Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
First Impressions Get One Shot
🎥 Image, Impression, Credibilty and Trust Engineering for Client-Facing Professionals : Episode #491
Video Free Resources here: dale-carnegie.co.jp/freebundles
My Point of View: In business, credibility can be created before competence is tested. We can sell them on trusting us by engineering the first impressions we want, so let's be intentional and let's be sharp.
🎩 Classic Menswear Conventions – Know the Rule to Break the Rule
#72. Q: What’s the rule for check shirts?
Check shirts shouldn’t be combined with any stripe combination, including suit pinstripes. Actually, avoid check shirts for business entirely. It was a fashion industry driven look to sell more shirts, which worked for the rag trade for a while and made them a lot of money, because it was new. Yes, it was different, but it never really worked. It is almost impossible to look professional and elegant in a business outfit with those checks exploding everywhere.
Window pane, Prince of Wales checks etc., all make sense for suits and look professional and bring some variety to men’s suit. The window panes and checks in suits are usually very subtle, so that makes it easy to match with shirts and ties. Shirts are a different animal, so avoid checked shirts completely.
👔 The 4 Vs of Executive Presence: Visual, Vocal, Verbal, Value
🎯 Who am I meeting and what impression do I want to create:
Lunch with Paul Goldsmith, who was guest #43 on my podcast Japan's Top Business Interviews, a previous client when he was Country Manager for Aquent and who I first met back in 2001, when he was the President of the Foreign Corporate Communications group.
No client meetings today, so I could experiment with the look.
Suit: Ermenegildo Zegna Trivero 1910 Trofeo Silk subtle navy pinstripe suit, notch lapels, Barchetta breast pocket, 35mm double cuffs, flap pockets, side vents.
Shirt: Abelard Melbourne 1922 with English Cuffs. Abbeyhorn Holme 1749 horn collars stays from Kirby Allison Dallas 2007
Tie: Thomas Pink London 2008 mauve and black striped tie in a Four-In-Hand knot
Socks: Navy over the calf socks
✨ Personal Flair
Cufflinks: Dark purple Thompson London 2008 cufflinks
Pocket Square: Jim Thompson Bangkok 1948 pocketsquare in a reverse puff. Stabiliser from Kuska Fabrics Kyoto 1936.
Badge: Dale Carnegie New York 1912, silver corporate badge
Pen: Mont Blanc Hamburg 1906
Card Holder: Lanvin Paris 1889
Watch: Vintage gold 24m Cartier Paris 1847 Tank Francaise with a black nubuck alligator strap
Fragrance: Acqua di Gio Georgio Armani Milano 1996
👞 High Shine Shoes: Pollini San Mauro Pascoli 1953 Derbys with broguering on the toe cap.
Intention outcomes: The mauve shirt and mauve in the striped tie worked well with the pocketsquare with the mauve tips.
👉 If you want Executive Presence in Tokyo, I coach leaders on Presence, Leadership, Communications, Presentations and Sales.
We have a bonus for you packed with free resources—one that’ll make you go, ‘Yep, this is exactly what I wanted.’ Head to the link now. Dale-Carnegie.co.jp/en/about/freebundles
📩 greg.story@dalecarnegie.com 🌐 dale-carnegie.co.jp 📑 Access our free 35 White Papers on leadership, sales, and executive presence in Japan: bit.ly/4nbN0pj 📘 Download our 19 Free E-books: bit.ly/42MbKMK
✍️ Dr. Greg Story – President, Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training. Author of Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, Japan Presentations Mastery, and Japan Leadership Mastery.
First Impressions Get One Shot
🎥 Image, Impression, Credibilty and Trust Engineering for Client-Facing Professionals : Episode #491
Video Free Resources here: dale-carnegie.co.jp/freebundles
My Point of View: In business, credibility can be created before competence is tested. We can sell them on trusting us by engineering the first impressions we want, so let's be intentional and let's be sharp.
🎩 Classic Menswear Conventions – Know the Rule to Break the Rule
#72. Q: What’s the rule for check shirts?
Check shirts shouldn’t be combined with any stripe combination, including suit pinstripes. Actually, avoid check shirts for business entirely. It was a fashion industry driven look to sell more shirts, which worked for the rag trade for a while and made them a lot of money, because it was new. Yes, it was different, but it never really worked. It is almost impossible to look professional and elegant in a business outfit with those checks exploding everywhere.
Window pane, Prince of Wales checks etc., all make sense for suits and look professional and bring some variety to men’s suit. The window panes and checks in suits are usually very subtle, so that makes it easy to match with shirts and ties. Shirts are a different animal, so avoid checked shirts completely.
👔 The 4 Vs of Executive Presence: Visual, Vocal, Verbal, Value
🎯 Who am I meeting and what impression do I want to create:
Lunch with Paul Goldsmith, who was guest #43 on my podcast Japan's Top Business Interviews, a previous client when he was Country Manager for Aquent and who I first met back in 2001, when he was the President of the Foreign Corporate Communications group.
No client meetings today, so I could experiment with the look.
Suit: Ermenegildo Zegna Trivero 1910 Trofeo Silk subtle navy pinstripe suit, notch lapels, Barchetta breast pocket, 35mm double cuffs, flap pockets, side vents.
Shirt: Abelard Melbourne 1922 with English Cuffs. Abbeyhorn Holme 1749 horn collars stays from Kirby Allison Dallas 2007
Tie: Thomas Pink London 2008 mauve and black striped tie in a Four-In-Hand knot
Socks: Navy over the calf socks
✨ Personal Flair
Cufflinks: Dark purple Thompson London 2008 cufflinks
Pocket Square: Jim Thompson Bangkok 1948 pocketsquare in a reverse puff. Stabiliser from Kuska Fabrics Kyoto 1936.
Badge: Dale Carnegie New York 1912, silver corporate badge
Pen: Mont Blanc Hamburg 1906
Card Holder: Lanvin Paris 1889
Watch: Vintage gold 24m Cartier Paris 1847 Tank Francaise with a black nubuck alligator strap
Fragrance: Acqua di Gio Georgio Armani Milano 1996
👞 High Shine Shoes: Pollini San Mauro Pascoli 1953 Derbys with broguering on the toe cap.
Intention outcomes: The mauve shirt and mauve in the striped tie worked well with the pocketsquare with the mauve tips.
👉 If you want Executive Presence in Tokyo, I coach leaders on Presence, Leadership, Communications, Presentations and Sales.
We have a bonus for you packed with free resources—one that’ll make you go, ‘Yep, this is exactly what I wanted.’ Head to the link now. Dale-Carnegie.co.jp/en/about/freebundles
📩 greg.story@dalecarnegie.com 🌐 dale-carnegie.co.jp 📑 Access our free 35 White Papers on leadership, sales, and executive presence in Japan: bit.ly/4nbN0pj 📘 Download our 19 Free E-books: bit.ly/42MbKMK
✍️ Dr. Greg Story – President, Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training. Author of Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, Japan Presentations Mastery, and Japan Leadership Mastery.
