A Businesswoman's Guide to Dressing for Impact

Canaday charges an average of $100 an hour for her one-on-one services, but also offers company and group workshops. For more tips, pick up a copy of the book Casual Power: How to Power Up Your Non-Verbal Communication and Dress Down for Success by Empowerment Enterprises founder Sherry Maysonave or their new three-part DVD series.

Shop Savvy

Canaday can sniff out worthwhile enclaves and particular designers in stores that sell quality business attire, like Nordstrom (JWN Quote), Macy's and Ann Taylor (ANN Quote), but to the untrained this can take hours. "Some seasons they get it right and other seasons ... their pants are [just] so low," observes DeNucci.

"The fashion industry does not have a clear picture of what [this] kind of woman needs," says Nina McLemore, CEO of Nina McLemore, a clothing line that targets the senior ranks of executive professional women.

McLemore works directly with customers to select pieces that are right for them, fit well and exude class.

Lack of time is a hindrance for a lot of professional women because they can't go to one store for a suit like men. "[For women] it takes some taste and attention to put everything together," says McLemore.

And female executives are looking for something more than the typical Wall Street basic black suit or classic pink shirt, she says. "My mission is to make it easy for women who have children, husbands and businesses to get up in the morning and easily put themselves together."

Like Canaday, McLemore says most women underestimate how important visual presentation is. People do make snap judgments based on first impressions, says McLemore, and with it "the determination of who you are and whether you're a player. If you fail that test, it's very difficult to make it up."