ONE

YOUR PERSONAL APPEARANCE

I’ll never forget one day in the mid-1980s when that old saw “clothes make the man” came vividly alive for me.

I was escorting a U.S. senator out of a TV studio where he had just completed a taped interview about ongoing arms control talks with the Soviets for a network news talk show. He was a serious, all-business type of man, and he was dressed that day in clothes typical of senators—a plain, dark-gray suit with a white shirt and a red “power tie.”

As we were about to reach the door to the studio, it opened, and down the steps clattered the four members of a punk-rock band.

The two female members of the band were wearing what you might expect—leather jackets painted and studded with rivets and rhinestones, lacy blouses that looked like lingerie, very short skirts, and high-heeled boots painted in bright colors. One had blond and green hair, and one had brown and blue hair. Each had on a dozen pieces of jangly jewelry. Their makeup was heavy and stark, and both were cracking gum.

The two male rockers were dressed similarly, only minus the lace and with somewhat less makeup and jewelry.

As the band squeezed by us on the stairs, the senator stared at them, turned to me, and blurted out, “What do they have to do with arms control?”

Fighting to keep a straight face, I explained that the show we were taping that day was not a theme show, with all interviews being on one subject, but was instead a mix of subjects, both serious and not so serious.

I sometimes call this little incident “the collision of the clothes”—a rather extreme lesson on the fact that your appearance is important, that you are instantly judged by others on how you look.

In fact, other guests who came into the studio over the next few days to appear on that same talk show included a North African ambassador dressed in his long flowing robes, a Catholic priest in his black suit and white clerical collar, an athlete dressed in her Olympic warm-up jacket, and a Country-and-Western singing star in her bouffant hairdo and glitzy dress. The appearance of all of these people made them readily identifiable.

The clothes you wear in public may not be as easily recognizable as these people’s clothes were, but they do, nevertheless, say a lot about you.

The choices you make as you create your own image can, if well chosen, transmit a statement about you and about what you think about yourself.

FEELING GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF

People do judge you during the first few seconds of merely looking at you—and before you even open your mouth. Whether you are making a business presentation, giving a speech, or even being interviewed on television, this is especially important for you, a person who is appearing in public or among your peers.

If your appearance is attractive, you can get an audience on your side before you have even said a word. Likewise, you can alienate an audience if your appearance is not quite right.

But there is more to this thing of having an effective personal appearance. It is essential that you feel good about yourself, because by doing so you reveal your personal conviction to your audience. When you know that you have taken the time to be well groomed, tastefully dressed, and in reasonably good physical shape, you exude confidence in yourself. When you sense that something is wrong or below your own basic standards, you tend to center your attention on that inadequacy. Even though others may feel that you look fine, you know that you may not look your best, and you can unconsciously transmit that negative feeling.

You do not dress to impress members of the opposite sex as much as you dress to please yourself, and for your own self-esteem and satisfaction. You, the wearer, are the important part of this equation.

Certain well-known public figures have been almost transformed when they finally found out what makes them look good.

Barbra Streisand is an example of such a person. Pictures taken earlier on in her career show a rather plain, almost gawky woman whose appearance said little about herself or even that she didn’t seem to care how she looked. As she developed as a singer, actress, and movie producer, pictures of her began to show a very different woman—one who learned how to wear her hair and apply her makeup to diminish “faults” (such as her eyes that seemed slightly too close together) and enhance her good points (such as her long neck and her regal—but slightly crooked—nose). Many women’s magazines called her “beautiful.” She also developed a sense of style in her choice of clothes that was hers alone.

Other well-known people or fictional characters have become famous for certain things they have adapted as part of their appearance—things that became their trademarks.

For example, think of Winston Churchill and his vest with the chain across it; the Sherlock Holmes character and his hat, coat-with-cape, and the shape of his pipe; Abraham Lincoln and his stovepipe hat; or Fred Astaire and his elegant tuxedo and top hat.

One man who has a very distinctive personal appearance is Gene Shalit, writer and longtime movie critic for the “Today” show. He is known for his curly hair; wide handlebar mustache; and his large, brightly printed, loosely tied bow ties. His look is unique, to say the least—so much so that he tells a story about how it once affected his career.

Mr. Shalit says that his movie reviews had been appearing mostly in the print media, when in the late 1960s he got a phone call from someone in the broadcasting industry inviting him to come in and talk about a possible on-air job. But when the interviewer saw Mr. Shalit, he said something like, “let’s talk about a job on radio”—as opposed to television. And sure enough, he went on radio for several years before finally appearing regularly on TV.

The point here is that what you look like and what you choose to wear can have a great effect on what others think of you and on what you think about yourself.

Whether you are a business executive, a lobbyist, or a salesperson, you set the tone for the entire day by your morning rituals and the wardrobe choices you make. That positive feeling can become an “upper,” which leads to better performance; and that negative feeling can become a “downer,” which starts a cycle of doubt and leads to an inferior performance.

The public person must be prepared to move with grace and dignity from one visual situation to another with total confidence. You must feel that you are “well turned out,” and that your advance preparations were adequate.

The classic look always reflects good taste. Your clothes should be graceful, restrained. Simple, understated clothes act as a proper support for you and allow the viewer to notice you rather than what you are wearing. You can express your individuality in many subtle ways that tell about your background, who you are, and what you would like to be.

For example, I often run into Senator Paul Simon of Illinois. He looks like a senator. He wears plain, well-cut suits in navy blue and similar colors. He has a good haircut that always seems to be the same length (i.e., he’s not one of those people to whom you say, “I see you just got a haircut”). His shoes are always polished. But Senator Simon almost always wears a bow tie. In fact, he seems to be one of the very few of our congressmen or senators who do. On him—a man known for his intellect and his individuality—it looks good; it has become a trademark, part of his persona.

Another senator I know is also always dressed like a senator ... except that if you examine his appearance closely, you’ll notice that he is wearing cowboy boots with his suit. This senator is from a Western state. He has told me that he wears the boots because (1) he’s always worn them and sees no reason to change just because he’s in Washington now, (2) they’re comfortable, (3) they’re sturdy and practical, and (4) he likes them. If you had the opportunity to inspect the feet of other members of the Senate and House of Representatives, you’d probably find other, similar types of nontraditional footwear paired with those congressional suits.

Women, too, can dress conservatively and simply but also wear something that expresses individuality in subtle ways. I know a woman who owns her own public relations firm. She often wears Gucci silk scarves wrapped around the neckline of her rather plain dresses and suits. She often pairs the scarf with a long string of pearls. In fact, she has a small collection of these scarves. They look great on her, adding a dash of color to a conservative wardrobe. She might take off such a colorful scarf if she were appearing on television, but she usually wears one when she is meeting with her clients or otherwise appearing in public.

Once you are confident that your clothes work for you and fit your own image of yourself, you can forget all about them and focus on the task at hand. That’s why we are discussing your personal appearance in the first chapter of this book—to get you well dressed and well groomed and send you out ready to face the public, whether that public means colleagues, clients, reporters, or a national television audience.

In this chapter, we will be referring often to what effect your clothes and other aspects of your personal appearance have when you go on television, since in front of TV cameras you must be particularly careful about how you look. You may never actually go on TV—you may only be seen by customers, clients, or professional associates—but since these days so many successful professionals are eventually asked to make some kind of TV appearance at some point in their careers, you should be aware of the rules of the game.

YOUR CLOTHES

In this section, we’ll be discussing the clothes that work best when you are the person “up front” and all eyes are upon you. In private, you can indulge in your flights of fancy and wear whatever you choose. But as a public person, your choices now have a different focus—they must not attract too much attention to themselves because their role is to allow you to transmit your message. In short, your clothes should work for you, not overpower you.

The right outfit can do wonders for the effect a person’s message has, and should be considered a key component of this preparation. Just look at Ann Richards, treasurer of the state of Texas, who was chosen to be the keynote speaker for the 1988 Democratic Convention in Atlanta. As one of her consultants, I was asked to find a dress that would be suitable for such an important occasion. She had already looked at many dresses—some sent to her by well-meaning friends—but had found nothing among them that she particularly liked; they were all too frilly or ornate or severe. In order to choose her dress, I had to keep in mind the following:

• The background color of the podium area was gray;

• The front of the podium was “busy,” with a stylized version of the flag in muted colors of red, white, and blue;

• The lights would be susceptible to the blue range, would be “thrown” from a long distance, and would be brought up and down, from bright to dim;

• She would be seen in person by thousands of people from every walk of life, all staring at her and sizing her up. She would also be seen by possibly millions of TV viewers, and the TV cameras being used would be very sensitive and would be focusing from close up to a long distance;

• Members of the live audience would be moving about, dressed in many colors, and would be seen in the TV camera’s long shots;

• The photographers would need a color that looked good in black-and-white and color, on video tape and film.

After studying hours of video tapes of Ann, I was aware of her delicate coloring, the halo of silvery hair, her chiseled features, the blue-green color of her eyes, and her strong, vibrant personality.

As I recommend to all my clients for whom I select clothes, the dress shouldn’t be red, white, black, boldly printed, or striped. What was really needed here was a plain dress of good design, soft fabric, and in the middle of the color spectrum—possibly near to her actual eye color. I ended up trooping through a dozen or more stores until I found the perfect outfit—a jacket dress with a plain neckline. It was simple and elegant and was of a lovely aquamarine blue.

To see how the dress would look, the day before the convention started we had Ann hold up the dress on the actual podium she would use during her speech. Instead of attracting attention to itself, it enhanced her—the person with the message. After she gave what most agreed to be a dynamic keynote speech, that dress was mentioned in several magazine and newspaper articles as having added to her overall success.

Another client of mine, a near genius in real estate investing, was finding himself more and more in demand as a speaker to a wide variety of business, investor, and consumer groups. A terrific speaker, he lacked self-confidence only in his appearance—particularly in his choice of clothing for his speaking engagements.

When he first came to me for advice, he was accustomed to dressing in the flamboyant manner of some salespersons, including wearing a flashy diamond ring, a bright pocket square, an out-of-style tie, and a striped shirt with a solid white collar. Also, his suits tended to be ill-fitting, unpressed, and made out of synthetic fabrics.

It was obvious to me that his choice in clothes was not on the high level of his business expertise.

By simply telling him the basic points contained in this chapter on dressing well and rather conservatively, he was able to project a professional image to his audiences. He did this by purchasing a couple of good wool suits (one in navy and one in gray), new shirts (solid colored, with no stripes this time around), and ties (in the currently correct width, in subtle patterns only). The diamond ring and bright pocket squares went into a drawer, where they remain until this day.

When you shop for that perfect suit or dress, “photograph” yourself from top to bottom in a full-length mirror. Look at yourself from the sides, front, and back. Be honest with yourself about your good and bad points. From your past experiences, you already know some of the things that work best for you.

Take women, for example. Since you may be sitting as well as standing—on a platform or dais, perhaps—you should wear a skirt that looks good when you sit down. A tight skirt hikes up above the knees and wrinkles across the front. You should have at least an inch of leeway in the fabric on each side of your hips. Also, try to imagine how it will look to your audience, which may be sitting on a level below you. Avoid split skirts that fall open when you are seated, since often no amount of tugging and fussing will pull the slit closed.

Your hemline is a personal thing. It should not move up and down each season with the dictates of fashion. Depending on your height, weight, build, the shape of your legs, and your own personal style, there is a becoming hem length that works best for you. A hemline several inches below the knee is usually the most becoming and has the additional advantage of not going out of style.

Now for the men. Your suit must not only appear to be of as good a quality as you can possibly afford, but it must be of an attractive fabric and color, hang well on your body shape, and be of the proper size. When you sit down, the hem of your pants should not ride up above your socks so that skin is showing. Your shoes should always be shined. Your shirt should fit you and not be too small (heavy-set men, take note—there is nothing worse than a shirt that buckles open between buttons once you sit down). Your tie, if patterned, should be discretely patterned and colored. If you are color-blind, you should have someone else choose ties for you.

Some of these tips may seem obvious to you, but in the space or just a few months not long ago, I observed the following men: a prominent economist giving a speech wearing one black shoe and one brown shoe, neither shined; a U.S. congressman appearing before a group of his constituents wearing socks that were too short and too old (he kept having to bend over and pull them up); a salesman giving a sales pitch wearing a kelly green polyester-blend suit and a green-and-red patterned tie; and a singer performing on stage wearing a black leather jacket decorated with food stains and dandruff.

These rules—among many others—should be the basic good-taste dressing rules for all men. But they bear repeating for the public person just for that reason—because you will be seen and judged by the public.

We will discuss clothing choices for both men and women in greater detail later in this chapter.

Visual Vibrancy

Certain colors and patterns of fabrics, shiny metal found in jewelry or eyeglasses, and harsh colors found in makeup produce what could be called an undesirable visual vibrancy. It is especially important to be aware of visual vibrancy when you are appearing on TV. Some examples are discussed below that relate to all personal appearances in general but should be especially noted when TV cameras are present.

When you look at your wardrobe and try to decide what you should wear, it is important always to view the article from the standpoint of the vibrancy of its color and pattern. If you are choosing earrings or jewelry, ask yourself if they will sparkle and glitter or dangle or otherwise outshine your eyes. Your eyes assist you in the transmission of your message. Your face is expressive, and we must see it first. Therefore, anything that outshines or outsparkles your eyes and face should not be your first choice.

Visualize, if you will, a young woman with frizzled hair down over the eyes, a scarlet line of shiny lipstick, glittery tinted glasses, long dangling earrings, multiple necklaces over a red sequined dress, and an arm full of quivering bracelets. This may be fine for the Academy Awards, but do you see or care who is really under there? Take the same woman, smooth the hair back so it does not obscure eye contact, remove the glasses, subdue the makeup, remove most of the jewelry, make the dress a soft raspberry color—and you will find a naturally beautiful person whose message you can pay attention to. The above is true for public appearances with or without TV cameras present.

If you are appearing on TV, you are dealing with high-powered lenses, and it is difficult for those camera lenses to balance certain colors—in particular, the color extremes of black, white, and red. Red, especially, contains the maximum amount of what you could call visual vibrancy; you see it long before you see the person. Clothes designers who wish their clothes to dominate, love for their clients to wear red. But red is an unstable color that “bleeds” around the edges and defies camera focus. In a group of four panelists, you will pick out the red dress or tie, and not the person. Alternative, middle-spectrum colors will be discussed in detail in the next sections.

Fabric patterns that might shimmer and vibrate on TV cameras include: striped, polka-dotted, iridescent, checked, or multicolored. As a TV viewer, you have probably noticed that strange shimmer effect (called a moiré pattern) when a reporter wears a striped shirt, a plaid tie, and/or a chevron-patterned jacket.

Also to avoid wearing are sequins, which are meant to reflect and dance in the light. On TV, sequins and other sparkling fabrics can be blinding.

It takes courage and discipline to wear plain colors and patterns that don’t “do anything.” They just photograph beautifully. (Note this short paragraph well; it may make all the difference in the world to your choosing fabrics as a public person.)

A quick trick: Just before you go on for a TV or other public appearance, shut your eyes halfway and look at yourself in the mirror. If some accessory you are wearing outshines you, take it off. Again, what the public must see first is you, plain and simple.

The Color Spectrum

When you see a beam of light dispersed through a prism, all of the colors are displayed. They are arranged in the order of their wavelengths. You also see these colors in a rainbow, in an artist’s or scientist’s chart of colors of the spectrum, and even in the “color bars” of the camera test pattern on your TV set. The two extremes of the color spectrum are black and white.

It is difficult for the eye or the camera to bridge the distance between the two. That explains why a still or TV camera can have trouble with a white face with a black dress, or a black face with a white suit, or a bold black and white fabric print.

Dark colors absorb the light and make you look smaller. Light colors reflect the light and make you look larger. Some colors, such as red and orange, are vibrant, harsh, and domineering. Yellow and green tend to reflect a sallow tinge onto the skin.

In my seminars on how to dress for public appearances, I always say that due to these facts, a good basic rule is to wear no bright reds, black, or white.

Rather, when you select colors to be worn on the platform or before the camera, you need to stay in the center of the color spectrum. The closer you come to the middle, the better the colors will look, and the more becoming they will be. Thus, blues, grays, and jewel tones are the most flattering.

Many women like to have a “color analysis” done in order to find what colors are becoming to them. This may work well for the private person, but for the public person the recommended colors often do not look good, especially when viewed through a still or TV camera lens.

 

Blue and Purple. Blue is the most pleasant color of all because it is stable and in the middle of the color spectrum. It is an excellent choice to complement the owner of blue eyes. Denim blue looks good on almost everyone, from cowboys to babies. Pale blue blouses or shirts photograph white. Probably the most beautiful garment on or off camera would be a deep blue suit, with (for women) a blouse either matched to the color of the suit or in a muted, jewel-toned pattern.

Good variations of blue are navy, bright navy, royal blue, marine blue, colonial blue, French blue, Delft blue, slate gray-blue, or cadet blue. Other variations include the teal blues and nonbright aquas that are mixed with green. Periwinkle blue is a good cool color and is about as light as you should go.

The blues to avoid are turquoise blue, bright aqua blue, and solid pale blue.

Many of the purple shades work very well. Mauves, rich royal purple, dark violet, dusky violet, deep lilac shades, purple with red tones, and plum purples are all flattering colors.

 

Green. True Christmas green is too bright to be a good clothes color. The same goes for the brighter variations of kelly green, forest green, and, of course, lime green. However, some shades of green can be very nice. Jade green that contains gray, dark emerald, or soft olive green (close to khaki) are excellent.

 

Red. Red does cheer you up; however, it is an energetic color that dominates you and your surroundings. It should usually be considered a “no-no” for the public person. It is unstable and vibrant and often bleeds outside of its own borders when being photographed.

In a stadium full of people, notice that the one in a red parka is more visible than all of the others and is the one you will notice. You see a red tie long before you see the person. Red can reflect on the whites of the eyes and cast “heat” onto the skin tone.

However, many of the variations of red are excellent choices, including wine, burgundy, rose, and dusty rose.

Pink is a tricky color. Hot pinks, bright pink, and nearly-white pinks should be avoided. If you like pink, select the dusty rose or grayed rose mentioned above.

 

Orange. Orange is a hot, vibrant, glowing color and is generally harsh and unbecoming to all skin tones.

About three years ago, a TV studio where I often work was auditioning a series of applicants for an opening for a newscaster. I’ll never forget a woman who came in dressed in an orange suit and blouse with an orangy rouge and lipstick to match. You can easily picture how that looked with her blond hair. She had obviously spent much time assembling that orange look. She wanted to be noticed, and she was! But she didn’t get the job.

However, brown-based earth tones somewhat related to orange are good middle-spectrum colors. These include terra-cotta, apricot, brick, or autumn-leaf tones.

 

Yellow. Yellow is a bright color that attracts attention to itself. It tends to reflect onto the face, giving the skin a sallow, jaundiced, unhealthy tinge. It is often said that when a performer comes into a TV studio wearing bright yellow, the technicians can be heard groaning in the background.

 

Brown. Brown should not be your first choice, particularly if the brown has a reddish tone. On the other hand, a deep chocolate brown sometimes looks well with dark hair, eyes, and skin. Lighter shades of brown (such as taupe, rust, or clay) are good neutral colors.

 

Gray. Gray is a quiet color, and for that reason it is one of the best colors the public person—man or woman—can wear in any setting. You should always have one well-cut gray suit in a natural fabric such as wool to fall back on when all else fails. Gray does nothing to attract attention to itself but, instead, flatters you. It makes a strong statement of strength at the same time that it makes you appear approachable. Banker’s gray denotes confidence, trustworthiness, success, and authority.

For women, gray can be easily and attractively accessorized with jewelry or scarves or contrasting blouses. It is compatible with many other colors. Luckily, gray pearls and hematite beads are quite fashionable.

High saturations of gray added to other colors make them deeper, richer, and more pleasant. Thus, bluish slate gray is an excellent choice for the person with blue or hazel eyes. Gray is especially flattering for the gray-haired person. For all people, gray forms a soft background and permits you to dominate the visual framework.

Good variations of gray are slate gray, slate blue, dove gray, charcoal gray, steel gray, stone gray, and Oxford gray.

Since it is obvious that I recommend gray so highly as a prime choice in clothing color for the public person, both male and female, I would like to go into a bit more detail with this color to give you some ideas for your own wardrobe.

For men: Imagine yourself in a darkish gray suit (a gray somewhere between steel and charcoal, perhaps), worn with a pale gray shirt and a silk tie printed in a simple paisley pattern of blue and green. Or imagine wearing a textured gray suit with a pale gray shirt and a plain, darker blue tie. You could add a vest, a gold collar pin, a discreet blue silk square in the jacket pocket, or whatever to dress it up or down. But this is an example of a look that is distinguished, flattering, and businesslike, but not at all boring.

For women: Imagine yourself in a dove gray suit made out of a natural fabric such as wool or suede or raw silk or even a synthetic suede, paired with a blouse in a muted print of gray and another color such as pink or a soft blue. Or if you chose a solid-colored blouse, you could wear a somewhat colorful scarf with your gray outfit. You may have added a long chain necklace in a gold tone, or hematite beads, or fake pearls, possibly with matching earrings. You could appear anywhere in this outfit and feel perfect confidence in your appearance.

After a quick perusal of how elegant and restrained you look, your audience will view you with admiration then quickly forget your appearance and concentrate on what you are saying.

 

White. As mentioned previously, white “flares” and makes everything look larger. Hold a sheet of white paper up near your face in front of a mirror, and you will see the paper first, because it is brighter than your face. A white dress or shirt will add pounds to your image. If you could look at a TV monitor or a picture of yourself, you would see a white shirt or blouse look larger than it really is.

Instead of white, choose soft grays or pale pastels; they will “read” as white if you are to be photographed by a still or TV camera. This is especially important for men to remember when choosing shirts. A pale gray or blue shirt is always better than a white shirt.

 

Black. Black makes things disappear. It diminishes anything that it covers, which is why puppeteers wear it when they wish to remain invisible. It also appears harsh against most skin tones. Finally, black can denote mourning and sadness. Think of the stereotype of the Italian or Spanish widow wearing a black dress, hose, and shoes, with even a plain black scarf tied over her head. Black can be a “downer” color that should be avoided by the public person.

Every decade or so, black comes back as a fashionable color for women. (In fact, as a choice of late-afternoon-through-evening, the “little black dress” is one of the oldest and perhaps best-known clichés in the fashion world.) This has once again been the case in the last few years. However, black is still not the best daytime choice for women who appear frequently in public. This is especially true for the woman with delicate coloring, where black looks particularly harsh against the face; and for the woman whose face is starting to show her age, where black’s severity can make the face look even older.

Clothes for Women

Even though you may feel at times that you are working in “a man’s world,” that doesn’t mean you have to dress like a man. An expensive, well-cut suit can be accessorized to look feminine. Be creative to soften and individualize your look.

Obviously, however, a woman who is in business or perhaps is a physician may have to dress more conservatively than one who is speaking before a civic group or a charitable organization or an interior decorator meeting with her new clients.

Inventory the clothes you already own and update them with minor changes or alterations. Get rid of clothes that are hopelessly outdated, too small, or not suitable for your public image. You need only a few good, classic outfits that fit perfectly.

The original financial outlay for what could be called your “in-public clothes” could be considerable; therefore, each piece must be carefully chosen to play a significant role.

Good fit is essential—better a little roomy than too tight. Tight clothes with stretch lines across the front make you look heavier. They also tend to wrinkle more quickly, especially across the front of your skirt.

Another important rule of thumb for the woman appearing often in public is to always wear long sleeves, even in summer, since short sleeves give an informal look. Bare arms attract the eye away from the face because they are lighter in color. Long sleeves slenderize the silhouette and look more professional.

You must feel comfortable in your clothes. Never wear a new suit for the first time in front of your audience. Instead, try it out in private until it feels like an old friend and has no surprises. You need to know that the sleeves are the right length, how the neckline fits, how the skirt falls, and where the pockets are. You need to know in advance how the whole outfit looks when you are standing, sitting, or moving about. Since the same audience seldom sees you twice, you can wear the same tried-and-true things time after time with total confidence. This enables you to forget about what you are wearing and concentrate on your message.

What should you wear if you are going to address a group of truck drivers? Should you dress like they do? The answer, of course, is no—you dress like the person you are, with a few minor adjustments to the circumstances, time, and place. You are brought in as a speaker because you have a message your audience wants to hear. You are an expert in your field, and it would be a mistake to appear in jeans and a plaid shirt. Maintain your own high standard of simplicity and good taste. A plain shirtwaist dress or a well-cut suit will take you anywhere. Since in such a circumstance you will be in the minority and will stand out more, your appearance should be understated and conservative.

Similarly, if you are running for political office, you should dress for the office you wish to fill. In other words, if you are running for the U.S. Senate, dress like a senator.

 

Color Coordination. When putting together a minimum wardrobe for campaigning, book tours, selling real estate, or whatever aspects of your life take place in public, it is possible to coordinate your colors so that you can make multiple outfit combinations. By carefully choosing two basic colors that are very becoming to you, you can create forty different looks out of a dozen or so garments.

For example, buy two expensive suits—one a soft navy blue and one an Oxford gray. The navy suit might have a blazer jacket with dull-finished gold buttons, which could go with different skirts year-round. The gray jacket might be collarless, with a neckline that could be dressed up or down with accessories.

Coordinate blouses, scarves, sweaters, coat, hat, umbrella, shoes, hose, belts, purses, and jewelry with these two colors. Buy several blouses in solid colors that match your basic suits with different necklines. Add complementary-colored blouses with soft, indistinct patterns (such as paisleys, jacquards, foulards, or color-on-same-color patterns) in colors that match both suits. You could also add your own favorite colors such as soft blue, old rose, or plum—all of which look good with both suits.

The navy suit jacket will serve in many capacities. The jacket of the gray suit would look well over the navy skirt and blouse with a colorful navy-gray-rose scarf. You need very little genuine jewelry—a string of pearls, a gold chain, plus possibly a lapis lazuli string of beads for the navy suit and a gray hematite necklace for either suit. The purse and shoes can be black or blue-black navy to go with everything.

If you will be photographed or will appear on camera, choose either suit. For example, with the gray suit, wear your matching gray blouse, small pearl earrings, a pearl necklace, and you will look great.

 

Fabrics. When shopping for your wardrobe, select the fabrics carefully. Men’s clothes are often made of good, sturdy materials that hold up well with constant wear. Unfortunately, you have to search for women’s clothes of equal quality. As a public person, your clothes need to look good under trying circumstances and to withstand frequent dry cleaning.

Natural fabrics or blends are usually the best choices. Select materials that conform easily to the body. Stiff, shiny fabrics look awkward and add pounds to the silhouette because they are unyielding. The fabric should have little or no sheen or gloss. Look for fabrics that have a “hand,” with a soft, dull finish. Thin knits cling and can look sleazy. Double knits, on the other hand, are very comfortable, and they pack well with minimal wrinkling.

Some fabrics are “verbal” and rustle into the microphone.

The newly popular thin woolen fabrics (such as wool challis for dresses and skirts) are also excellent, due to their lovely drape and wrinkle-resistant nature.

Synthetic suedes with a dull finish now come in a lighter, more drapable weight. These synthetic suedes are excellent choices because they can be washed by hand, yet they always look luxurious and elegant and are nearly wrinkle-free.

 

Accessories. The secret of wearing good, basic clothes lies in the accessories you choose to go with them. This gives you the opportunity to express your own personality. Accessories can creatively change a plain suit to fit the various seasons and occasions. Once you have the look you feel is flattering to you, you can change the entire look with belts, jewelry, scarves, a lace collar, or discreet fabric flowers. For example, an extra paisley skirt that matches your suit jacket, a sleeveless jacket-sweater, a blazer, or a soft knitted top all add variety.

For the public person, your purse becomes your home and desk away from home. You have to practically live in it, and depend on it to get you through many varied experiences. Select a purse especially suited to your public appearance, and look at it in a mirror to see if it fits your build, size, and purpose. Choose a solid, dark color that matches most of your clothes. Spend as much as you can afford on one good, plain purse. Make it roomy enough to hold all of your necessities and small enough not to look bulky.

Organize it like a bureau drawer, inside and out, so that you can find your glasses, keys, billfold, datebook, business cards, checkbook, credit cards, and notes—without upending the whole thing as you search in public. Have an outside pocket for plane tickets, boarding passes, or subway tokens, and a special place for change for telephone calls and tips. Assemble a small, private telephone directory containing the critical numbers you will need when away from your desk.

When traveling, label an envelope with the date and city to contain reimbursable taxi receipts, hotel and restaurant charges, airline ticket carbons, etc. There is nothing more difficult than trying to sort out the debris from a week of traveling to different cities with different expense accounts. Soon, the cities, airlines, restaurants, and hotels all fade into one unrecallable blur.

If you change to an evening purse, consider keeping your traveler’s checks, cash, and credit cards in a money belt.

Once a week, ruthlessly toss out everything you can possibly get along without, keeping that purse as lean and uncluttered as possible.

Good taste in jewelry should not change with what’s currently popular. Similarly, the public person must remember that what looks good in public or on a TV camera does not alter with the changes in fashions.

Your jewelry should enhance your appearance without becoming the main attraction. A few genuine pieces, worn discreetly, are always in the best of taste.

The basic rule is that anything that sparkles or shines too much, dangles in the light (such as earrings), or rattles and makes noise (such as multiple bracelets) will distract attention away from your face and what you are saying. Thus, large surfaces of shiny gold, rhinestones, diamonds, some silver-colored jewelry, and flat white jewelry (such as large fake pearls, white disk earrings, bone or ivory bracelets) are not the best choices.

Big shiny earrings, larger than the eyes, interfere with your eye contact. A strand of oversized beads attracts attention as it migrates back and forth over the chest. No one should hide behind big, gaudy, fake jewelry, which can subliminally transmit insecurity and bad taste.

Better choices for jewelry include:

• Pearls, especially colored pearls such as gray, blue, or beige;

• Dull, satin-finished gold or silver jewelry;

• Filigree pins;

• Cameos;

• Beads in subdued, rich colors, especially semiprecious stones (such as hematite, dark jade, garnet, onyx, tiger’s eye, amethyst, lapis lazuli, or amber) or lighter stones (such as pink quartz, coral, or blue-lace agate);

• Colored, semiprecious stones set in pins or earrings, especially in the darker colors such as amethyst, garnet, or dark-blue topaz;

• Antique or antique-looking jewelry;

• Enamel or cloisonné jewelry in rich, jewel-toned colors, such as deep purple disk earrings or pins.

It takes courage to wear plain jewelry, but the public person must never forget that the wrong jewelry can detract from, rather than enhance, a public image. TV correspondents are often seen removing their big jewelry pieces before going on camera, then putting them back on afterward.

I have one client who is the vice-president of a brokerage house. In her private life she wears a plain, expensive suit, but always seems to top it with scarves, a couple of gold chains, and a rope of genuine pearls. On her, it looks wonderful. But when she started doing frequent business-related TV commentaries, she asked my advice about her appearance on camera. Now, when she comes into the TV studio, she unloads all those accessories down to the plain suit. She exchanges her big earrings for small ones. She goes on camera, tapes her “piece,” comes out of the studio, and puts everything back on. The reason she does this is simple: After I encouraged her to study her video tapes, she saw and learned to understand what the camera sees.

 

Shoes. A word about shoes. Show me a woman with pain lines around the eyes, and I suspect that her feet hurt. High heels were never made for walking very far, and I feel sorry for the woman who teeters down the street with the pelvis thrown into an unnatural position. Granted, you can’t wear hiking boots on a city street, but these days one sees women striding along in comfortable footwear with the high heels tucked into the briefcase.

As we will discuss in a later chapter, the public person needs to center the body and dig the heels into the floor, whether walking, sitting, or standing. However, high heels throw the body off balance and make it almost impossible to breathe with the diaphragmatic muscle.

Thus, it is important to wear comfortable, well-fitting shoes with heels as low as you can tolerate. Current styles offer attractive yet trendy low-heeled shoes. You will need such shoes since you will probably have to walk long distances or stand for extended periods of time at public functions.

Spend as much as you can afford on a few pairs of plain, good-looking, comfortable shoes, and keep them in perfect condition. Low-heeled pumps are a good choice.

Buying several pairs of good-quality, genuine leather shoes in several solid colors is not only smart, but is a good investment. One pair each in black, navy, medium or dark brown, and even gray could make up a good, basic wardrobe of shoes. Other colors that can look sophisticated when worn with a coordinating dress or suit color are dark purple, royal blue, and charcoal.

Many business, professional, and political women like plain pumps, but “wing-tip” shoes (the kind with the perforated hole-patterns on the toe and around the side areas) and stacked heels can look good as well. Some women like the look of a solid-colored, simple bow on their shoes, or shoes with a simple “T-strap.”

Avoid shoes that are brightly colored, bicolored, or have heels in unusual shapes.

To minimize the legs, choose hose and shoes in dark colors. If you are short, wearing shoes and hose the same color can make the leg look longer. For example, you might try beige shoes with beige hose or black shoes with black hose. Can you see how light hose with black shoes could chop up the visual image and make you look shorter?

If you are one of those women who wear tennis or jogging shoes to commute or when you travel, and you are on your way to make a business presentation, give a speech, or otherwise appear in public, change into your dress shoes in the lobby or a ladies’ room or even in a taxi before showing up at the actual site of your appearance. It’s a bit awkward being seen leaning over to change footwear in a business or public setting.

Also it is a good idea to tuck a plastic bag or cloth shoe protectors (available in luggage shops or through many mail-order catalogs) in your briefcase or large purse to protect the dress shoes from scratches and the contents of your case from shoe dirt.

 

Your Travel Wardrobe. For the frequent traveler—whether you are a business tycoon, an author, or a department store buyer—your travel clothes are a part of your image.

About ten years ago, when I traveled to India with a group of educators, I met a woman on the plane who told me that she carried everything in one carry-on bag. Later I realized that because of this, she didn’t have to wait at the baggage claim area with the rest of us. She would sprint on ahead, breezing up the stairs with that bag swinging from padded shoulder straps. The bag also had little wheels so that she could pull it along behind her.

All of the basic pieces in that bag were black—one elegant suit with pants and blouses coordinated. There was something in that bag to meet every occasion, including a light raincoat and tops for warm or cold weather. Apart from these black pieces, she also kept pulling out wonderful colorful scarves, jewelry, and accessories for every occasion from the beach to a concert. Over it all, she wore a huge black cape (which obviously did not fit into the bag) that shielded her from the cold, the rain, and the sun. She slept in it, on it, and under it, on buses and planes.

She always looked wonderful.

I can go around the world with one bag on wheels, but I still have to check it.

When you travel, consider the modes of transportation you will be taking. Is it a native four-wheel-drive jitney, luxury bus, car, plane, or Air Force One?

Make a list of the functions you will be attending and be sure to plan in advance to dress appropriately for the opera, the formal dinner, the business conference, the professional breakfast, or the country pub. When and where will you be making public appearances?

But the most important consideration is to travel as light as you can. One learns to eliminate the nonessentials. Once you have packed your bags, repack them, leaving out everything you can do without. (Remember, there are times when you may have to carry your own bag.) When possible, take clothes that are washable, such as knits, polyester, cotton, or synthetic suede. Coordinate your wardrobe and accessories to one color, anticipating the occasions and climates in which they will be worn.

 

Emergency Kit. Assemble an emergency kit and keep it in a desk drawer or within easy reach in case you have to make an unexpected appearance. It should contain a few essentials such as a toothbrush and deodorant. Add a fresh blouse that will go with most of your clothes, and an extra pair of hose.

Take your individual needs into consideration: extra contact lenses or glasses, a source of fiber, a food bar, or some reading material.

During the years I was the personal makeup artist for several U.S. presidents, I had many an opportunity to use my own emergency kit when I was called to the White House with no prior notice. I remember one time in particular when I was glad that I had a food bar and a magazine with me, because I had to wait in a formal anteroom for three full hours for Gerald Ford due to a sudden scheduling change.

 

A Few Additional Tips. Reserve low-cut bodices for the Academy Awards.

Your neckline should conform to the contours of your face. You can lengthen the face with a V neckline or soften the effect with a scarf. Scarves can be tied or looped around the neck in many different ways. If you have a short neck, avoid bows, turtlenecks, and collars that sit too high up under the chin.

When making a grand entrance, take off your coat before you enter the room so that you do not have to struggle out of it in public.

Imagine the nation’s First Lady entering a crowded hall directly through an outside entrance from where she is going to walk across part of the room to a podium to give the keynote speech at a function. Can you see how her dignified entrance would be spoiled if she had to pause by the door to slip off a coat with the help of an aide?

Or what if you had to face a situation such as going directly from the outdoors on a cold, rainy night into a hotel lobby where you were to meet some business clients? Wouldn’t it be better to shake out your umbrella and take off your coat under the awning before entering the lobby?

Clothes for Men

What do you want your clothes to say about you? What message should they transmit to your peers, clients, or members of your audience? In that brief first impression, they make a lasting judgment about you. Your clothes should be so well chosen that you communicate well-being, confidence, and authority.

You also have to dress for yourself. You, the wearer, must feel good about your appearance, so that you can forget about how you look and concentrate on the message you are transmitting.

Your clothes should be well cut, fit perfectly, and be made of good fabric. It pays to spend as much as you can afford on a few plain, elegant suits. Your wardrobe might include an Oxford-gray suit to wear on television, a dark blue suit for public appearances, plus a navy blue blazer with dull-gold buttons and two pairs of gray pants—one light and one medium gray in color. These few pieces of clothing could be interchanged to take you through various situations. Add a tweed jacket in subdued tones for less formal occasions, and you are all set.

Avoid bold patterns, most plaids, checks, stripes, garish colors, and anything that attracts attention away from your face.

The three-piece suit with a vest is always a good choice.

Since the shoulder line is a part of the setting for your face, your jacket must fit smoothly across the shoulders with the lapel lying in a straight line. To keep the lapels in a smooth line down from the shoulder, unbutton the bottom button when sitting down.

 

Shirts. These days, you never know ahead of time when a TV camera crew will turn up at a public event, so it is important for the public person to be ready to be caught by a TV camera. The savvy public person no longer wears a blinding white shirt or even a “television blue” shirt. He wears a soft gray shirt because, when photographed, it will “read” white but won’t blind a camera lens.

Men’s shops often stock a variety of plain gray shirts that are perfect for the sophisticated public person. Gray is a flattering neutral color that is soft, inconspicuous, and retiring. It doesn’t “do” anything—it doesn’t attract attention, and the soft color is more compatible with skin tones. It is also elegant. It looks better with a dark suit because the contrast is not so great. It is excellent with navy, banker’s gray, and other colors.

As mentioned previously, white should not be worn on camera. This is not so much because the cameras cannot handle it, but because white is a dominating, blinding color that appears brighter than your face. Shut your eyes halfway and look critically at yourself in a mirror, and you will see the white shirt before you see your eyes and your face. When you look at a black-and-white photograph in the newspaper, the person in white looks twice as large as the person in black. When you hold a piece of white paper under your chin, you will see that the white color predominates.

Also pay a little attention to your shirt’s collar. The fit of your collar is important to the overall picture you present to those looking at you because it frames the lower part of your face and neck. If you have wrinkles on your neck, you can wear a collar that fits higher in front to cover the wrinkles to some extent.

Not only is a tight-fitting collar uncomfortable, it can draw lines that make your neck look bulkier than it is.

A button-down collar often bulges from the top down to the button and looks less sophisticated.

A smooth, neat collar that fits perfectly around your neck and under your jacket is your best choice.

 

Shoes and Socks. Always wear long, black socks because bare shins are very unattractive when you cross your legs during a business meeting with no table, on the speaker’s platform, or on a television studio’s set. Your shoes should be black, well fitting, and plain styled. Since you may have to walk long distances or stand on your feet for extended periods of time, your shoes should be comfortable and previously broken in.

Also it should not have to be stated that you should always wear shoes that are shined. It is amazing how simply wearing a pair of scuffed shoes can spoil an otherwise good-looking set of clothes.

If you are about to make a public appearance and notice that your shoes aren’t properly shined, it only takes five minutes to dash into a shoeshine shop. If you are in a strange city and don’t know where to get a quick shine, run into any upscale hotel. They usually provide such a service, often in the barbershop. Shoe repair shops will often shine shoes in a pinch.

If you find on your way to a public appearance that your shoes are shined but you have dried mud on the sides of the soles or heels, go into a men’s restroom and take the mud off with a slightly dampened paper towel.

 

Neckties. A man’s necktie is his one declaration of independence—his opportunity to express himself. Wear anything you like in your private life, but for your public appearances choose a quiet, neutral tie that does not attract attention away from your face. Any man who faces clients, professional peers, or a business group of any kind should think twice about what his choice of tie says about him. Some executives who appear frequently on TV even carry tried-and-true “television ties” in their briefcases. They put them on when they go on camera, and take them off when the program is over. This may be an extreme example, but it shows the care that should be taken in choosing your tie.

Avoid conspicuous patterns, plaids, stripes, polka dots, bright colors, and shiny fabrics. (It is amazing how many car salesmen wear ties that make them look like stereotypical car salesmen.) Also avoid black, most reds, and white. Select a tie made of a soft, dull-finished fabric, in a monotonic, middle-spectrum color.

Regard the selection of a tie as an opportunity to enhance the color of your eyes. The person with blue or gray eyes, for example, should own several plain, slate-bluish-gray ties. Combined with a gray shirt and a dark gray suit, this elegant combination shows off your eye contact first. Darker eyes look best with dark ties—consider such colors as wine, burgundy, slate, or dark blue. There are lovely soft paisleys, foulards, and neutral patterns in monochromatic colors, but it often takes some searching to find them.

Prepare yourself for a possible argument with the salesperson when you look for a quiet tie. He or she may think you have no taste for what’s currently popular. You may have to look past the stripes and brights to find a neutral tie with a dull finish. But if you persevere, you will emerge with a few perfect ties you thought you would never wear—until you understood the purpose the tie is to accomplish.

Many men have a dedication to red ties, which they regard as a spot of color. TV cameras had been installed on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for several years by the time the senators voted to allow them in the Senate chamber as well in the mid-1980s. At the time, the red “power tie” was just coming into vogue. When the Senate cameras were finally installed, it seemed like everyone was wearing red ties. Many a time I—and probably you—have turned on the television to see a panel of senators or bankers or journalists or whatever sitting in chairs all wearing the “uniform” of navy suits, white shirts, and the ubiquitous red ties—the ties looking like a row of red exclamation points. But the truth is that the red tie attracts too much attention to itself, and we see the brilliant red long before we see you.

Also the red tie reflects color under the jaw onto the skin tone and reddens the whites of the eyes. Look at the red ties you see on the street and you will realize that they make their presence known a long way off. The successful businessman or public official should not wear a red tie, in my opinion, but instead express his individuality in something more subtle.

Some very distinguished men like bow ties. With a bow tie, you can’t go halfway. You have to decide if it fits the image that you have of yourself, then you have to wear it all the time. A bow tie can be an effective accessory if you have a strong personality and consistently make it a part of your public image as Senator Paul Simon does.

 

Pocket Handkerchiefs. Many men like to tuck a silk or cotton pocket square into their suit jacket pockets. This can be very chic and fashionable, or it can end up looking cheap and flashy. The rule of thumb is to avoid using a light or brightly colored pocket square in the breast pocket, since it pulls the eye away from the face. Instead, choose one that is of a dark solid or printed color that (1) coordinates perfectly with the colors of your suit and tie, and (2) is well folded and not hanging out too much.

As a voice coach, I sometimes schedule several individual clients in the same day. I remember one such day when I noticed a series of pocket squares and how they worked with the rest of the clothes the men were wearing.

My first client, who was a CEO of an insurance company and gave many speeches, came in wearing very handsome clothes that I could not help admiring: He had on a plain navy suit with a blue shirt and a navy and burgundy-figured tie. Tucked into his suit pocket was a small silk square of plain burgundy that he had folded straight across the top. I remember thinking how distinguished he looked, and that discreet pocket square added just a little bit of dash. In short, he looked like a CEO, but one who was forward-looking and not afraid of being a bit fashionable.

The second client wearing a pocket square was a young man trying to get his first job as a TV correspondent. He wore a nice navy suit, but had on a white shirt, a boldly striped burgundy and white tie, and a white cotton pocket handkerchief that had been carelessly folded and was sticking quite far out of his pocket. His clothes were nearly the uniform worn by many TV anchors (indeed, he was attempting to copy them), but it was all wrong. On camera, or even on a podium, the white in his shirt, tie stripes, and even his pocket square would stand out too much from his navy suit.

The third man I gave a voice lesson to that day was a former salesman who had been promoted to become a public relations spokesperson for a major corporation. He always wore expensive suits, but often with too much jewelry. That day, his suit was a conservative gray with lighter-gray pinstripes, but he was wearing a tie with a paisley pattern of green and white. To make matters worse, he sported a silk pocket square that matched the tie, and he had folded it into points that stuck out quite far from his pocket. If he had just changed his tie and choice of pocket square, he would have looked very distinguished and a suitable representative of his company.

The lesson here is that it’s not just your choice of suit (all three of these suits were fine), or even your tie that makes for a tasteful appearance— your pocket square, small thing as it is, can enhance or detract from the overall image that you are presenting.

If in doubt, it is better to wear no pocket square rather than one that detracts from your appearance.

By contrast, last year I caught a gentleman in a TV makeup room tucking a gray wool thing into his suit pocket before he was about to be interviewed on a talk show. He noticed that I was looking at what he was doing, and he said, “Oh, you caught me. I always wear a pocket handkerchief, and I discovered this morning in the hotel that I’d left them all at home, so I’m using this instead.” And he pulled out of his pocket the object, which turned out to be a clean, well-folded ... sock. (Actually, it looked fine!)

 

Jewelry. Men should choose any jewelry that they wear very carefully. For example, if you wear a lapel pin that denotes an organization or whatever, it may flash light as you move, distracting your listeners. Also people will constantly be trying to figure out what it denotes, if anything. Thus, it is usually a good idea not to wear such a pin when you are appearing under bright lights.

Watches and rings should not be flashy or diamond-studded. If you like such jewelry, wear them once you are out of public scrutiny.

Avoid wearing necklaces. Even the open-shirt-collar Hollywood crowd and singers should consider not wearing them on TV or before large audiences.

Tie clasps generally look dated and usually flash in the light. If you feel that you need a tie clasp, try a tie tack, such as a single gray pearl, instead. Collar pins, on the other hand, look wonderful on some men.

For those men who sport a single earring, consider taking it off when you appear on TV—unless you’re in a rock video!

 

Emergency Kit. Consider assembling a kit for emergency situations. Pack a pair of long, black socks, a tried-and-true TV tie, a gray shirt, a disposable razor, a comb, and a compact of translucent blotting powder.

MAKEUP FOR WOMEN

Makeup has only one purpose: to enhance your natural beauty. It should maximize your good features and subtly diminish any problem areas. Your makeup should be a miracle of understatement and should not attract attention to itself. It should be becoming to your hair, skin, and eye coloring, and it should present you at your very best.

In Washington, D.C., where I live, a certain society hostess is well known not only for her wonderful parties, but also for her overdone makeup. She seems to spend a lot of time before a major party putting on several layers of the stuff, which ends up only seeming to cover up and distort what natural beauty she possesses. Other women in town are always talking behind her back about her bad taste in makeup, which includes drawn-in black eyebrows, a too-dark red lipstick, and a thick base that clogs in her forehead wrinkles.

The public should not see blatant, garish makeup first and the real you second. When attention is attracted to just the makeup, it is obviously too much. Some women go into beauty salons and come out looking like someone else. Obviously, this look cannot be maintained under public scrutiny. Makeup cannot transform you into something you are not; it is only temporary.

You don’t want your friends to say, “What beautiful makeup. Who did it for you?” or “You look like Greta Garbo.” Instead, you want them to say, “You look so beautiful!”

High-fashion makeup follows fads and endeavors to sell new products and “in” colors each season. But your face does not change very much with the seasons (unless you get a tan, of course). One season, the style is to apply white to the browbone; the next season it is rouge wandering up onto the cheekbones and temples; and the next season it is orangy lipstick.

It’s best to avoid excessive, attention-getting makeup altogether. Too much makes us wonder what the person is hiding, and we ask ourselves, “What does she look like without it?”

Whether you are an elected official, college professor, a management trainee about to be promoted, or a family finance investment counselor who meets with clients, you should be aware of these guidelines for good makeup. You should work out what is best for you and stick to it, presenting the same becoming, attractive look at all times. The only time you might want to change your basic look is when you are in evening clothes at some formal event.

Makeup is a highly individual thing. It is based on the bone structure and contours of your own face. However, there are some basic procedures involved in selecting and applying your own makeup, and this is what will be emphasized in this section.

As you read the tips given below, remember you are striving to look like yourself. You are enhancing your features, not distorting or obliterating them. You are bringing out your own natural beauty.

The basic procedure for applying makeup whenever you are going to appear in public is as follows:

1. Apply makeup base all over your face.

2. Eliminate the circles (dark shadows or hollows or puffy areas) under your eyes.

3. Contour cheekbones and, possibly, other portions of your facial structure such as at the jawbone.

4. Apply eye makeup.

5. Make up your mouth.

6. Use translucent, oil control-type powder lightly all over your face, concentrating on naturally oily areas such as the forehead and nose.

These steps are covered in more detail in the following subsections.

Base Color

Carefully choose a main base color that exactly matches or is slightly darker than your own skin tone. Base color that is even a shade lighter than your natural skin color can enlarge and fatten the face. It also makes a noticeable and unfavorable contrast with the true color of your neck and hands. When the color is too light, you can clearly see where the makeup begins and ends. The color must be a perfect match and must also be changed from season to season if your skin color changes. Between summer and winter, you may have to mix two shades together.

There is no such thing as one perfect base color for your face. A professional makeup person may easily mix three or four different tones to match the gradations of color in your skin. Using only one color can give a mask-like, flattened effect all over. Once you have chosen your base color, choose a couple of other colors—one lighter and one darker. Use the lighter shade under the eyes, and the darker one for contouring.

TV makeup artists call the makeup you buy at the department store makeup counters or drugstores “street makeup.” Most of these bases come in liquid form, while others come in creamy formulas in little pots. Another type comes in a compact formula, often called a combination base and powder formula. (This type of base is applied with a dry sponge.) Also cake-type bases are available, which are dry and must be applied mixed with water on a wet sponge. Bases can also come in a mousse formula that is released into your hand under pressure, similar to hair mousse.

One other type of base often used by actors, entertainers, and professional TV makeup artists is a creamy type that comes in a hard plastic tube that resembles a large lipstick case. This “stick” makeup is advanced by screwing up the bottom. It is applied with the fingers or a dry makeup sponge.

Generally speaking, the liquid bases, be they water based or oil based, provide the sheerest coverage; the pot-type and compact bases medium-heavy coverage; and the cake- and stick-type bases the heaviest coverage. Choose the type of base that is best for you by personal preference or skin type. And don’t be afraid to try new brands and formulas. Formulations are changed and improved upon all the time by manufacturers, and many women who have been using the same type of base for years are surprised at how much better they look in a new color and/or base type.

Contouring

Contouring is the art of playing light against dark to bring out the interesting or to de-emphasize the not-so-interesting features of your face. When you have chosen a base color, choose a couple of other colors—one lighter and one darker than your base color but in the same color family and of the same base type. Use the dark shade to diminish or blot out something you wish to recede. Use the light shade to increase or brighten something you wish to emphasize.

You can slightly change the shape of your face by defining your bone structure. The idea is to balance your features. If the nose is too long, darken its tip slightly. If it is too short or too wide, run a light stripe down its full length, darkening the sides. If you wish to shorten your whole face, darken up at the hairline and the bottom of the chin line, indenting the cheekbones. To lengthen the whole face, darken in front of the ears and lighten the point of the chin and the top of the forehead.

To sharpen the jawline and eliminate the look of a heavy neck run a line of dark base from ear to ear just under the jawbone. Stay two inches away from the collar or a neck scarf, carefully blending toward the base of the neck.

Any contouring you do must be subtle and nearly invisible. Cover the contoured areas with some base and translucent powder.

Contouring can also be done using a bit of blusher on a brush, but this is very tricky and must be done skillfully to be effective. Models, TV correspondents, and the like often use blush in this way—it’s usually quicker than using base colors and provides a healthy glow as well. To contour with blush, mix a small amount of powder blush and loose translucent powder on a large, clean, fluffy brush. Try brushing the mixture lightly on the forehead at the hairline area, in front of your ears at the hairline, and even a bit under your chin. When contouring with blush avoid the red shades and keep to the pink or slightly brownish-rose shades (for white skin) and the brown-burgundy shades (for black skin).

Circles under the Eyes

You may have inherited those circles under your eyes from your grandmother. Even so, you have to do something about them. One reason the circles are so conspicuous is because lights cast dark shadows under the eyes, and you must compensate for that. (TV lights are particularly guilty of this.) The other reason is that when you are tired, tense, worried, suffering from jet lag, your feet hurt, or you have been misquoted in the morning newspaper, it shows under the eyes first.

There are many good products on the market that aid in erasing those circles under the eyes. Try out several of them until you find something that is not chalky but is soft and creamy. I personally recommend the creamy types that come in little pots or tubes rather than the more waxy type that comes in a lipstick-like case.

Select a color one shade lighter than your base. Tap it gently into the delicate under-eye skin until you can no longer see it. Cover it carefully with a little translucent powder, and repeat the process. If you can see little fine lines, the mix is too dry. Keep it soft and fleshlike. Then, use a bit of your base color over all.

If you have puffy areas under the eyes with a circle below, try a slightly darker shade on the puffy areas. For white skin, apply pale ivory in the “ditch” with a fine-line brush, then blend it together by dotting on a little of your base color. With black skin, do the same using whatever color gives the best effect. Avoid using a brand of mascara that tends to flake, depositing black specks under the eyes.

With a little experimentation using these hints, you will soon find a procedure that successfully takes care of those circles.

Finally, whatever cover you select to use under your eyes can also be used to eliminate blemishes, skin discolorations, and age spots.

Cheek Color

Cheekbones are the most neglected part of your face—and the most attractive when they are given some attention. They mold your face, adding character and distinction. In my opinion, covering the cheekbones with rouge contours them out under most lighting situations.

To emphasize the cheekbones, you need to create an indentation underneath them. To do this, first use a normal base color on both the cheekbones and the jawbone. Find that soft hole between the two and press your finger there, against the upper back teeth. In that exact spot, apply a slightly dark contour color and bring it back toward the earlobe, without getting it on the upper and lower bones. Apply a soft blusher in the same area. Smile, and apply a bit of blusher on the prominent part of the cheek, avoiding the cheekbone itself.

Your colors, especially the dark color, should be blended enough to give a natural look. Try blending with a foam cosmetic sponge or a fresh cotton ball instead of using your fingers or a brush.

Try this several times in a mirror until you achieve the look you want. By indenting the cheekbones and contouring under the jawbone, you can take pounds off your face.

There are several types of blushers on the market. Generally speaking, for dry skin try a cream-style blush (sold in pots); for oily skin, a powder blush; and either type for normal skin. As one gets older, fine lines often appear around the cheek area (near eyes or nose), and powder blush often creeps into these lines. If you have this problem, switching to a cream blush will help.

In choosing a blush color, avoid selecting colors in the orange, bright pink, magenta, or bluey-red shades. Softer colors are more flattering to women of all ages—soft rose (often called “old rose”) or rose with a little brown in it are the colors to try for white skin. Soft peach tones are another good choice. With black skin, try richer shades tending toward wine or burgundy; but, again, avoid the bluey or magenta tones. Some blush colors that have brown blended in them look great on black skin.

Eye Makeup

Using effective eye contact is one of the most important ingredients in transmitting your message. Your eyes are part of your nonverbal body language. Therefore, your eye makeup should provide a soft, subtle effect around your eyes rather than dominate them. The object here is to have someone who is looking at you see the eyes first, not the eye makeup. The makeup should not intrude or distract from your eyes.

 

Eyeshadow, Eyeliner, and Eyebrow Color. Select soft, natural colors for your eyeshadow and eyeliner—brown, taupe, or gray rather than “beetle” green, bright blue, or plum, for example. Iridescent color catches the light with a vibrancy that can overpower your eyes.

Your eyeshadow should get lighter as it moves upward. You may wish to apply a darker line in the eye crease, but this can be overdone and could show when you blink your eyes. Always continue the color, subtly, up to the brow itself. Brush the eyeshadow color out slightly at the corners of the eyes.

Avoid applying whitish eyeshadow to the brow bone area.

Apply subtle eyeliner to the upper lids after you have applied your eyeshadow. Use little or no liner under the eyes, with no black smudges. Putting black liner under the eyes can make you look old and ill, especially on TV.

Eyeliner and shadow should be blended so that there are no harsh lines anywhere. Look critically at yourself to be sure that nothing overpowers the eye color, and that the makeup is flattering.

Put your eye makeup on using a magnifying mirror and a bright light so that you can see what you are doing.

Avoid using an eyebrow pencil on the brow, and never use a black, harsh line that looks fake. Instead, using a sponge-tipped applicator, try applying gray or brown eyeshadow to your eyebrow hairs. Start at the outer edge, and brush a little powder under the hairs, then smooth them down. This will give you a natural-looking color.

As mentioned above, the choice of eyeshadow and liner color is very important. Your first consideration should be what colors will enhance your eyes without drawing attention to the eye makeup itself. Your second consideration is choosing colors that look well with your eye’s natural iris color. Trying to match eyeshadow to the color of your clothes should be your last consideration. If you choose the right daytime eyeshadow colors, you may even be able to wear them most days, no matter what color your clothes are that particular day.

Although every makeup artist and every magazine article or book on the subject seems to have a conflicting opinion on what eye colors go best with what eye makeup colors, you can’t go wrong with the following general advice. (Note that the colors recommended are especially attractive on television.) On the chart given below, eye colors are followed by suggested eyeshadow colors:

• Brown eyes, white skin—Most browns, especially gray-browns and medium browns; taupe; slate gray.

• Brown eyes, black skin—Darker browns; charcoal gray (smudged and not too dark, however); grayed purples, if used subtly.

• Blue eyes and blue-gray eyes—Muted blue-grays; slate gray; steel gray; dove gray; taupe; never use bright blue, green, or turquoise.

• Gray eyes—Muted grays one to two shades darker than eye color; grayed taupe; blue-gray; avoid grays that are lighter gray than eye color or the exact gray as eye color; avoid any bright colors.

• Hazel eyes—Medium browns; taupe; medium grays; blue-grays or other muted blues; avoid most greens.

• Green eyes—Any gray, from pale dove gray through a smudged, subtle charcoal gray; smoky taupe; peachy brown; never use bright green.

Eyeliner colors should be chosen after you have selected your eyeshadow colors. Many women do not look good with black eyeliner but look wonderful using a navy blue, chocolate brown, or dark charcoal gray liner, especially if they use a soft eyeliner pencil. Thus, if you have chosen a blue-gray shadow, try experimenting with a subtle application of a navy blue or charcoal-gray liner pencil. Or if you chose a brown or a taupe shadow, try a dark brown liner.

If you are all thumbs, in a hurry, or “blind as a bat,” forgo eyeliner completely—it’s just not worth it.

One final eyeliner trick that many models use—try drawing a very thin line in navy or royal blue with a soft eyeliner pencil as close to your lower lashes as possible. Many women are able to carefully draw such a line just above the lower lashes, nearly inside the lower lid. (This is done by gently pulling down on the lower lid with several fingers while applying the liner.) The theory is that this dark-blue line opens up the eyes and makes the whites of the eyes look whiter. Try it yourself and see. (Note that this does not work with a gray or black or lighter blue eyeliner.)

 

Mascara. Mascara comes with two different bases: water and oil. The water-based mascara can be washed off with water and therefore dissolves and flakes when the eye is moist. The other, “waterproof ” formula can only be easily removed by using cold cream or a special oil-based remover often called “eye makeup remover.” However, no mascara is completely waterproof through a shower or swim. All mascaras eventually flake, and when you use a tissue under the eye after a few hours of wear, you can see how much of the color has moved down onto your skin. This is the biggest argument against the use of mascara; it can settle under your eyes and make you look older.

One way to prevent flaking is to apply the mascara mostly on the tips of the lashes. When the upper eyelids come down to the lower lids, they do not touch so much of the mascara, which thus tends to stay on longer.

Whether or not you use mascara on the lower lashes is a matter of personal choice. However, many women who use it on the lower lashes should not be doing so. These include women who constantly rub their eyes during the day or who tear readily because they wear contact lenses or for another reason. Such women end up with black flakes and smudges under the eyes toward the end of the day.

If you wear contact lenses, you should also avoid using the type of mascara that contains bits of fiber to thicken the formula.

Major cosmetic companies are now developing a clear, no-color mascaras. If you have trouble using mascara or it tends to flake on you, you might try using one of these new formulas.

Most women prefer plain black mascara, but navy blue or charcoal-gray mascara is also very flattering. Violet and other more vivid mascara colors should be avoided.

You might also consider trying false eyelashes. Some people believe that these are more natural looking than large quantities of visible mascara. If you decide to try false lashes, purchase good lashes with a soft look to them, and trim them to fit your own eyelids. Keep them short enough to look like you could have grown them yourself. Applying lots of mascara to false lashes defeats the whole purpose.

False eyelashes are applied with a tiny line of special glue. Actually, they can look very good when you cover the glued edge with a soft dark pencil and blend a little neutral brown or dark gray eyeshadow up over the eyelid.

Other tips: Some women find that applying a small amount of eyelash oil to their eyelashes overnight a couple of times a week keeps their lashes in better condition. (Just make sure you are using a product specially formulated for use around the eyes.) Some women powder their eyelashes between applying coats of mascara, but this is not recommended since eye irritation can result. Finally, if you curl your eyelashes, don’t overdo it, or you will get an unattractive baby-doll look.

Lipstick

Most women wear one or two colors of lipstick regularly—often for years at a time—and are so used to seeing themselves in mirrors and photographs with these shades on that they never change their look by experimenting with other colors. But this is a mistake for the public person. If you have not changed your lipstick colors in years, you may accidentally be wearing colors that are just not the most flattering to your face and your public image.

The main rule of thumb is to avoid fire engine red lipstick. When you wear such a color, people see your lips before they see your eyes or listen to what is being said. If you prefer the darker lipstick colors, there are still many on the market that are not as bright.

The color of your lipstick should more or less match the color of the inside of your mouth, and should not change much with the color of your clothes. Do not select a purplish lipstick to wear with a purple dress, or red with red, or orange with orange. Once you find one or two good, soft, flattering colors, stick to them; they will look good with most clothing colors.

People with white skin should try using lipsticks in any of the following color families: brownish old-rose, neutral brownish pinks, pinks that are not too bright, medium reds mixed with a hint of brown, and any color that closely matches the inside of your mouth.

People with black skin should try using shades that are deeper than those for white skins but do not overemphasize the mouth. Again, your eyes should be what the viewer looks at, not your lips. Try colors such as a muted red (but not too bright), red with a darker brown mixed in, browns in the darker shades, and burgundy or wine red as long as they don’t have a lot of purple or blue tones in them.

Everyone, no matter what skin color she has, should avoid bright corals or oranges, magentas, whitish pinks, and deep purplish red.

Many women routinely outline their lips with a lip pencil before applying lipstick. If you do this, make sure that the pencil line does not show after you have applied your lipstick. If it shows to the naked eye, it will show up even more in a photograph or on TV. Using a lip pencil takes skill and should not be attempted if you are not very adept in makeup application.

Using a lip-liner pencil can make the size of your lips more even. To narrow full lips, use a liner inside the lip line. To make thin lips look fuller, use the lip liner just outside the lip line. Similarly, to even up lips of different sizes, outline the thin one outside of its natural line and use lip liner inside the line of the fuller one.

In applying lipstick, many women find that applying base over their lips before applying lipstick looks good. This can help to correct a slightly uneven lip line or any small discolorations in pigment you may have on your lips. Sometimes applying a small amount of powder will also work to set the base before applying lipstick. Powdering your lips lightly before applying lipstick can also help the lipstick last longer.

Lipstick comes in regular screw-up tubes, pots, or in plastic squeeze tubes. Many women find they prefer to use the regular screw-up type directly from the tube; however, if you have always had trouble doing this, buy a stiff lipstick brush and experiment using this to apply the lipstick. If you have never tried using lipstick that comes in a little pot, you may be surprised to find that it is easier to apply than you think. This type of lipstick can be applied with a lip brush or a finger. The type of lipstick that comes in squeeze tubes is often more difficult to apply.

Lip gloss that is too shiny should be avoided, whether it is used alone or over regular lipstick or it is clear, flesh-toned, or colored. Just like a lipstick that is too red, such gloss can draw too much attention to the mouth and away from the eyes. However, there are some glosses on the market that are not high gloss at all; they simply soften the skin of the lips and provide a very low-gloss sheen.

If you are older and have very fine lines around your lips, perhaps in a fan shape around the mouth, your lipstick may bleed or seep out of your lip area onto the skin around your face. If you have this problem, use extra base and powder and avoid darker or brighter lipstick colors. Instead, try a rose pink mixed with a little brown.

Another problem that many women have is lipstick getting on their front teeth. Again, if you have this problem (which is very difficult to correct), you should use less lipstick and avoid the brighter lipstick colors.

Most women should use a bit of moisturizer on their lips at night, summer and winter. This really does help to keep your lips softer. And don’t forget to use sunscreen under your lipstick when you go outdoors. This simple habit can make a great difference in the condition of your lips.

Powder

After applying makeup, nearly every woman should apply at least some translucent finishing powder. If you have very dry skin, you may still need some powder on the tip of your nose and/or your forehead before being photographed or going on TV. If you have medium skin or combination dry and oily skin, apply powder to the “T” zone of your face, where most of the oil production takes place—across the entire forehead and the nose area—plus on the chin. If you have very oily skin, you can fluff lots of powder all over your face.

After you have applied makeup in the morning, try using loose powder, applied with a large, soft puff, brush, or cotton ball. If you use a puff or a brush, keep it very, very clean. Loose powder sets the makeup better than compact powder and can be applied more liberally, with the excess dusted off. Choose a translucent color when buying loose powder; even darker skins can use a loose powder formulated for black skin tones with just a slight tint in it.

Once you have left the house, carry a compact-type of powder with you, preferably a brand labeled “translucent, oil-control.” Many regular powders that are colored and come in compacts have the ability to correct color problems on your face but are very poor at cutting down on the shine.

TELEVISION MAKEUP FOR MEN AND WOMEN

If you are about to go on television for the first time, you are, naturally, very concerned about how you will look. Or maybe you have been on TV before, such as when a reporter unexpectedly stuck a microphone in your face as you were walking out of a building. You may not have been so concerned about how you looked in such a situation, since you had no control over whether your hair was messy or your nose was shiny.

But now you are going to be on camera under more controlled circumstances. Maybe you will be giving a speech that will be televised; maybe you are going on a local or nationally televised talk show; or maybe you are running for public office and the cameras have begun following you around. Perhaps you’ve been on TV many times before but have finally become concerned about your aging or balding or have noticed that the camera is recording a few extra pounds under the chin.

Not to worry—this section is for you.

The following subsections explain what TV cameras and lights do to your appearance; how to put on your own makeup if there is no makeup artist on-site; and what to expect from a makeup artist if you are fortunate enough to have one.

Why You Need to Wear Makeup on TV

It is important that you wear makeup whenever you are going to appear on television. This is true for both men and women and whether you apply your own makeup or you are going to be made up by a TV makeup artist.

In the mid-1950s when I was just starting out in the TV industry as the host of several local, live shows, I used to apply makeup to my guests, male and female. Even though TV was in black-and-white in those days, my guests just seemed to look better with makeup than without.

Three or four years after I had been doing this, a producer from CBS asked if I would come and put makeup on one of his guests on a show that was a forerunner of “Face the Nation.” (His show shared a studio with mine, and he said that he had seen how good my guests looked compared to his.) He told me that the guest was to be Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn and that they would be using four cameras ranging all around him—shooting even from the back—instead of the usual two. The problem was that Mr. Rayburn was bald, and the producer was worried that his head would shine too much, especially when he was shot from behind. So I did Mr. Rayburn’s makeup that day. (By the way, it was then that I became a TV makeup artist for CBS—which I still am.)

Mr. Rayburn saw himself on the monitor before and after the makeup was applied, and he and the producers were pleased with the result. The next time he appeared on that show, he couldn’t wait to be made up. As he put it, “I want to please all of those old maids and widows out there!”

Those days are long gone, but they were truly the dawn of the use of TV makeup, particularly for men. You, too, should wear makeup when you go on TV. You’ll understand the reasons for this even better as you read on in this section.

 

What TV Lights and Cameras Do to Your Appearance. Makeup for television is designed to compensate for two things—bright overhead lights and enhanced cameras. Between them, these can add ten years and ten pounds to your appearance.

The overhead lights found in TV studios are mounted high in the ceiling. One problem with these lights is that they cast shadows on the face, and the sensitive camera lenses take pictures of the shadows. The shadows fall under the eyes and into the natural lines and wrinkles in your face. Television makeup can minimize this process and make you look more as if you were being seen in person.

TV cameras have x-ray eyes. Today’s lenses are greatly enhanced, and they see more than the eye can see. As they move into closeup, they do not go out of focus as your eye does. The cameras keep coming, and they maximize details that cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Television cameras emphasize gradations of color, beard whiskers under the skin (even if you just shaved, the whiskers will show up as shadow if they are darkish in color), freckles, wrinkles, dark circles under the eyes, scar tissue, moles, liver spots, or any skin imperfection. An indentation in the skin may come out looking like a black hole. Little beads of sweat are highly visible. The natural skin oils make the forehead, cheeks, and nose look shiny. Bald heads shine like beacons. A little bit of hair spray on the skin can shine like cellophane. The shine makes the face look larger than life and therefore heavier. The lights also flatten the face, tending to drain the color, as does bright sunlight. Pink or red in the skin may look brighter red on camera.

And all of this is just what happens to your face—imagine how odd your clothes can suddenly look.

Putting on Your Own Makeup for TV: Women

Please read the previous section on basic makeup for women. Since most of the information given in that section applies to TV makeup as well, I will just touch on a few pointers here.

The four basic rules are: (1) Try to look natural, not overdone. Understated is better than exaggerated; (2) Avoid bright colors, which the camera will record as even brighter. This is especially true of bright blue or green eyeshadows and bright red or orangy or purplish lipsticks; (3) Pay particular attention to dark circles or shadows under the eyes; and (4) Use powder to eliminate shine, particularly on the nose and forehead.

Keep your makeup subtle. If you have white skin, choose a base slightly warmer than your skin tone. If you have black skin, choose a base very close to your natural skin color. Indent the cheekbones using rouge as a contour. Contour under the chin; this will also take advantage of the shadow that is cast by the jawbone due to the overhead lights. Eliminate the circles cast by the lights under the eyes by bringing the base up to the lower eyelid. Avoid using bright eyeshadows; instead, use soft browns or grays on the eyelids. Use a translucent, oil-control powder to remove the shine.

Don’t apply moisturizer to your face before you make a television appearance; it often shines on camera as if you had very oily skin.

A special word about lipstick. As mentioned above, never use bright red lipstick on TV. Instead, match your lipstick to the inside of your mouth and tongue. It is especially important not to use shiny lip gloss on TV, which catches the light and glistens into the camera. This can make the mouth look abnormally large and attract undue attention to the lip movements.

Never outline the mouth with very dark lip pencil. Such an outline never looks natural and can be plainly seen by the enhanced cameras. When you need to make a thin lip look wider, use a pencil the same color as the lipstick.

Once you have discovered the makeup that looks good on you, do not change it with the fads of commercial, high-fashion makeup. Leave that to runway models and department store cosmetic salespeople.

Putting on Your Own Makeup for TV: Men

The purpose of television makeup for men is to make them look the same on the home TV set as they look in person—if not a little better. As noted previously, you must compensate for the distortions of overhead studio lights and the enhanced camera lenses. The cameras see details of the beard, blemishes, purple veins, red noses, or discolorations you would not normally notice.

Twenty years ago, few men were so concerned about their appearance on TV that they were willing to apply makeup before appearing on camera. Most men who were on TV regularly would allow a TV makeup artist to apply makeup, but they balked at putting it on themselves when no makeup artist was available.

Now all that is changing. Men in many professions are now learning what actors, singers, TV anchors, and others have long known: Even a little makeup can do wonders for your appearance on TV. Politicians particularly are finding that their appearance seems to mysteriously repel or attract votes.

This section is for those men who are willing to improve their appearance on TV by learning how to apply a little makeup to themselves. And remember, often you only need a very little to improve how you look on camera.

TV makeup for men is mainly aimed at doing the following things:

1. Eliminate circles under your eyes. This is done by applying a small amount of base or foundation under the eyes. Use a color one shade lighter than your skin tone. Apply the base with a very light hand and blend well so that it does not show. For this, you can either use a regular foundation or special cover-up for the under-eye area. If you are using the latter, choose one that comes in a pot (which will be soft and creamy) rather than one in a stick like a lipstick shape (which can go on chalky and waxy).

2. Cover up your whisker area (upper lip and beard areas) if you have dark whiskers, even if you just shaved. Studio lights penetrate a couple of layers of skin, and the whiskers can show even if you did just shave. The best thing for this is a base formulated for TV, which is easily available in larger cities at theatrical supply stores (the kind that sell costumes and supplies for the stage). You can find such stores listed in the Yellow Pages of the telephone directory. If there is no such store in your area, try a regular creamy base of the kind that comes in a compact and is often called “base and powder.” (Important hint: Get a woman to go shopping with you so that you don’t accidentally end up with the dry cake type you need to mix with water, which comes in a similar-looking, compact-type container.) Choose a color exactly matching your skin color or one shade darker. Don’t attempt to give yourself a fake tan by buying a shade that is too dark. Apply with a dry foam cosmetic sponge, firmly pushing the base into the pores of the skin. Blend well so that it doesn’t show.

3. Eliminate shine. Use a translucent, oil-blotting powder on the nose and forehead to eliminate shine. If you are balding, powder your head as well—embarrassing, but it’s well worth it. Choose a powder color close to your natural skin color. Translucent powders don’t add much color to the skin, so they might appear lighter in the compact than they do on the skin. Such powders are available in any drugstore. If you are black and cannot find the right powder in a drugstore, you may have to go to a department store cosmetic counter that specializes in products for darker skin tones.

4. Absorb perspiration. If you sweat under camera lights, try using a shaving lotion with an alcohol base or apply some witch hazel before you go on camera. You can also blot your face with a tissue just before you go on.

5. Smooth your hair, if necessary. Make sure no errant hairs are sticking straight up at the part. If so, use a touch of hairspray on your fingers or comb to tame them. Never let hairspray get directly onto the skin of your face because it’s shiny and will reflect light into the camera lens.

If you have a pet, a two-year-old, or dandruff, brush your lapels and shoulders before going on camera.

Finally, a word about moisturizers for men. While a ruddy, weatherbeaten face may seem sexy to some, it won’t look very good on camera. The gradations of color, the crow’s-feet eye wrinkles, peeling skin, and rough texture are all amplified by the lens of the TV camera. To counteract this, men should use moisturizers and sunscreens or sunblocking lotions regularly. However, do not apply a moisturizer to your face before you go on television, since it will shine too much on camera.

Being Made Up by a TV Makeup Artist

Most network television bureaus and some local television stations have resident TV makeup artists. If in doubt, ask the producer booking you as a guest if makeup is provided.

A good TV makeup person can’t work miracles, but sometimes it seems that he or she does just that. For some people—such as a man who has dark whiskers and jet-lag circles under the eyes and messy hair—even three minutes with a makeup artist can mean the difference between looking like a nervous bandit or a distinguished executive. A woman with dangling earrings, bright blue eyeshadow, bright red lipstick, and a yellow scarf around her neck can turn a come-hither look to a listen-to-me-I-know-what-I’m-talking-about look if the makeup artist just undoes her a bit. For most people, the makeup artist can make you look like yourself, but with a professional, pulled-together appearance.

She (I say “she” for simplicity; there are many skilled male TV makeup artists) does this because she knows how to compensate for those TV lights and unblinking cameras. She knows the quirks and limitations and characteristics of that particular studio. She knows how good the studio’s lighting person is, if those particular lights do strange things to certain colors (usually whites, yellows, greens, and reds), what colors vibrate on camera, and how the director prefers the guests to look (some are fussy about shiny noses, messy hair, or bright jewelry). She also knows how the background color of the set will work with your face and clothing colors.

She does not use high-fashion makeup techniques. She is probably not a hairdresser. But she will make you look much better than you would without her.

Basically, what the makeup person will do is what you could have done yourself, only she will do it faster and better. She will eliminate the circles under your eyes and apply a base lightly over your face to eliminate the beard, blemishes, or gradations of color; that is, she will even up your skin tone where necessary. Then she will indent the cheekbones (if needed), and possibly contour under the chin to sharpen the jawline. Powder will eliminate the shine. For women, eye makeup, cheek color, and lipstick will complete the procedure. She will also neaten and smooth your hair if necessary.

At the Studio. To take advantage of a makeup person’s professional skills, arrive early. A rushed makeup job usually looks like a rushed makeup job.

It is important to inform the makeup person if you are wearing contact lenses. It could be a disaster to pop one out just before you go on camera. It is also important not to get any foreign substance in the eye.

Men sometimes feel nervous walking into a makeup room and will often say, “I never use makeup,” which may actually mean that they have had a bad experience in the past with an inept makeup person. For example, about a year ago I was about to make up a political analyst who was going on a morning news show. Always a blunt man, he said he “didn’t want makeup.” When I asked him why, he told me that the last time he’d been made up, the makeup person swathed him in a frilly apron, spent about fifteen minutes working on him, and even got makeup on his shirt collar despite the apron. I told him I wouldn’t do any of those things and asked him to please trust me.

He did, and as he was leaving, he told me that he was glad that he had. He thanked me for “restoring his faith in makeup artists.”

An inept makeup artist may do what that one did to the political analyst, or she may try to coat the face with heavy makeup, giving an embalmed look. She may even try to apply eye makeup (!) to a man.

In such a case, you are justified in insisting on less makeup or going into the men’s room and undoing some of what was done to you. Most makeup artists, however, will make you look great on camera.

Refuse makeup if you have skin lesions or a similar problem. Simply tell the producer in advance. The director may be able to avoid close-ups and will understand the situation. If you have a cold or flu or a contagious condition such as a cold sore or fever blister, tell the makeup artist. If you have had an allergic reaction to makeup in the past, discuss this with her and at least consider letting her apply translucent powder to eliminate the shine.

Both men and women should remove a dark jacket before being made up. Also, take off your glasses as soon as you sit down in the makeup room’s chair.

When you are being made up, your first impulse may be to clench your eyes tightly shut. Don’t. Instead, open your eyes and look into the mirror or up at the ceiling. The makeup person has to bring the makeup base up to your lower eyelids, which is impossible if you squint and shut your eyes. Looking upward firms the muscle under the eye so that the makeup can be applied to eliminate the circles.

Experienced TV anchors who go on camera daily often rush into the makeup room clutching scripts, seat themselves in the makeup chair with a cheery “hello,” and immediately look upward.

While being made up, do not wrinkle up your forehead or frown, because this makes it impossible to eliminate the lines in your face. Smile a little to make the forehead smooth.

Do not drink coffee, read your script or notes, smoke a cigarette or cigar, or try to talk on the telephone while being made up. The makeup person usually has a very limited time in which to apply your makeup. If you are trying to do something else that lowers or turns your head away from her or prevents her from asking you questions, time is being wasted. Give the makeup process your undivided attention.

Similarly, do not turn your head away from the makeup person. She has to look you in the eye to decide what she is going to do. She has to see the way the light hits your bone structure and decide which colors will match your skin. She has to work slightly in front of you. When you turn away, possibly in conversation with the booking producer or your own assistant or someone else, the makeup person must move around in front of you and come between you and the other party. If you must have a conversation with someone, at least keep looking straight ahead into the mirror while you talk.

If you object to something being done to you, query the makeup artist politely. Don’t pull your head away suddenly or you may end up with powder on your lap or mascara on your cheek.

After you are done, look at yourself in the mirror. You should look natural. For men, however, the makeup may show in the makeup room a little bit, but it should be invisible on camera. For women, make sure that the color of your lipstick is soft and that everything is well blended. Everyone should give hair and clothes one last check in the makeup room mirror.

If there is time and monitors are available (each studio varies on such factors), the makeup artist may have an opportunity to check your appearance on camera once you are on the set. This is usually called a “camera check” or a “makeup check.” Don’t be surprised if she comes up to you with more powder or a hairbrush once you are seated and “miked up.” One cannot predict the effect of the lights or know in advance what the monitor will reveal. TV correspondents go through this all the time.

Relax. You should feel secure in the knowledge that your appearance is working for you and you are looking your best.

HAIR

Women’s Hair

Your hairstyle has a significant role to play in creating your total look. It must form a frame around your face that presents you to your audience. Your hair should never dominate your image, obscure your good points, or attract undue attention to itself. (Remember the beehives of the 1960s.)

Your hairstyle should fit your head, creating a soft, natural, flattering aura around your facial features. Consider your assets—your eyes and eye contact, brow bones, cheekbones, jawline, and the length of your neck. The ideal hairstyle should be layered, shaped, and fitted to your individual characteristics. For most women, a face-flattering hairstyle partially covers the ears and comes just to the shoulders.

The hair must not obscure the eyes or keep falling down over them. Eye contact can be preserved by allowing three-quarters of an inch of space above and around the eyes to compensate for the shadows cast by light.

Your hair should curve to fit the cheeks and jawline. A great shock of unruly hair that entirely ignores individual facial contours is unbecoming and makes you appear unable to control it.

Avoid an elaborate, rigid hairdo that has to be fixed with hairspray until it feels like barbed wire. Everyone can name at least one well-known woman, often in her fifties, who hasn’t let a hair on her head move in public in a decade. Also avoid a style that is easily disturbed, difficult to manage, or comes apart with the slightest breeze. The hairstyle that takes constant vigilance attracts unfavorable attention. Pushing the hair away from the eyes, fidgeting with the ends, and rearranging strands are distracting gestures.

Adopting a simple, easily cared for style, preferably one that can be washed daily and does not require too much time, is the smart thing to do.

Once you have found an attractive style, stick to it for at least a few years. There is no point in changing your hairstyle with every public appearance. Search until you find a reliable hair stylist, who will do your hair the way you like it.

 

Women’s Hair Color. Avoid artificial hair color if you possibly can, since it is often detectable. The roots eventually become visible, requiring touch-ups. TV cameras enhance the imbalance of color between dark roots and bleached ends.

Also, hair-dye chemicals can damage the hair and split the ends. Cameras often distort the red range, giving the hair an orange cast, and they can turn artificial blond hair tones brassy looking.

Believe it or not, the natural color of your hair is probably the most becoming color you can wear; this is true even if you are turning gray. Nature softens the color of the hair around the face as one grows older by adding gray. Gray at the temples is very distinguished looking. The best possible hair color on camera, in fact, is iron gray. As one ages, dyed black hair looks more and more harsh and unnatural. It looks the same all over the head, while natural hair has many gradations of color to soften the look.

Men’s Hair

Your hair is a highly individual matter, and you, the wearer, must feel that the style is becoming. Keep your hair neat, well trimmed, and layered to fit your individual facial characteristics. Hair looks best when it is long enough in the back to come just above the collar.

Regard your hair as being the picture frame around the face.

Ears are not attractive on TV, and it is usually best to have the top half of them covered by hair. Ears tend to widen the face, turn red when you are tense, and even catch shiny hairspray. A good photographer, for example, may not photograph both ears head on but may have you tilt your head so that one ear is minimized.

If you have always worn the hair short above the ears, look at your face in the mirror and cover the tops of your ears with your fingers. You may see a difference.

In order to avoid having someone cut your hair too short around the ears, don’t get a haircut just before a public appearance.

Keep the hair in front of the ears even with the sideburns.

Gray spreading through your hair is very distinguished looking. It is nature’s way of softening the look around your face. Dyed dark hair next to older skin is not flattering.

Some beards can be very distinguished looking, but they must be well-cared for. A well-sculpted beard can narrow a wide jawline. The beard determines the expression of your face, so it should not be turned downward.

Scraggly hair that covers the cheeks and upper lip detracts from the facial expression.

A mustache becomes a major part of the impression you make. Use special blunt-ended scissors to trim the hair above the lip line. Your lips should not be covered, since many people unconsciously read lips and need to “see” what is said. A drooping mustache that points downward gives a negative visual image. Confine the mustache within the natural laugh lines, and, if possible, layer the hair up toward the nose in order to avoid blunt edges.

 

Being Bald. If you are bald or balding, it is best to accept it gracefully. You are not alone. Consider it an individual characteristic, and concentrate on making your eyes and face more expressive.

However, there are some things that you can do to minimize that broad expanse of forehead. Realize that your face from chin to eyebrows is five or six inches long, and it is the same distance from your eyebrows to the top of your head. You can habitually tip the head slightly upward, to expose more of the face and less of the forehead. When you lean downward, less of your face shows. You need to keep the jaw level with the floor, and the basic posture of your body turned upward. Notice in your bathroom mirror that you can minimize the amount of visible bare skin by tilting your face up into the light.

Apply a little powder to the light-catching cranial bone as needed to dull the shine. Translucent powder is invisible, but makes a big difference in reducing the glare on top of the head.

Normally the hair would form a flattering frame around the face. With no hair on top, you should maximize the hair you have as much as possible. Keep the sideburns longish, slightly covering the tops of the ears. Bring your hair down to the collar in the back if it is curly, the look suits you, and you feel comfortable with it. Keep the rest of your hair slightly long as well.

Never try to bring a long lock of hair across the bald spot in the back of your head, across the top of a bald head, or across a receding hairline in the front. The errant lock rarely stays in place and requires constant and conspicuous attention. This attempted method of covering baldness usually fools no one and makes you look vain and fussy about your appearance.

I recently watched in amazement while a psychiatrist who was about to address a group of his peers carefully wound what must have been an eight-inch-long lock of hair around and over his very bald head and attempt to hold the arrangement together with hairspray. His elaborate effort to look more youthful just ended up looking vain.

Lowering the part does not work well, either, because it throws the symmetry of the face off balance and destroys the harmonious proportions of the hair.

Never use hairspray directly on your skin. It contains lacquer and seals the pores so that makeup or powder will not adhere. It also “reads” very shiny under available natural sunlight or artificial studio lights. To control a few stubborn hairs, spray the hairspray on your fingers and apply lightly to the hair only.

Avoid sunburn on the forehead as much as you can. A sunburned head distracts the eye away from your face. Use a high-numbered PABA sunscreen (fifteen or above) for protection against burning and skin cancer. Wear a hat when out on a boat, riding in a convertible, golfing, or whatever.

Are you tempted to get hair transplants? Unfortunately, they can often be detected. Also, hair transplants are hard to keep secret, especially after you have reached a certain degree of prominence in the public eye. Once they find out about it, the press and public seem to remember for a very long time that you have had hair transplants.

Some hairpieces are fairly successful when done by an expert who blends them carefully with your own hair. One style is woven into your hair, and you never take it off. The whole thing flips up so that you can take a shower. This type has to be redone about every six months as the hair grows.

Many actors and famous people wear hairpieces and everyone knows it. To everyone’s delight, NBC News weatherman Willard Scott occasionally takes his hairpiece off on the air. The audience loves him for it.

Full-head wigs, on the other hand, almost always look artificial. Your own hair has gradations of color that wigs often do not imitate successfully. For example, nature gives you a little gray at the temples. The gray gives a salt-and-pepper effect here and there that looks natural. Wigs tend to carry one color combination throughout. It is also difficult to conceal the net base and the hairline.

Being bald is not a disadvantage. All of your other gifts, skills, and personality make you what you are—not what’s on or not on your head.

Dandruff

You should never arrive for a business meeting, a meeting with clients, or a public appearance with dandruff on the shoulders of your jacket or on your lapels. Everyone has the impulse to brush it off for you since you did not.

As I was walking to the subway stop recently, a well-dressed man who was shaking hands with as many people as possible entering the station stopped me by saying: “Hello, I’m Joe So-and-So and I’m running for mayor . . .” As he continued his short spiel, he shook my hand with his right hand and constantly scratched his head with his left hand. He had more dandruff on his new-looking suit than I’d seen on any man’s clothes lately. I threw his brochure away as soon as I was out of his sight.

In short, if you know you have a problem with dandruff, there is simply no excuse not to do something about it before your public appearance.

There are many shampoos on the market today that effectively eliminate most cases of dandruff. If commercially available shampoos do not seem to be working on your case of dandruff, consult your doctor. If you have the kind of dandruff that persists most of your life, wash your hair daily with a dandruff shampoo. Also be careful not to use someone else’s brush or comb.

On TV, dandruff shows up on your shoulders like grains of sparkling white sand. Usually the studio’s floor manager will remove any dandruff with sticky tape, but you cannot count on this. As a public person, it is your responsibility to take steps to eliminate dandruff.

WOMEN’S HANDS

Your hands will be very much in the picture, and they thus deserve tender, loving care. Use a good hand cream, containing lanolin, to keep them soft. Protect the backs of the hands from dark spots by using a sunblock. Any spots you already have can be covered up by applying a little makeup base.

To make the fingers look longer, taper the nails slightly and use a clear, pink-tinged, or flesh-colored polish. Not only do such colors look professional and good with all clothing colors, but if the nail polish gets chipped or has worn off the tips of your nails, it is not very noticeable.

Long, red fingernails cut off the ends of the fingers and attract too much attention to themselves. Long, red, artificial glue-on nails may seem to express excessive preoccupation with your appearance.

Many busy women think that it is worth the time and expense of going to a professional manicurist a couple of times a month, especially if they travel constantly. If you have never had such a manicure done before, try it once to see if it is for you. Having your nails look good all of the time without much effort on your part may just give you a small boost of confidence every time you look at your hands.

Be sure to ask the manicurist to apply the natural or pearly pink colors suggested earlier, and ask for an extra top-coat layer. Don’t let her talk you into a polish that is bicolored, too dark, too bright, or an “evening look.”

If you are one of those people who bite your nails or cuticles, now is a good time to break the habit. Getting professional manicures on a regular basis can help because you will be less apt to mess up the manicure that you have paid for and looks so good.

Your hands must look good when you gesture; they must be an effective part of your total look without attracting too much attention away from your face.

EYEGLASSES

Eyeglasses become a vital part of your general appearance because they control access to your eye contact. It is important that people see your eyes rather than your glasses. Since they are a barrier between the viewer and your eyes, they should be reduced to a minimum and not attract attention on their own.

If you see your glasses first and your eyes second, then do something about them. Find frames that are not too big or too flashy. The design should be simple and should not obscure your brows or alter the expression of your face. Glasses that come down to the tip of your nose are too big for your face and tend to distort your cheekbones. Also avoid frames that come down too low onto the fleshy part of the cheek under the eye. In other words, the glasses should not dominate or obscure your features.

Look for frames that have a thin ribbon of soft, dull-colored metal around the lenses. Avoid gold, silver, or other shiny metal frames, frames that are jet black plastic, or wild colors of any kind. One very flattering idea is to choose a frame color that matches your hair. Or try on rimless glasses that have no metal at all on the lower half of the lenses.

In choosing frames, take into consideration the shape of your face, the size of your cheek and brow bones, the slant of your brows, your hairline, and any facial hair you may have. Glasses can make your face look slimmer and soften sharp angles. They should balance the top and bottom of your features; and they should enhance your own good looks, not overpower your strong points.

Ben Franklin or granny glasses should be avoided in public, because they catch too much light and sit too far out in front of your face.

Glasses should fit snugly enough so that you do not have to constantly push them up into the correct position; such a gesture can be distracting. Have your optician fit your glasses properly to your head and adjust the eye angle for you.

If you wear glasses only for reading, it is fine if you put them on as you refer to your notes, remove them when you have finished, and continue speaking without them.

Eyeglasses on TV

It is especially important when you are appearing on television that your glasses frames not be shiny, fancy, or flashy, because they obscure your eye contact with the camera. Glasses reflect the studio lights, flashing when you move your face.

If you find that your glasses constantly give you trouble on camera, by all means select a new pair for use on TV. Meanwhile, you can eliminate the shine to some extent by putting cream makeup or a touch of powder on the frames. You can also eliminate some of the glare spots by positioning the glasses so that the bottom is closer to your cheeks than the top. You may feel that this looks slightly strange; but, in fact, it only raises the shafts a little above your ears and does not show on the camera at all.

Another solution is to have your optician send the lenses to a laboratory to have a special clear coating applied. This will eliminate the light flaring off the glasses on camera.

Never wear tinted glasses that shade your eyes on TV, since they change to strange colors under the lights and block your eye contact. They also make you look like a shifty-eyed bandit type. This applies to the combination regular glasses/sunglasses that change with exposure to light, and to permanently tinted glasses, including those that are very faintly or only partially tinted. Yellow, brown, or rose-tinted glasses look especially bad on camera.

Contact lenses are wonderful if you can tolerate them. They now have highly refined characteristics, are relatively inexpensive, and are easier to take care of than ever.