Style Bible: What to Wear to Work

If Rothman has one thing to prove in her book on career dressing, it’s that fashion in the workplace still has rules. For example, if a man is wearing a suit: “Your jacket collar should sit flush against your dress shirt’s collar, revealing one half inch of your dress shirt (collar) in the back.” Observe these rules, or find yourself running in place career-wise, the author cautions. Rothman promotes a conservative and safe approach for men and women. For the fashion-blind, the author outlines dress codes across industries and regions—many Washington, D.C., residents “still think black is a color to be worn only in funerals.” She covers grooming basics and accessories, but her best chapter is “Shop Your Closet,” in which she provides advice on editing and organizing an existing wardrobe. The author has a fashionista’s cattiness—castigating “skin belts,” “muffin tops,” and “back cleavage,” and noting similar problems for men. However, Rothman’s focus on career dressing will enable the sartorially confused to get dressed every morning as they head out to the job, and may help them look better on weekends, too. Agent: Ron Goldfarb and Gerrie Sturman, Goldfarb & Associates. (Oct.)