Dallas Pizza, Pompeo and What to Wear for a Presentation

When you first think of Dallas (other than the tv show of course, which I gather is actually being shot in Dallas this time round although I haven’t bumped into any film crews as yet) it would appear that most imagine cowboy hat and boot toting guys and gals all saying y’all with every other breath.  And desert-like heat of course.

Nothing could be further than the truth, although you may just bump into a cowboy hat somewhere during your stay.  The city is sophisticated, the shops include Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Hermes and Tiffany and all the rest of the great American and international brands, and the food is on many occasions marvellous, a mixture of Tex-Mex which you would expect to find anywhere, upscale US cooking such as to be found at Stephen Pyles and now………Neapolitan style pizza at Cane Rosso. and industrial sized space fitted out with a huge red (surprise surprise) pizza oven offering a wide variety of pizza and vast jugs of beer – or Italian wine if you prefer.

If you visit Dallas and if you decide to come here don’t dress up.  The place is casual, noisy and extremely popular, unsurprisingly.

Salon Pompeo is the name of the young vibrant hair and beauty salon next to the popular Palomar Hotel (which I’ve written about before) and where if you want a modern sleek ‘do’, rather than, as my stylist described, it ‘Texas hair’ you should pay a visit.  I always think it’s risky going to somewhere new and this was my third attempt in Dallas but thankfully this time I’ll stick. 

Apart from the high quality work they do here the place is full of chic young locals and the place itself is pure therapy, from the friendly central ‘bar’ to the well laid out salon and modern areas to relax.  Oh yes and you lie flat to have your hair washed.  That was a first.  Free wi-fi and free tea, coffee and other ‘beverages’ (I never quite get that word) are on offer all the time as well.

And on, finally, to this presentation that I’m putting together for next Tuesday, well two, actually, one on web usability and the other on how to get your products off the page into the basket.  If you can, come and join me at the Birmingham NEC Spring Fair.  My aim is always to be short and to the point (I hate long presentations and so don’t inflict them on others).

On the subject of what to wear I’ve had several suggestions, most of which I’ve discarded.  I believe that suits look too formal and outdated, and make it difficult for your watchers to identify with you.  I like to wear a dress (no surprises there), something that I’m comfortable in, that’s a modern length, which is usually just above the knee, a flattering shape and without showing too much of anything, after all, I want people to listen to what I have to say, and not be distracted by what I wear.  The advantage of a dress is also that you can slip on a cardigan if it’s cold.  Here are just a few considerations.

  
One of the most important things is that you feel comfortable in what you’re wearing, that you know that the length is right, your neckline isn’t going to slip and nothing’s going to get out of place whilst you’re talking.  Take the time to choose the right thing and make sure it fits you perfectly and flatters your figure – after all – all eyes will be on you………