Barbizon Blog

Use the following as a guide to when fashions are available according to the different seasons:

EARLY SPRING: transitional garments, usually in stores by December 15.
SPRING / SUMMER: swimwear, beachwear, shorts, etc.; usually in stores by late February.
FALL / WINTER: begins around Memorial Day, heavy presentation begins in stores early July.
HOLIDAY: in stores by early November.
CRUISE: in stores by early December.

Be sure to Contact Us to get more information on “dressing for success.”

There’s nothing worse, in business or not, than someone who greets you with a bad handshake. What do we mean by bad? Some people may shake your hand with a viselike grip. Others have a cold, clammy, wimpy grasp, like shaking hands with a plate of spaghetti. Instant bad impression — and an instant giveaway that you’re either insecure or overcompensating. Here are four Barbizon handshake how-to:

1. Keep your posture straight, make and maintain eye contact.

2. Step in toward the person when you shake hands; your grasp should be relaxed but firm.

3. Give a confident, sincere shake (about five seconds max), and, especially when in a stressful situation, make sure your palms aren’t sweaty before offering your hand.

4. To be ultra-feminine, you can turn your palm down and place only your fingers in his hand. Keep your chin down and your eyes up.

Click here to learn more about what Barbizon has to offer in their course curriculum.

Manners Matter:  Manners you use around friends need to be a little more polished around others — like adults, job interviewers, teachers and strangers.  For example:

1.  Your friends could probably care less if you eat your salad greens with your fingers.  But if you’re out to dinner with your parent’s friends or your friend’s parents, you’ll look immature and out of place doing so.

2.  The way you sit in the food court may work fine on a Saturday afternoon, but when you are being interviewed for an after-school job, slouching is out.  Sitting up straight and attentively sends the message that you are interested in the job.

3.  You might tell a friend that you’re “pissed off” when she goes to the movies and doesn’t invite you, but using those words with your teacher will not make a persuasive argument for why that “C” should have been an “A”.

4.  You can nickname a friend “Skittles” because he raps worse than Eminem,but you shouldn’t do that to your grandma or the person who hired you for a job.

Sound off:  Can you think of a few more examples of casual vs. formal manners?  Be sure to Contact Us to find out more.

Do you remember being read the fairy tale Chicken Little when you were young?  In the story, the chicken is obsessed about the sky falling down and didn’t notice Foxy Woxy prepping for a nice chicken salad. There’s a little bit of Chicken Little in everyone.  Instead of focusing on what’s in front of us, we humans devote too much time to daydreams and thinking about everything but reality.  In many cases, it’s not sweet dreams but worrying or “awfulizing” that eats up our time.

Do you have the “What ifs?”  What if I fail the math test?  What if I never find a boyfriend?  What percentage of the day do you spending imagining worse case scenarios?  Optimism, in reasonable doses, is far more constructive than pessimism and it will inspire you.  But be careful.  Too much optimism and believing “nothing bad will happen” can give you a false sense of security.  Talking to a parent, older sibling, or teacher as well as going to Barbizon can help you develop a more positive way of thinking.

Given that the New Year 2010 is upon us, this may be the time to develop new interests and talents. Barbizon has some tips and tricks to help you get started:

–Keep an open mind about your new activities even if your friends are not involved and don’t think they’re cool.

–Many new activities are hard at first.  Don’t give up, keep trying.

–Practice makes perfect so do so at least once per day.

–Once you start an activity, complete it.  Don’t drop out in the middle.

–Make getting to know new friends part of the fun.

–Don’t spread yourself thin by trying too many new activities at once.  Limit yourself to just a few.

–Find new activities that combine your interests.

–Accept that competition is a part of life and that most things worth doing take a lot of effort.

–Always remain enthusiastic and above all have fun.

Make Barbizon Modeling and Acting Classes part of your activities for 2010.   Contact Us to find out how.

A splash of jewelry can brighten any Holiday outfit, even casual ones:

Jewel Necklines: Chokers that are dramatic and equal in size all the way around create a sensational, tailored look.

Scoop Necklines: This neckline is perfect for spotlighting vintage chokers, as well as chains, pearls, and drop pendants. A scoop neckline can also be worn with long chains, but always wear your necklace at least 3-4 inches below the neckline.

V-Neck Necklines: A V-neckline is the perfect frame for 18” drop pendants. Wearing them creates a repetition of the V neckline, a characteristic of the popular classic style.

Collar: For a casual look, open the collar and wear a simple choker or 18” chain. For a dressy look, wear a longer necklace tucked under the collar, or button the collar and wear a pin.

Turtleneck: This neckline is usually found on solid colors, which makes it great for showcasing dramatic jewelry. The best choices for this neckline are 24” and longer. Don’t wear a necklace that’s too short.

You must sell to the prospective employers the fact that you know how to conduct yourself.  In other words, you must convince him or her that you will get the job done in the manner of a professional who is aware of the importance of:

BEING PREPARED:  This means knowing your skills, consistently striving to perfect them further and knowing the needs of the job.

BEING FLEXIBLE:  This means keeping an open mind toward all learning experiences on job interviews, on the job, and being willing to accept constructive criticism.

BEING RELIABLE:  This means keeping appointments, being on time and following through on directions.

BEING CONFIDENT: This means believing in yourself, your abilities, and what you are doing.  You have to believe in yourself before other people will believe in you.

There are a lot of hidden fats, excess salt and calories in restaurant food. Yes, it is delicious; however, many chefs marinate chicken breasts overnight in an oil-based sauce or serve high portions of other items like baked potatoes. Many restaurants serve enough pasta to feed you for a week or they might add butter to the rice recipe. Use the waiter or waitress as your spokesperson to the chef to help eliminate hidden fats.

Here are a few tips for eating out:

1. USE YOUR PLATE AS A PIE CHART AND DIVIDE IT INTO THIRD. Each third should contain a protein, complex carbohydrates and high fiber veggies.

2. BE SPECIFIC WHEN ORDERING. Ask for your meal to be cooked without butter or oil.

3. ORDER FROM THE APPETIZER MENU or ask for smaller portions if you know the entree is huge, or split the meal with a friend.

4. CHOOSE HEALTHY RESTAURANTS which you know offer better choices, like seafood restaurants that you know can grill or broil fish. Stay away from restaurants that only offer fried foods or deli meats.

5. CHOOSE BAKED, BROILED, STEAMED, GRILLED OR CHARBROILED ENTREES and always ask for any sauce on the side … or none at all.

6. DO NOT SKIP MEALS. You must plan ahead especially if you are traveling.

7. WATCH OUT FOR HIGH FAT CONDIMENTS like bacon, cheese, butter, oil, mayo, sour cream, etc.

8. GET IN THE HABIT OF ORDERING WATER.

9. TAKE THE REST HOME FOR ANOTHER MEAL.

If you like what you see here, you’ll love it in OUR WORLD.

Here are Barbizon’s 12 Keys to Personality Plus Development. Try to accomplish at least one of these each week:

1.  Be wise about human relations.

2.  Don’t put off until tomorrow.

3.  Develop hobbies.

4.  Go places and do things.

5.  Become an avid reader.

6.  Broaden your circle of friends.

7.  Learn to compliment people.

8.  Learn to remember names.

9.  Maintain a sense of humor.

10.  Learn to show enthusiasm.

11.  Speak up.  Assertiveness can be fun.

12.  Learn to use gestures.

Like what you see here?  Click here to learn more.

Here are some hair dos and don’ts from the Barbizon experts:

1.  Avoid tight styles like ponytails.  They will cause breakage.

2.  Never use a rubber band.  Always use cloth-covered bands.

3.  Avoid over exposure to the sun.  If you can’t avoid it, use a leave-in conditioner and spray it through the hair periodically.  Leave-in conditioners tend to have UV protectors in them.

4.  Do not use a brush on wet hair.  The hair is at its weakest point when wet and it will severely damage it.

5.  Limit your use of flat irons, curling irons, and blow dryers.

6.  Fight frizz with a silicone based serum.  They are non-greasy and usually contain added vitamins.

Want more Barbizon Tips?  Click here for the 411.