Ever wondered why you didn’t land your dream job? You rehearsed for your interview, researched the company, and appeared to be a qualified applicant at the interview. Perhaps, it was your career apparel choice that made that man behind the desk turn up his nose.

Even if it is just a restaurant or thrift store in which you are applying for, showing up in casual street clothes is always a no-no. Selecting the appropriate and classy career apparel could make or break your chances of getting the job.

The first thing you should do is analyze the atmosphere of the company that you’re applying to. Is it a laid-back atmosphere? Are there a lot of cleaning duties or stocking tasks involved? Or, is it a high-class establishment where employees are consistently dressed in Sunday best career apparel? Do some investigating by popping in one day to observe what other employees are wearing. Talk to former employees about the expectations of the business’s supervisor.

If you are applying for a position with a big-league business (such as a bank, high-class retail store, investment company, etc.), wear nothing short than high-class polished career apparel. Even if you are in your 20s, dressing as if you are 10 years older will give you a mature and professional air.

For women’s career apparel, you might choose to wear a white button-down blouse, a long black skirt or dress pants, panty hose and black flat shoes. This may be a far cry from your usual clothing, but remember, you are trying to present your best professional image–not your personal tastes.

If you wear contacts, put your glasses on. Your hair should be tied back in a bun or tightly-secured pony tail. Make-up should be minimal, wearing no bright eye shadow or lipstick. Career apparel is all about looking smart and sophisticated, and being able to pull it off.

For men, depending on the company’s reputation, a nice knit sweater with a collared shirt underneath might suffice for career apparel for the interview. If not, stick to the traditional pin-striped button-down shirt with a solid tie and khaki or black dress pants. No tennis shoes! Try loafers or polished dress shoes.

If you are interviewing for a more relaxed establishment (like a pet store, newspaper delivery or fast-food restaurant) or for a physical labor job, dressing in black tie career apparel may be a bit over the top. Instead opt for comfortable career apparel- within reason. Wearing blue jeans is an interview taboo. Go for casual tan corduroy or cotton pants and a long-sleeved knit top. Keep it simple, but make sure you appear clean-cut, well put together and polished. For women, add a pair of small gold earrings. For men, flourish with a nice wrist watch.

While career apparel is important in impressing your prospective boss, be sure to adlib extras that will make your face memorable: smile a lot, speak clearly and concisely, be knowledgeable about the expected work duties, and above all, be courteous and polite.

The best prom nights are magical and create memories that will last a lifetime. In the midst of coming up with ideas for the prom decorating committee and fretting about whether or not she’ll be asked out by the boy she pines for, one central issue stands apart from the rest: What will she wear? Shopping for prom dresses and deciding from among the best prospects can take weeks, if not months. For that reason, it’s never too soon to start shopping for prom dresses.

Although parents may shake their heads in wonder, prom dresses can make or break the prom experience – even more than her prom date (or lack thereof). This season, girls are looking to re-create the glamour and excitement of the red carpet by wearing dresses just like those seen on celebrities. Dress manufacturers keep a keen eye on the awards ceremonies, where celebs like Beyonce, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts, Keira Knightly, Salma Hayek, and Charlize Theron glide down the red carpet, nodding to the paparazzi and creating trends in formal wear.

The other inspiration for this season’s prom dresses can be found in pageant dresses, like those worn at the Miss American and Miss USA pageants. Contestants exude a combination of elegance and excitement when wearing their pageant dresses. Dress manufacturers re-create that aura when they design pageant replicas, in the hope that the prom dresses will make girls feel as though the tiara awaits them on their special nights.

Celebrity dresses and pageant dresses are in fashion, but who are the fashionable manufacturers of prom dresses? Jovani, Niteline, Alyce, and Marc Bouwer top the list. The hottest prom dresses of the season have an intoxicating combination: they have some design elements that are revealing, while other design elements have more decorum. For example, the front of a taffeta gown might be deceptively simple, with a sweetheart bodice and a front slit. The back, however, may be bare with only a crisscross of rhinestones. Similarly, a silk sating gown may have a halter top with beaded French netting wrapping the midriff. Circle around, though, and the matching beaded straps cross high on an otherwise bare back.

When it comes to colors this season, the palette is virtually limitless. Pale yellows, peaches, and greens are in as are the bright fuchsias, turquoises, and reds. Prints are even making an appearance, although are generally limited to eye-catching white polka dots against a black background, accented with a bright red taffeta sash.

Prom dresses should allow a girl to make a statement about her personality. In many ways, prom dresses are a girl’s projection of how she sees herself and the image she wants to project to the world. Although parents may be tempted to rein her in, it may be the time to let her shine. When she’s able to choose the dress that speaks to her, she’s well on her way to creating those lifetime memories.

All you girls 5 4 and under, fight for your right for high quality fashionable clothes! Many petite women find it difficult to find properly fitting quality clothes. Its only recently that designers target petite women with fashionable clothing.

This year, fashion is all about you and your style. Fashion is about confidence. If you feel great in an outfit, others cant help but feel your vibes.

In the past petite women had to settle for ill fitting regular clothes in run-of-the-mill sizes. But thats long in the past. Todays petite women find more and more stores devoted to meeting the needs of the short statured.

Petite framed women can wear just about any style and look slimmer and most importantly taller, by following a few simple rules.

Avoid bold, large patterns with heavy fabrics. Keep print in proportion to your figure. Smaller frames deserve smaller prints.

Avoid styles that draw the eye to the waist or hip area. These tend to make you look more round.

Avoid too much jewelry. Jewelry can overpower a small frame.

Wear light weight material when layering. Too much bulk bulks up the petite woman.

Avoid wearing contrasting colors such as black skirt and white top when wearing separates.

Wear the same color from head to tow to create a continuous flow. Blend similar colored shoes and hose to appear taller.

If wearing boots, make sure the hem of your skirt is long enough to cover the boots. This will create an unbroken line to help give a slenderizing affect.

Skirts should be slightly above the knee and always worn with heels. Below the knee skirts tend to make the short statured woman look stubby.

Heels are a must for the vertically impaired. High-heeled shoes guarantees that your legs will look longer and leaner.

So if you are yearning for pants that dont drag the floor or shirts with sleeves the correct length, look in the petite section of your favorite store. Youll have everyone turning their heads whispering Whos that fab girl?