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Doing business abroad? Make sure your clothes fit the culture
Say you're doing business in Brazil, and you've got a killer green and yellow shirt that you think would look great with a suit for the big meeting where you plan to seal the deal.
One problem: Green and yellow are the colors of the Brazilian flag, and the country's natives don't appreciate foreigners wearing them together. Best to leave that shirt at home.
Dressing appropriately when traveling abroad isn't always as easy as throwing your favorite standbys into the suitcase, according to two local businesswomen who have studied up on the issue. If you are headed overseas for business, what you wear is an important part of showing that you respect another country's culture and want respect in return, say Fowler White Boggs attorneys Jennifer Roeper and Olga Pina.
"Your appearance is the first thing that they're going to see," Roeper told me when we chatted recently.
Need some tips? Check out Roeper's and Pina's "Dressing for Success in International Business" seminar this Thursday at the Saks Fifth Avenue inside Tampa's WestShore Plaza. The event starts at 6 p.m.
Space is limited, so make sure to e-mail itrade@tbowit.org or call (813) 222-3345 to reserve a spot. A $10 donation is suggested for a scholarship fund, and you'll get wine, cheese and lots of helpful do's and don'ts for men and women in return. For a sneak peek at the presentation, read more here.
Deal Diva Colleen
(Photo: Photos.com)
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THE AUTHORS
Stephanie Hayes came out of the womb wearing high heels. While other kids were reciting multiplication tables, she was learning to calculate an extra third off the half-price discount during buy-one-get-one week. She loves animal prints, black mascara and anything that sparkles. She objects to visible panty lines, Crocs and anything that costs more than a car payment. And she doesn't drive a nice car. She can be reached at (727) 893-8857 or shayes@tampabay.com.
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Kameel Stanley has never encountered a thrift store she didn’t like. Her
mother taught her that the true value of clothes isn’t how much they cost,
but how many outfits one can create from them. Having grown up in Michigan,
she was delighted to learn upon moving to Florida that she almost never
needed to wear socks or boots again. There’s a lot of turnover in her
closet, and she’s obsessed with dresses, necklaces and wedge heels. She can
be reached at (727) 893-8643 or kstanley@tampabay.com.
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A disciple of the little black dress classics school, Letitia Stein stretches her budget by looking for styles with staying power. She lives for 80 percent off shoes at DSW, floral sundresses and bohemian chic tops. She confesses to being a bit of a snob when it comes to handbags and jewelry. She can be reached at (813) 226-3400 or lstein@tampabay.com.
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Coming from a long line of fashionable women, Kim Wilmath considers herself lucky to fit into their hand-me-downs. Her wardrobe staples include her grandma's vintage blouses and her mom's funky jewelry. When she's in the market for "new" items, Kim hits her favorite thrift stores -- a habit she also picked up from mom. But when circumstances require a visit to the shiny stores in the mall, you'll find Kim at the sale rack like a good little diva. She can be reached at (813) 661-2442 or kwilmath@tampabay.com.
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