Essential Style Tips—Regardless of Height!

Think you’re a sharp dresser? Plenty of men stay current on trends and style, but often overlook height as a determining factor when maximizing attire. Learn to look like a million bucks, whether you’re shorter than a stack of nickels—or bigger than a CEO’s hedge fund.

Tips for the Short Man:

1. Tie: Choose a slimmer and shorter necktie to better balance your body. Pair it with a shorter collar (like 1-1/4 inches) for more comfort and to elongate your neck.

2. Jeans: They should break around the ankle and just barely cover your shoelaces. Jeans should NEVER fall so low you step on them with your heel— unless you enjoy dressing like a teenager.

3. Dress Slacks: They should be just long enough to create just a small break in the front crease. It’s all about the break. If there is no break, your pants are too short.

Tips for the Tall Man:

1. Mix and Match: Trying to de-emphasize your height? Mix light and dark shades. Pairing a dark shirt with light pants, or vice versa, will shorten your body.

2. Wide Lapels: Pick clothes that have larger details: wide lapels, buttons and other features. Delicate details like small collars will make the body look large by contrast.

3. Suit Jacket: Leave double-breasted suit jackets for mafiosos and Letterman. A single-breasted, two-button jacket looks much sleeker. Plus, you won’t look like a brick wall. Sorry, Dave.

3 Unexpected Ways to Tackle Work Priorities

1. Clean It Up. Clearing a number of smaller items from your desk can have a huge affect on your psyche. Take a minute, shut your door and get to know what the top of your desk looks like again. You'll instantly feel your load lighten. Not to mention it will help you focus on the larger tasks.

2. Get Vocal! Oftentimes you must do A before you can complete B, C and D. If that's the case, explain to others who are waiting for results. Vocalizing your priorities means you run less risk of being inundated with “busy work”, thereby getting nothing done. Sorry, Kenny, but those TPS reports can wait.

3. Take a Break. Really? You bet. This may seem contradictory when you’re swamped. But "crunch time" is when you need your brain pumping on all eight cylinders. Schedule short breaks into your day—a quick walk around the building can clear your head and reduce stress, which in turn boosts productivity. Imagine that!

Think You’re Too Busy to Eat Healthy? You’re Not!

I’m busy, you’re busy, we’re all busy. Surprisingly, it’s not that difficult to satisfy your appetite without calorie-packed junk and greasy fast food. Follow these few simple steps and...

1. Keep a bag of your favorite fruits and nuts available at all times. Plenty of fruits can be stored at room temperature—like inside a desk drawer. Nuts, like almonds, are high in protein (and good fats) that can keep the hunger monkeys at bay.
2. Running late? Try a cup of low-sugar yogurt or a bowl of oatmeal in the morning. Oatmeal takes 90 seconds to cook and yogurt requires only peeling the lid. How’s that for quick and healthy?
3. Stay away from the vending machines! Those monoliths of convenience are packed with sugary sweets and sodium-filled potato chips. Prewrap a small, healthy snack the night before work; perhaps low-sodium pretzels or low-fat granola. Remove the guilt—and keep the 50 cents.