Which ones should be eaten with fingers?

General rules

Generally speaking the more formal the meal and setting, the less inclined you should be to eat with the utensils you were born with. When in doubt should you or shouldn’t use utensils look at your fellow diners or at the host/ess, if they use cutlery you do the same.

Caviar

If you really want to taste caviar by itself you’re supposed to eat it off the back of your hand, between your index finger and thumb.

Shrimp

If served as a shrimp cocktail, and there is an oyster fork use that one or any other small fork. If the shrimp are bigger than one bite’s worth, just spear each shrimp with your fork and cut it on the plate on which it’s served.

Shrimp served as hors d’ oeuvres are eaten with the fingers. Hold a shrimp by the tail and dip it into cocktail sauce, just be sure not to double dip.

Artichoke

When served as an appetizer pull the leaves on top with fingers and then dip it in the sauce. After placing it in your mouth scrape the edible part off with your top teeth. Inedible parts of leaves placed on the plate or bowl which is meant for discarding.

Fruit

A fruit cocktail even if the fruit is uncooked should be eaten with utensils. However, whole raw pieces of fruit are supposed to be eaten with fingers.

Asparagus

When asparagus stalks are firm and aren’t sauced like on the picture, it’s fine to pick them up with your fingers, one stalk at a time. Otherwise, use utensils.

Corn on the cob

Finger food that will be served only at informal meals.The cob is held by the ends with the fingers. Large cobs are easier to eat when cutting in half, and are buttered two rows at a time to control drips.

Bacon

Crisp bacon is eaten with fingers. On the other hand, limp bacon is greasy so it should be cut with knife and eaten with a fork.

Fried chicken

The way to eat chicken depends on whether the meal is formal, informal, or family-style.

In formal meals we will use fork and knife.
Informal case still needs fork and knife to remove as much meat as possible from the bone. For eating the rest of the meat you shall hold the bones with fingers and take the meat with teeth.

Family-style includes fork and fingers. Chicken wings should always be served in a casual setting. Never serve them at a formal dinner.

French fries

When in fast food restaurants or at home, French-fried potatoes accompany finger foods like hamburgers, hot dogs, or other sandwiches, eat them with your fingers. But in high-end restaurants or in formal occasions, cut them into bite-sized lengths and eat with a fork.

Pizza

Pizza served as an appetizer with cocktails is eaten with fingers.

In formal occasions use fork and knife. In family occasions eat pizza with fork or fingers.

Dear food lovers, I hope this article will help you enjoying food without having doubts how it should be eaten. Is there any other finger food you would like to know the proper eating etiquette? Don’t hesitate to ask us!

1- If you are hosting a buffet

A home buffet is a good solution if you want to invite your friends or relatives, it will allow you to be with your guests the whole time.

How much food to serve?

The more options you offer, the smaller each portion size should be.

You can find here a basic guideline for individual serving sizes, multiply the estimations by the number of guests:

E.g. you are hosting a dinner for 10 people:
meat = 10 x 170g= 1700g.
Therefore, you need to buy 1.7kg of meat for them, same goes for other food.

One last tip: add some bulk food (nuts, olives, pretzels…) and bread for your guests to snack on.

Setting a buffet table

Take out all the dishes, stack plates, utensils, napkins (double or triple the amount of tableware for each guest) and place them on the table instead of going back and forth in the kitchen to get something.

You can be creative with a buffet, have a theme e.g. only sweet treats for an afternoon tea, only cold food or a brunch…

To keep your food warm, use some chafing dishes, warming trays and slow cookers (great tools to cook your food and you can directly serve in them).

To keep your food cold, leave it in the fridge until serving time and put them on ice if they have to be out for a moment.

If you see that a plate is almost empty, do not add food on it, better to replace it with another filled one.

Display your buffet in a convenient way for your guests so they can wander around to get food without being agglutinated on one spot and waiting too long.

This is an example of how you can display your buffet table.

2- If you are invited to a buffet

When you are invited to someone’s house or party remember to bring a gift for the host.

If it’s a stand up buffet, do not overload your plate as you will be moving around. Keep your food in one hand and leave the other free for handshakes.

Be careful also that you are not blocking a door or a path to the buffet.

3- At a buffet restaurant

Even if there is no particular amount of food you should eat, there are still some rules to follow in order to enjoy your time there:

Dishes

To do:

After getting your table, go around the buffet and see what the restaurant offers, it will help you gain time to choose and you have the chance to try a bit of everything.

Go for food you don’t usually cook at home or eat often (meat, seafood…) and it is also a chance for you to try new dishes with new tastes. But keep it healthy.

Everytime you go back for a new service, always take a new clean plate.

Think about getting food for your partner, parents, children and not only for yourself, it will save more time for everyone.

Work in reverse. Buffet restaurants usually position the cheapest and old food (bread, pasta salad…) at the front of the table so you will fill up on it.

Place your napkin on your chair if you have to leave for a moment and only when you are done you can put it on the table.

Don’t do:

Never use your fingers to pick food instead use the given utensils (tongs, forks, spoons). Remember to put them back at their place for the next dinner.

Do not overload your plate and the table, always take small portion, some buffet restaurants can charge you for wasting food.

Around people

Respect one’s personal space, do not rush them or cut the line, be patient.

Be polite to the servers, if you have any complaints to make it should be discreetly done without making a scene.

Take care of your children, a buffet is not like a normal restaurant, so make sure to teach them how to behave once there.

Ladies and Gentlemen, if you want to know more about buffet etiquette, please share with us!

The formal table setting is used for holiday meals when more than three courses will be served. It’s the most symmetrical setting and that applies to the table décor as well.

Step 1: Fold your napkin in half without any wrinkles remaining.

Step 2: Fold in half again and make sure that all the outside corners are facing you.

Step 3: One by one, fold the corners up.

Step 4: Flip the napkin and fold outer corners to their opposite sides.

Step 5: Flip it again and start folding up.

Step 1: Take the napkin by the centre and place it back on the surface.

Step 2: Slide the napkin ring over the pinched end and pull through about one-third of the napkin. Adjust the free edges if needed.

Before arranging your table, you should pick a style that will adorn your whole dining table.

Red is one of the traditional colours for Christmas. It is usually companied with a green, golden or silver. It is a very vivid colour. When decorating, try to have a contrast. Red tablecloth goes perfectly with white dishes!

Vintage or old-fashioned style will give you a special experience. It will take you back to any century you prefer. You could also include a dress code for your dinner according to the time frame you choose.

Glam decor is the essence of luxury and indulgence. Gold and silver play a prominent role on the surfaces. Achieving a gorgeous glamorous look is all in the details.

This style is defined by clean lines with a relaxing atmosphere, neutral colours and elements inspired by nature. The emphasis is on the comfort of your guests while dining.

Drinking alcohol in China
People drink during business dinners, celebrations, nights out, casual gathering, at KTV, family dinners, etc… Most popular spirits are bái jiǔ, pí jiǔ, hóng jiǔ. There is a gender difference which means it is expected from gentlemen not to refuse the drink while ladies can get away with none or drinking less. However, the more you drink the more you’ll be respected!

Drinking etiquette

In formal settings, alcohol should be consumed during toasts. Drink only after the toast is given.

Toasting protocol

The most senior host will offer the first toast, when toasting take a standing position.

If you are giving a toast, first give it to the most important person considering age or hierarchy. To toast someone formally, say – 我敬您一杯 (wǒ jìng nín yī bēi) “I raise a glass to you”. In more casual situations say- 干杯 (gān bēi). The informal one is just – 喝 (hē). However, it is expected from you to dry the glass.

When you clink glasses together, it’s a good manner to lower yours and clink the top of your glass a bit lower than they hold theirs to show respect.

Use your right hand to hold your glass when toasting and drinking. You can place your left hand under the glass to show greater respect while someone is giving a toast.

Skipping the toast is unacceptable, everybody drinks at the same time, don’t drink alone.

Refilling protocol

Fill the glasses of those around you before filling your own, even if there’s barely room in their glass top it off and it will probably be reciprocated.

If someone hasn’t already offered, refill your glass immediately following a toast so that you’ll be ready for the next.

After someone has filled a glass, it should be held with two hands, one hand holding the bottom so that it will not be dropped.

Refusing drink protocol

Chinese people won’t insist on drinking if you refuse it because of the following reasons: driving, health problem, medications, pregnancy, allergies, etc. The best way is to approach to the host and explain it before a dinner. Most likely the host will excuse you from drinking during the initial toast when addressing the whole group.

It is considered rude to excuse yourself from joining in when offered a glass. You may join in with a cup of tea, there is a saying for that : “using tea to substitute alcohol” – “以茶代酒.

If you aren’t being able to keep up, good humor and getting a laugh from the group will help you when drinking in China. Use humor to your advantage!

Glass protocol

In dinner setting, the following glasses you can use

– Wine goblet glass can be used and will be poured with any communal alcohol you order.

– Baijiu glass for drinking baijiu.

– Glass for water or tea.

Dear all, remember to enjoy yourself, mind your manners and don’t challenge anyone to a drinking contest! Is there anything you’d like to add to this guide? Please share and cheers until that!

What are table plans
We use table plans to designate who will be seated where at the table. This is not done at random but by precedence: who is more important, more senior, than whom, and who has the right to be seated next to important people. Imagine for instance you have to do a table plan for these people for dinner at your home:

Complicated right? I will give you the answer after a few explanations.

How to create table plans

Step One: People

In our example, squares are men, rounds are women. Square 1 is the most important man, round 1 the most important woman, square 2 the 2nd most important man, round 2 the 2nd most important man etc.

Step Two:How to start?

You start to place the host and hostess at the extremity of the table.

This is the family style. Generally, the host faces the entrance of guests (so that he can guide late comers) and the hostess faces the kitchen door, in order to guide staff serving with eye contact. We use the same approach for round tables.

Step 3: How to place the people ranked 2nd?

Here you have to remember 2 rules:

The right is more important than the left.
We alternate the genders.

You will note it is actually the same for a round table:

Rules:
The most important man (the host)has the 2nd most important womanon his right.
Then we place the 3rd most important lady on his left. Same for the hostess.
Mrs. 2 has the seniority ranking to receive Mr. 4 on her right.
Mr. 2 has the seniority ranking to receive Mrs. 4 on his right. We place the 5 then.

Practice

In reality, there is often not the same amount of ladies and gentlemen, sothen you have to be smart.
Let’s come back to our guests.

So, first of all, who will be the host with you? (we consider “you” as a lady, the table plan would be different if “you” is a gentleman). It has to be a man, as there is not your husband / boyfriend here. Then most important man here, and the only official, is Emmanuel Macron, as President of France.

On your right, the 2nd most important man could be either Ma Yun or Ma Huateng. I consider Ma Yun has been successful and famous before Ma Huateng, so he has the precedence.

Then, who is the 2nd most important lady seating on the right of Macron? Normally it should be Brigitte Macron, but spouses cannot be seated together. So I choose to place Angelina Jolie, as she is an UN embassador.

The 3rd most important man is of course Ma Huateng. On the left of Macron I choose to place Zhang Ziyi, as she has been famous before all the other ladies.

Now we can place Brigitte Macron on the right of Ma Yun. Ma Huateng deserves to have the next most important lady: Gao Yuanyuan (who has been famous before Lady Gaga)

Finally, on the side of Angelina Jolie we should have a man, but we only have women left. Shall we have Lady Gaga of your sister? In table plans, family members are “useful guests”: you can place them at the last rank they should not hate you too much (normally…), and you make feel your second to last guest good to have someone of your family below him/her. That’s why I place Gaga close to Angelina Jolie, and the sister close to Zhang Ziyi.

This was an example of simple complexity. Imagine now how difficult it can be if you have dozens of persons to place, and have to find out who is of higher importance than who! If you want to know more, please inform me in the comments!

This article was first published by Michelin

Not using serving chopsticks when sharing food

You may encounter on a situation when you sit by the lazy Susan and enjoy the dinner with your friends or family. When sharing food, you shouldn’t use your chopsticks to take the food from communal bowls and plates, for hygiene reasons. Instead of that, use serving chopsticks to put the food onto your plate/bowl. You may find them in the middle of the table, on the dishes or next to your personal chopsticks. Usually, they come in different colours.

Spitting bones on the table

In old traditional customs, people use to spit bones on the table, with a time that changed. Now, socially acceptable is to spit bones and other inedible parts on the plate or in the bowl. You could do that by shifting bones from your mouth onto the chopsticks and then onto the plate, in some cases , you can also use fingers. If you don’t have a plate for that, you could always ask the waiter to bring you one, a backup solution is to use a tissue.

Leaving the chopsticks anywhere
If you are having a break while you are eating, use the chopsticks rest and place them, if not, put the chopsticks on one side on the plate/bowl together and parallel. When you finish eating, place them in the middle of a plate in a tidy manner (together and parallel).

Speaking too loud while dining

We like to enjoy our food but sometimes we can be distracted by some noisy fellow dinners. It is best not to talk with others with your mouth full. Be temperate in laughing lest you spew your food or the food goes down your windpipe and causes choking. If you need to talk, you should speak little and quietly. Let others to enjoy their food.

Smoking while someone else is eating

These days you may notice that some people do not follow the smoking policy. Smoke only in restaurants with smoking sections, and it is acceptable to smoke freely there so long as you are not a nuisance to fellow diners. Try avoiding smoking in front of the ladies and children.

Slurping or burping while eating

Traditionally, this was considered as a compliment and an expression of enjoying the food but now it is considered rude. You still may express your satisfaction but verbally.

Using the chopsticks to explore a dish

Some people tend to move food around before they chose the most likeable morsel and bring it to their bowl/plate. We should not be a picky eater! Especially if we are not using the serving chopsticks! If you spot some special morsel, wait for the right moment when you can take it elegantly.

Not having proper sitting and dining posture

People tend to bend down close to the table when eating while they should sit up straight with elbows off the table. You should bring food to the mouth, not the other way around.

Using phone while dining

The proper etiquette says that we should not even put our phone on the table, especially not to use it while dining. It is disrespectful towards other dinner participants. Nowadays, it is modern to take a photo before eating, but avoid editing/posting picture while eating, do it afterwards. In case you are expecting a call, let others know you might use your phone during dinner, even then, feel free to leave a table until you finish that matter.

Picking teeth with a fingernail

You must have encountered on the following situation. While or after eating, a piece of food is stuck between your teeth. Then, please use a toothpick to solve this issue. And when you do so, use another hand to cover your mouth so nobody can see inside your mouth.

Dear food lovers, now you are all set to enjoy your next meal! Are there other dining mistakes that you noticed and we didn’t mention? Please share with us!

 USA & Canada

In case you are going to visit these countries the tipping etiquette according to the person providing you a service is:

Waiter : 15-20 percent of the total amount
Sommelier : 15-20 percent of the bottle, or 2-3$ / bottle
Coatroom : 2$ + 1$/ article
Bartender: 15-20 percent, min 50cts
Valet : 2$
Groom : 2$ / luggage, 5$ if heavy
Tourist guide: 10-20 percent
Taxi driver : 10-20 percent

Be aware that if you don’t follow these tipping rules, you’ll be considered as a rude and ungrateful person. Most of the people that receive tips have low salaries because actually they are getting paid from you.

Europe

Tips should never be left on a credit card anywhere in Europe. Generally speaking, there is no universal rule about gratuity amount, it depends on a country.

France
Only if it was the really good service. If you see “service compris” on your bill that means no tip required.

UK and Ireland
You should leave 10-15 percent after payment. Make sure the service is not already included in the bill. There is no need to tip in the bars.

Germany / Austria
They have a range of opinions about the proper amount to tip, leaving 10 percent is a reasonable tip for good service, add it to the total amount.

Spain, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands
In these countries usually, you should leave 7-10 percent of the total amount.

Nordic Countries
Tipping is very rare. In some countries, service charges are already included in the bill.

Rest of the world

India
In restaurants, 15 percent is polite. At hotels, 250 rupees for the housekeeper who is low paid. Some people will ask for tips for no apparent reason.

South Africa
It is customary to tip good service in South Africa. An acceptable amount is 10-15 percent. For guides, you should give 100 Rand per person per day or 10 percent to private drivers. In hotels tip 10-15 Rand per night.

Russia
It’s optional but appreciated. In restaurants and hotels, small amounts.

Singapore
Tipping is not recommended. There is often a 10 percent service charge added to the bill. You don’t need to tip extra. You can tip bellhops around 1SIN – 2SIN per bag.

Australia
Wait staff in Australia are paid a livable wage, so they don’t expect tips. Still, in case of a great service, tips are appreciated.

Argentina/ Brazil/ Peru/ Uruguay
Do not have a strong tipping culture. Still, giving a small gratuity to waiters, bartenders, hotel staff, and tour guides will keep you in their good graces.

China
No need for leaving tips. In case there is a tip jar, you may leave some tips.

Japan
Tipping is considered as an insulting gesture.

South Korea
This country is basically a no-tip culture. The tips won’t be accepted.

Are there any other countries that you are interested in? Let me know in the comments below!

 What is caviar

Caviar is salt-cured fish eggs of a female fish, traditionally coming from sturgeon. The most commonly found types are Sterlet, Sevruga, Ossetra, Beluga. It was first harvested by the Russian and Persian fishermen and enjoyed by royalty. Nowadays, it’s a delicacy among the affluent population.

How to serve it

1 Storage
Don’t
For having fresh caviar don’t keep it unopened and stored longer than 15-20 days.
Do
Keep it at the ideal temperature from -1 Celsius to -2 Celsius to preserve optimal quality.

2 Cutlery
Don’t
Caviar should never be served on steel or stainless steel plates or forks, as this can change the taste of the caviar and make it bitter or metallic.
Do
Eat and serve caviar with utensils of crystal, ceramic, glass or plastic to preserve the taste. The spoon should be made from bone, horn, gold or mother of pearl for the best taste.

3 Serving
Don’t
Don’t cook it, caviar must be eaten raw.
It should never be served with lemon.
Don’t serve it as a main course it should be consumed as an appetizer or as a garnish in main meal.
Do
Serve it cold or even in a dish of ice to keep its temperature down, never at room temperature or frozen.
Caviar is often served on unsalted crackers or bread, or on small traditional Russian pancakes called blini.

How to serve it

Caviar comes in many varieties and each of them tastes slightly different. Try different types of caviar to find one that suits your personal palate. Don’t be discouraged if the first kind you try doesn’t taste good.
1 Russian way
You’re supposed to eat it off the back of your hand, between your index finger and thumb.

2 Normal way
Traditionally, it is considered incorrect, or even rude, to take large portions of caviar at a single time. Consume it in amounts smaller than a tablespoon (or one full tablespoon maximum).

How to pair it with wine

Don’t
Red wine, beer, baijiu.
Do
Champagne, vodka, white wine.
Once it’s served, it can’t be stored, you need to finish it the same day.

Quality of the caviar

The highest quality is called Almas, which means ‘diamond’ in Russian. The rules for quality are:
If the spheres of the eggs are larger, shinier and more perfect, the highest they are in quality. If the black colour is clearer it’s more precious.
Inexpensive caviar won’t have as strong of a fish taste and will have a darker colour.

Dear All, I hope next time you will have a memorable experience with enjoying this delicacy after knowing all this. For any further question, please leave a comment, I am more than happy to serve you!

This article was first published by Michelin Guide. 

 The reason and history behind

In ancient time, human eat with fingers. Later on, people started to use tools to help and different cutleries appeared in Eastern Asia and Western Europe respectively. That’s why we have three ways of eating now: with fingers (the South Asian Subcontinent, Africa); with fork and knife (Western countries); with chopsticks and spoons (Eastern Asia and Southeast Asia). According to the record, spoon appeared 8000 y ago, fork 4000 y ago; but there is no clear record for chopsticks.

Different spoons in ancient China

To a very large extent, the differences of cutleries are caused by different cooking & eating habits. Traditionally, there are two ways of cooking: roasting and boiling. Western people have long history of eating bread (roasting & baking), meat and dairy product; they use fingers to eat bread, fork and knife are for other dishes (roasted meat for the most of time). While in China, people have special favor for rice gruel and well cooked (boiled, steamed, stir-fried) food. For rice or meat gruel, people need tools to stir it when cooking and also tools to eat it, thus chopsticks are the best choice for both purposes.

A paint of the Cooking scenario in Song dynasty

Needless to say, westerners were very surprised when they first saw Chinese eat food with two sticks. And it is said when a Chinese Catholic（Michael Alphonsius Shen Fu-Tsung） came to France in 1780s, King Louis XIV invited him to dinner just to observe the way he eats with chopsticks!

The etiquette for chopsticks

How to place your chopsticks? During Han and Jin Dynasties, they were placed vertical to the edge of table; in Tang dynasty, parallel to the edge of table; then in Song dynasty, people re-placed them vertically and the custom remained since then.

What are the rules when using chopsticks?

Don’t point at people with chopstick
Don’t wave your chopsticks
Don’t lick or suck the end of your chopsticks
Don’t use chopsticks to drum the bowls/table
Don’t search or stir in the dishes
Don’t place your chopsticks upright in the rice
Don’t cross the two sticks when place them
Don’t pass food with chopsticks
Use the serving chopsticks
Hold the upper half of the chopsticks, don’t cross the two sticks when use them

When you want to grab the chopsticks, the correct way:the purlicue part should be placing downward, then grab with your thumb and index directly. Avoid grabbing the chopsticks with your hands and then adjusting them with both hands.

When Henry Alfred Kissinger first visited China in 1971, he was embarrassed for not knowing how to use chopsticks. Then he asked his assistant to prepare a whole set just to practice, in order to show his good intentions on promoting bilateral relations！What else do you know about the etiquette for chopsticks? Please share with us!

1- Don’t go unprepared

Write your speech in advance and practice. Shouldn’t be longer than 3 minutes. Make the toast fun and amusing while describing an honouree, speak from the heart. Let’s suppose you are a host of a business dinner.

1. Make the quick & simple introduction of yourself.
2. Tell a short story about the individual or individuals you are toasting to. It can be from your experience with them or a story that you found out about while talking with others.
3. Refer to the purpose of the event. Congratulate the person or people that you are giving the toast to.
4. Thank the guests / host (if returning the toast).
5. Offer the last wish.

2- Don’t offer a toast at a wrong time

Traditionally, the first toast is offered by the host as a welcome to guests. A toast to the guest of honour is offered by others at the dessert course. The guest of honour would then reciprocate by proposing a toast to the host.

3- Don’t propose a toast if all the glasses aren’t filled

Make sure everybody has some beverage ( tea, juice, champagne…) for taking part in it. Misfortunately, if someone doesn’t have, that person should behave like it has and join a toast.

4- Don’t use your flatware or glasses to get people’s attention

Rather alert key people in the room to help and get their table and area quite allowing you to easily get their attention. Start with loud “May I have your attention please” or “Will you join me in toasting to a guest of honour”. Then keep the silence for about 30 seconds while looking through the whole room and having eye contact with the audience. It’s time for your speech!

5- Don’t have a poor toasting posture

When delivering a toast do raise your glass to a shoulder level in front of you and make eye contact with the honouree and everyone else. When it comes to sitting or standing, use your common sense. At the dinner table if the group is fairly small you can remain seated, otherwise, stand up. The honouree will remain seated while receiving a toast.

6- Don’t have a monotonous voice

During a speech, you should control your voice. There are 5 p to take care of :
Pace – slow / fast
Power – loud / soft
Pitch – high / deep
Pause
Passion
Remember you want to control your audience, make them feel entertained while giving a gift (your toast) to the honouree.

7- Don’t apologise

In case you are late, or nervous or you spilt something on your shirt before, don’t mention any of that! Most probably no one will notice. By mentioning something about you, you distract the audience away from the purpose of your toast.

8- Don’t forget about eye contact

While delivering a toast maintain eye contact with the audience not only with the person being toasted. If you are having a card (avoid big paper) with bullets as a reminder of what you should say, don’t make a too long break while reading.

9- Don’t mandatorily clink your glass

The tradition of clinking comes from a time when people believed they have to clink to expel the evil spirits. Nowadays, if you see people clinking you should join as well. However, clink only with the closest people.

10- Don’t forget to take a sip

Without taking a sip of your beverage you have not fully completed the toast nor honoured to a person being toasted. The ones receiving the toast shouldn’t drink to themselves, can’t take that sip!

Dear all, do you have any other concerns regarding this topic? Share them in the comments below.
Thank you for your attention, we wish you a lot of successful toasts in future, cheers!

Meeting & Greeting

Meet in front of the restaurant. When we are greeting strangers we should be polite. Keep an eye contact, have a small smile. You should be relaxed but not too casual. A handshake should be enough.

Sitting plan

A man enters first to the restaurant and walks through it in front of the lady. Then he should offer her the best seat at the table, usually the one with the view into the room. Help your lady while taking a seat by pulling the chair.

Icebreaker

Have some safe topics as conversation starters, like the weather or something you see around you. Prevent that awkward silence at the beginning. However, you should not ask about private properties like house, cars, financials…

Table manners

Table manners play a great role in making a favourable impression. They are a visible signal of the state of our manners and therefore essentials! In the Western culture, the woman goes first with ordering, man should follow her order in volume. If you are sharing the food, the gentleman should accompany the lady, if she stops eating he should do the same or she can feel embarrassed.

Use humour

Be talkative and have a sense of humour by making a weird situation into a more relaxing setting for you and your date. However, don’t make fun of your date partner.

Mobile phone

Leave the phone on silent mode and don’t check it. It’s disrespectful towards your date partner. Only if it’s a case of emergency or you are expecting an important call which you must point out in advance.

Listen actively

Listen to what your date has to say. Try not to talk over them and do an equal share of talking among the both of you. Too personal facts and ex-relationships keep them to yourself.

Giving compliments

Do:
“You look beautiful in this dress.”
“You look like a beautiful and intelligent young woman/man.”
“I feel so lucky to spend time with you.”
If you are on a date with a foreigner, make a compliment on her/his accent
“I think you would be a perfect wife/husband。”

Don’t:
Talk about the body.
You look taller in person.
You are the most beautiful person I have ever met in my life.

Disagreeing

You may encounter something your date partner said that you think is a total nonsense or you don’t like that person at all. However, don’t show that, respect your interlocutor.

Seductive moves

Flirting on a date is a normal behaviour, just don’t use cliché or too sexy moves. You are on a first date and in public, don’t make a bad first impression.

Having fun

After all, you are here to have fun! Think positively and try to use the moment in the best way! However, don’t overuse alcohol to relax.

Paying the bill

Traditionally, a man should take care of the bill. These days both people should offer to cover all or part of the check. If you initiate a date, you should take responsibility for the check. Take into consideration the place you are planning to go, it must be within your budget. At the end thank for the dinner.

Leaving the restaurant

When leaving the restaurant a man holds a door for a lady and let her go out first. If it’s raining he can go first and open an umbrella for her.

Goodbyes

The date is finishing, you are unsure how well it went. No rushing with decisions, take your time. Also, don’t promise anything you don’t mean to do. Be polite, thank for the great night!

Family/friends expectations

If some other person arranged your blind date thank her/him afterwards! No matter the outcome she/he wanted the best for you!

Dear all, good luck on your next date! Share this article with the person you think will need these tips for blind dating!

Flawless dress code
The first and the most important thing for attending a ball is to pick the right dress/suits.

First, you have to know the type of venue you are attending, it is given on the invitation. In some rare cases, you can be asked to wear a white tie attire but is more specific to royal ceremonies or formal evening weddings. Prefer then the black-tie attire, mostly used for balls and formal dinners.

Ladies

You can take that occasion to wear a beautiful traditional long-length gown for the night, choose a light or pastel colour for this type of dress, it will give you a very elegant silhouette.

It is also acceptable to wear a cocktail dress if you don’t want to buy a gown for this one-time event, you can then go for colours like black, jewel tones or metallic colours. The dress has to be at least below the knees, not too tight or too revealing.

Cover yourself with a nice coat during winter, for chilly night take a shawl or a cashmere wrap.

Wear high heels with small and sophisticated jewelleries.

Men

Wear a tuxedo with a white shirt and a bowtie. The jacket and the pants should be the same colour either in black or midnight blue or opt for a velvet jacket which is on trend nowadays.

Accessorise your outfit with a watch and some cufflinks but remember to pair them.

Keep up your style: Make sure that you are presentable at any time, the jacket always on the shoulders, bowtie well tightened, maintain good discussions… you have to be impeccable.

Rules for ball

Be punctual

Be punctual, usually, the doors open an hour before the ball opening.

Practice dance steps

Practice some dance steps. Before the big night you should learn how to dance the Waltz, big classic in balls. If you want to go bigger, also learn some basics moves of tango, samba, rumba, salsa or foxtrot…

May I…

May I…? Gentlemen you are not the only ones to ask this question, Ladies you are also more than welcome to ask your date to dance, it is not customary for gentlemen to decline a lady’s invitation

Mind your manners

Mind your manners. A good behaviour will help you have good memories of the event, being disrespectful will have the opposite effect and give you a bad reputation and that’s not what you are looking for

No phones

No phones. Appreciate the moment, with your friends or your date, don’t constantly call, text or check your phone

Drink responsibly

Drink responsibly. You are spending several hours there, do not abuse too much on drinks or you might pass out on the dance floor

Dull conversation

You barely knew the person standing in front of you, and he/she is talking endlessly about topics you have no interest in. I am sure you would like to end this dull conversation and leave this person as soon as possible. What would you do?

How to do

Before we already talked about how to leave a discussion. So here the rules are simple, if you want to end this dull conversation with politeness, instead of giving the other a bored face, you could:
Tell the person you have just seen someone you need to greet
Say that you would like to go take a drink / a plate of food if there is a buffet
Ask where the toilets are
Introduce the person to someone else you know in the room and then you could leave

Unfriendly questions

In social/business/daily occasions, you could hardly avoid some unfriendly questions raised by “ignorant” people. Such as questions that are too much related to individual privacy that you don’t want to answer; or questions that are meant to embarrass you in public; or questions touch your bottom line but with an innocent questioner. Then how would you relax the tensions with good manners?

How to do

Use your humor to change the topic smoothly without answering the question
For the questions that are meant to embarrass you, you could simply ignore if possible; if not, I am sure you are wise enough to strike it back with politeness
You could refuse to answer with a smile“sorry, I can’t answer this question right now”

Are you married?

Nowadays, the most unwelcoming questions seem to be “Do you have a girlfriend/boy friend? When do you plan to get married?” or “Are you married? When are you going to have kids?” You could choose to answer these questions according to our tips above:

Use your humor “ My girlfriend lost her way finding me, she has no sense of direction so it takes time. + another topic)”
Ask the person with politeness and a smile “I don’t know, what about you/your son? Is he getting married soon?” (Lead the topic to the other person, because people always like talking about themselves”
Sorry, it is not on my to do list right now

Whatever the unfriendly questions are, I am sure you will find a way to “answer” them. But never let these unfriendly questions ruin your day and don’t lose your temper in public.

Excessive requests

Sometimes in social occasions, you may also receive some excessive requests from others. For example, you are not a drinker but are asked to drink wine/alcohol; or the other person keep asking your weibo/facebook/ins account or your phone number, which you are reluctant to offer.

How to do

If you are asked to drink alcohol, simply tell them firmly that “Sorry, I don’t drink.” “I am allergic to alcohol, sorry”, “I am the driver today, sorry I can not.”Upon excessive requests, you should give a firm and clear “no” to these requesters otherwise they will keep asking. Of course, a soft excuse is always better, but do not surrender simply for “saving face” .

Intimate behaviours

Over intimate behaviours will make people feel uncomfortable for the invasion of personal space. It is said the proper social distance (for unfamiliar friends) is 120-360cm. What if someone doesn’t respect this rule?

How to do

If you are not used to greet with hug or cheek kissing, initiate a handshake first
If you feel the person stands too close to you, turn your body to put your bag or whatever held in your hand in between
You could also step aside, and let a third person to fit in

Dear ladies and gentlemen, do you have any experience or story to share with us regarding this topic? Or have you ever encountered some difficult situations that you don’t know how to deal with? Feel free to leave us a comment!

Part I : What you should avoid

Don’t use Chinese naming practice when choosing an English name.

Don’t worry about the meaning of the name since most of the Americans don’t even know the meaning behind their names, so they wouldn’t also know about meaning of yours. Nobody cares about ‘true meanings’ of English names.

If you have some friend called Philip, ask him if he knows that his name means “Friend of horses”.

Do not translate some positive-sounding word in your language or your name into English and make that into your name. If your name is ‘Shuang’ don’t name yourself ‘Happy’.

Don’t try to be creative.

Avoid picking names you’ve seen in movies, television or other names that sound cool, cute or trendy to you. You don’t have western sense of humor, most likely they will think it is absurd or horrible. You don’t want your name or name of your child to be like this:

Avoid always asking your Chinese friends or family what they think about some names since you will interact with Westerns in future. Unless those people e.g. live abroad or have Western friend.

Don’t copy celebrities.

Some of them are using their artistic names under which they perform, those are not official names.

Another reason is that you have high opinion about that person but some others don’t have, you don’t want people to relate you with that celebrity because you have the same name.

That celebrity might have/had old-fashioned name which is not suitable for this period.

Part II : What you should do

Choose a name from the 100 most popular names for your or yours kid birth year.

The United States Social Security Administration has a website that allows you to look up for those names. Just enter the birth year and the list will show up accordingly.
The recommendation is not to choose the first 10 since they are top-ranked and probably a lot of people have it. Consider other 90 names.

Now have a look at those names and see if some sound similar to your name. E.g. if your name is ‘Sheng’ you can choose ‘Shawn’ as an English name.

After choosing one name from 90 possible don’t try to change it to sound more unique or cute. E.g. If you choose name Jack don’t add y, Jacky is a nickname that Americans use to call their children. Don’t use it as an official name.

When you choose your name don’t feel uncomfortable if some Westerns give you a nickname accordingly to your English name. Probably they liked you and that’s how they are showing their sympathy.

Avoid changing your anglicised name from time to time. Once you choose stick to it. Otherwise it creates confusion and you will look like someone who is not capable of making decisions or someone insecure.

Dear all, I hope this article will help you with this hard task- choosing the proper name. Please feel free to share your favourite English name or some funny names you may heard of!

Let me start sharing funny names with you, e.g. once I met a man called Eleven and a lady called King. How about you?

 Curtsy or Salute?
When you have the chance to meet Queen Elizabeth II, you should curtsy to the Queen to show proper manners. But last month in Windsor Castle, the Trumps didn’t follow this protocol (so the Queen had to give her hands to engage a handshake first to defuse the embarrassment), which arouse great disputes among western Social Media.


However, if the curtsy is too much for Trump, then how could he salute to a General in the Singapore summit? As the commander in chief of the American army, he doesn’t even need to salute to any leaders from the US army, let alone to do it to a foreign General who serves in a country that has no diplomatic relations with America. The proper response for Trump should be: nod to him as greeting and then offer a handshake.

Trumpish handshakes
Speaking of handshakes, Trump is famous for his trumpish handshake: always engage the handshake first; with his right hand shaking and pulling the other one’s hand over himself; left hand patting on the shaking hands, or the other’s arms/shoulders. A handshake for politicians is more of a competition of power and authority, and Trump seldom loses these competitions.

In terms of etiquette, Trump is too aggressive when he has handshakes with other people.

Trump refuses to shake hands with Merkel?
Although Trump seems to like shake hands with other people, he once refused to shake hands with German Chancellor Merkel, even when there were media around and a clear request was made for them to shake hands.

The awkwardness of this moment was recorded by cameras and reports. And Trump made a response on Twitter later to clarify his meeting with Merkel.

And later on, when Merkel visited America for the second time, Trump showed her the warmest welcome in the world he could offer.

Trump: I like to stand right in the front!
It seems that Trump likes to stand right in the front and in the spotlight. When he was in Windsor Castle, he walked in front of the Queen and blocked her way. The protocol says that: you should never ever walk in front of the Queen! Even Philip Duke of Edinburgh should also follow the rule.

It’s not the first time for Trump to do something like this. Once in NATO summit, the harmonious atmosphere was interrupted by a small incident: Trump pushed away Prime Minister of Montenegro and forced into the front row! This behaviour was considered very arrogant and impolite.

The inappropriate cheek kissing
The rule is: couples don’t do cheek kissing towards each other. However, Trump tried several times to engage cheek kissing with his wife Melania, and they did it in the wrong way: they didn’t touch each other’s cheek.

The correct way to do cheek kissing is: you have to touch the other’s cheek and do a light “smack” in the air.

Ladies and gentlemen, have you noticed other mistakes that Trump made? Do you know any other stories about anyone in regard of social manners? Please share with us!

 Email etiquette

In most cases, we live and work with people through emails. But do you know the rules and the faux-pas we should avoid?

1 Check your mail subjects before sending or responding to a message. It will help the receiver to know what it is about from the first sight, and thus increases the opening rate.
2 Watch the primary recipients and cc recipients when sending emails. Some email addresses may go to a group but the address looks like it is just one person. And don’t continue to include people if the messages have become a 2-way conversation.

3 Be especially careful with sarcasm and humour. Remember that the recipient is a human being whose culture, language, and humor may have different points of reference from your own. Remember that date formats, measurements, and idioms may not travel well. Be conservative in what you send and liberal in what you receive.

4 Respond in a timely fashion. Depending on the nature of the e-mail and the sender, responding within 24 to 48 hours is acceptable. And also keep in mind that your recipients also have other emergencies and may not give you an immediate reply.

5 Your signature in email takes the place of your name card. But you don’t have to list all your contact info, otherwise the recipients may be confused. Keep the rule that your signature need to be short and precise.

Online chatting

Almost all of you will use wechat or QQ or other online chatting apps in your daily communication. Have you ever thought about the etiquette rules we need to follow when we use these apps?
1 If you are in a chatting group for working, please use your real name in the group. This is the basis of credibility.

2 Explain the reason in the invitation message when add new friends. Once you have been accepted, greet him/her and explain more in detail.
3 Ask the other’s permission before sending voice messages, especially when you are dealing with clients. Avoid sending several messages all at once, and avoid sending voice messages in group chats.

4 Use emoji and stickers smartly and be careful with internet chatting languages.

1. Don’t flood the screen with vulgar stickers
2. Follow the new rules of emoji, the real meaning of the emoji is usually different with its official meaning

3. Try to understand how to use the internet language and the meaning behind it.
4. Be careful with punctuation marks. People may interpret them into different meanings if you only send punctuation marks as your response

5. Respond other’s message in 24 hours, and also give others up to one day to respond your message. In professional occasions, it is not polite to write to professional relations before 9 am or after 9 pm unless they asked for it!

Ladies and gentlemen, it is important for everyone to keep a healthy and harmonious environment online. Is there any other etiquette rule that you want to share with us? Please leave us a comment!

One-piece dress
Colour: Colours like black, white, silk, gold; or deep colours like dark blue, green or even red. They are glamorous and feminine.

Shape: V neck, tube dress, or hollow-carved design on arms and shoulders will deliver more sexy images. In winter, a high-waisted voluminous feminine dress will create a contrast with your legs and make your legs look thinner.

Materials: You can choose lace fabrics, which are as elegant as silk, soft and light fabrics. Casual fabrics as denim, jersey, chino, etc. are too informal.

DON’T: Do not wear a dress or skirt above half of your thighs. Back low-cut is sophisticated but be aware: in this case have a long length dress. Skin tight dress, plunging décolleté or large volume of sheer are not appropriated.

Too vulgar as mentioned

Tights

Style: Moderate thickness is good choice. Shiny tights is optional if the attire is not too extravagant.

Colour: Black opaque or nude tights are always optional in winter, keeping you warm without creating heavy look on the leg. Just make sure it pairs with your dress.

DON’T: Fishnet is too exposing for glamorous occasions.

Alternatives to the dress

Skirt: If you don’t want to wear a dress, we recommend wearing a high-waist flounce skirt. Graceful and light, it is a very elegant outfit when it is matching with a feminine top. Visually you’ll look taller and slimmer.

Suits: Suits can be sexy too if you don’t like to wear any dress.

The décolleté is too deep

Trousers: You can also choose pants or a jumpsuit, to make your body look longer and slimmer.

DON’T: Avoid jeans, sports or any other casual wear.

Hairstyle and makeup

Hairstyle: Hairstyle should match the dress. You may raise your hair up to reinforce the finesse of your face, highlighting your chin and your neck. You can also have stylish loose hair, brush it to create volume or structure it with hairspray or refined hair-slide.

Makeup: Events require heavier makeup. For the eyeshadow, also match your dress but skip daily colours, eyelash extensions are optional. For lip colour, better to choose night colours, like deep red. Concerning the nail polish, match the tone of your lipstick to built a nice harmony.

Jewellery

DO: Exquisite jewellery is optional. The rule is to have no more than two pieces of jewellery per hand maximum. So you need to choose between necklace and bracelets, earrings and ring. If wearing a décolleté/turtleneck, your earrings should be small and delicate.

DON’T: Do not wear a whole trinity at the same time. If you make an imposing jewellery attire, you will be seen as the lady who wants to show how rich she is.

Too many accessories

Evening bag

Size: Small and light hand purse is suitable. Any event bag is less than 2 times the size of your hand.

Colour: Match your bag with one minor colour of your outfit. If you are in one colour attire (as black), pair the colour of your bag with your high heels, jewellery or even with the colour of your lipstick.

DON’T: Don’t place your bag on the table, put behind you or on your lap.

Shoes

DO: We recommend you wearing stilettos (3~7cm), which suggest a feminine and lengthens shape of your feet and ankles. Your dress will look even more graceful with them. If having a shorter dress/skirt you can wear high heels with straps.

DON’T: Avoid every flat, sport or open toe shoes. As a Lady, you can’t assume to wear non-feminine or non-elegant shoes for any event.

Ladies, we hope our article provided some tips for your coming events.

Ladies that love pearls
Pearl necklace can elevate the elegance of a lady’s presence, maybe that’s why ladies, especially from the royal court, all love pearls.

Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly, known as the icon of elegance, is also a pearl lover. She said once “I favour pearls on screen and in my private life”. In this photo, the single strand necklace and several strands bracelet help her gain a simple, delicate but refined personal image.

Queen Mary

You could find pearl jewelleries everywhere in almost every photo of Queen Mary（wife of King George V）. One of the most famous one is the Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara and the necklace, which consist of dozens bubble-shaped pearls. Later, the Tiara is also shown on the public image of Queen Elizabeth II, Lady Diana and Kate Middleton.

Queen Elizabeth II

The favourite piece of Queen Elizabeth II seems to be this three strands pearl necklace, she wears it every time when she attends the Epsom Derby Festival.

Lady Diana

“If a woman could only own a piece of jewelry, it must be pearl jewelry.” Lady Diana developed her creation to wearing pearls to a pole and she had a special favour for wearing the chocker style.

This Chocker is one of Diana’s favourites

The Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara and ear rings

Kate Middleton

Kate Middleton follows the tradition of wearing pearls. When she visited Paris with Prince William in 2017, the pearl pieces she was wearing were extremely eye-catching. Actually, Kate often wears pearls in public such as ear rings, necklaces and bracelets, and she even use pearls as decoration for her hair.

Visit to Paris in 2017

The four strands pearl necklace passes from Queen Elizabeth II to Diana, and then to Kate

Coco Chanel

The most popular photo of Coco Chanel is the one on which she wears several rows of pearls, which would always remind us of her confident and fashionable persona. Mrs. Chanel once said “The pearl is always right“, and so was her.

Audrey Hepburn

If there is only one word that you could use to describe Hepburn, which one would it be? I am sure is“elegant”. Hepburn is elegant indeed, but Hepburn with pearls also shows a sense of uniqueness. The image of her wearing big pearl necklace paired with black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s is impressive; besides we could also find lots of pearl jewelleries in other released photos.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Pearl necklace with a different length

According to the length of your necklace, we divide them into: the Collar Necklace(30cm), the Chocker(45cm), the Princess Necklace(a single strand, 42-50cm), the Matinée Necklace(50-62cm), the Opera Necklace(75-90cm), the Rope Necklace(≥90cm), and the Bib Necklace(several rows of pearl strands of different lengths). Want to know more about the pearl necklaces length etiquette?

The pearl is always right

Pearls are appropriate for many occasions and can go well with many styles of clothing.

Business

The Chocker style, the Princess Necklace and the Matinée Necklace go well with business suits. Clothes with small V-collar are recommended. Compared with other jewelleries (such as diamonds), pearls are the most suitable ones for business occasions.

Letizia, Queen of Spain

Social

You could choose the length you want for social occasions. For necklaces within 50cm, you could choose a dress with décolleté or deep V-collar; for those longer than 50cm, better wear them when you have small collar dresses.

Other advice about pearls

– The older you are, the larger the pearls could be.
– Small and delicate pieces are preferred when you are in business or professional occasions.

Margaret Thatcher, she always wore a pearl necklace and pearl earrings

Dear ladies, what is your favourite piece with pearls? What else do you want to know about jewellery? Please leave us a message!

The scarf Etiquette

Putting on & removing

Take care when doing these movements because you will need more space around you, so make sure you don’t hit anyone.

When to take off

Once you are indoors you may take it off. Ladies you may let the gentlemen take off your coat but the scarf should be taken off by you.

Have the right size

Traditionally, you could measure how long a scarf should be by holding your arms out so the scarf reaches from your right finger to the left finger. However you may have the longer length just be careful, don’t let it swallow you up.

Match your scarf

If wearing gloves or hat at the same time, try matching the scarf with them, in term of colour and fabric.

Styles

Belt style

Steps:
– Place the scarf around your neck, make sure the ends are even.
– Place a skinny belt over the scarf around your waist.

The BT standard

Steps:
– Fold the scarf in half lengthwise.
– Drape it around your neck.
– Slide one end under and through the loop.
– Slide the other end under and through the loop.
– Tighten and fluff it as needed.

The simple knot

Steps:
– Drape the scarf evenly around your neck.
– Cross and tie the two ends in the centre. Adjust so that one is layered over the other, and fluff.

The Gloves Etiquette

Putting on & removing

As you put them on, fold them over the cuff and pull over the hand. When removing, start with pulling the top of each finger and then elegantly slide the glove off the hand.

When to take off

Take them off when shaking hands, eating, drinking and when you are indoors.

Have the right size

Check the size before buying since they should fit you perfectly. Gloves sizes come in half and whole numbers. If not sure about your size, measure your hand you use for writing at its widest point (excluding thumb).

Match your gloves

Your gloves should match with a scarf, hat, bag or coat, not only in colour but also in a material. Don’t wear any ring over your winter gloves.

Styles

You can choose either wrist length or long gloves, but long ones inquire to wear a coat with shorter sleeves as you may see on the photo.

In leather or fabric, there are different options:

Fur

 

 

Embellished

Knit

The hat Etiquette

When to take off

Removing the hat is a sign of respect. You should remove it when you are indoors, during introductions, when you are encountering your superior.

When to keep it

You can keep it when you are outdoors, at sports events, travelling in public transportation, on an elevator, in airports, hotel lobbies…

How to wear

If it has any ornamentation (feathers, pins, etc.) men should always have it on the left side of the hat. For women is the opposite.

Have the right size

Place the string or tape around your head and above your ear, completely circling your head. Hold the tape firmly, but not too tightly. If your size falls between sizes, choose the next largest size.

Styles

Beret

The French hat is back, chic and fashionable hat, simple and sophisticated. You can wear different colours (black, red, camel) or in leather.

Brimmed hat

Great for holding the warmth, black, olive green, cognac, grey or white, try different size, silhouette to find the one that fits you. Good for adding volume.

Beanie

A must-have accessory when the weather gets cold, we can find them in different shapes, materials and styles and goes well with almost any types of outfits.

Fur hat

Perfect to keep you warm and attractive, especially when it’s windy and cold and you have to remain elegant!

Dear ladies, I hope this is going to be a warm and stylish winter for all of us. Are there other questions you are wondering about? Please ask us, we are happy to answer!

Attractive but not sexy

Décolleté

You can feel like wearing something sexy, but it has to be appropriate and not showing too much. E.g. if you want to wear a nice top with a décolleté, prefer wearing it with some pants or long skirts below.

Skin-tight clothes

Carefully pairing skin-tight clothes. If you want to wear a tight-fitting skirt, choose a nice loose blouse on top. Remember, if you want to wear sexy clothes, choose either the upper body or the lower body, never both or it can convey vulgarity.

The dress is skin-tight, but covers the shoulders, the arms, probably until the knees and is black; giving an interesting conservative / sexy balance.

Sheer clothes

Sheer clothes can be really elegant to wear, but you have to balance it carefully in order to not appear vulgar and bold. Go for clothes that mix transparency with thick fabrics covering your strategic points.

Taylor Swift in a mild colour sheer top with a bow button up has a very feminine romantic look.

Classic and timeless clothes

It is a time resistant, Coco Chanel in the 1900’ and Audrey Hepburn in the 1950’ both were icons of elegance and as of today they still are. You never go wrong with this style and people will always think of you as someone elegant.

The timeless dress

Every woman should have one in their closet, a little black dress, you never go wrong with this piece of garment and can be wear for any occasions.

Accessories

Accessories give a little complete touch to the outfit but they should be kept to a minimum, do not bring attention on too many accessories in order to stay elegant. E.g. If you wear a beautiful and large necklace, wear more low-key bracelets or earrings.

Large necklace, big pearls as earrings, intense and shiny lips, several bracelets: this woman drive attention at too many different points.

Colours and patterns

An elegant lady knows how to dress appropriately according to the season and occassions. Eg. wear warm colours during the day, darker colours in the evening; simple attire while meeting casually with friends, and something more sophisticated for higher level social occasions.And please refer to the colour protocol for 2018 autumn look if you want to know more about the new tendencies.

Colour matching

Colour matching your clothes can be very confusing and to avoid any colours clash you only stick to neutral colours. Matching colours is not a very tricky, you just have to follow some simple rules

The monochrome rule
The complementary rule
The 3-colours rule

The colour-wheel you can use to find the perfect colours match

Patterns

An elegant lady knows how to choose the right pattern for her clothes, but it should be one pattern, not several varieties which would create a visual conflict. If you wear a printed skirt, wear something plain on top, for example. Choose one type of pattern for each outfit. And avoid those of poor taste: i.e. no leopard prints, no fluorescent or shiny colours, no glitter.

In other word: stay simple. An elegant lady is mostly noticeable for her attitude, personality and her taste. What others rules do you have to be elegant? Leave us a comment!

White Tie Attire

It is the most formal dress code and not so common these days. White tie is specific at royal ceremonies, balls, state and livery dinners. Sometimes it’s specified for formal evening weddings or charity balls.

Women

To do

Dress: Full-length, formal evening dresses. It is traditional to show décolletage, not mandatory.
Gloves: Long ones are mandatory. An older woman in a sleeveless dress should wear gloves with a cap or short sleeves dress with gloves. Should be worn all the time, except for the dinner.
Jewelry: Can be striking. Finest jewels and gems, including tiaras.
Clutch: Evening bags should be small and elegant
Cover: Wear smart evening coat, cloak, pashmina or wrap in a suitable material.
High heels: Open or closed ones, but mandatory.

Don’t do

Shorter dresses or trousers, no matter how smart, are not acceptable.
It is incorrect for young girls to wear tiaras on any occasion.

Men

To do

Coat: 4- or 6-button black barathea wool tailcoat with satin-faced peak lapels. The tails hit at the back of the knee and the sleeves can be a touch shorter than you may be accustomed to.
Trousers: Black barathea wool with double satin braiding on outseams.
Waistcoat: Low-cut single-breasted in white piqué cotton with three buttons.
Tie: White piqué cotton self-tie bow tie.
Shirt: White cotton, double cuff wing collar with piqué bib and a tab to fasten to trousers.
Shoes: Black patent leather oxfords or opera pumps.
Optional: Shirt studs, white dress scarf, white dress gloves, white pocket square, black top hat, and, of course, cufflinks.

Don’t do

When indoor don’t forget to remove your hat.
Don’t miss a chance to take part in white tie event, you may lose the opportunity to look the best in your life.

Black Tie Attire
It is less formal than white tie. Used for formal dinners (public & private), parties and balls, or some seasonal events.

Women

To do

Dress / skirt: Long or at least below the knee. The dresses don’t need to be black.
Tights: Wear black or sheer ones.
Jewelry: Fine or costume one is appropriate.
Clutch: An elegant evening bag should be used.
Cover: If it is necessary, wear an evening coat as for white tie.
High heels: Open or closed ones, but mandatory

Don’t do
Do not wear tiaras or any decorations.
Do not wear extravagant dresses.
Avoid too tight dresses, you should not wear a sexy attire for this formality.

Men

To do

Bow tie: Black hand-tied one.
Shirt: White with regular collar and black eclipsed button.
Jacket: With silk facings.
Trousers: Black with a single row of braid down each outside leg.
Cummerbund: Black to cover the waist.
Shoes: Black polished.

Don’t do

Don’t over accessorize, watch and cufflinks are enough.
Don’t wear a clip on your tie, you have to tie it by yourself.

Cocktail Attire

This type allows semi-formal look that fills the gap between casual day wear and formal evening attire and it is applied when having a cocktail party after work (business cocktail), afternoon parties or sports events on weekends (social cocktail) or for private events (weddings, anniversaries…)

Women

To do

Dress: Go for little black dress or midi dress with length not more than 5cm above the knees.
Skirt: Long and flounce skirt are recommended, graceful and light ones.
Shirt: A fluid and sophisticated shirt are possible.
T-Shirt: If you want to wear a t-shirt, chose the matching jacket or shawl to your attire.
Trousers: convenient but prefer to choose a light material, it will help to materialize sensually your shape.
High heels: Not mandatory but recommended.

Don’t do

Don’t wear sexy attire, not too slim, not too short.
Don’t choose casual fabrics like denim, jersey, chino, etc.
Don’t wear outward-looking colours like pink, flashy green, etc. Try to keep sober patterns.

Men

To do

Shirt: White or pastel colour (light blue, light pink)
Suit: Dark colours for the evening, lighter if afternoon. A different pattern is acceptable.
Tie: Recommended but not mandatory, it can be creative.
Cuff links and pocket squares: Non-essential but can spice up the outfit.
Belt: Must be the same colour as the shoes.
Shoes: Large range of choice amongst leather or suede shoes.
Socks: In case you wear them, match with trousers or something else in your outfit.

Don’t do

Leave your tuxedo at home, don’t be overdressed.
Never wear white socks, they are only for sport.
Don’t upstage the host, if you’re attending any occasion in which the spotlight is meant to be on someone specific, leave the bright colours and flashy accessories at home.

Dear all, I like to quote Coco Chanel when I talk about grooming: “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance”. Keep that in mind for your following events!

This article was first published by Michelin

Which high heels are appropriate for work according to you?

Which one do you think is proper for working? I am sure you alreay have your answers. But please let me help you review some general rules when wearing high heels:
Leather shoes look more elegant and classy, and they will fit your feet better.
You can wear tights with close toe high heels, but not with the open style.
When wearing open shoes, please do a proper pedicure in advance.

Now, let us review the different shapes one by one!

Kitten heels
Kitten heels are heels with the height from 3cm to 5 cm. The most common shoes that give a feminine touch for both social and business circumstances, but remains proper, serious.

Etiquette Tips:
Kitten heels are perfect match for almost all the looks. You may wear them with a suit, skirt or a dress,.
It suits all the daily activities such as working, shopping.etc. You can also wear them when you travel.

Stilettos high heels

Heels over 8cm are called stilettos high heels. Wearing stilettos will make you looks taller and your legs look slimmer. It is the highest you could choose for social or professional activities.

Etiquette Tips:
8-10 cm is perfect to show your feminine shape. Better match them with pants or long dress, avoid wearing skirts or it will be too sexy.
This height is not a good choice for ladies who lack practice of walking in high heels. Plus, you can not standing or walking for a very long time, or your feet will be very tired.
You could wear the stilettos when attending night events, or events that allow you to have seats.

Chunky heels

Chunky heels are those with rough heels. They could be more stable and comfortable to wear than the stilettos. But with the rough heels, your overall image might not have the flexible touch as with the stilettos do.

Etiquette Tips:
You can wear them with pants, dress, skirts or suits. Pay attention, you had better wear cloths of light fabrics to balance with the rough heels.
You can wear them for both social and professional occasions. But your deportment looks heavy with the big heels.

Sling back heel

If you want to have more security, then heels with one strap that goes around the back of the Achilles heel are the best.

Etiquette Tips:
Wear together with pants, skirt or a dress for having an elegant look.
The slings on the shoes make it easier to walk, and suitable for all occasions.
For those who have small heels, please avoid this shape because there is no way to put insoles into the shoes.

Mules

Can you believe it? The first Mules in the world is wore by Louis XIV! And later it became popular worldwide. In general, Mules have a wide or a closed front part to cover the skin of your feet.

Etiquette Tips:
You may wear them with pants, skirt or dress for more elegant look. And similarly, cloths with light fabrics are preferable.
Mules are for more casual look and for social activities.

Platform heels

Many women will probably find themselves at some point wanting the extra height and elegance, then they may choose a pair of platform stilettos. Contrary to the common belief that height comes at the expense of comfort, many people say platform heels are actually more comfortable than stilettos.

Etiquette Tips:
Try not to wear super tight shorts or skirts with platform heels; it’s not an elegant look, and might give people the wrong impression.
Avoid wearing them to every event where you may have to walk a lot.
Platforms are not recommended if you want to emphasise your trustworthiness or seriousness.

Fantasy high heels

There are so many types of heels you could never think of in your head, and yet they do exist. They are designed to attract people’s attention, but not very practical.

Etiquette Tips:
If you want to emphasize on your shoes, then you don’t have to match them with extremly uncoventional dress or suits.
Wear them if you are a designer or artist and you want to show very strong personal statement.

Dear ladies, there are more than 20 high heel’s shapes, I am sure you would like to know about them so please let me know which one in particular you are interested in!

 The rules for colour matching

Knowing how to match the colours is crucially important for the overall style.

 

Principle 1

Contrast colour principle: choose colours with strong contrast, which will enhance the lively clean bright look. Eg. black&white, yellow&purple.

Strong contrast between blue and orange, very eyecatching

Principle 2

Similar colour principle: if you want to add an exquisite touch to your attire, match with similar colour or gradient colours. Eg. pure red & burgundy red, yellow & orange.

Similar colours create a harmonious look, suitable for both social & business occasions

Principle 3

Tricolor principle: less is more, please keep no more than 3 colours and with distinctive gradation for one match. The dominant colour counts around 60%, the complementary colour around 40% , while the third colour(ornament colour) is around 5%-15%.

The dominant colour is orange, complementary colour is white, while her black bag and glasses is the third colour

Colours for autumn

Every season has its own characterized colours. For autumn, lots of people will choose the classic three: black, white and grey. Besides, camel and caramel are also popular, for they add a warm and dignified sense to the overall look.

Camel is classic colour for autumn, it is a colour makes people feel warm

Caramel is a “heavy” colour, but could match with any colour you prefer

Matches with classic colours will never get you wrong, but if you want to be brilliant and different, try some of these trendy colours in 2018 to light you up! The top three in 2018 New York fashion-colours-for-autumn&winter released by Pantone Color Institute are: Red Pear, Valiant Poppy and Nebulas Blue. Other popular colours include: Martini Olive, Russet Orange, Ceylon Yellow, Quetzal Green, Mellow Rose, Almond Buff, Quiet Gray, etc.

Autumn looks in 2018

Red Pear

This colour is of a great sense of classical luxury, and will make your skin brighter. Perfect match with most of the colours like: orange, black, red, white and blue.

Valiant Poppy

Valiant Poppy is a bright colour that is very similar to pure red. It fits very well for people with darker/yellow skin. Match with the three basic colours(black, white, grey) to balance if you think this colour is too aggressive.

The grey coat balanced the red, make it a more professional look

Nebulas Blue

Nebulas Blue ranks the third among the most poplar colours 2018. It is a clear and pure colour with distinctiveness. You could match it with similar blue, or black, white, grey, and camel. Ladies with darker/yellow skin should be careful when wearing Nebulas Blue outfits. If you are not comfortable to use this colour as the dominant one, feel free to choose it as the ornament colour.

Quetzal Green

Quetzal Green combines the features from both blue and green. The most attractive match is paired it with yellow, and you could use white as the transition colour between the two. You could also match Quetzal Green with any shades of blue.

Dear ladies, which match do you like? Please just follow the colour protocol and choose those fit you! In the next articles, we will continue to introduce you different dresscode for autumn & winter, keep following and you will be surprised!

What do you think about these three colours, do you like it? Leave us a comment and we will introduce more~!

Pocket squares rules

To do

Choose a secondary colour from your shirt or tie as the primary colour for your pocket square or the opposite.

Over 40cmx40cm otherwise, anything smaller will slip down into the pocket.
A white pocket square is always the go-to colour for any business occasions, but you can also go for pocket square with colour without but not extravagant.

Match the fold to the occasion, see the section below.
You may use a square holder to make sure it remains permanently inside the breast pocket without moving.

To avoid

Do not match your tie and pocket square in colour, fabric or same pattern.

Do not let your pocket square clashes with a tie.

Types of fabrics

It is all about the texture as each fabric has its own properties, you can play with the contrast between the fabric of your square and the rest of your outfit.

Silk

The fabric is not as rigid as cotton or linen, we suggest you mostly use it for the puffing fold and not for any structured foldings.

The silk fabric goes well with a wool suit or jacket or with a knitted tie.

Cotton

The stiff edges of this fabric will allow structured foldings.

Paired with the same fabric as your shirt and a silk necktie, it will draw all the attention to the tie and give an elegant look!

Linen

This fabric is between cotton and silk, rigid enough to be used for structured foldings, but at the same time it is supple enough to give a great effect to a simple puffing fold.

You can pair a linen pocket square with a silk tie and it is mostly used during the spring/summer months.

Patterns matching

Consider your shirt, jacket/suit, tie/bowtie and pocket square at the same time:

If they have patterns better go with a sober square.

If you wear 2 accessories with similar patterns, the patterns should be a different size (e.g. tie with wide stripes and pocket square with thin ones).

If you wear 2 accessories with different patterns, you should vary the size of them (e.g. checked tie with wide lines and polka-dot square with smaller dots).

Different occasions & foldings

Social events (formal & informal)

The flower

The ice cream

The rose

Business occasions

The line

The puffing

The peak

Different pocket square styles

Classic style

The hues compliment other colours in style, the contrast is very subtle.

Fabric to use: silk, cotton or linen

Flamboyant style

The pocket square is more flamboyant in terms of contrast and colours.

Fabric to use: silk or linen

Pocket square & bowtie style

The fabrics shouldn’t be the same, for matching rules, it is the same as for the tie.

Fabric to use: silk, cotton or linen

Pocket square without tie style

For semi-formal and casual outfits you may use classic or flamboyant style to adorn your look.

Fabric to use: silk or linen

Dear gentlemen, if you are having a business dinner, which folding and pocket square style will you choose and why? Share your answer with us!

Sitting Postures
Postures to adopt

a. Formal posture:

– Always keep your back and your head straight. You should be seated on a half of the chair, keep one fist distance between the chair and your calves.
– The legs are parallel to each other and slightly open, the distance between your legs is two fists or a bit more but never larger than the width of your shoulders. The feet should rest flat on the ground and the hands on your laps.

b. Business posture:

Prefer joining your hands in front of you and close to your body, for men it shows big hands, so it will convey the message of you being powerful and also very confident.

c. Crossed legs postures:

Crossing your ankles crossing your legs are both acceptable postures.

Always remember to keep your back straight. The hands are on your laps but never on the knees as it will draw people’s attention on them and not your face or your eyes. Unlike women, men are allowed to have a little bit of space between their legs when they are crossed and the feet should always be facing one direction.

Postures to avoid

For business meetings, there are some postures you should avoid doing, as they are too relaxed and people won’t take you as a serious person. And for everyday, they can cause you health problems.

a. Legs spreading

The legs are too open, the head and the back are not straight. When your sitting, standing or taking pictures, be careful not to tilt your head.

   b. Slouch on the chair

This is not the way to place your legs and when you are slouched on the chair, it gives the impression that you are tired or you don’t care.

   c. A leg on the other

You can cross your legs but on this picture the leg is too high and the back is, again, not straight. Also showing the soles of your shoes is not polite.

Standing Postures

Postures to adopt

a. Formal posture

For galas, weddings or other social events, keep your back straight but you don’t need to look as strict as for business events.

The arms and the feet are more relaxed and you can see that the feet can be open and not straight.

Here one foot is open and both arms are not along the body.

b. Business postures:

You should always have your back straight and a serious face, your feet are slightly open but not wider than your shoulders. You can keep your hands in front of you or along your body.

You may be required to take a photo for your professional profile.

Make yourself look taller, look ahead with a serious expression, you can join your hands together in front of you to show more confidence, twist a little bit your body to look slimmer.

c. Fashion poses:

They are fancy and trendy poses, more appropriate for photo posing or fashion events.

You can play around with your arms and hands. Cross your legs if you want to and have a less serious expression.

Postures to avoid in business

Just like the sitting postures, these postures are not appropriate for business meetings as they don’t show seriousness in your attitude.

a. Laying on the wall

You don’t need the wall to hold your body.

b. Hands in the pockets

c. Arms behind

The attitudes on these pictures are too relaxed for business occasions and some social events.

Gentlemen, please share with us which is your favourite posture and if you want to know more on men’s sitting and standing postures!

Let’s remind the essentials if you need to dress like a gentleman. This month we have met Guillaume Rué de Bernadac our favorite Etiquette coach. Mr Rué de Bernadac is a French gentleman travelling all around China to give classes on how to stand, how to eat or how to sit and walk properly. Mr Rué de Bernadac is a suit lover and it was a pleasure to write together on how to wear a suit properly!

Which details matter for a proper suit?

How to choose the fabric?

Choosing the right fabric for your tailor-made suit requires good taste and fabric knowledge.
In order to choose an appropriate fabric, we always ask our clients on the occasion they need a suit for, if they have a discreet or a strong personality, and as well as how many suits they already own.

Mr Rué de Bernadac chose a very elegant pattern fabric, dark colour, very fine stripes, smooth finishing, this fabric totally matches his personality and that’s how we like to work !

What about the suit style ?

Mr Rué de Bernadac chose a double breasted suit, which corresponds the best to his needs and his personality. What could be more elegant than a double breasted suit to attend events weekly and to teach elegance in China?

How to wear this suit style?

Keep your double-breasted suit buttoned while standing or sitting. There’s a button on the inside called the “anchor button” that should also be fastened all the time.

Details for a proper suit

Another important thing while choosing your next suit are DETAILS !
Details matter to recognize a proper suit from lower quality suit. To be the most elegant you need the perfect fit. Atelier Fusari experts stylists are here to enhance your style. Take appropriate measurements, work on all adjustments needed to make your body shape better and create a modern suit cut, are important factors in tailor-made. Beside this, colour matching, suit design, button quality need to be carefully selected.

Complete your outfit

We emphasize some gentleman details on the above pictures. Accessories will complete your gentleman look. Bowtie, pocket square, cuff links are accessories every gentlemen need !
Mr Rué de Bernadac particularly loved our Weixuwang collection with premium and original bowtie set made in Shanghai.

Gentleman reminder

Never overdress or underdress
Prefer a white shirt
Dark suits are always more elegant

Dear gentlemen, I hope you enjoyed this article and will from now on know how to create your own tailor-made suit. Please share with us if you have any questions!

This article was first published by Atelier Fusari

White Tie Attire

It is the most formal dress code and not so common these days. White tie is specific at royal ceremonies, balls, state and livery dinners. Sometimes it’s specified for formal evening weddings or charity balls.

Women

To do

Dress: Full-length, formal evening dresses. It is traditional to show décolletage, not mandatory.
Gloves: Long ones are mandatory. An older woman in a sleeveless dress should wear gloves with a cap or short sleeves dress with gloves. Should be worn all the time, except for the dinner.
Jewelry: Can be striking. Finest jewels and gems, including tiaras.
Clutch: Evening bags should be small and elegant
Cover: Wear smart evening coat, cloak, pashmina or wrap in a suitable material.
High heels: Open or closed ones, but mandatory.

Don’t do

Shorter dresses or trousers, no matter how smart, are not acceptable.
It is incorrect for young girls to wear tiaras on any occasion.

Men

To do

Coat: 4- or 6-button black barathea wool tailcoat with satin-faced peak lapels. The tails hit at the back of the knee and the sleeves can be a touch shorter than you may be accustomed to.
Trousers: Black barathea wool with double satin braiding on outseams.
Waistcoat: Low-cut single-breasted in white piqué cotton with three buttons.
Tie: White piqué cotton self-tie bow tie.
Shirt: White cotton, double cuff wing collar with piqué bib and a tab to fasten to trousers.
Shoes: Black patent leather oxfords or opera pumps.
Optional: Shirt studs, white dress scarf, white dress gloves, white pocket square, black top hat, and, of course, cufflinks.

Don’t do

When indoor don’t forget to remove your hat.
Don’t miss a chance to take part in white tie event, you may lose the opportunity to look the best in your life.

Black Tie Attire
It is less formal than white tie. Used for formal dinners (public & private), parties and balls, or some seasonal events.

Women

To do

Dress / skirt: Long or at least below the knee. The dresses don’t need to be black.
Tights: Wear black or sheer ones.
Jewelry: Fine or costume one is appropriate.
Clutch: An elegant evening bag should be used.
Cover: If it is necessary, wear an evening coat as for white tie.
High heels: Open or closed ones, but mandatory

Don’t do
Do not wear tiaras or any decorations.
Do not wear extravagant dresses.
Avoid too tight dresses, you should not wear a sexy attire for this formality.

Men

To do

Bow tie: Black hand-tied one.
Shirt: White with regular collar and black eclipsed button.
Jacket: With silk facings.
Trousers: Black with a single row of braid down each outside leg.
Cummerbund: Black to cover the waist.
Shoes: Black polished.

Don’t do

Don’t over accessorize, watch and cufflinks are enough.
Don’t wear a clip on your tie, you have to tie it by yourself.

Cocktail Attire

This type allows semi-formal look that fills the gap between casual day wear and formal evening attire and it is applied when having a cocktail party after work (business cocktail), afternoon parties or sports events on weekends (social cocktail) or for private events (weddings, anniversaries…)

Women

To do

Dress: Go for little black dress or midi dress with length not more than 5cm above the knees.
Skirt: Long and flounce skirt are recommended, graceful and light ones.
Shirt: A fluid and sophisticated shirt are possible.
T-Shirt: If you want to wear a t-shirt, chose the matching jacket or shawl to your attire.
Trousers: convenient but prefer to choose a light material, it will help to materialize sensually your shape.
High heels: Not mandatory but recommended.

Don’t do

Don’t wear sexy attire, not too slim, not too short.
Don’t choose casual fabrics like denim, jersey, chino, etc.
Don’t wear outward-looking colours like pink, flashy green, etc. Try to keep sober patterns.

Men

To do

Shirt: White or pastel colour (light blue, light pink)
Suit: Dark colours for the evening, lighter if afternoon. A different pattern is acceptable.
Tie: Recommended but not mandatory, it can be creative.
Cuff links and pocket squares: Non-essential but can spice up the outfit.
Belt: Must be the same colour as the shoes.
Shoes: Large range of choice amongst leather or suede shoes.
Socks: In case you wear them, match with trousers or something else in your outfit.

Don’t do

Leave your tuxedo at home, don’t be overdressed.
Never wear white socks, they are only for sport.
Don’t upstage the host, if you’re attending any occasion in which the spotlight is meant to be on someone specific, leave the bright colours and flashy accessories at home.

Dear all, I like to quote Coco Chanel when I talk about grooming: “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance”. Keep that in mind for your following events!

This article was first published by Michelin

 

It is all about the balance and contrast. To create an ideal look we should consider 2 things: hair texture and our face shape.

Know your texture
You may have fine hair or thick hair, look at the mirror and make a guess:
Fine hair is thin and fragile and has a difficult time holding a style.
Thick hair allows you to pull out all desired hairstyles. Asian hair is usually thick and shiny.

Know your face shape

For having the best-suited hairstyle you have to know your face shape. Follow these easy steps:

Stand in front of the mirror or put the mirror in front of your face
Pull back your hair and hold it in place
Using a lipstick or a bar of a soap trace the outline of your head onto the mirror
Compare your outline with possible face shapes to find yours

Now have a look at our recommendations for your face shape!

Face shapes & Hairstyle

Square face

Wide jaw bones and high cheekbones are main features on men’s face.

Keep your sideburns short and hair above the ears
Try having your hair relatively short but styled upward to elongate the face

Oval face shape

It is recognized as an ideal face shape, so congratulations – every hairstyle looks good on you! Your face is longer than the width of your cheekbones.

Create some volume at the top as it will help to elongate your features
Make sure that you don’t choose a hairstyle that makes your face look longer than it actually is

Diamond face shape

Diamond shaped faces’ main feature is their length and a pointy chin. This face shape looks good with longer hair.

Think of softening your most angular features with a layered haircut.
consider growing mid-long hairstyle to create an oval shape.

Round face shape

With this shape you should tend to elongate your face, to have a longer, defined jawline.

Avoid short hairstyles because it brings attention to forehead and undefined jawline.
You have to create the illusion of height and angles, so keep your hair really short on the sides, and longer on top, as to create height, and length to the face.

Triangle face shape

A triangle head shape is defined by a thinner cheekbone/temple area that extends to a wider jawline.

You may want to add width and volume to the top of your head by going for longer hair to balance out your jaw.
A fringe can create the illusion of a thicker forehead which reduced the impact of a strong chin.

Oblong face shape

This is one of the most proportioned face shapes out there as cheekbones, jawline and chin are well-balanced.

Make sure that you don’t choose a hairstyle that makes your face look longer than it actually is.

Dear gentlemen, the haircut sets the tone for a man’s style, use this power and make your look irresistible! Share in the comments what shape do you have, mine is diamond!

 How to use

Cufflinks can be worn either on shirt’s cuffs with holes on both sides on the opening (Barrel cuffs) or with doubled-back French cuffs, which have two holes on either side of the opening. With French cuffs be sure when you fold the cuff back that holes are one atop the other.

When wear the cufflink, you need to pull it through on one side of the cuff. Match the cuff’s holes so one is atop the other. Fasten the cuff and make sure the cuff opening are lined up and the cufflink is set into its closed position.

Types of cufflinks

Bullet back

These cufflinks are categorized by a small cylinder that is set between two short bars, and is flipped 90 degrees to secure. It is the most popular one since it is very secure.

Whale back

It consists of a flat face with a “whale tail” that flips back to close the link. Also very popular because it is easy to handle.

Stud / Button

They are small and light in weight. Most secure type but requires the most effort to fasten since it has immovable parts. For this type you need to wear a special shirt with stud holes since the studs act like a button.

Chain link cufflinks

Most traditional and original of all types. This link allows for a looser cuff according to preference, and can be fastened with ease.

Ball return

A more advanced style, the ball return cufflink can be found in both chain link and fixed closure variations.  Faces will vary with design, but the back end will always be differentiated by its ball shape. East to put on and provides looseness for the cuffs.

Silk knot cufflinks

The most affordable but not so durable. Great detail to have for informal occasions,the silk knot cufflink provides pops of color and ease of use.

Locking cufflinks

Unique design, functional and innovative. Has an intelligent dual-action fold-able locking system, cufflink is inserted and folded to lock in.

When to wear cufflinks

Despite their size, cufflinks can make or break a menswear look. Choose which shapes and designs best suit you. You can use them in any informal and formal occasions but make sure you have the proper cufflinks for the occasion. Have a look on the picture and respond which ones you would use in formal and which ones in informal occasions?

This time, if you are a boss and you want to embrace your mentality by sticking to sophisticated shapes and materials for a cutting-edge look which cufflinks would you choose?

Which cufflink material you find most flattering for yourself, please write in the comments?!

Dear gentlemen, I hope you enjoy wearing cufflinks as much as I do! If you never tried, hope after this article you will.  From my experience gifting a pair of cufflinks can be a perfect present, feel free to try it. Please let us know if you have questions and share your answers with us!

Ringing & Knocking

When approaching someone’s front door look for the doorbell to ring. Press it for 0.5 seconds and step back and wait.

When no doorbell is present it is common courtesy to knock gently on someone’s door first. 2 to 3 knocks are considered as a proper way of asking to enter through the door. More than that is aggressive & impolite.
When the person opens the door, allow her/him to greet you before you enter their home.

When visiting someone in his/her office, knock first and wait for the person to invite you in. Otherwise, you’ll be considered rude. If no one answers, don’t try to enter their office by yourself.

Opening & Holding doors

Door etiquette can be understood as being mindful of others. There are certain rules that should be followed.

Public doors

If the door pulls open, reach out to open it then, continuing to hold the door open, stand aside so the person you’re with may enter. If the door pushes open, go on through as you hold the door, standing aside as you continue to hold it so others may enter.

Still, if you aren’t accompanied with any person, never allow a door to slam on anyone behind you. Hold the doors for the strangers too, especially when they need physical assistance or have arms full. But avoid holding the door for someone who is too far away, since that can cause him/her to hurry.

You’ll also find doormen who will get the door for you. Don’t forget to make an eye contact with him and thank him.

Car door

It is still appropriate for a man to open a door for a lady. If there is a driver, you should wait until he/she opens a door for you. In some corporate cultures, junior associates will open and close car doors for senior staff regardless of gender.

Home door

When people visit your home, hold the door open as you invite guests to cross the threshold into your home. And always walk guests to the door, opening it for them as you see them out.

Revolving door
If the door is automatic, ladies and elders go first in social settings and higher-ranking individuals go first in business settings.

If the revolving door should be pushed, a gentleman would precede a lady in a social setting, while a junior person would precede a senior colleague in a business setting. Don’t try to crowd yourself into one wing with few people, it’s impolite and insecure.

Restaurant door

If you are hosting a business lunch at a restaurant, greet your client at the front, or stand to greet her/him at your table. When you lunch is over, walk your client to the front door of the restaurant, allowing her/him to exit before you.

How to enter and leave the room for making a good impression

After you passed the door you may face a group of familiar or unfamiliar people who will try to figure out your intent. That is why is important to enter with an at least slight smile which will encourage them to interact with you. Avoid looking back at the handle to close the door behind you.

When exiting don’t turn your back on them since that will interrupt an eye contact. Instead, leave the room with facing people in it and having eye contact until the door is closed again.

Dear all, as you might see, door etiquette is mostly common sense with a dose of kindness. Keep this in mind when next time you encounter at the door!
Would you like to add some advice regarding this topic? Please do it, in the comments below!

A sophisticated host/hostess will generate a special family culture and have a specially decorated house. To decorate your house you might need unique items: the antiques.

The antiques

Why

They tell a story from the past, whether it’s a piece passed down through your family, or a piece you bought. You actually become a part of that story the moment you set your hands on it.

How

Variety is the spice of life and layering your home with different periods creates an elegant, comfortable home. E.g. Stark and modern table with clean lines, no embellishments you may accompany with the velvet Baroque chairs.

Where

France, England and China offer the best selection of antiques anywhere in the world. You may buy them online, at flea markets, antique shops or at auctions. Of course, for auction, there are certain manners we should follow.

Auction manners

Know the auction jargon

With entering to auction world you must speak the language, learn the word and phrases used at the auction.

Be seated & quiet

Before asking for bids, auctioneer will often tell little bits of information about each item so if you make noise (talking, phone ringing…) some people might not hear him. Between items, you may have a quiet conversation but please when bidding is going keep it down.

Catch the Auctioneer’s Eye

In order to make the Auctioneer notice you, you may raise your hand or auction card. Keep it raised until the auctioneer points to you or otherwise acknowledges you. After that, he’ll go back to you to bid again, so a nod of the head will do.

Know Your Limits

Know what you can afford and quit bidding when you reach your limit.

Leave kids & pets at home

You should fully concentrate only on bidding and also let others do the same.

Act immediately

If the auctioneer mistakenly thinks you have bid on an item when you have not, it is important to speak up before he sells the item to you. In case you got your desired item but damaged, point it out as soon as possible.

How to treat my pet?

Commit yourself – pet is a living creature, commit your time and care.

Treat it as a family member – involve your pet in family activities.
Arrange its place in the house – a pet should have a place to sleep, play, eat.

Be responsible pet owner – No matter where you are, you should clean up after your pet.

How to walk elegantly with a pet？

Be in control – you are walking your pet, not the other way around.

Practice – keep your dog next to or behind you when walking, teach it how to be synchronized with you.

Posture – keep your walking posture nice and straight, walk heel to toe and keep your head up, look 3 to 6 m in front of you.

How to shop with a pet?

Prepare your pet – it’s best to start small and work your way up, so they can gradually become used to things. Crowded places, strong smells can affect their behaviour. Once it’s gotten used to staying calm and by your side among the crowds, then it’s time to move inside.

Check the store policy – Quite a number of big retailers have dog-friendly policies, but be sure to call the specific store before your first visit to verify.

How to travel with a pet?

Check requirements – ensure with all your transportation providers that your pet will have a safe trip with you to your destination and that you have all needed paperwork.

Notice the hotel – let them arrange anything you may need once you arrive.

Know your pet – be prepared that your pet will be stressed, train your pet to behave in its travel bag before the trip.

Pets & Houseguests

Check with your guests – your pet is your best friend but your guests may not like it. Before the arrival of your guest, make sure you checked if they feel comfortable in presence of your pet. Some people can be e.g. scared of dogs, or may be allergic to your pet. Consider keeping your pet in a separate room.

Clean the house – make sure there are no pet’s toys around the house which could be in the guest’s way.

Give your pet a bath – Washing your dog or cat regularly can actually reduce the amount of allergens in your home.

Check with your hosts – If you’d like to visit your friends with a pet, call them first to double-check if your pet is welcome.

Pets & Children

Educate your child – teach him/her about the pet you own. What does it eat? How to cuddle? How to take care?

Make him/her responsible – let your child be in charge of something, e.g. replacing the water, walking the dog, cleaning the cage, etc.

Strangers & Pet – show your kid how to introduce a pet to his/her friend or teach your kid how to interact with someone’s else pet.

Pets & Special events

Pet as a guest of honour – since your pet is a family member it’s normal that e.g. on your wedding day you’d like to celebrate together. In that case, find someone that can take care of it through the day so you can focus on other details.

You and pet as guests – double check with inviter whether you may come together and rethink if you can spend the specific event with your lovely friend.
Provide your pet a suitable clothing.

And finally, be creative! Your best friend will happily follow and share all your moments with you! What else do you usually do with your pet? Share with us!

 Umbrella opening & closing

Opening

Keep an umbrella close to your body and then slowly open in the oblique position.If you have a long handle umbrella, be careful not to poke someone, especially if it’s a one-click open close umbrella. When there is water on it, it will splash into other people’s face if you don’t open umbrella slowly in the direction of no people around it.

Closing

With closing your umbrella you should tend to keep it as low as possible so you don’t splash other people and letting drops falling down away from others.

Walking with an umbrella

Walking alone

When you hold an open umbrella, the distance between the runner and your head should be around 20 cm so it won’t hit you while walking and the raindrops won’t fall on your upper body. While walking keep a certain distance from other people, so you can avoid poking them with the edge of an umbrella and prevent ourselves and others from getting wet. When facing someone on the street, you can tilt the umbrella in the opposite direction and prevent umbrella striking. In case you are taller than the other person, higher up the umbrella. If you feel tired from carrying it, rest your arm by putting the shaft on your shoulder.

Walking in pair

When two people with the same gender are using one umbrella, the taller one should hold it. In case, a lady is accompanied by a gentleman, he should hold it in a way that fully protects a lady.

Poses for elegant umbrella usage

The umbrella face is parallel to the ground, and the umbrella handle is normal to ground. With this umbrella’s position, you look elegant and sophisticated.

If there is a direct sunlight and you are using a sun umbrella, lean it back a little so that you can see the way clear before you. If the sun is splaying diagonally and you are using a sun umbrella, the selection of the holding hands is usually the same as the direction of the light source. For example, if the light comes from the right side, the right hand is used to hold the umbrella. This way you will be fully protected from the sun without difficulties with keeping the elegant look.

When a long umbrella is not used, a man can hold an umbrella vertically, which gives a feeling of the British gentleman. A lady can hang umbrella hook on the wrist or hold umbrella vertically and still remain sophisticated.

Being polite

Umbrella placement

When entering the room from the outside, the umbrella should be placed outside to control the water dryness, and the umbrella should be put into the umbrella holder if there is one. Put umbrella into the plastic bag or umbrella bag provided by the mall when entering the shopping mall or other places. Also, prepare a handkerchief (one with the texture of a towel is better) to wipe away your wet bags and clothing.

Umbrella renting

In case of sudden rain, we can rent an umbrella. Even though it’s not our belonging we should treat it equally, with care! Keep in mind that you should return it so it can be also helpful for other people.

Being a gentleman

If a sudden rain appears and a gentleman meets a lady, he should offer an umbrella to her. If she accepts, she should ask for returning address. If she hesitates to accept such a gesture, a gentleman may still offer to accompany her to her destination.

In case there are two ladies and a gentleman, he should let them to carry the umbrella between them and he walks outside of it.

I wish you to stay polite, cool and dry! Do you have any question regarding elegant umbrella usage? Please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments below!

Why do we make gestures when we talk?
No matter the language we are speaking, hand gestures are part of our parlance and are as important as the words we are saying. We use our hands for different reasons:
Pointing gestures: to identify an object or a person in the environment.

Keeping the beat of the speech: hand gestures play a role in coordinating the timing and pacing of what is being said.

Miming: when we forget a word we tend to use our hands to make the listener know what we want to say.

“Second language”: gestures can reveal information that may be absent in the speech, it might signal that a certain point is more important than others.

Gestures

Here are some hand gestures you can adopt while speaking:

Listing

Every time you say a number, show the corresponding number with your fingers, it will act as an anchor and underline what you say.

Descriptive

We use our hands to describe something, a situation or a shape, they can improve the impact of your words and the audience will understand more your point.

Emotions

When you speak about your emotions, keep your hands around your heart area, that way it will give more intensity about how you feel and the listener will know you are talking about something that matters to you.

Separate ideas

When you speak about two different groups, use one hand for each, that way the listeners keep track of which group you are talking about, you can end your speech by bringing your hands together to match the two groups.

Prompting

Interact with your audience, ask them a question, if they are happy to be here, and they will raise their hand if they are. The listeners will more likely to do it if you show the gesture first.

Suggestive

Use your hands to show suggest an idea or a feeling, for example shrug your shoulders if you don’t know something.

Pointing

It is seen as rude to point at something with one finger, prefer showing something with your hand opened.

Politicians are trained to close their hand and point at the audience with their thumbs, less aggressive and conveys that everything is good.

Crossing arms

A gesture you should avoid doing, it conveys a feeling of defence and negativity, the audience will think you are closed for any exchange, if you see you are doing it, hold a small object to make you uncross your arms.

Exercises

If your hands are going everywhere when you speak and you think there are not relevant to what you are saying, here are two simple exercises for you to practice at home:
Put one hand on the other in front of you and try to speak without moving them.

Extend your arms forward, palms up and put some papers on them or hold two glasses full of water.

Hand gestures are important to show to people how a good communicator you are and also to show your charisma. Now you can practice on your own and master them!

How to start a speech?

Don’t: Starting with apologies is the worst option. “Sorry for the light which is weak”, “My apologies for the the screen, it’s not working well.“ That way you attract attention on problems, while most of the time participants haven’t even noticed them!

Do: Start with a silence. Look at your audience, take 3 breaths and start to talk. You will look more confident and it will help you to relax. Open with greetings, introduce yourself and start your speech.

How strong should your voice be?

Don’t: When we are not comfortable, we tend to keep a low voice, audible only for people seated closely to us. If you do so, people seated further won’t hear and will stop following you.

Do: Simply, you should speak loud enough as if you were speaking to the person the furthest in the room. So you are sure everyone can hear you.

How to keep a moisturised mouth?

Don’t: If you don’t drink enough during your speech, your diction is more difficult. Your mouth will be furry, you will have some small balls of saliva at the edge of your lips and some white strings when you open the mouth. On top of that, a bad breath.

Do: Having a glass of water (more elegant than a bottle) is of course the best. You may also bite the tip of your tongue, it will activate the production of water in your mouth.

Where should you look at?

Don’t: Never speak while looking at your paper, or the screen of your computer. You should neither look at the floor nor the ground.

Do: Always keep your body facing the public. If you need to have a look at your computer sometimes, keep it between you and the public. If you have a projector, you should not be looking at what is projected, still at the public.

Shall I look at people? For how long?

Don’t: Avoid ignoring some participants of your public by not looking at them, they would loose the interest. Of course, avoid staring at someone for too long. You should also avoid giving vague eye contact to the whole audience.

Do: You should look at people directly in the eyes, for around 3 seconds in a row. That way you give the impression to address this person directly, but not for too long. Repeat this with every participants.

How to keep people’s attention?

Don’t: The biggest threat is the monotonous voice. 100% certain you will loose people’s attention and send them back checking their phone.

Do: Your voice should alternate between the 5 “P”. Power (alternate strong and weak voice), Pitch (alternate high and low voice), Pace (fast and slow), Pause (have breaks of 3 seconds and more at the sentence’s end), Passion (communicate emotions). Your speech will be more captivating.

Dear ladies and gentlemen, this was only theory, the best is of course the practice.

 The impact of filler words

Indeed, proper use of fillers （one filler/per minute on average）give both you and your audience time to digest, and in some cases they may be useful indicators that the audience should pay special attention to what comes next.

But they can also negatively influence your audience the way how they perceive the message. And your nervousness is infectious: people rarely trust a nervous speaker.

How to avoid excessive use of fillers

In our public speaking class, we have 5 “p”: Power (alternate strong and weak voice), Pitch (alternate high and low voice), Pace (fast and slow), Pause (have breaks of 3 seconds and more at the sentence’s end), Passion (communicate emotions). To avoid the excessive use of fillers, we should pay special attention to the “Pause”.

John Moschitta
World’s fastest speaker, 586 words/per minute

According to a research, we think at 400 words per minute, but we speak at a rate of 140-160 words per minute（240 syllables/per minute in Chinese） on average. This discrepancy will distort our perception of time: what feels like an eternity in your mind is actually a few short seconds for your audience. So please do not be afraid of making pauses when you speak, and here is our advice:
1. Pause for 5 seconds before you start. It’s for you to calm down.
2. Pause for 2 seconds between each sentence to think about what you are going to say next.
3. Pause at least 3 seconds if you want to attract your audience and emphasis your next points.

Hillary Clinton’s campaign announcement: watch between 1’55”- 3’23”,pay attention to her pause

Practice & Exercise

How to find your filler words: choose a topic and prepare yourself a 3 minutes speech. Record your speech and find the fillers you rely on. And then you could:
1. Think about replacements. If you always start your speech with ”and then”, you could find other conjunctive words with similar meanings such as “ next”, “later on”,”besides”, etc. And use these replacements consciously and alternatively.
2. When you feel the urge to use fillers, please force yourself to be silent (like force yourself to pause), and at same time slow down the pace of your speech.

3. Listen to the news broadcaster and repeat after, stick to this practice every day and it will increase the fluency of your speech and enhance your logicality when you think and talk.

Dear all, I hope this article gives you some inspirations. And in our next public speaking article, we will help you read body languages, just keep following us!

 Ways of Posing

1 One leg ahead of the other

Why
This stance gives you the wished hourglass silhouette and makes you look taller, slimmer and statuesque. It is effortlessly classy, and delectably elegant! Also, it’s time resistant, never gets out of fashion!

How
Chin parallel to the ground, back straight, shoulders back and down, arms relaxed next to the body or you may strike some pose. Place one foot ahead of other, legs parallel, keep your ankles closer so you form a slight acute angle. That way your body will canteen in a sophisticated tilted stance!

It is all about a diaphanously sleek alignment of your knees and legs. With arm’s position feel free to experiment, find the pose that is the most flattering for you. Victoria Beckham has her red carpet pose and she is very faithful to it. One arm is always behind, the other relaxed in front. Try tilting your chin in different directions and practice at home to see what your best angle is.

2 Stance pose
Why
This pose is characteristic for the royals. Your picture should show an effortless, sophisticated and tall attitude. Just imagine Duchess of Cambridge, Queen Letizia of Spain practicing some other pose, they would not look as serene as they look in this stance pose.

How
Chin parallel to the ground, back straight, shoulders back and down, arms relaxed next to the body, on the bag or hand in hand and in front of you. Keep your legs and feet together.

3 Look over the shoulder
Why
Strike this pose if you want to stand out of the crowd, it will give the world a new view of you. In the same time, this body twist elongates your figure and gives slimmer appearance.

Dakota Johnson having a perfect look over the shoulder pose.

How
Stand with one shoulder pointed toward the photographer, at about a 40° angle. Turn your head so you’re looking over the shoulder that’s pointed at the photographer. Don’t jerk your head in their direction, but just turn naturally and glance at the camera, or in the direction the photographer instructs you to look. Let your arms to naturally fall down.

Shoes rules

There is a belief that from shoes you can see someone’s personality and weather she is a lady or not. If your shoes don’t accompany your stance, the image will be ruined! Your feet and shoes must have a harmonious, concomitant symmetry.
When choosing shoes pay attention to following details:
1. First check the placement of the heel under the shoe, it should be falling down in the center of your heel. Otherwise, bad heel placement will ruin your posture and health.

2. Make sure that your toe cleavage is not visible at all.Otherwise, it looks very cheap and unstylish.

3. Cinderella’s fit in her glass slipper is not a fairytale- your shoe should fit you perfectly! With smaller number than needed you will feel pain that will affect your posture and mood. On contrary, bigger number will affect your balance and the way of walking.

4. When wearing open-toe shoes or open heel be sure that your toes/heels do not protrude beyond the sole. Maybe you think it’s a trifle but it’s a big NO-NO.

Facial expression

Why
Facial expression plays a big role,inappropriate one can ruin the image while the proper one will enhance your look.
How
Depending on which attitude you want to show, your facial expression should be corresponding. If you want to smile on the photo, think about something that makes you happy, otherwise, your smile will be fake. If you want to look serious be careful you don’t end up looking angry or sad instead. Find the best facial expression at home and master it!

Zhang YuQi has a nice pose but her smile is fake

Rihanna having a proper serious facial expression

Dear ladies, now you are all set to shoot all those beautiful red carpet photos! Which pose you find the most flattering for yourself? Please share with us!