The red carpet never ends if you're on camera

Over the years I've worked with a lot of people who were born with the fashion chromosome. Every color coordinated perfectly, every accessory matched, not a hair out of place, no scuffs on shoes. Even on off days, the casual look seemed like something out of a Spiegel catalog. You could run into these people at the grocery store and they'd look nice.

When you're an on-camera person, you're always on the red carpet. But since we've basically become a nation of slobs, that trend seems to have trickled down to the television news industry. Oh, you still see those impeccably dressed people, but not nearly as often.

I've mentioned this a few times in the past, but in light of the Academy Awards it's time to beat the drum again. Too many of you simply look average on your resume tapes. And I'm not talking about the quality of your stories. The wrinkled clothes that seem thrown together, the too-casual look on important stories, the neckties that are knotted so badly they look like my old clip-ons from Catholic school. (That is, if the men are even wearing ties anymore.)

Old school fashion sense will get you noticed, and old school isn't that hard to do. If you're not doing a story on a farm, you owe it to yourself to dress to the nines. Make a fashion statement.

Remember, it's a superficial business and how you look is half the battle. You can't change your face, but you can change your appearance. If you're dressing in a brown paper wrapper, you're selling yourself short.

-