A good quality business suit can make you feel good in that it often carries with it a type of confidence. Sometimes you feel more self-assured just by putting it on. The right business suit gives people a professional impression about you, before you've even spoken a word. However, sometimes when you move through downtown it can give an impression of business people wearing uniforms ? as if they all look the same. How do you avoid that?



The secret is in the accessories! Let's take for example a standard, black, wool-blend women's business suit. To this suit we can add a crisp basic white blouse, a classic string of pearls around the neck, and a pair of fresh new simple leather pumps. This woman is uncriticizable, and every woman ought to have these standards handy in her collection of professional business attire. But do you have to wear that every single day?

Now let's take the same suit and add to it a classy basic blouse of a striking color, like purple. Let's put on a chunky, necklace with large purple beads, and step into a pair of purple lather pumps. Yes, you heard me ? I said purple shoes. This totally changes the original suit and some people won't even realize that it is the same suit. Just changing the accessories gives it a whole new look.

Then let's see a grey professional suit of wool, with a cut that flatters your figure. Why don't we, this time, add a striking red basic blouse, a bold, thickly layered, red garnet necklace, and (yes you guessed it) a pair of stunning, red leather stilettos. Red is a power color, and it gives new personality to the standard grey suit. For extra dramatic effect, mix red and black.

The key thing here is color. The suit is the foundation that you place the additional building blocks on. But the color of these accessories is truly what makes or breaks the outfit. Why don't you go through your wardrobe and find a suit you haven't worn in a long time, that you considered donating to a thrift store, and rework it in different ways ? bring it to the mall and try different shoes, blouses and jewelry with it. Perhaps it was just sitting there waiting to be reborn.

Keep building matching sets of shoes, jewelry, plus the standard basic blouse, in different colors. (You can add purses and scarves to that color trio, as well.) And when you buy new suits, make sure it fits with one of the sets of accessories you already have. Good quality suits are expensive. But the accessories can tolerate a compromise in budget, if it's necessary. This way you can make many unique, personalized outfits out of the same basic suit, without it looking like a uniform. Don't be afraid to improvise; shoes of bright colors are acceptable these days if chosen tastefully, and remember: the trend never changes if nobody dares to set a trend.