Paula Reed
Style Director,
Grazia Magazine
Reboot your basics with color
Inject some color to bring old favorites up to date without busting your budget.
Try one of these unexpected combos:
Black with: navy, chartreuse green, or fuchsia
White with: silver, dark green, or turquoise
Brown with: pink, royal blue, or aqua green
Navy with: orange, chartreuse green, brown
Beige with: turquoise, orange, golden yellow
And remember….
- Black doesn’t have to go with black or navy with navy. Mixing the two often looks much more sophisticated.
- When making color statements, know when to stop. Wear a red dress and matching lipstick, but ditch the red shoes. One hot statement is enough.
- Don’t worry if your look doesn’t match exactly. Mismatching looks modern. Odd color combinations are cool.
- When dressing in different tones of the same color, the look is more flattering if the shoes are darker. (i.e.: camel dress with brown shoes or raspberry red dress with burgundy shoes)
Update Your Basics
September 2010
No matter the lifestyle you lead, fashion’s fab four are vital elements of any wardrobe. And with the floundering economy, it’s wise to invest in solid basics you’ll be able to turn to for years to come.
Basic: The White Shirt
What to Look For:
Go for the best cut among the most affordable ranges, so you can replace this queen of the staples at the first sign of shabbiness.
Try a textured fabric such as cotton pique, which always looks crisp. Avoid shiny synthetics. They look tacky.
Go for a slim-cut over baggy. A slight stretch will mean you feel comfortable (and the ease you project when comfortable is one of the greatest but unsung secrets of being chic).
How to Wear It:
Wear it with masculine pants and high-heeled shoes, or vice versa. The combination of masculine restraint with one feminine element is red-hot.
For a knock-out evening option, wear it with a long, slim black skirt and killer jewelry. The simplicity is a perfect backdrop for a big brooch or a head-turning collar of pearls.
Tuck your shirt into skirts, but try leaving it out over slim pants (a figure-skimming cut is best for this.)
A cool white shirt and rugged jeans are a classic combo. A chunky belt is the perfect way to bridge the gap from cool whiteness to hot denim.
Basic: The Jacket
What to Look For:
Go for a simple cut in a fabric and color that will not easily date. Avoid trendy details like big lapels that will limit the life of the jacket.
Pick fabrics that transition from season to season.
Lightweight wool gabardine is fluid and elegant and Rayon (viscose) crepe is a magic silhouette smoother.
To flatter most any figure choose a neat-shouldered, single breasted style that covers most of your bottom.
How to Wear It:
Try keeping your jacket buttoned up with a shirt and tie. Lighten the masculine overload with one piece of feminine jewelry.
Wear it over a simple shift dress as an alternative to your skirt or pantsuit.
Wear a single breasted suit with a super-feminine underlayer, such as a lace camisole or chiffon slip.
Pair a bright or light jacket with a dark bottom to instantly slim and lengthen your silhouette.
Basic: The Boot Cut Pant
What to look for:
Avoid a tight fit at all costs: The squeezing adds pounds. For an instantly slimming effect, buy them figure skimming, even if it means going up a size from what you normally wear.
Avoid pockets with flaps and anything pleated. Flat-front trousers look best every time.
How to wear it:
Try some alternative cocktail impact by dressing up your khakis and jeans with a billowing top and a piece of statement jewelry.
Make a style statement with velvet, suede, or brocade pants.
Just don’t let your top half or shoes compete for attention.
A neat sweater or sleeveless top will do.
Opt for heels under pants to give a brilliant boost to your rear view.
Basic: The Dress
What to look for:
Dresses can be tricky to fit. Try lots of different designers, and when you find one whose cut works for you, stick with it.
Go for a figure-skimming, not-hugging line and a fabric that is fluid but not too fluttery.
For work, a tailored shape is best. Think shift, shirtdress, or A-line. And invest in the best you can afford. An ill-fitting structured dress looks bad on everybody.
How to wear it:
Buy a dress in one solid shade that looks great with your complexion. Keep the accessories simple and in a different color.
Liven up a little black dress with a large cocktail ring. Big, semiprecious stones (even good look-alikes) make a major impact.
Want a print? Go geometric rather than floral for a more modern look.
Add definition with a belt. The addition of something as simple as a grosgrain ribbon in a contrasting color, tied in a bow takes a dress from droopy to dynamic.
Adapted from Style Clinic: How to Look Fabulous All the Time, at Any Age, for Any Occasion by Paula Reed; Collins Living, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, www.amazon.com.