Women are notorious for not being able to decide what to wear.  Even when we have a closet full of clothes, we will still stand in front of it and say ‘I don’t have anything to wear.”  The decision of what to wear becomes even more of a challenge when it’s time to choose the appropriate clothing for work.  The confusion becomes all the more complicated if there are not specific dress codes to follow, or if the dress code is too strict.  However, there are ways to make sure that you can dress appropriately for any office without giving off the wrong impression and still be professional and presentable.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

One of the most common mistakes women tend to make in choosing appropriate work attire is in not taking into consideration the model of the company they are working for.  Companies have an ideal image that they like to project and have respected by their employees.  How their employees dress for work has a major impact on that model or ideal.  When shopping and deciding what types of outfits to purchase and wear for work, research the company well to find out what they favor most.  Perhaps they like everyone to be uniform in colors, or always wear pant suits instead of dresses and skirts.  Or, perhaps they don’t have much of a code at all, which gives you a lot more options.  Whatever the case, knowing the details before hand will help you to decide on the right outfits to choose.

Another mistake in choosing a wardrobe happens when the work place has a very casual atmosphere.  Casual does not usually mean jeans and tank tops.  Although some companies allow jeans on special days, or once a week, the jeans you wear should not be faded, and should be cleaned and even ironed.  A nice blouse will still present a casual appearance but will also spruce your outfit up enough to be appropriate for the office and any customers and vendors you may come into contact with.  Casual wear does not mean that you should wear the same clothes you would choose to hang out in during the weekend and your days off of work.

Always get clothes that fit correctly.  When clothes are too tight, not only are they not appropriate for the work place, but they also restrict movement and can make your day uncomfortable.  On the other hand, clothes that are baggy and too loose will swallow up your figure and can make you appear drab and unprofessional.  Avoid shirts and dresses that show off too much cleavage; you want to be professional and be recognized for your intellectual assets, not your physical ones.

It’s nice to have designer clothes and trendy styles, but be careful with these types of outfits in the work place (unless you work for a fashion company or another related business whose objective is to display the newest trends on the market).  Overdressing in the trendiest outfits with bold colors and flashy jewelry will only distract from your abilities.  Keep your outfits up to date, but with neutral colors and modest cuts.  Add a splash of yellows and oranges with scarves and purses to brighten up outfits.

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Probably too many. Maybe you’re even guilty of these types of fashion crime.

“It’s amazing how many women think that summer is the time to let as much skin as possible show,” says Sacha Ritmis, a personal shopper and style consultant for the average woman. “That and unflattering peeks of underwear are all too common to see once the weather warms up.”

If you’re one of the many women who make this mistake, don’t despair. You obviously noticed that your casual summer wardrobe needs a little work, or you wouldn’t be on this page. And we’re here to offer you some practical advice that will help get you looking stylish and polished in no time.

“It doesn’t take a lot of money and just a little bit of effort to look fashionable and classy all summer long,” says Sacha.

Fast Tips

Here are some easy, fast tips that will you look chic in your summer wardrobe.

• Update those whites. White is s summer color staple and can look worn and dingy very quickly. You really should replace them every year, or at least every two years, to make sure you’re always have bright, crisp-looking whites. This goes for white jeans, white tanks, white tees, and white camis.

• Don’t be afraid of bright colors. While white is a summer staple, don’t be afraid to add a splash or two of extremely vibrant colors. A scarf in a rich poppy red carefully threaded through the belt loop of a pair of wrinkle-resistant white cotton shorts is one way to spice of a summer outfit.

• Go for easy-knits in 100 percent cotton. They let your skin breathe and hold their shape well, even in high humidity. They also resist wrinkling, and when they do wrinkle, they get their shape back fairly quickly.

• Make sure you have the appropriate footwear. Flip-flops are great for around the house and on the beach, says Sacha. “But to look really great, almost every woman should have a great pair of wedges that can easily be dressed up or dressed down.” Sacha cautions that women with heavier lower legs need to be careful about the type of wedge they choose otherwise they can make their legs look unnecessarily wider.

• Invest in a shift dress. “And not a polyester one,” says Sacha. Stick to the natural fabrics to feel cool and comfortable. Natural fabrics tend to be better quality as well and will last longer. "Shift dresses are great because they can be dressed up or down," says Sacha, "and they're not restrictive so they're very cool and comfortable to wear."

• Select shorts carefully. Perhaps you’ve heard some fashion consultants say that women shouldn’t wear shorts anywhere except at the beach. While this is often true, it also depends on the type of shorts. A pair of crisp white city shorts paired with a fabulous pair of wedges and a button-up shirt with a splash of color and a few light chains is one way to look instantly marvelous.

• Don’t be afraid of slacks. Sacha says, “As women get older, their legs may not look as great as they once did. Cotton or linen slacks are equally as cool, and sometimes cooler, and look a whole lot classier and polished.” She adds, “And these ‘leg problems’ aren’t something women only in their 60s experience. A woman can experience leg problems as early as their late 20s.”

Instant Summer Wardrobe Wreckers

There are some things no fashionable women should wear. These include excessively thick-soled shoes, oversized clothes (They can instantly add weight.), tight clothing (They don’t allow for air circulation and can make you feel warmer.) and bare midriffs.

Keep an eye out for these latest fitness trends as a way to spice up your fitness routine.

Fitness Trend #1: Ramping

It has a strange name, but ramping is basically the new step aerobics. The greatest benefit is that it provides a great cardio workout with a lot less impact on your joints.

“Step classes kill my knees, but this [ramping] is lower impact for my joints,” says new ramping fan, Michelle Roshtzy. She remembers when step aerobics used to be the biggest fitness craze. She was younger then, she says, and could handle the jolting impact slightly better.

But now she wonders if all those hours of bouncing around ultimately did more damage than good to her body. She’s relieved that there are other exercise options available that don’t require perching on a bike.

“I used to get such a sore behind from those spin classes,” she says with a laugh.

Instead of stepping up onto a flat bench like you do with step aerobics, in ramping you lunge laterally on and off a futuristic-looking adjustable-incline ramp. The ramp looks like a half-moon shaped UFO with three adjustable legs with rubber feet.

Ramping is known for giving your hamstrings and glutes a more intense workout than what you’d get with a traditional step class.

Fitness Trend #2: Gliding Sliding Discs

Created by award-winning fitness professional Mindy Mylrea, the high-tech polymer discs patented as the Gliding Sliding Discs Exercise System promises to provide a full body workout and a lot of fun.

Shape Magazine says, “These moves blast fat in a fun, effective way.”

The product website says that although results vary, it’s common for a woman to lose 5.3 pounds and one jean size within the first ten days. For this to happen, it’s important to make sure you follow the complete provided exercise and diet program.

“I didn’t lose those promised five pounds,” admits Laura who gave birth to twins 14 months before beginning to use this exercise system. “But I really noticed that the discs worked and strengthened my stomach muscles that had been really stretched and weakened after having my babies.”

The Gliding Sliding Discs are two discs that you place under your feet that allow you to glide side to side across the floor in one spot. As you move your legs in and out you tone the muscles of your glutes, outer thighs and inner thighs. The balance required to stabilize yourself as you lunge helps tighten your abdominal muscles.

Fitness Trend #3: The Powerhoop

Remember those days as a kid where you spend many minutes, even hours, twirling a hula-hoop around your waist? The Powerhoop (sometimes also called the Heavy Hoop) is basically the same idea except instead of twirling a light, plastic hoop; you’re twirling a three-pound, foam-covered ring.

Women of all ages can use the Powerhoop as a way to strengthen their core muscles and provide an intense cardio workout. It’s something anyone can do and it’s fun too.

Academy Award-winning actress Marisa Tomei told the New York Times that: “You just can’t help but laugh and smile when you’re hooping.”

There are a variety of ways you can use the Powerhoop. Most people start out using it just like a hula-hoop by twirling it around their waists. As they get better, they may graduate to twirling it around their necks, upper body or legs while lying on their backs in a sit up position.

It’s important to remember to stand straight and launch the hoop level. Ease yourself into the workout by using the hoop for no more than two minutes the first time. The manufacturer warns that soreness or even bruising is possible if your muscles aren’t strong enough and you overuse the hoop.

Fitness Trend #4: The Gyrotonic Expansion System

This system has gotten a lot of celebrity endorsement from the likes of Jennifer Anniston, Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow. Still, not many people know much about it.

Created by swimmer, gymnast and Romanian ballet dancer Juliu Horvath, the Gyrotonic looks, at first glance, like a torture contraption. But it’s surprisingly easy to use.

The system uses a series of pulleys and rotating handles to stretch and strengthen muscles, generally while seated. Pilates Digest says the system focuses on mobility. Master Gyrotonic trainer, Matt Aversa, says that the system provides more strength training than Pilates because it allows you to move against a set resistance instead of simply with springs.

“Sometimes I really wish I had the same body I had when I was 14,” says Rebecca, a woman in her mid-30s and mother of two. “I even tried doing 20 sit-ups every morning and another 20 in the evening for three months. It didn’t help.”
Other women accept a widening waistline as just another sign of aging.

“I noticed that the weight didn’t come off easily once I passed the age of 30,” says 47-year-old Abigail. “By the time I reached my mid-40s I had a belly I could grab and move around,” she admits. “I didn’t like it, but I thought it was just part of growing older. After all, I’ve never been skinny.”

Who Has the Right Attitude?

While it’s always good to feel secure about the way you look, it’s better to try to do something to eliminate your belly fat.
The Mayo Clinic reports that even a little belly fat can make a woman twice as likely to die from coronary artery disease as a woman with no belly fat. All it takes to increase your risk is a modest muffin top.

The report was based on a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that analyzed the waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio of more than 15,000 people around the world.

The lead investigator of the study, Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, says the reason for this might be that belly fat produces more changes in blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. Fat in the legs and buttocks doesn’t have the same effect.

Measuring Your Middle

Doctors say that if a woman has a waist measurement of 35 inches or more, she likely has an unhealthy concentration of belly fat.

There’s a specific way you should measure your middle to make sure you get as accurate results as possible and find out if your waist is too wide for your health.

Many women make the mistake of taking their waist measurements from around their belly buttons. The Mayo Clinic says that you should position the tape measure just above your hipbone around your bare stomach.

Pull the tape measure snugly, but not so tight that it cuts into your skin. Make sure it’s level all the way around.

Walk That Belly Fat Away

One of the easiest ways to banish belly fat is by walking. Almost anyone can walk and you don’t need to be in peak physical shape to do this type of exercise.

A Canadian study showed that women who walked one hour a day for 14 weeks were able to shrink their belly fat by 20 percent without changing their eating habits.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Just be aware that this walking isn’t a leisurely Sunday stroll. Alternate walking moderately fast and briskly walking every two minutes.  During moderate walking, you’ll still be able to talk. With brisk walking the goal is to walk so fast you prefer not to talk even though you could if you had to.

Scott Cole, a fitness guru who created the Best Abs on Earth DVD, says that you should move your arms while you walk. Effective arm movement is more than pumping them at your sides. Try punching your arms above your head alternating them in opposition to your legs. Light weights will help tone your arms too.

Arm movements make the muscles of your torso work harder as they balance and stabilize you, according to Cole.

Don’t Forget Diet Too

Combine more activity with a healthy diet and right portion sizes, and you’ll find that the belly fat will slowly come off.  Focus on plant-based foods (vegetables, fruit and whole grains) and lean protein sources. Limit cheese and butter and higher fat milks.

In the workplace, casual dress can be fun and informal and still be semi-professional. Workplace casual wear includes loose fitting summer dresses, short sleeved collared shirts, linen pants, and sometimes jeans - depending upon the employer.  Usually, if jeans are allowed in the workplace, they are neat and clean and usually something other than traditional blue jeans. These outfits should not be tight fitting and should not show too much cleavage.

Casual street dress for women offers a lot of opportunity and can range from jeans with sneakers or even casual flats. Small pumps or sandals with slight heels compliment both jeans and skirts. Shirts include both long and short sleeved options that are fitted or loose, and even tank tops depending upon the occasion.

Casual wear can also be worn at parties and is often a nice option to wearing a cocktail dress or club wear. Skinny jeans with low heels and a nice fitted shirt can be perfectly acceptable. A nice, flowing skirt with flat sandals or light pumps will add a little festivity to the casual wear. The point is women can be stylish and still maintain comfort.

Casual dress can vary from season to season and include jeans and boots in the winter and fall but change to sandals and sundresses in the warmer months.

There is a method to creating the ideal wardrobe that looks chic and is never boring. You want to start with basic styles and colors that can be mixed and matched, such as black, red, khaki, and denim. Get a few pairs of coordinating shoes, such as sandals, sneakers, and casual boots. Get plenty of accessories to go with the outfits, such as purses, wallets, jewelry, hats, scarves, etc.

Never confuse casual wear for loungewear; this means no baggy T-shirts and leggings.  Casual wear is comfortable - yet fashionable.  Loungewear is something you’d wear around the house to clean, watch a movie with a bowl of popcorn, or even when you’re not feeling well. Make sure that your wardrobe consists of at least one velour track suit in a cute and fun color such as pink or red.

Finally, no casual wardrobe can be complete without the following items: T shirts, Polo shirts, boot-cut jeans, cropped pants and some flats. Combining these items into your wardrobe will ensure that you never have to put that stuffy cocktail dress on again - unless you want to. You will always be able to come up with something great to wear when you have the core mix and match basics.

The Bellyfit exercise program was designed by a woman - for a woman. This program incorporates different fitness areas that especially target women and their problem areas. It includes meditation, cardio workouts, African dance, Piloxing, and Yoga for a well-blended combination that offers an enhanced metabolism, weight loss, muscle toning, greater posture, and improved flexibility. This program is very beneficial for the mind and body.

Aero Jump was created by a professional boxer. This unique and fun program uses traditional jump-roping blended with mood and energy boosting songs that are great to work out to. Aero Jump is a powerful workout regimen that works on areas like the calves, arms, the upper body, and the thighs. In a ten minute workout session you can burn a minimum of almost 500 calories. The amount of burned calories will be dependent on the pace at which you jump and exercise. This is a high intensity workout plan, not intended for those who prefer a slow-paced, moderate workout routine.

Piloxing is a combination of Pilates and boxing designed for women by female dancer, Viveca Jensen. This is intended to work and tone the entire body. This program consists of air punching, leg swings, and kicks while wearing weighted gloves to give maximum benefit for toning and cardio workouts. A lower impact routine is included for women who prefer to tone their muscles without the high impact workout routine.

The Kangoo is a weight loss and muscle toning program that includes wearing Pogo jogging sneakers as the basic exercise equipment. This is an extreme workout regimen that includes jumping and exercising with a jogging emphasis. This program is also designed for today’s woman who is busy and on the go - and wants to incorporate a high impact, high calorie burning workout.

Today’s women want to exercise in style and to look sexy and chic while doing so. Women do not just exercise for fun alone; they want a transformation that will change the way they look and feel.  Regimens today incorporate exercise with nutrition options, beauty, and style options. Women are no longer heading to their workouts in baggy sweats and T-shirts that are too big - often times making their bodies look bulky and out of shape. Women want top notch designer workout outfits that make themselves feel good and looking hot while building up a calorie reducing sweat.

So, if 2011 has brought about a desire for you to implement a workout regimen or perhaps just give that tired old routine a face-lift - just maybe on of these workout plans will workout for you. Give them a try! Who knows, you may just end up discovering the perfect workout plan for you - and shed a few plans while doing it.