Grooming for Success
A Presentation by Rajiv Bajaj
Objectives
To understand what is “Grooming”
To understand the importance of Grooming
To understand the relation between personal
appearance and image projection
To discuss some do‟s & don‟ts of Grooming
What is Grooming ?
The process of making yourself look neat ,
presentable and attractive; or
The measures that you take to make yourself
and your appearance tidy and pleasant
Why Grooming is important..
Because..
First impression is the last impression
It is usually formed within the first 5 minutes
of meeting someone
The Golden Rule is…
You have only ONE chance to make a good
first impression
And also because…
Whether real or imaginary, most important fact
is that your appearance influences the
opinions of everyone around you
People evaluate you & form perceptions
about you based solely upon your
appearance
These Perceptions are about …
Your professionalism
Your level of sophistication
Your intelligence & competence
Your credibility & trustworthiness
Although nothing takes the place of talent,
hard work, innate ability and ambition,
looking your professional best in the
workplace can give you a competitive
advantage
It simply requires dressing in a way that
projects an image of the sophisticated,
successful working individual you are
or would like to become
Always Remember
The old adage “ Clothes maketh a man” has
adapted to modern times
It now reads as…
“Clothes and manners do not make the
man; but, when he is made, they greatly
improve his appearance” - Unknown
Personal Grooming
Habits –
General
These include…
All the aspects of your body -
Overall Cleanliness Hygiene
Hair Nails
Teeth Uniform / Clothes
Make-up Accessories
Cleanliness
&
Hygiene
Hygiene
Being clean & healthy is the first & basic
step towards good grooming
Take a bath / shower regularly – at least once
a day
Body odour can be offensive – If you suffer
from it, seek medical attention. Use mild
deodorants
Teeth
Brush teeth twice a day. Remember to rinse
your mouth after every meal
Smoker ? Rinse your mouth after every smoke
and use a mouth freshener
Bad Breath ? Use a mouthwash regularly
Nails
Clip nails short, along their
shape
Clean below the edge to
remove dirt regularly
Healthy body ensures
healthy nails. Brittle or
discoloured nails signify
deficiencies or disease
conditions
Hair
It is your crowning glory. Maintain a length and
style at which you can handle easily
Wash it at regular intervals
Dandruff problems ? Curable – Contact a
Dermatologist. Avoid dark shirts or tops
Coloured streaks in hair are frowned upon
in the corporate world !
Hair Styles - Women
Adopt a neat hairstyle with hair
pulled back from the face
If longer than jaw-line, it should be
tied into a bun
Hair holding devices should be plain
and of subdued colours
Hair colour not more than one or two shades
darker or lighter than your natural hair colour
Unnatural colors must be avoided
Avoid an oily look
Should be well groomed with a neat
appearance at all times
Hair Styles - Men
Should not cover the ears, eyebrows
Desired Length – above the collar line
No spikes !
Facial hair – Shave regularly. The „IN‟ look of
a stubble is definitely „OUT‟ as far as the
workplace is concerned !
Moustache / sideburns must be neatly
trimmed
Beards are not recommended
Make-up &
Cosmetics
Make-up
Should be natural looking
Nail polish and lip color should not be too
trendy or bright
Avoid extremely dark, bright reds and
fluorescent colors
Use Mild fragrances
Jewellery
&
Accessories
Accessories for Women
Jewellery should be
tasteful and simple..
Should be kept
minimal and
conservative
Women
Avoid all facial piercing except ears
The 5 Piece Rule:
Wear only 5 accessories - earrings count as 2;
watch counts as 3, allowing only 2
additional accessories
ACCESSORIES
Earrings: Wear stubs or small rings
Do not wear hoops or dangling earrings
Bracelets/Bangles:
You may wear either a bracelet or a bangle
Avoid both together
Avoid chunky bracelets or too many bangles.
Rings: Keep them Chains: You may wear
simple and not thin chains with small
chunky. pendants
Do not wear ornamental / chunky jewelry
BAGS
Handbags or briefcases may be carried, but
avoid both at the same time!
Apart from your working bag, if you must carry
an additional bag, then preferably carry a black or
a brown one
Men
Should limit accessories / jewelry to 3 pieces.
These include watch, ring, handkerchief
Avoid bracelets, chains, visible piercing &
visible tattoos
Belts should be in good condition and match
the colour of your shoes
WATCHES
Conservative style watch
should be worn, avoid
athletic / sporty styles
Preferably wear leather
strapped watches
If you wear a metal
strapped watch, make
sure that it fits the wrist
well
BELTS
Wear only formal belts with a sleek buckles.
As thumb rule, match your belt colour to your
shoes
Avoid these types
of buckles
Footwear
Women
Shoes should be pumps or sling backs, avoid
shoes with open toes, open heel, or ankle
straps
Some Indian dresses may necessitate wearing
open sandals / slippers. In this case, please
use formal designs which do not draw
attention to your feet
Shoes should be of good quality leather &
polished regularly
Shoe color should be darker
than your trouser or dress
Heels should be 1-2 inches;
higher heels should be saved
for after hours
You may wear a pair with
smaller heels or a flat pair
Stick with a black / brown pair.
Be sure your shoes are polished
and that your heels are intact
Should be comfortable
Avoid fancy footwear to work….
Do not wear
colorful sandals
Avoid heels and
sandals with bling
Avoid white
coloured footwear. If
you do, clean them
well.
High heels
A Man‟s Shoes Should Be . . .
All leather, Lace-up
conservative shoes
with a small heel most
appropriate
In excellent shape and
shined
Men
Choose black, brown or burgundy shoes.
Shoe color should match your trousers or
be of a darker shade
Avoid SPORTS shoes for office wear !
Do not wear shoes that
look casual
Also, do not wear shoes
with worn out heels
Attire :
Dressing to make
an impact - Women
Indian Salwaar Kameez or Saree
Preferably choose small
prints or self colors
Avoid plunging
necklines, sleeveless
and tight-fitting
clothes, or clothes that
attract wrong kind of
attention
Business Attire for Women
Two or three button
skirt / trouser suit
Collared dress shirt in
cotton or silk
Medium heeled closed
toe and closed heel
shoe (pump)
A Woman‟s Suit Should Be . . .
A two or three button
jacket with an exact
matching skirt that
is no shorter than
just above the knee
A solid black, navy or
charcoal gray;
muted pinstripe in
gray or navy
Tailored to fit her
A Woman‟s Dress Shirt Should Be . .
100% cotton or silk
Long sleeved, or at least
not sleeveless
A-point or spread collar
White, light blue, pink or
other pastels (not dark
colors)
Business Casual Attire for Women
A matching pantsuit
Sport Coat or blazer
with skirt or dress
trousers
Suit with sweater or
shell instead of
collared dress shirt
Lower heeled shoes
and open back
shoes
You may also wear a top or tunic with a pair
of formal trousers.
Attire :
Dressing to make
an impact - Men
Men
SHIRTS
As a rule, the simpler the better
Colours: White, off white, pale, blue shirts are
preferred; though you may wear dark
coloured shirts too, with a lighter,
contrasting coloured trouser
A Man‟s Dress Shirt Should Be ...
Preferably Long
sleeved
Either A-point or
spread collar
Either barrel or French
cuffs
Some Suggestions
Note: It is important to button up your shirt till the first button
SHIRTS:
Do not wear
THICK STRIPES BOLD CHECKS.
TROUSERS:
They should preferably be dark though you may wear
light colours with dark coloured shirts
Try to have at least one pair of black
trousers.
Trousers may or may
not have pleats
T.
TIES
To play it safe choose a traditional silk tie. No loud
colours or patterns. Given below are some well
accepted colours and patterns
It may be wise to avoid
ties with images and
designer logos
TIES
Your tie should co-ordinate with your attire
The knot should be a perfect triangle
Do not wear a tie like this
(observe the tie and the shirt
button)
As a general rule, please
remember…
NO ties with bold / large
stripes
No striped-ties with
striped-shirts
NO ties with bold / large
checks
NO ties with sports shoes
Suits
Two or three button jacket with exact matching
trousers
Solid navy or charcoal gray, or a muted pinstripe
pattern suit of either color, tailored to fit
properly
Business Casual Attire
2 or 3 button sport coat
or blazer
Dress shirt with or
without a tie
Dressy polo or turtleneck
sweater
Dress trousers
Loafers or lace up dress
shoes
Blazers and Sport Coats
SOCKS
Wear colours that match with your
trousers (usually black, dark gray,
dark brown, or dark blue)
Should be long enough not to
expose your skin when you sit
down.
As a thumb rule, do not wear
white socks
Wear clean socks to avoid bad
odour
Remember…
Good Grooming is a matter or PERSONAL
CHOICE…
YOUR choice…
What would YOU like to be ?
OR..
OR..
The Choice…
… is YOURS !
Thank You !
Questions ?
