do that. To the other 10 percent of you who are upset, tough! I just call it like I see it.

If you want to raise your respect, raise your neckline! Sure there are a number of men who love to look at your cleavage. But do you think they are thinking about your professionalism while they are looking at your chest. No, they’re thinking about sexing you up. Don’t blame him for looking — you showed them to him. The same with your skirt: If you have to spend half the day tugging on your skirt, then maybe you should wear a proper fitting one. If your client spends as much time trying to look up your skirt as he does listening to you, he’s only listening to you half the time.

I know some of you are going to say, “Sex sells.” I agree — in advertising. If you are trying to look good, look professional. Most men love looking at beautiful, strong, confident women. They respect them. They appreciate them. Most importantly, they do business with them. If you are attractive, trust me, we know it.

I’m a professional, successful man who spends a significant amount of time in various venues. The last person I want to do business with is a female that I can’t tell if she just left her office, or got off the pole. The things I’m saying to you are the same things I hear other men say as well. I’m just giving you the information. Do what you will with it, but don’t blame everyone else when the professional women in your office consistently outperform you.

William Wilson is a nationally respected men’s clothier and image consultant. His clients include professional athletes, CEOs, and corporations. His homepage is www.WilliamtheClothier.com. Follow William on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/theclothier.

Clothes are obviously the most important aspect of your visual image (aside from conditioning). But I must warn you: Do not underestimate the value of a fine timepiece to your clients. High net worth professionals (and those aspiring to be) absolutely notice the small accouterments of your wardrobe.

Quite often, my clients compliment me on my choice of watch. Now, I have a large assortment of watches so, it sometimes becomes a game as to which watch I will wear for which meeting. But the point is, people pay attention. And fellas, I’m not just talking about in business. Ladies are into details, and a woman knows a nice watch when she sees it. Anyone can wear a nice outfit, but if you want to get a lady's attention, a nice watch is never a bad idea.

Now I’m not trying to get you to go out and spend a ton of money on a watch. It can be very pricey trying to shore up your watch game. Most people know the staples Rolex, Gucci, Movado, and Tag Heuer. These have been around a while. Look into a few of the other watches that may not be mentioned in the latest rap video, like Breitling, Raymond Weil, and Maurice Lacroix. The right people will recognize it.

When selecting a watch, make sure it matches your lifestyle and your career. Lately, I’ve been wearing my custom-made Breitling Bentley with a black face and diamonds on the bezel, and the numbers. This watch costs north of $15k, so it is definitely not your everyday person’s watch. But, this is appropriate for my industry, due to my clientele. They look for symbols of accomplishment. However, this may not go so well if you sell products to lower income clients. It may be seen as excessive and may give the impression you make a lot of money by cheating people out of theirs. In this instance, a Kenneth Cole or nice dress Fossil would be more than appropriate.

Whatever timepiece you decide to buy, just make sure it makes a statement. Furthermore, it makes a statement you can either back up, or maintain. Don’t buy a flashy watch if you’re shy and bashful. It will just draw more attention than you can handle. Sometimes less is more. You don’t have to have diamonds to have swagger. But you should have swagger if you buy diamonds. Get it? Until next time, God bless and dress well.

William Wilson is a nationally respected men’s clothier and image consultant. His clients include professional athletes, CEOs, and corporations. His homepage is www.WilliamtheClothier.com. Follow William on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/theclothier.

I’m asked quite often, “How many suits should a man have in his closet?” Well that depends on what he does for a living. If his job requires him to wear a suit, he should have at least 10; if not, he should have three to four. Why so many you ask? Well, I’ll tell you.

If you work in a suit, you should have at least 10 suits because a suit needs time to recover. Regardless what you paid for the suit, it should not be worn every other day. It should be worn no more than once a week, but ideally once every other week. This gives the suit time to air out and breathe. Also, a suit should not be cleaned more than 2-3 times per year. Excessive cleaning will deteriorate the wool eventually and wear out the suit faster. You should have enough suits to wear them once every couple of weeks. There’s nothing wrong with having multiple suits the same color, if you wear them every day.

If you don’t wear a suit every day, you should have at least three to four suits. I’m sorry, it’s just wrong to take your significant other out to dinner in the same suit you buried a loved one in. It just is. You should have a suit to interview or conduct business in, a suit for special occasions, and one or two to go out in. You know, take your lady to dinner, check out a theater, things like that.

If you want to know what suits you should have, here’s a good start. You should have a navy, charcoal, and brown/tan suit, and of course, a black one. And if possible, ALWAYS get wool. When you get your suits, also get yourself some colorful shirts, not just boring white ones. You should have at least two white, one pink, one lavender, and  one light blue shirt.

If you have any questions, please contact me.

William Wilson is a nationally respected men’s clothier and image consultant. His clients include professional athletes, CEOs, and corporations. His homepage is www.WilliamtheClothier.com. Follow William on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/theclothier.

I’m quite often asked, “Is there really that much difference between custom and off the rack clothing?” The answer is yes, absolutely.

There are three types of clothing: custom, made to measure, and off the rack. All have their benefits and weaknesses, and are usually chosen based on budget. Those with less discretionary income tend to buy off the rack. Those more affluent tend to trend towards custom. Those in the middle buy made to measure. I know, you’re wondering what the difference is. Well, I’ll tell you.

Off the rack is what you buy from most department and clothing stores. Prices can range depending on the store. Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus offer a really expensive price point, while Joseph A. Bank and Men’s Warehouse offer a lower priced product. Don’t let price fool you. Most off-the-rack suits are made in the same places. Usually the difference in the suit is the tag inside. That’s right, the suit you bought for $250 at the big box store is the same as the one you bought for $1,600, at the high-end store. So be careful not to fall for expensive tags. If you spend over $800 for a suit, buy custom or made to measure.

Made to measure is just that: made to your measurements. This is not custom. Made to measure is basically an off-the-rack suit, with the alterations done before you get it. Tom James offers made to measure, though they tell clients it's custom. Many clothiers will tell you it’s the same as custom. It is not even close.

Custom is the king. When purchasing a custom garment, you design it. Everything is exactly the way you want it. When you wear a custom suit, you are wearing an extension of yourself. It’s the pinnacle of clothing. If you can afford it, you should always buy custom. I tell all my clients, if you can afford custom, buy custom. There is no substitute for getting exactly what you want.

Most clothiers will lie to you and tell you custom and made to measure are the same thing. Ask your clothier if custom, and made to measure, is the same thing. If he says yes, get a new one. He’s a liar. Until next time…

William Wilson is a nationally respected men’s clothier and image consultant. His clients include professional athletes, CEOs, and corporations. His homepage is www.WilliamtheClothier.com. Follow William on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/theclothier.

I’m sure you have heard the same incorrect assessment about Charlotte as I have. That Charlotte is years behind in fashion. That’s not totally true. Maybe Charlotte is not known for being on the cusp of fashion, nor is it leading the way for changes in the industry, but Charlotte has its own style, based on the image it wishes to be identified with. That is very different than being fashion-challenged.

I have lived in various major cities throughout my military career. In each of them I heard the same statement: _______ is months/ years behind New York in fashion.

Understand something: New York isn’t about fashion. Manhattan is about fashion, namely Madison Avenue. That lovely stretch of road, in which advertisers try to convince us that a 5’10, 98lb female who looks like a clean, well-dressed, malnourished refugee from a destitute 3rd world country is what we should consider sexy. Thanks but no thanks.

Charlotte isn’t about fashion — it’s about image. It is about business, family. Charlotte is about corporate empowerment, and the financial sector. It wants to be seen as clean and friendly, yet financially powerful. The residents of Charlotte have their own style.

I’m a private custom clothier. I assist gentlemen with the design of their wardrobes. My clients come from all over the country, and their styles match their careers and personalities. They are aware of the trends, but they just don’t care. They have their own swagger, and it’s not dictated by Project Runway or BET. That, my friend, is image.

When establishing your image, you have to set and maintain a standard. You are creating brand equity. That can only be done by maintaining an established, consistent image. Once your image has been established, you can always enhance. But if your image fluctuates too often, you can lose credibility. Credibility is the foundation of survival in the corporate jungle. So changing your look every season has no real value. That is why the residents of the great city of Charlotte don’t look like the residents of SOHO. If they wanted to stay with the trends, they are more than capable of doing so. They just don’t want to.

Until next time…

God Bless and dress well

William Wilson is a nationally respected men’s clothier and image consultant. His clients include professional athletes, CEOs, and corporations. His homepage is www.WilliamtheClothier.com. Follow William on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/theclothier.