Affordable Cashmere

The J. Hilburn pre-season sale is still going on. This is a great time to stock up on Fall and Winter essentials, or think ahead for some impressive holiday gifts. Check out the price difference in these cashmere sweaters! James Perse is selling a simple cashmere sweater for 325 dollars, compared to J. Hilburn's price of 135. Plus J. Hilburn cashmere sweaters come in all these additional color options. Check out the affordable cashmere and buy online here.

Yes! Image Matters!

Why has image consulting become such a foundation of my business? Or a more difficult question: How can I effectively help people market themselves without having their image come into play? If people realized (or were flat-out told!) they had to be marketed in order to sell themselves not only to prospective employers, but to the world at large (much like products are), the "packaging" would soon evolve.

As I reflect on the importance of image, a pivotal moment comes to mind. I read an article detailing a study where a group of individuals were shown photographs of several people. They were asked to describe, among other things, what the person did for a living and how much they earned at their job.

In reality, the only difference between the people in the photographs was their eyewear. The same individuals but different pairs of glasses.

J. Hilburn Pre-Season Sale!

Our beautiful Fall sweaters are on Pre-Season Sale! They feel amazing and are available in a wide array of colors. There is a great luxury blend of Cotton/Silk/Cashmere and there is also 100% cashmere. We have a variety of styles: crew necks, v-necks, half zips, vests and cardigans and they are at a fantastic price (starting at $70). They go up to the regular price on October 1st.

There are also some other ready-to-wear items on pre-season sale. (Things that don't have to be custom measured, like ties)

Please check out the sweaters here and let me know if you are interested, or you can order directly online.

Of course while you're there, feel free to peruse the rest of the catalogue and see our new fall shirts and suiting fabrics: http://laurencastle.jhilburn.com/

Everyone's ready for Fall! Are you?

Style, Not Fashion

One of our fellow Twitter friends said he loved the new J. Hilburn fall lookbooks. He also said to me, "My motto is style, not fashion."

I asked him to elaborate. "Style is personal and continual. Fashion is an industry and temporary."

Do you agree?

New J. Hilburn Customers, Enjoy This!

j. hilburn coupon, $20 off your order

The Best Blacksmith In Town

In addition to most aspects in life, being able to "roll with the punches" during a career search can give you a great advantage.

Attitudes have changed dramatically. Expectations have changed as well. Going to work to simply pay the bills is not a typical agenda anymore. Employees want job satisfaction. People soul search with regard to job search. They attend special classes and seminars and they hire employment counselors and headhunters. They hire image consultants to alter or polish the impression they make. The hire agents to locate the "perfect" job situation, something that means more to them than simply punching in and punching out. A career with benefits. A career with a future.

J. Hilburn Fall 2012 Preview

Fall items are here! All new fabrics, colors, and ready to wear items will be available September 1st and can be ordered by appointment now.

Here are a couple sneak peak photos, but you can see many more outfits in the album here.

Are We All Braggarts Now?

"Friends, family and co-workers: I think you're fabulous—just not quite as fabulous as you think you are."

You have to check out this article on the Wall Street Journal, "Are We All Braggarts Now?" because it's absolutely spot on. Give it a look and tell me what you thought! 

RELAX, it's Saturday

The weekend is here, are you still working?

Read this article by Corbett Barr called "Taking a Break From Being a Workoholic- Here are 7 Ways" and see if you can use a tip or two.

Here's a good one to start with, "Whatever the characteristics, it’s mentally and physically unhealthy to work all the time. Most everyone takes regular days off. You should too."

Enjoy the weekend.

J. Hilburn Contrast Stitching

Look what a difference contrast stitching can make... With J.Hilburn you can customize your shirts to add that pop of color and individuality.

"I'll Have What She's Having"

Dear Impress Express,

I don't know if "the grass is always greener," but I've been working a typical 9 to 5 office job (in management) for the past 8 years and am ready for a change. I know several people working in the restaurant industry and they seem much less stressed than I am. Before I make such a drastic career move, what steps do you recommend I take to find out if this is the right move for me?

Signed, "I'll Have What She's Having ..."

Dear "I'll Have...,"

First of all, you get an A+ for recognizing that you should do some research before jumping right in to a new career. All too often, when people get fed up with their job, they jump ship, which almost always forces them to take the next job that comes along.

TAILORED TO SELL ONLINE

J. Hilburn featured in the Union Tribune!

TAILORED TO SELL ONLINE
Custom clothing startups win shoppers, venture funding by trimming costs, shipping straight from factory to customers

“J. Hilburn will sell shirts that are made out of the same fabric mill in Italy that a Zegna would sell at Neiman Marcus for $300,” said Brian O’Malley, a partner at Battery Ventures, an investor in the startup, which has raised about $12 million. “They can sell that same shirt totally custom-made for the customer for less, and do that still with healthy margins because there are a lot less middlemen along the way who need to get paid.”

Read the whole article here. 

You Never Know...

Now this could (and should) apply to a guy as well, of course!

This Embarrasses You and I*

Here's a great article from The Wall Street Journal. The most important thing to take from the story is,

"Managers are fighting an epidemic of grammar gaffes in the workplace. Many of them attribute slipping skills to the informality of email, texting and Twitter where slang and shortcuts are common. Such looseness with language can create bad impressions with clients, ruin marketing materials and cause communications errors."

Read the article here, and tell me what you think!

J. Hilburn Ties

Your choice of tie says a lot about your sense of style. J. Hilburn pairs the best in raw materials with unbeatable handcraftsmenship to bring you the ties that make you, you. 

Contact me to find out more...

E-Fresher Course

Every so often clients ask about the protocol or etiquette with regard to email correspondence. Like the words we speak, electronic mail is an incredibly powerful and effective means of communication. The rules are constantly evolving. So it's time for a refresher course. Or more precisely, an "e-fresher" course in "netiquette."

We love the ease and comfort of using email, but an overwhelming number of you find the comfort level a bit disconcerting. In an informal survey, I asked people how they felt about email correspondence in general and what, specifically, was really bothersome to them. There were many concerns and complaints, and overall there was a consistent desire for courtesy. Here, in no particular order are some of their responses.

How Swearing at Work Could Ruin Your @%*! Career

"Employees may want to invest in a bar of soap.  New research has found that 64 percent of employers think less of employees who swear at work and 57 percent said they would be less likely to promote a worker who swears in the office."

Do you agree? Read the whole article from the Fox Small Business Center and see what you think.

A Custom Fit

These are the words we never get tired of hearing ... Derek says we exceeded his expectations for his first J. Hilburn purchase. He was thrilled to hear we are now making formal wear. Why? Because he just got engaged! Congratulations to Derek and Mindy!

National Lollipop Day

Who knew there was a national day of recognition for lollipops? See's Candies is celebrating by giving away their gourmet lollipops across the US. 
They are also attempting to break the Guinness World Record by creating the world's largest lollipop. 

Fashion Art

I love this, does anyone know where it came from?

Lady Gaga's Fragrance Ad

You can't expect any less from Lady Gaga as the first ad for her new fragrance Fame features. . . man thongs.

Tiny little men wearing thongs adorn her naked body, and this is just the beginning! Her new fragrance ads will continue to roll out and we'll just have to wait to see what's next.

Be Yourself

Be Yourself, everybody else is taken - Oscar Wilde

Kenton Magazine: J. Hilburn Feature

I wanted to reblog this great article by Kenton Magazine. Enjoy!

Look Sharp, Spend Less: Suit Up with J.Hilburn

"Gentlemen, we are proud to announce that more prayers have been answered in the world of men’s fashion. Those frustrating days of visiting your favorite luxury brand stores only to find that the fitting of the suits are not compatible with your unique frame are finally coming to an end. With increasingly more customizable options in the growing menswear department today comes superior, diverse suiting alternatives for the modern metrosexual man.

Everybody's Talkin' About You!

References Available Upon Request?

Of course you’d gladly give someone references if they were inquiring about using them to potentially hire you. Many resumes conclude with this basic line of text. It should be obvious that you would offer them, but if you leave off that line, would the reader (the potential employer!) surmise that you wouldn’t provide them with your references? Or worse – that you didn’t even have decent references? Almost everyone has someone (or several someones!) that would vouch for them, and say they were a wonderful person and a hard worker.

How many references are enough? Who should be included? Should they be people you know well – your neighbor, your brother-in-law, and the judge whose children you babysat for when you were in high school? Should current employers, co-worker, clients, customers and past employers be on this list?

Rancho Bernardo's Spirit of the Fourth

Come on out to Rancho Bernardo's Spirit of the Fourth on the Fourth -- a good old fashioned Independence Day Celebration! This year's theme is "Salute the Troops—Honoring the Military Family."

I have a booth in the Community Fair section of the event which runs from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
The Location is Webb Park. Located west of Bernardo Center Drive between Bernardo Plaza Court and Iberia Place. (If you want to do a MapQuest or GPS, use 16766 Bernardo Center Drive, 92128)

If you don't see the J. Hilburn booth, go to the information booth and they will point you in the right direction. Here's an opportunity to see all the new merchandise, and be entered in a drawing for a luxury polo.

So, if you're around and looking for an activity earlier than fireworks during the day, head over to Spirit of the Fourth and say hello!

 More details:

July 4, 2012 marks the 43rd anniversary of Rancho Bernardo’s Spirit of the Fourth celebration. The events of the day--including a pancake breakfast, community fair, car show, veteran’s tribute, parade, and fireworks show--attract an estimated 12,000 spectators to Rancho Bernardo. Our festivities are a major regional event, named as Editor’s Pick in Family Magazine’s “The County’s Award-Winning Guide to Family Activities.” Be a part of the 2012 Spirit of the Fourth!

• Pancake Breakfast, 7 -11 a.m. Wednesday, July 4 at Webb Park: The breakfast benefits the Veterans Village of San Diego. Cost: $5 adults; children ages 4-12 are $3; and children under 4 and military in uniform receive free breakfast.
• Wheels of Freedom Car Show, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 4 in Webb Park: Hosted by the Poway Cruisers Car Club, the show will feature 130 cars and award 20 trophies for excellence, plus recognition for Best of Show and Best Decorated Car or Truck.
• Community Fair, 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Food vendors and specialty vendors. Local groups also will provide entertainment.
• Spirit of the Fourth Parade: The parade runs along Acena Drive, Rancho Bernardo Road and Bernardo Center Drive, featuring floats and performers.
• Entertainment and Fireworks, 6 p.m. on July 4 at Bernardo Heights Middle School: Kristi Krause, a local singer who made it to the Hollywood round on American Idol the past two seasons, will perform at 6 p.m., followed by the winners of this year's RB Idol contest. Sara and Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek also will perform. Fireworks begin at 9 p.m.

See you there!

If You Didn't Get What You Really Wanted For Father's Day...

Sure your kids surprised you with a villa in the Riviera, a Lamborghini, and a platinum iPad, but that's because they didn't know what you really wanted. Steve from down the hall has been getting compliments on his stunning attire all year long, and you just know it should be you. Nobody could pull it off better! What a difference some custom threads would make - you could have what you want, tailored just for you, and best of all, affordable. Are you going to wait all the way until next year? Or hope for Christmas? Perhaps it's time to stop wishing and jump right in. Make the call. Get the fitting. Select the fabrics. Beat Steve out for that next promotion.

If that corner office is calling your name, contact me for your custom fitting.

Fancy Perfume Bottles

The Wall Street Journal released an article called "Perfume Bottles Gone Wild" and it showcases some of the stand out packaging this year's designers have created.

For example, it took six months of testing for the crocodile on the Lacoste men's fragrance bottle to sit correctly. That is some major investment. "There are endless rows of counters of fragrance and you have a millisecond to catch your customer's eye," says James Fine, vice president of marketing and product development for retail chain Perfumania and Five Star Fragrances.

Studies have already discovered women choose wine based on the label, and it's becoming ever more apparent that they choose a perfume based on its bottle. There's a ton of interesting information in the article. . . read the entire post here.

Joseph Haggar Jr.

Joseph Haggar Jr. has died at the age of 87. His company Haggar Clothing Co. was responsible for making casual pants part of mainstream menswear. "Slacks" are now a wardrobe staple in many men's closets. 

If it were not for Joseph, how long do you think it would have taken for a more casual dress pant to become popular? 

Haggar Clothing Co. Slacks

J. Hilburn Lookbooks

Have you seen the new J. Hilburn lookbooks? Click here to view the latest fashion trends for men from J. Hilburn.

MAC & Beth Ditto

MAC Cosmetics has signed the singer Beth Ditto to create a limited edition collaboration with products expected to hit counters in June. Summer 2012 is bringing some fun trends! What do you think of this collection?

Surfs Up: How Serious Is Your Job Search?

"Hello! ... How are you? It's me, Skip"

"Hi, Skip, What's happening?"

"Well, I'm back to looking for a job and I need your help. When can I come in to see you?"

"How about Wednesday at 10:30?"

"Can't we meet earlier? I'm really motivated and please could I come in earlier so we could get the ball rolling?"

"Okay, sure. Does 8:30 work for you?"

"Oh, that's great. Perfect."

"See you then."

Skip showed up right on time. Actually a little early. We discussed what he had done for the past year and how it would reflect on his resume since he had only stayed with his last position for 8-9 months and wasn't currently working. Since his prior track record was pretty solid and he had been with one company for over fifteen years, I didn't think this would be too much to overcome. Plus, he had a lot of charm and charisma and regardless of what kind of position he was seeking; charm and charisma almost always come in handy.