Tag Archives | Etiquette

Guest Etiquette: Great Guest Tips

November 13, 2015 in Lifestyle

Guest etiquette, like most etiquette, seems to have taken a hit in recent years.

While I truly believe these suggestions are best utilized year-around, I thought that timing this post near the holidays would be a good reminder for everyone as they head into the season of cocktail soirees, tree lightings, and cooking-making parties.

Don’t Show Up Empty Handed

I don’t care if you’re going to your neighbor’s house for a quick eggnog tasting or a cocktail party – You should always bring something for your host.

It doesn’t have to be expensive or over-the-top, just a little something to say that you appreciate the invitation.

Some of my go-to’s are wine, a great wine opener, flowers or a small potted plant, homemade desserts, or something great for the kitchen like artisanal salts or speciality herbs.

Note: Don’t bring something that requires your host to stop everything that they’re doing. If you wrap a gift, leave it with them to open when they have time rather than as they’re trying to juggle a million things.

Guest Etiquette Holiday Parties San Francisco Bay Area Fashion Food Fitness Lifestyle Blogger Kate Spade Stationary Thank You Notes

{Uber chic Kate Spade stationary is a great way to say Thank You!}

Communicate In Advance

Do you have a food allergy? Are you bringing your child? Plan to be late? Communicate any and all deviations to your host in advance.

For someone like with me who has a complicated diet, I usually explain my allergies and immediately offer to bring something that’s Caity-friendly. A salad for dinner is no problem for me {I usually eat before parties/events for that very reason} but I’ve discovered that hosts fear I’ll starve so I offer to bring dessert or a side to share.

Say Thank you

A Thank You note is a non-negotiable. Not only does everyone LOVE receiving mail, but your host will really appreciate that you took the time to write a card after all the time & energy they spent putting the event together.

I keep pretty notes in my desk drawer at the office to send after weekend events. Some of my favorites are Crane & Co. and Kate Spade New York.

Curious about my views on other kinds of etiquette? Check out past posts on this: Work, Travel, Gym & Salon.

What’s YOUR top guest tip?

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Work Etiquette

June 18, 2015 in Etiquette, Fashion

There are a few different ways to approach behavior and the establishment of an office persona in the modern working world so read on for some of my top tips and suggestions for work etiquette to get you started.

[1.] “Casual dress promotes a casual attitude.”

This is, without a doubt, my go-to slogan at the office. Obviously fashion is something that I take seriously – Hello, fashion blogger here – But the office is one place where everyone should take fashion seriously. Or, at the very least, think about their style choices. I’m not saying that you need to channel The Devil Wears Prada on a daily basis, but you need to think about what you’re wearing and what those choices say about you, your goals, and your work ethic.

Read more about this topic in the following posts:

Workwear Office Fashion Work Etiquette San Francisco Fashion Blogger Street Style

{Trendy Mondays: Leopard Print}

[2.] Attitude is EVERYTHING

How you interact with your colleagues – From your administrative assistant to the coffee cart operator to your boss – Can impact your career in very real ways.

Be polite. Be courteous. Be gracious. And by all means, think before you speak. If you’re frustrated and swiftly reaching the point of no return, try getting out of the office for a quick walk, calling someone to hash things out, or putting in headphones and losing yourself in music that you love. Just don’t take it out on the people around you!

[3.] Police your personal space

Even though your desk, your office, is by definition yours, you need to consider it a public space. Keep it clean, keep it organized. We all know those people who seem to thrive in the chaos of disarray, but at the office you need to consider the people around you and what your space says about you.

Do you really want your boss stopping by to chat and noticing crumbled papers on the floor, old dishes on your desk, and dusty stacks of papers taking up your work space? Of course not. So do your best to stay on top of your piles!

Missed out on some of the previous etiquette posts? Check them out here: Salon Etiquette, Gym Etiquette, and Travel Etiquette.

 What’s YOUR top tip for the office?

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Travel Etiquette

March 20, 2015 in Etiquette, Fashion, Fitness, Food

Welcome back to another Etiquette post. If you’ve missed out on the first two posts of this series you can catch-up right over here: Salon Etiquette & Gym Etiquette.

Whether you’re heading out-of-town for a weekend on the train or hopping on a plane for a few weeks away from it all, there are some rules to live – And travel – By when you hit the road.

Read on for some of my top Travel Etiquette tips to help you navigate the world of travel without breaching etiquette or falling victim to poor manners.

Travel Etiquette Wanderlust Travel Quotes San Francisco Fashion Fitness Food Lifestyle Beauty Blogger

[1.] Remember – You are not alone

Please, for everyone’s sake, refrain from doing the things that you would only do in the privacy of your home – From nail clipping to singing aloud – These aren’t for public consumption.

We all thank you!

[2.] Be cognizant of noise levels

I listen to music non-stop while I’m traveling, it helps pass the time and keeps my stress levels down, but I always make sure that I’m not disturbing the people around me. Speakerphone conversations, phone calls of a personal nature, and hearing-ruining volumes that everyone around you can hear should all be avoided.

[3.] Watch what you eat

Highly aromatic foods can disturb or even nauseate the people around you so try to keep that in mind when you’re planning/buying your travel meals. There are tons of easy-to-carry foods that have little to no scent so try some of those on your next trip – Salads, fruits & veggies, nuts & trail mix, and energy bites and all tasty, healthy options.

I once sat next to someone who ate a rotisserie chicken on a train from Paris to the South of France and I swear I could smell it on my clothes and in my hair for the next two days!

[4.] Keep an eye on your things

Yes, the automated voice over the loudspeaker urging you not to leave your belongings unattended is easy to tune out, but that doesn’t mean that she’s wrong. Make sure you’re tidy, that you know where all of your luggage is, and that you’re not in other people’s way. I spend a good portion of my time in airports and train stations tripping over people’s rolling suitcases because they don’t know where they left them.

For the sake of my perpetually clumsy, I urge you to keep an eye on your things!

Travel Etiquette Wanderlust Travel Quotes San Francisco Fashion Fitness Food Lifestyle Beauty Blogger

[5.] Be reasonable

Repeat after me – When you’re traveling, SHIT HAPPENS.

And sometimes, that shit is bad. Delayed flights, lost reservations, missing luggage – It sucks and it’s easy to lose your cool over. Tension and stress are high, but try your hardest not to take it out on the people around you. It’s not the gate attendant’s fault that the plane left without you, and the poor crew manning baggage claim didn’t intentionally ruin your trip by misplacing your suitcase.

Rather than overact and risk ruining your trip with a bad attitude, try deep breathing, going to your happy place, or thinking about how much worse things could really be. Not helping? That’s why there’s a bar at the airport!

{Images from Wanderlust}

What travel rules do YOU live by?

Want to see more of my travel tips? Be sure to follow me on Instagram where I’ll be sharing my upcoming Greek Island adventure.

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Gym Etiquette

February 25, 2015 in Etiquette, Fitness

After the warm reception to my Salon Etiquette post I thought I’d take some reader requests on the topics of etiquette & appropriate behavior. The number one being – Gym Etiquette.

If you’re a regular gym go-er you’ve probably come face-to-face with some fairly horrifying things at one time or another. From bizarre locker room behavior to people who make you shake your head and roll your eyes.

[1.] Dress appropriately

I love a good croptop, but your gym attire should aim to be functional. I’m not saying you can’t look fabulous – I fully support finding stylish workout gear – But you shouldn’t be dressed for the club. Or the beach.

You should be dressed for the gym. Because you’re at the gym!

Gym Etiquette Workout Gym Fitness FitLife Fashion Fitness Food Lifestyle Blogger Karlie Kloss Boxing Elle

[2.] Clean up after yourself

For the love of all that is holy re-rack your weights. Take your towel with you. Don’t leave mats and jump ropes all over the floor. Pretend you’re in kindergarten and are being graded on how well you tidy up your personal space.

[3.] Be aware of your surroundings

Whether you’re changing in the locker room, waiting in line for a cardio machine, or checking your phone while you walk out the door, be sure that you know what’s going on around you. Don’t walk through someone’s workout, don’t make people uncomfortable with your behavior, and don’t keep other people from completing their workouts because you’re not paying attention.

[4.] Share!

Space on the floor, machines, weights, lockers – What do these all have in common? They’re for everyone. That means you need to share them.

Every single time.

Gym Etiquette Workout Gym Fitness FitLife Fashion Fitness Food Lifestyle Blogger Karlie Kloss Boxing Elle

[5.] Don’t disturb others

This is, without a doubt, my number one pet peeve at the gym. Carrying on NSFG conversations and listening to music out loud are two things you should never do at the gym. Ever.

Is your workout time the only chance you have to catch up with your bestie? That’s great, but take it outside for a walk instead of talking about your weekend one night stand, in detail, within earshot of 30 people. Why yes, I have had this happen to me at the gym.

{Images from Gym Motivation}

What’s YOUR biggest gym pet peeve?

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Salon Etiquette

August 28, 2014 in Fashion

I often feel like etiquette is a thing of the past. I for one, love manners. I love people who are kind and polite to a fault. Especially towards people who work in the service industries and get terrorized on a daily basis by rude, unreasonable consumers.

A friend recently requested a piece on Salon Etiquette in the hopes of ensuring she didn’t inadvertently commit a faux pas during her next trip to the salon.

I jumped on the idea and immediately recruited my fabulous hairdresser Natalie Keklikian to share some of the do’s and don’ts that she’s learned over the years, as well as some of her pet peeves that we can all learn from.

Salon Etiquette San Francisco Beauty Fashion Blogger Street Style

{Miss Natalie took me from my natural blonde to red a few years ago & we’ve been together ever since!} 

(1) If a salon/hairdresser’s rates include a range of prices – Is it ok to discuss where in the range your procedure will fall prior to getting started? What, if anything, about a procedure can be negotiated/discussed in advance?

Stylists give a range of prices because not all heads are equal, so depending on hair length and type the same service may be more time intensive or require more product from one client to the next. Prices are set to maintain a (somewhat) consistent hourly rate throughout the day and cover any overhead (color, bleach, keratin). Your stylist should be able to tell you up front what your service will cost, provided you can consult with them in person. This is in the stylist’s best interest, as no one likes to be surprised by the number of digits on their bill–even if they do look super fab.

The one caveat to all of this is color correction. Most stylists will bill an hourly rate for this service, and we don’t want you to leave our chair looking anything less than perfect. Girls come to me in tears over botched colors, but just because I’m doing god’s work that doesn’t make me a charity.

Also, if you absolutely must go from jet black to platinum, get ready to shell out the dough.

(2) What are some of a stylist’s biggest pet peeves that we should avoid at all costs? (Tardiness…? Last minute appointment changes…?)

My biggest pet peeve is hands down when people don’t show up to their appointment and don’t let me know ahead of time. Your boss used to call this a, “no call, no-show,” and your ass got fired for it. I am very understanding. Shit happens. But give me a heads up so homegirl can go get a latte or grab lunch with her boo.

If your appointment is in the morning BY ALL MEANS send a text, email, carrier pigeon, smoke signal, whateva. I can make up the money but I’ll never get back those precious minutes of beauty sleep.

Salon Etiquette San Francisco Beauty Fashion Blogger Street Style

{Seeing RED. Just a few of the shades I’ve tried over the years: Top Left // Top Right // Bottom Left // Bottom Right}

(3) What’s something that you love in a client? Any tips for making sure we develop a great, long-term relationship with our stylists?

Ok finally I can boast about how much I LOVE my clients. I love clients who are on time. I love clients who appreciate my work. I love clients who want change! I love clients who leave their problems at the door and enjoy their time with me, or come to me with their problems and talk it out over the blow dryer. The more you share with your stylist, the more they will understand you as a person and know what you want for your hair. Your best friend, other than the one you’ve had since childhood, should be your hair stylist. Not even joking!

Also I can’t stress enough how exciting it is seeing a regular on your schedule and looking forward to seeing them. Honestly it’s what gets me through the day!

I LOVED reading Natalie’s responses – I agree 100% on all of this and I feel like etiquette-wise, these can be applied to most situations. Have a question or concern? Ask first! Going to be late? Call! Want to develop a great relationship with someone? Talk it out!

What did YOU think of this piece? Interested in more etiquette posts?

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