Your company’s objective in establishing dress codes is primarily to enable employees to project the professional image. There are companies for instance that serve clients face-to-face and hence, require a formal dress code to bring a message of trustworthiness, quality, and knowledge.

Different industries have their own way of defining dress codes. These days, the urban professional woman is confounded by a handful of vague terms to refer to dress codes for certain occasions or days of the week. Depending on the organization, the work dress code may be written in great detail, whereas, most offices simply circulate terms as “business casual”, “casual”, “formal”, “dress down days”, etc.  Whether you’re just starting out in the working world, starting a new job, or simply moving to another department, figuring out what a dress code means can be quite confusing.

So what is exactly the deal in these dress codes then? Generally, there are three fundamental terms that are used in organizations these days, namely, formal business attire, corporate casual looks, and casual Fridays.

Formal Business Attire means business suits (a matched skirt and jacket) and sometimes, pantsuits (matched pants and blazer). A made to order suit always gives you the most polished look for this so-called boardroom look. Some women even up the ante by wearing ties. The urban professional woman knows that this type of dress code imposes that she wears closed-toe shoes, tailored blouses made of silk or cotton, conservative hairstyle, minimal jewelry, and toned-down make-up.

Corporate Casual Looks is also oftentimes referred to as “smart business”. This offers a certain level of flexibility than traditional business attire. Dressy pants and a matching blouse, sleek tops and tailored skirts are examples of this look. You can also add some sweaters or cardigans instead of a formal blazer. For accessories, flat leather shoes are considered corporate casual.

Casual Fridays is the most relaxed of all dress codes, if not the most popular as well. Sadly, the urban professional has obviously only one day for this attire. Also known as dress down days, this does not mean that women can come as they please. Your clothes has still to be tasteful, which includes a printed blouse, khaki pants, open-toed sandals, and a bit of edgy jewelry.

Dress codes are not meant to constrain you from expressing your individual style. However, your appearance on the job can still be used a mirror that reflects your personal taste in the context of the office culture and the nature of your job. The rule of thumb is, what you wear says a lot about your work. Keep this rule in mind when reaching into your closet at the start of every workday, and you will always come out as a winner.

Not only are they the perfect footwear for the cold and wet weather, but boots also give off some powerful signals of power and sex, two adjectives that the urban woman always wants to attach to her self. Afterall, women’s boots are consistently reliable for those who want to bring out the oomph factor in their everyday look. Worn at the office, they express authority and confidence; and when taken around town on a night out, boots have more than once seduced men.

However, boots are not the easiest footwear to pull off. Wearing them with confidence is of course a given, but still there are ways in which the drama of wearing boots can be maximized. The rules are pretty easy to follow though and primarily they depend on what kind of boots you are wearing – ankle boots, calf-high boots, or knee-high ones – and what you wear them with.

Ankle boots
Long skirts and ankle boots are a classic combination. The skirt can be full or narrow, but keep in mind to show no skin, which looks awkward otherwise. If worn with short skirts, ankle boots have to paired with ones that are a couple of inches above the knee to show off legs. Ankle boots work best with pants of any kind as long as they are not cropped.

Calf-high boots
Calf-high boots fall a few inches below the knee and are probably the most versatile in the lot. They do not have the seeming awkward height of ankle boots but not too intimidating as knee-high ones either. A skirt that is long enough to cover the top of your boots is one of the most flattering items you can wear with calf-high boots. Shorter skirts also work quite well. Skinny jeans or pants look classic when tucked in calf-high boots. To infuse some edge to a woman’s look, calf-high boots can be worn with dresses too.

Knee-high boots
The most dramatic in the women’s boots family is definitely the knee-high ones. They are perfect for those women who want to add length to their legs. However, veering away from looking like a slut in them can best be done by wearing skirts, either tight or billowy, that cover the top of the boots.

For this season, choose the boots that best suit your personality. If you want to look relaxed, tall and flat boots are for you. For glamorous women, choose the pointy and tall ones. Always remember that the change in season is a good opportunity for you to reveal a different side of you. Boots are indeed some of the best accessories that you might have to invest in at this time of the year to bring out your edgier self.

Designer handbags or high-street purses are as indispensable as lipstick these days. They always complete your look and wearing the right style is just as important as any element of your look of the day. The wrong handbag can make or break an outfit.

It goes without saying that handbags are indispensable accessories these days because the urban professional needs something to put her essentials in, such as her i-pod, make-up, blackberry, etc.

Depending on your body type, bags or purses can be an effective accessory in hiding your flaws and bringing attention to your assets. A discerning urban professional should not only look at the material and color of a handbag but also consider how it suits her frame. From among the many shapes and sizes – oversized, small, slouchy, pouchy, round, rectangular, long straps, short straps – how then should a woman choose the right handbag for her body type?

Large Breasts and Wide Shoulders
Women who have full breasts and heavy shoulders can bring the eyes away from their upper torso by getting a handbag with long straps and that finish around her waist. A messenger-style bag can help balance out your figure. A medium-size clutch purse carried in the hand is also a good option. Do not accentuate your breast area with handbags that finish around your chest.

Plus-size
For women who have big hips and round arms, large, structured handbags like totes and briefs will balance out your full figure. The strap should finish at the upper torso, just under the arm to draw the eyes away from your waist and hips. Go for medium-size bags as opposed to small ones that would disappear from your frame. A structured, rectangular bag would counterbalance your womanly shape.

Petite
The short woman can easily be overwhelmed by oversized handbags. Find a small bag proportional to your tiny frame, such as this Fendi handbag with a chain strap. Wide tote bags also make you look shorter. For added height, go for bags that are long rather than wide.

Tall and Skinny
Generally, slim and tall women can get away with most handbag and purse styles. Small bags however will make you look like a giant so go for at least medium-sized ones like this Just Cavalli suede bag. Skinny women also need to counterbalance their figure with something broad, slouchy, or unstructured such as a Hobo type. Round, oversize bags will give you an illusion of curves.

So there, as a general rule, choose a bag shape and size that is in contrast to your body type. The bag should also finish at that part of the body where you want to draw other people’s eyes to. Do not be tempted by trendy styles of designer handbags that do not suit your figure. With the variety of designer handbags filling the stores these days, there are many alternatives for women of all shapes and sizes.

If you think layering is only for the young, the hip, and the adventurous, think again. Layering can also work for the urban professional. It can spruce up those blah casual Friday outfits as well as lets you reuse basic wardrobe staples to create combinations that look completely new, innovative, and edgy.

Give your wardrobe a multi-layered edge and exponentially increase the mixing and matching possibilities of all the clothes that are in your dresser. Here is how to wear layers and still look age-appropriate, respectable, and completely pulled together.

1. Keep it heavy on top but light underneath.
This is a very important principle in layering. Heavier fabrics go on top, lighter fabrics go underneath. Think of your outfit as an onion with many layers. The layer closest to your skin should be that of the lightest fabric. As you work your way out, the fabric gets heavier, bulkier.

You see, when you wear layers, you build up a look. Imagine a polo shirt over a cotton shirt — it’s a look that works. Now invert the picture and imagine a cotton shirt over a sweater — you would look like a retard!

2. Pare down.
Avoid bulk as much as possible When you layer, you pile on several garments one on top of the other. If you choose oversized, bulky articles of clothing, you will not look like you are wearing clothes. You will look like you are wearing padding.

Let’s backtrack a bit and remember what layers are for. The purpose of layering is to create a sophisticated but nevertheless warm look that gives instant pizzazz to your casual outfit. If you pile on pieces that are either too big or too bulky, you will only look like an overstuffed turkey. That, or a quarterback. So, keep it light and choose only the pieces with a tailored fit.

3. Wear layers that flatter and complement each other.
Balance the overall composition of your layers by choosing colors that work well together. When the color palettes of an outfit complement or match, the overall appearance is one that looks polished and very well-coordinated. For example, a beige sweater vest worn over a button-up shirt with beige stripes will integrate the two different articles of clothing together.

4. Pattern with care.
Be careful with patterns. Overdone, they could cause blindness or worse, induce seizures in the people forced to look at your outfit. How do you pattern up without driving everyone’s eyeballs crazy? Start by combining a white button-up with light patterns with a heavily patterned sweater of the same color. If you’re new to the patterning business, pattern on the side of caution. Stick to a safe one-pattern, one-solid ratio. Once you get your patterning groove in full swing, you can then begin to experiment.

There are many advantages to wearing layers. You can create completely different looks with one slip of a garment. You can also use and reuse different pieces in different ways. Give layering a try. If your profession has multiple layers, so should your fashion statements.

The Italian-made Common Projects exploded onto the style scene last year. It’s still in this year. However, if it makes you wince to pay more than $200 for a Common Projects pair, get any brand of sneakers instead. White and simple, low tops can be worn during casual Fridays and for regular jaunts about town.

2. Black loafers
As comfy as your slippers but still as stylish as any of the footwear you would want to put on for a laidback yet still classy feel, black canvas loafers are the perfect pair of footwear for casual Fridays, lunch with friends, or a night about town.

3. A sophisticated tie

Highly versatile ties by Giorgio Armani

When it comes to fall a’tying, go gray or white and solid. Wool ties provide great texture to any outfit.

4. The just right jeans
Get jeans that can go from playful to sporty to semi-formal. Dark indigo wash is the most versatile color in the denim scale. Be sure to look for one with minimal or zero back pocket embellishments. That way, you can wear the jeans anywhere, everywhere anytime, every time.

5. Plaid (whether as a shirt or a jacket)

Plaid is back and this time around, not as a blanket. It returns as a shirt. If, in the old days, plaid had been vilified as the pattern of choice for grandfathers and rednecks, now it returns as a stylish component of the fall wardrobe. Choose a dark-colored plaid in classic colors and wear it underneath a dark-colored peacoat.

6. Hand-knit sweater
Chunky and comfy, a hand-knit sweater will add spice to any outfit. Look for the ones that blend alpaca and wool.

7. Striped top
Worn right, stripes are slimming. They visually elongate the body and could make you look thinner and taller. Choose stripes in dark hues. For a luxe and conservative feel, choose striped tops made from a blend of cotton and wool. Wear it with slate-colored khakis, dark denim, or a black peacoat.

8. Cashmere sweater
This time around, you can be adventurous in your choice of color. Purple is a hot hue this season.

9. Leather jacket

Leather jackets are back. Then again, did they ever completely go out of style? Leather jackets are versatile. Paired with the right pieces, they can go from casual to formal.

Note, though, that leather jackets should fit snugly. Wear ‘em like the Italian do: fitted just like a blazer and with a thin layer of clothing underneath.

10. Corduroys
Cords are all right this season so long as they are pinwale. Wale refers to the thickness of the cord. To keep your cords looking classy and professional, get ‘em sleek and small. Wear them during days when you want to give your jeans a day off. They’re just like jeans in look, feel, and formality.

Below are five simple tips for becoming color coordination-savvy. Master them and you can get away with buying very few workclothes and recycling your existing closet items.

1. White goes with everything.

There’s nothing wrong with raising the white flag – in fashion, anyway. White shirts and blouses work with anything, especially those boldly colored pieces you’re puzzled what to match it. Look sharp and coordinated with white; wear with a patterned tie or underneath a colored V-necked sweater.

2. Gray sets off bright colors to perfection.

Experiment with color but use gray to rein the hues in and pull the effect together. Gray tones down vivid colors. So if you want to stand out with bright pink or make a statement with red, toss something gray into the outfit. By itself, gray is a classic color that exudes timeless chic. When paired with brighter colors, it manages, flatters, refines, and complements.

3. Never wear colored pants.

Yes, the operative word here is NEVER. No matter who you are or how high up the corporate ladder you’ve climbed, it is not okay to wear colored plants. Even Brad Pitt would not be able to pull off colored pants.

Here’s a rule that’s worth passing down from this generation to the next. Pants are items in your wardrobe that would be better off without any color infusion. Colored pants – loudly colored pants, to be more specific – are clownish and crass. Your pants should never try to grab more attention than your shirt or your tie. Because they are the foundation of an outfit, they should always look understated. So men and women everywhere, if you value your reputation at all, stick to regularly-colored jeans and neutral-hued slacks.

4. Wear different colors of the same intensity.

Intensity – or value – refers to how dark or light a color is. Look instantly polished and refined by wearing different colors of the same intensity. This saves others’ eyes from unnecessary torture. For best results, combine colors that have a similar gray scale. And if this tip on colors is only making you feel disoriented, it won’t be a bad idea to go running for the color wheel, either.

5. Pick complementary hues.
Pull the varying elements of your outfit together by using complementary colors. If you don’t know what complementary colors are, visualize the color wheel. Colors that lie directly opposite each other are complimentary hues. Think green and red, orange and blue, purple and yellow. Complementary colors create a color-rich but nevertheless elegant palate.

Don’t be afraid of color. The typical urban professional’s wardrobe may be built around the classically dark hues but with these five tips, you can be a dapper, elegant dresser who dresses beautifully and dresses for results.

1. Read the newspapers. Aside from the daily news, there are plenty of advertisements displayed all over the papers especially in the Sunday copy. Also, try to check your mailbox, both online and offline, for any mailed ads. Most online shops post their ads in their websites so you should check them regularly as well to update yourself of any bargain sales they’ll be doing.

2. Visit outlet stores. You can often purchase overstocked items and factory seconds for bargain prices at outlet stores. Frequent your favorite stores and ask for updates when new shipments are due to to arrive. It won’t hurt if you bat your lashes at some unknowing salesman to learn the specific dates. Don’t forget to jot down the dates in your calendar!

3. Make your purchase off season. It is common knowledge that off season items are sold at very low prices. It would be wise buy ahead and put them in storage while you wait for the next season to be able to use them. Stores often have a post season sale as well. This is when they mark down the prices of the clothes that weren’t sold in the previous season. This would be the best time to grab those items that you simply adored during the season but couldn’t get because of their astronomical price tags. Think 20% to 75% discount off the shelf price.

4. Use coupons, coupons, coupons. These are very essential in getting really good bargains. Clip them from coupon circulars and try searching the Internet for those printable ones as well. Present these when you make your purchase so that you can get a discount or whatever bargains that can be made that’s written on the coupon. Asking your favorite stores if they have any coupons is a good strategy, too.

5. Try second hand shops. Visit thrift and consignment stores and get items at low prices. Check out yard and garage sales or flea markets as well. There is bound to be one in the neighborhood so ask around or check the local listings if there are any. The good thing about these places is that you can negotiate for the prices to get the best bargain. This is also a great time to sharpen your skills in haggling.

6. Surf the Internet for bargains. When you’ve got nothing to do on a day off and just want to stay at home, go online and check out online shops and auctions. You will be overwhelmed by the sheer number of retailers on the Internet. With the rising number of competition, chances are you can get big bargains from online shopping.

Bargains are everywhere and all you have to do is to look for them. Shop happy!

When you purchase clothes that cost much higher than you’d normally pay for, when you pay for suits that cost a small fortune but lets you look much more capable than you really are, you are, in effect, performing investment dressing. Any executive who has been around the block knows that it’s not so much how capable you are, it’s how capable you look.

If you’re standing in a huge dressing room staring at an astronomical price tag and wondering if a jacket or a cardigan is worth all the added zeroes, ask yourself the following seven questions. These will determine if there really is a need for you to buy clothing the equivalent of a second-hand car.

1. Is it well-made?
Check the clothes. Look for puckered or wobbly seams, saggy linings, missing buttons, loose threads, mismatched lines, patterns that swing this way and that, and other unmistakable signs of poor workmanship.

2. Does it fit you like a dream?
Clothing that droops, gapes, or clings in wrong places will never get better even if you take it home and repair it. Then again, why should you? If there’s anything that astronomical price tag should guarantee, it’s that the clothes you’re getting are made perfectly.

3. Is the fabric of good quality?
Cheap fabric, such as synthetics and synthetic blends, will fade, sag, stretch, pill, and show their age quicker than cubicle creatures would. Do not pay top dollar for clothing made of those materials. Avoid flimsy fabrics like chiffon, too. No matter how beautifully designed or constructed, chiffon is just too delicate for reliable long-term use.

4. Can you deal with its upkeep?
Can the clothes be cleaned easily? Or is the material something you can only wear a certain number of times before it gives out on you? Is the color difficult to keep pristine? Does it need special ironing? Remember, while dry cleaning may be fine especially for dressier items such as gowns, coats, and jackets, there is nothing fine whatsoever about a piece that involves painstakingly removing buttons, embellishments, and trims before they can be cleaned.

5. Does it come in neutral colors?
Browns, beiges, grays, blacks, and whites are the building blocks of an urban professional’s wardrobe because these colors never go out of style. Avoid in-the-moment hues because they seldom last more than one season.

6. How does it make you look?
Does it make you feel dowdy or incredibly beautiful? A garment that fits like a dream and makes you look like a dream is worth every dollar you pay for it.

7. How does it make you feel?
Of all the questions, this is the most important of all. No matter how chic a garment is, this matters little if you don’t love what you’re wearing. If that shockingly high-priced suit makes you feel like you can do anything, then buy it, wear it, and reach incredible heights with it.

For every urban professional, dressing up for work is probably one of the most stressful decisions to make every morning, especially for those who are familiar with the little scenario written above. Here are a couple of tips to replace those pieces of drab in your closet and inject a little spunk into your everyday work clothes.
1. Exchange the plain gray jacket with a trendy vest or cardigan. A cropped jacket will also do for this one. Don’t forget to play with colors. Mixing and matching is one good way to add colors to your outfit. If you aren’t adept with matching, consult a color wheel to ensure the colors you choose to wear aren’t going to clash.
2. Get yourself a red scarf or handkerchief made of good quality. Nothing else screams power more than the color red. This can also be worn in a variety of ways. Try tying the scarf to your purse or tucking it in your jacket or vest pocket as an added accessory. Better yet, use that red scarf as a belt!
3. If you have your man living with you, replace your basic white shirt with his shirt. This gives you an instant shirt dress! Just make sure that he still has one to wear for work as well. But before strutting out onto the streets with your man’s shirt, check whether the size and the fit will suit your build. If not, you have no other choice but to buy one. Get the smallest size that you can squeeze yourself into. As for the sleeves, roll them up if they’re too long.
4. Get a skirt. It’s boring to drown yourself in grays and blacks every single day. It’s downright sleep-inducing to wear nothing but slacks and pants. Take your pick from a slew of red, blue, black, and tan skirt suits. A word of advice: get a skirt with the appropriate length. You don’t want to look like a tramp when showing up for work.
5. Vamp up with shoes! These are the easiest way to add color and spice to your attire. Suits are particularly best worn with colored shoes since suits usually have a solid pattern to them. Get those heeled pumps and peep-toed ones in black because they can be worn with absolutely anything. Showing a bit of toe cleavage, thankfully, has now become very fashionable as well.
Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to work fabulously dressed and feeling livelier than usual. You are sure to be complimented throughout the day so be ready for those delightful thank yous and pleasing smiles.

Al Mahara – Dubai

Eating under the sea - literally!

Forget driving to the Al Mahara. You can’t get there on a four-wheeled vehicle; what you need is a simulated submarine voyage. The underwater seafood resto features a breathtaking circular aquarium and serves incredibly delicious seafood.

Top of the World – Las Vegas
If you enjoy food the same way you enjoy challenges, try Top of the World in Las Vegas. Located at the very top of Stratosphere Tower, Top of the World’s double-decker elevators will whisk you off the ground at a speed of three floors per second. The rollercoaster ride will stop once you reach 800 feet above ground, and there, dangling in mid-air with the whole of Las Vegas at your feet, you get to wine, dine, and test your stomach’s staying power.

Mim – Barcelona
So what if you can’t speak Spanish? If you eat at Mim’s in Barcelona, language won’t be a problem. With ‘slightly shabby’ theater for a theme, Mim has waiters decked out in full mime regalia. These waiters act out mime sequences, capping each night of feasting with a trapeze act which signals that Mim’s restaurant services have ended and its late night club scene is about to begin.


Toilet Bowl – Taiwan

You can have your toilet and eat there, too.

If nothing ever grosses you out, hop onto a plane and experience a toilet theme in Taiwan. Literally sit on privies and eat out of plates that come in only two shapes: Asian-style squat pots or Western-style toilets. Brightly-colored tiled interiors and urinal lighting fixtures complete your fine dining experience, toilet-style.

Der Kartoffelkeller – Berlin
How many ways are there to cook potato? The Der Kartoffelkeller in Berlin finds out by making the humble potato the ingredient of choice in more than 80 different dishes. Think potato meatballs, potato casserole, baked potatoes, rosti potatoes, potato pancakes – you get the drift.

Silk and Carnaby – London
Once upon a time, the Silk and Carnaby had been a courthouse. It was the infamous No. 1 Courtroom, the very place where Oscar Wilde and Napoleon III made their pleas. Be both jury and judge in this very historic restaurant which comes complete with jury benches, a witness stand, and three original prison cells with bunk beds and ice buckets.

Archipelago – London
Unlike the other restaurants featured here, it’s not Archipelago’s interior or exterior that surprises. It’s the menu. Anything exotic goes at the Archipelago. You can literally eat globally at the Archipelago, what with its food repertoire of the offbeat and the unusual. Want to nibble on locusts? Chew on crocodile? Gorge on kangaroo? Munch on peacock? You can do all these and more at the Archipelago.