Etiquette Boss: Posture and refinement

“When a beautiful woman walks into a room, I may glance up for a moment, but I soon return to my entrée, or my conversation, or the dessert menu……but when a confident woman walks into a room, it is entrancing. I’ll watch, as she moves with poise and self-possession. She may not be the most stunningly gorgeous woman I have ever seen, but she has a way about her that can make her one of the most intriguing. Confidence is captivating. It is powerful, and it does not fade … and that, is endlessly more interesting than beauty.” — Nina Garcia, Little Black Book of Beauty.

Whether or not you agree with Nina Garcia’s quote, there is hardly any doubt that proper posture makes a much better impression than not. This week, pay particular attention to your body and its movements.

Do you shuffle instead of stride? Is your gait from side to side instead of front to back? Subtle shifts in body posture make a huge difference in how we are perceived.

Ladies who walk with a straight leg, one in front of the other as much as possible, appear confident. Try to avoid the ubiquitous short step, bent knee shuffle. This places the weight of the upper body squarely on the knee, instead of equal distribution to the entire leg. Pain in the knees after many years of walking incorrectly is inevitable.

Correct posture says, “Walk as though you are going somewhere!” Look forward, project your body forward, and stride …. stride …. stride.  You will make a better impression, guaranteed.

Beauty Tips – These are a few of my favorite things…

• Slowly moving my head from side to side, as though trying to touch each shoulder. This movement times 10 helps to strengthen neck muscles, as well as overcome vertigo, which afflicts me occasionally.
• Placing three fingers of each hand under my eyebrows. Push slightly, while holding down the corners of my eyes with my thumbs. Squeeze and release five, up to 10 times. This helps to lift the eyebrows and forehead from sagging.
• Open my mouth into a long “O” with each lip covering top and bottom teeth. Smile as widely as possible and then relax. Do this 10 to 15 times. This builds up the cheek ‘apple’ and lifts the muscles of the cheeks.