Business Attire

The controversial case involving a teenager who had to undergo a school bra search will soon be sent to the Supreme Court of North Carolina.

In a 2-1 ruling last year by the state Court of Appeals, the case of the school bra search at Brunswick County Academy was found in November 2008 as “degrading, demeaning and highly intrusive.”

The case involved a teenager who was allegedly asked to untuck her shirt and pull out her bra with her thumb as part of a search for pills. On Monday, the high court is hearing the appeal over several issues, including whether the search violated the Constitution’s protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

The academy is an alternative school for at-risk children.

The teenager’s legal counsel, Attorney Geeta Kapur, said she believes the court’s ruling will apply to all public school students, about 1.5 million of them, and not just those in alternative schools.

“It’s concerning to us because the population that usually attends these schools is minority, low-income and are low-performing,” said Eric Zogry, juvenile defender for the state of North Carolina. “And so the state seems to be indicating that it’s OK to relax the Constitution for this population.”

According to reports, the school principal, Sandra Robinson, acted on a tip from other students that unsafe pills were coming into the school. However, Robinson reportedly did not have any other details as to which pills were being brought in.

What are the factors that contribute to a successful career for a woman, apart from qualifications, skills and expertise?   A well-thought through clothing style is indisputably of great value.

Women in  accountancy, banking, insurance and law require suits:  jacket, skirt or trousers with a blended tone or bright shirt or top to enliven the sober suit. It is a good idea to match your bras with the same colour as your  shirts wherever possible, otherwise  nude underwear will always blend.

On the other hand if a woman is employed in the non-uniformed caring sector, perhaps as social worker or counsellor, then non-threatening colours such as navy co-ordinated with white are appropriate.  However, a colourful top will not go amiss and will serve to cheer everyone up and win the confidence of clients.

Those women in marketing, management consultancy and public relations who regularly meet clients will impress with mid-tone neutral colours for their suit but when undertaking a presentation, a power red jacket is perfect.

If selling direct to the public then the client group must be considered.  If the product is serious such as IT software or medical supplies, a ‘user friendly’ look is required.  Therefore, tops or shirts in soft pastel colours along with blended neutral colours for jackets, trousers and skirts should suffice.

Teachers should wear tops of interesting colours and textures to hold their pupils’ attention.  A flashy orange top will distract.  Those working in advertising, media, retail or travel must look fashionable, therefore a chic jacket and stylish top or shirt are ideal.

Glamorous tops with elegantly tapered trousers of today were also considered highly fashionable in the 1950’s but with one crucial difference - high, narrow stiletto heels were never worn to complete the outfit as this was deemed vulgar.  This seems regrettable because stilettos and heeled mules looked absolutely fabulous in this era, worn with a couture sheath dress, renowned for its small waist and tight skirt. This is also a great look for the modern office.

Another style of ladies’ trousers, pedal pushers, was popular with teenagers in the 1950’s but it was   the close fitting tapered trousers with short tops & a matching bra that had a universal appeal.  The trousers could be full length, mid-calf or just below the knee.  It became a cool, sophisticated style, capitalised on by the likes of model and film star Grace Kelly.

The eminent fashion house of Christian Dior was more interested in ultra-feminine styles which he called his ‘New Look’.  A wool coat with sloping shoulders for example, revealing full billowing skirts falling to mid-calf length was this look.  His feminine hour-glass figure was complete with a pair of stiletto heeled shoes.

This ‘New Look’ was condemned by thrifty post-war dignitaries who thought it frivolous and wasteful in a time of austerity measures.  This is a fair point because one wartime dress required three metres of fabric, whilst Dior’s dresses needed much more.

Floral prints are back. At the New York Fashion Week which officially took off on Monday, a new line of collections from fashion designer Carlos Miele showed attractive floral prints. Models were seen in the runway wearing clothes with bold colors and bright whites. Curved lines of yellow, orange and red can be seen on the form-fitting dresses which the models successfully strutted down the catwalk. Off the shoulder dresses featured highly, along with single strap dresses which signals the necessity of the strapless bra.

These kind of prints are making a presence these days in recent fashion shows, as is the continuing popularity of maxi dresses. At the recently concluded Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, the spring collection of Carolina Herrera also showed strong floral prints on her layered dresses. These kinds of dresses can either be dressed up for more elegance and glamour, or dressed down with a sharp jacket for a more everyday look that could be worn in the office.

Fashion designers Donna Karan, Jenny Packham and Tracy Reese also joined the bandwagon as flowery prints can be seen on their upcoming collections.

More than a hundred thousand stylists, buyers, fashion editors and celebrities are expected to grace this fashion event that’s currently ongoing.

Fashion lingerie model Noemie Lenoir, who’s working for retail giant Marks & Spencer, grabbed headlines this week after she was found unconscious in her Paris home. Initial reports revealed that the model made a suicide attempt by taking several drugs with alcohol.

Lenoir is the current girlfriend of ex-Chelsea football player Claude Makelele. Mekelele called the emergency services after he found her unconscious girlfriend last Sunday. This was revealed by a source from the police department.

The thirty year-old model, who also modeled for Gap, Next and Victoria’s Secret, became conscious minutes later after the call and the ambulance service was cancelled.

However, she was found unconscious once more after she left the house by herself several hours later. She was immediately rushed to the hospital where medical officials discovered she consumed large quantities of alcohol and drugs. The officials said that she’s in good condition.