OLIVIA POPE: GLADIATOR DRESSED IN TASTEFUL SUITS

photo courtesy of: ABC

We love Scandal and its ultimate Gladiator who fixes all issues while looking put together and in charge, Olivia Pope. As we wait with baited breath for Scandal's return on Thursday, October 3, 2013, we thought we'd share useful lessons in fashion and life that we can all learn from Ms. Pope.

1. FEMININE OUTERWEAR- Cover ups need not hide your feminine curves. Olivia embraces silhouettes, especially in her outerwear and jackets that heighten and define her figure. Here's a TIP from our resident fashion stylist, Schuanne Cappel: If you want to protect yourself from the elements while showing off your curves, select coats that are belted or belt coats you own. Coats with wide lapels or embellished shoulders plus a flared out bottom half will provide the ultimate feminine look. Use our F/W 2012 Coat Guide to Help You Identify Coat Shapes for your Body Type. Come back soon for our 2013 Coat Pop-up Shop.

2. UNDERSTATED TOTE- Outlast seasonal trends by selecting bags with staying power. The best are usually simple and less logo laden. Shop More of Our Editor's Picks

photos courtesy of: style.com, ABC/Nicole Wilder: Olivia carries the Prada Saffiano Tote also seen here, farfetch.com: Saint Laurent 'Sac de Jour', Desa 1972 'Angle Shape Shopper'

3. TAILOR IT- Skip out on boring, generic suits! Either have yours tailored to add interesting details or purchase suit jackets with neat yet professional designs like the Maiyet jacket below. Links below allow you to shop coveted items. Stylist Advice: The Best Jacket for Your Body Type.

4. CUT THE BAUBLES- In many cases, keeping your jewelry simple and sparse means more attention on your work and what you are contributing and less on "how much did you spend on this?" or "where did you get that?"

photos courtesy of: Net-a-Porter: Maiyet, Rick Owens, Chalayan, ABC: Olivia wears sold out Giorgio Armani blazer similar Armani blazer, Tiffany & Co we also like the Atlas Pierced Bar Pendant, Bvlgari

5. KNOW YOUR WORTH- Whether it's in a professional capacity or love, Olivia is aware of what she brings to the table and shows no fear of asserting that she is invaluable. Strong work only bolsters your case so why not speak up? Words of advice in Barbara Stanny's Secrets of Six Figure Women still resonate with me years after reading them: "Feel the Fear. Have the Doubt. Go for It Anyway." Rachel Sklar, Editor-at-Large at Mediaite.com, founding editor of Mediaite and the Huffington Post and founder of The Li.st, recounted an all too familiar story at Marie Claire's "Power Your Progress" event in New York last week. After joining a start up in a leadership role she sought out advice from a venture capitalist friend she presumed was in the best position to advise her on a suitable compensation package. Her friend remarked "she was lucky to even have a job," words that heavily influenced her low ball compensation package request. Then came the 'aha' moment! She realized that she was bringing in the contacts essential for this venture to thrive and regretted leaving money on the table. What do you bring to the table? Are you selling yourself short? Women do not ask for raises as frequently as men nor do they aim as high as they should or could when they do. Might we add that it's not always just about money; it's also about signaling to others that you've paid dues and earned a certain level of respect.

As for love, are you assertive with your (potential) partner? It is a partnership (you're building) after all. Find yourself hanging on for men who aren't giving you the respect you expect? It's possible that you're not commanding it or Maybe He's Just Not that into You? If you haven't read that book we highly recommend it--we refer to it as a life changing by habit altering guide to listening to your instincts and minding the red flags men hoist when it's time to leave. No matter what, you must take action in order for things to improve.

 photos courtesy of: scandalmoments.tumblr.com

 6. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS- Take it from Oprah: "Learning to trust your instincts, using your intuitive sense of what's best for you, is paramount for any lasting success. I've trusted the still, small voice of intuition my entire life. And the only time I've made mistakes is when I didn't listen."

photo courtesy of: unknown

 7. STOP LYING- Fear what will happen if and when your mask comes off? The Minimalists help us remember It's Only Fear. We think life will be a lot easier and enjoyable if you lie less. Personally, we hate it when people lie to us especially without reason because when you're caught, and you will be because "no man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar," you lose all credibility. It's a lot harder to rebuild trust than to earn it in the first place. We, (yes, we!) not just Olivia, suffered when "Olitz" was broken up by Defiance. Don't crucify us for the infidelity issues with our last statement here. We know this is strange to say directly following the word "infidelity" and our turning the other cheek (in this case only), but here goes: honesty and genuineness is welcome and appreciated.

photo courtesy of: unknown

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