Don’t let the word “money clothing” fool you. This is not about the garage sale or out of the rack sale that makes you buy loads of new clothes at half the prices. With the discard-faster-than-you-wear new age fashion culture, this is the trend today. However, we are talking a completely different style of clothing here.

‘Money’ is a brand of men’s clothing which started in 2003 to provide apparel to men which was a combination of great taste, style and authentic material. It was started by Nick Cordell and Melvyn DeVilliers in 2003. A third designer, Japanese Takashi ‘Maru’ Marujo joined them in 2004. The clothing line started with men’s t-shirts and hoodies (hooded t-shirts) initially but has now diversified to all kinds of men’s apparel including knit wear and jeans. The denims have the unique quality of having real money kept inside the back pocket (hence, justifying the name) according to the country where you buy them from- for example, a dollar if you pick them in America or a euro if in Europe.

Money clothing has the unique Japanese quality, evident in the finish of their clothes and the material used to make them and can be attributed to the Japanese designer in the trio, Marujo. All the clothes carry contemporary designs and can be called as clothes which pick the pulse of the present generation, particularly their choice of wearing garments that make them look “cool”, which in popular language means one who is carefree and one who doesn’t (or doesn’t want to) conform to socially redundant traditions and practices.

For the above reasons, this brand is for people who carry that attitude and who want their clothes to reflect their thinking.

‘Money’ has become a famous brand due to celebrity following by popular celebrities such as Jay Z and David Beckham who are huge style icons for present day youth. Money follows all the ongoing trends and translates them into their clothing, making them a hit with the people instantly. The colors used are also vibrant, in line with the personalities of present day wearers.

The mix of two great traditions-the oriental and the occidental has given money clothing a value advantage very few brands can command. There is always something new, something fresh and something out-of-the-box when two totally different cultures combine. And that when worn looks like nothing you have ever worn before.

Face Facts – Your Speech Depends Upon It!

Apart from your voice, the main point of contact between you as the public speaker and your audience is…, your face. Your face is undoubtedly the most expressive part of your body and can convey meaning and emotion beyond words. For this reason it is a powerful ‘tool’ to use to enhance your presentations, whether it is a simple wedding speech, a sales presentation, sermon or motivational speech.

Something we just take for granted, but did you know that you use no less than twenty different muscles to produce at least fourteen different facial expressions, showing seven major forms of emotion. That’s quite a resource to use and like any other resource needs to be used and not miss-used.

Perhaps one way to illustrate this is to think back to the days of ‘Silent’ Movies, (which I’m sure you are too young to remember!). It was possible to ‘follow the plot’ without words because of the facial expressions and body language of the artist e.g. the great Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Buster Keaton etc. In fact, although some of the silent movie stars were so good at using this, when ‘Talkies’ came in, a few found themselves out of work because they didn’t have good speaking voices and found it difficult to adapt, – but I digress! More recently the late Marcel Marceau (22 March 1923 – 22 September 2007) gained massive acclaim and popularity as he took his skill of ‘miming’ around the world.

Just think, if it is possible to tell a story just by using face and body language, even as demonstrated by those who do not have the use of speech, how powerful it can be to combine the effective use of facial expressions with a well rehearsed and delivered talk.

To be honest, if you are really passionate about your subject and intent on getting your message across you will find that your natural facial expressions will reflect that and provide emotion and feeling to your talk. On occasions, however, it may help to slightly exaggerate a look to emphasize a point. I say ‘slightly’ as, if overdone, it loses its impact or, worst-case scenario, looks comical.

A couple of examples;

When you are making an important statement and use a little trick to emphasize that point by stating, “Would you believe, some people would actually deny….(the statement)”, accompanied by a look of ‘shock-horror’ – and the point is made! Your listener will empathise with your expression and remember the point.

When asking your audience a rhetorical question you have the opportunity to pause, to allow the question to register and at the same time adopt a quizzical look with eyebrows raised. Try it. It works!

When describing a product, concept or situation we often use our hands outspread in a broad gesture (you know the type of action, like describing the size of fish you claim to have caught!). Accompany this with a wide-eyed expression that looks as though you are halfway through the word “WOW” and the hand gesture is much more effective.

Even a frown can be effective, for example when a controversial point is introduced, to convey to your audience that this is something that deserves their serious consideration. Allow time for the audience to see how you are looking and for the expression to register.

As with most situations and across most cultures, a smile goes a long way to winning your audience, and you will find that even with a serious subject you will be better received if your introduction is accompanied by a genuine friendly smile. (And as you will be exercising over half of those face muscles each time you smile it keeps your face in good shape too!)