With the Fall and Holiday seasons' passion for lady-like dressing comes confusion. How much lady in ladylike looks right? Especially for those of us who are over 40. What looks matronly instead of chic?
First, I'l describe what looks a bit too keen. A few evenings ago I was waiting for my table at
The Standard (new, noisy, hot restaurant in the Meatpacking District). Remarkably, amidst all the women who still insist on dressing like Carrie Bradshaw, I saw her. Let's call her La Ruffle. She was wearing a terrific dark, plum colored coat with a ribbon-candy-like ruffle down the front. Chic, graphic and a statement maker. Then she removed her coat to reveal a more insistent passion for the ruffle trend in the low-cut and ruffled neckline of a lavender blouse tucked into a black skirt with an asymmetric ruffle across the front. The skirt was a beauty but who could see clear of the combo-platter of ruffage? It gets better. Her waist was cinched by a metallic ruffled belt. She was shod in 6 inch black pumps (Louboutin natch) with a ruffle detail at the toe and in her hand... wait for it.... a clutch adorned with a large ruffled florette. Ladies, you can not make up an outfit like this. This got me thinking about some quick and handy rules for ruffle wearing. What kind of ruffles look cool in a Dandyish masculine/feminine way? Or in a understated-sexy Lanvin way? How does one avoid a Madame Secretary look? So here are a few seasonal suggestions in time for holiday dressing. For every great look there is a point and counterpoint relationship. The point: one ruffled piece per outfit. The counterpoint: the more femmy and ruffly a piece then the more clean lined and tailored the pieces that make her acquaintance must be. Let's talk the classic combination of ruffled on top and tailored on the bottom.
1. A jacket like this is terrific in wool or velvet. This one is the boiled wool Wrapped-In-Ruffles jacket from anthropology.com $128. 2. Your blouse doesn't have to be white or ivory but few things are more forever than investing in a good one. This is from 3.1 Philip Lim at bergdorfgoodman.com and at $450 is a pricey but truly ageless twist on a white shirt.The point collar and lacing at the wrists make it a perfect foil for tailored pants.3. This blouse from anntaylor.com is $70 and a nice accent under a jacket or paired on it's own with a slim skirt in wool, velvet, tweed. Depends where you are going. 4. The striped suit pant from BR Monogram is $132 and has the right slim 'tuxedo' trouser proportion for a ruffled and fitted jacket. 5. An easier and wider leg trouser works as well with a ruffled blouse. This is also BR Monogram for $152. Both found on bananarepublic.com. 6. The Martey skirt from Diane von Furstenberg is $245 on bloomingdales.com. It has seamed panels and a wider waistband for shape and definition. Perfect with any of the tops. For holiday parties, add saucy shoes, a cocktail ring and a clutch. Shake and stir.
Let's talk about some ruffle dont's. Each of my picks are based on looks I've seen recently on women over 40.
1. Small ground prints or ditsy florals combined with ruffles take on a faux vintage, Granny Takes A Trip irony that is lost entirely when worn by ladies over 30.
2.Plaid and ruffles? Miss Kitty from Gunsmoke, Little House on The Prairie and Deadwood come to mind. Leave this look to girls in their teens and twenties.
4. Nothing says " Waitress!" like a blouse worn shirt tail hem out over black pants. Want to wear your ruffle shirt untucked? Look for a style that is longer and finished specifically to achieve the right look.
5. Under a cardigan (okay this is a bow blouse but same difference. How could I pass up this horror show?). Choose a cardy with enough weight so that your blouse doesn't read through the knit and turning your torso into a crumpled mess. A firmer knit and a belt at the waist give a cardy a tailored jacket appeal worn over a statement blouse. Also choose pants that are tailored and that have a smooth fit - with anything you wear.
This season's crop of crepe soles and wooden stack heels give a strong shaped shoe a practical edge. As in walkable. Comfortable and cool -looking.
Prada has retooled their peep toe pump with a crepe platform. The market is filled with suede styles that look like jacked-up riffs on ski booties and desert boots. Even the clog, regulation footwear of Earth Mothers everywhere, has morphed into a very groovy walking bootie ( and tall boot too) at NYC's No. 6.
Robert Clergerie's elegantly shaped slouch boot offers just a slice of crepe for stylish and solid footing.
LEFT TO RIGHT: 1. Diane von Furstenberg Java suede boot $299 couturezappos.com 2. Nine West Juma $99 ninewest.com 3. No. 6 5" Aviator shearling and leather bootie $355 at no6store.com 4. Robert Clergerie Zares boot $689 couturezappos.com 5. Prada crepe sole platform cut out $595 barneys.com 6.Colin Stuart faux shearling bootie $99 victoria'ssecret.com.
The men's original, heavy cotton Saint James 'Meridien' sailor shirt has been made in Saint James, France since 1889. The first cross-dressing success story I can think of is the young Coco Chanel photographed on the beach in Deuville wearing this staple of hard working French fisherman. She looked tres chic, naturellement. Coco's rule- breaking style in her Breton sailor top is faithfully recreated in the movie Coco Before Chanel.
But then there was the gamine Jean Seberg in the film Breathless and Edie Sedgewick photographed in Andy Warhol's Factory in a Breton shirt and black tights. The little top is a blue chip standard for ease and a detache cool that is distinctly French and fashion designers can't resist revisiting the graphic simplicity of the look. Forget the American prep and yachting connotations and wear a Breton-inspired tee or sweater with black pants and boots or jeans and flats. It is the perfect ingredient for taking the stuffy out of any look- offering the perfect punchy graphic under a leather jacket or blazer.
A note about how to wear the original Saint James. It's cut is boxy and ideal for girls who love loose volume on the top and a slim bottom. For waist definition, try hitching just the center front into your waistband with a belt and leave the back untucked.
LEFT TO RIGHT: 1. Big bad shoulders Breton from the Balmain Fall 2009 runway on style.com. 2. The original Saint James Meridien available on saintjames-usa.com and brittanyboutique.com 3. Cashmere sweater from Lutz & Patmos on vivre.com. 4. Button cuffs tweak the look at j.crew.com.
I've only just come around to purple. It's always made me think of Prince's jumpsuits, the packaging for Elizabeth Tailor fragrances and the 80's mania for all things jewel toned. But this season's purple spectrum is nothing if not sophisticated and includes shades like rich raisin, dark concord grape and deepest aubergine. Dark purple is understated. Nothing stagey about it and it provides just the right spark for tried and true colors like gray, camel, red, and navy. Black gets a real boost from purple.
If you look great in purple - meaning you are a winter in Color Me Beautiful parlance- then adding a dark purple jacket or coat to your wardrobe gives you a piece that will complete looks for day and night but I like it best as an accent color. Instead of more black or navy, consider purple for a roomy bag for day, for a combination of opaques and shoes, for gloves. Try on the glint of a purple and metal cuff and carry an exotic ( or faux) purple clutch combined with your LBD for the holiday parties ahead.
Some of this gear is pricey and so- as always- borrow good ideas from the top and interpret as you will at your price range...
1.Akris Fall 2009 runway on style.com. 2. Janis Savitt chain and colored stones necklace from saks.com. 3.Croco-embossed leather cuff KARA by Kara Ross on vivre.com. 4 Marc by Marc Jacobs bag on couturezappos.com. 5. Ruffle pump in raisin from anntaylor.com. 6. Bottega Veneta Fall 2009 runway on style.com. 7. Eggplant python clutch by Sang A. on vivre.com. 8. Kalei pumps on zappos.com.
Sometimes a girl just can not stand the idea of buying yet another black wool coat. But how to satisfy a tight budget and fuse practicality with some color? Sure, those neon colors on the runway at Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors are plenty photogenic but they are also a very disposable income fad. Unless you have a budget for lots of outerwear options, skip the 80's-inspired safety colors.
I am a big fan of the red coat. Whether in a shade of deep claret, a true scarlet, or a luscious tomato- the color red mixes effortlessly with shades of brown, camel, charcoal, aubergine, navy, and of course, black. Choose the right red coat as you would the right red lipstick. What makes your complexion glow?
The coat on the far left by Dries van Noten is a great role model for finding a simple trench-inspired coat or a single breasted style in a rich wine red (in your price range). Add a brown belt at the waist for instant chic. Whether you tap into the military trend (which never goes out of style), go for a minimalist funnel neck or a take on a redingote, you can not miss with red.
Left to right: Dries van Noten (for more Dries van Noten Fall 2009 looks log on to style.com).
Military-inspired d.b. coat by Steve by Searle bloomingdales.com. Funnel neck d.b. coat by DKNY at dkny.com.Orange-red 3/4 pea coat by Lener and double breasted redingote-style by DKNY Coats are both at bloomingdales.com.
One fundamental of fashion- a great silhouette begins at the shoulders. How a shoulder is cut defines a tailored piece of clothing like a jacket or coat. Armholes too. In dressmaking the armhole is carefully considered. Too tight and the piece will strain and crease across the shoulders ( front and back). A too tight sleeve also causes the dreaded sausage arm. An armhole that is cut too big and a sleeve that is too wide creates baggage under the armpit and instantly adds visual pounds. Another fashion fundamental- bad fit equals style implosion.
So when restyling a jacket start with something that fits you reasonably well. Recutting an armhole or refashioning a shoulder is expensive and the results can be disappointing.
Changing a jacket or coat collar from a shape like Peter Pan, for example, to a smaller point collar can transform the look from retro to modern. Remove a collar altogether for a clean, minimalist line. Narrowing a too wide lapel to a current-looking width or shortening sleeves to a 3/4 length are common requests and will not cost a lot. I recently took a black tux style jacket from 3 years ago ( at least) to my tailor for a sleeve removal. He finished the armholes beautifully and suggested that he narrow the lapels - just a tick- for balance. The result is a new jacket/vest for under $75.
Wide leg pants languishing in your closet? It is easy for a tailor to narrow the leg to an au courant stovepipe line. What about that poker straight skirt ( with the weird length)? Restyling a straight skirt to a pencil shape is easy. The success of the pencil is the subtle narrowing at the hem that gives it that essential curve.
A sack shape dress to a sheath? In general, an easy fix. An unheard of sale on designer jeans but the available sizes are too big? Go ahead. A tailor can style them to fit.
Shopping your closet can be better than bargain hunting. Hit the attic. It could be a treasure hunt. If you don't have a good tailor it is time to find one.
Camel emerged as a star color this fall for it's straight forward versatility in a bad economy. Coats, blazers, sweaters or bottoms- we all have something camel that can have another life in our wardrobe. Consider new and more inventive color combinations to keep things interesting in your closet.
Rather than limiting your look to the tried and true combos - black, brown, chocolate and red- we can all take a page or two from Dries van Noten's Fall collection which included one of the most sophisticated and unexpected palettes of the season.
Colors like mustard, shrimp and coral pink, fiery orange red, lavender and mauve combined with camel or beige look incredibly sophisticated. If a color like mustard is not especially user friendly next to your face and neck add it in to the mix as a skirt or pant worn with a camel coat or jacket for a look that is subtle and more grown-up looking than the current rehash of '80's neon brights.
For grownups a refined bootie or shoe bootie -especially in black and worn with black matte tights-always looks sleek and hip. It's good to choose a style with a little edge to nudge your clean lined pencil skirt or pants into Fall's tough chic mood. Done right, this little shoe is an instant 'Look Changer'. Open toed booties are as useful as wearing a negligee in a hailstorm. They don't work much after September anywhere but LA or Miami. Nothing your stylist hates more than the look-destroying combination of sheer or sheer patterned stockings with a bootie ( except perhaps bare legs and 'mature' knees in a too short length). Go with a no-see through opaque like Wolford's Matte Opaque 80 style. They are a whopping $52 but treat them lovingly with hand washing and line drying and they'll wear like iron. Find them at Wolford boutiques nationallly. Spanx has introduced Reversible Tight-End Tights $34 made of reversible matte yarns so that you can wear them two ways. The color range is great for tonal bootie and opaque combos. They also have an extended top to keep your various parts in place. spanx.com
Here a few bootie suggestions that are long on looks but won't cripple your bank account:
1.Colin Stuart Back Zip bootie $99 @victoriassecret.com
2.SigersonMorrison Handkerchief Tie bootie $799 (ouch- pricey yes, but soft, supple, classic with an edge and comfortable) @couturezappos.com
3.Banana Republic Drawstring Cuff bootie $198@bananarepublic.com
4.Via Spiga Elise bootie $225. These are incredibly comfortable walking boots and bridge the gap between rubber sole comfort and pulled together @zappos.com
Slouchy flat boots may be the thing this fall but honestly, I think they look like a mess. Who wants all that elephantine baggage on their calves? Not moi. Especially on women over 40, slouchy styles are too throwback
I've included a style by Maria Sharapova for Cole Hahn that incorporates Nike Air technology into the design for trainer-like comfort.
to look right. Give me the sleek line of any boot inspired by horses and stables. In leather or suede, a smooth and uncomplicated style is the most versatile buy. Especially if you are a girl who likes to tuck jeans into her boots, this is the flat style that will flatter you best.
I love the geometry of a wedge heel. Especially in the season's crop of wedge heel boots sans a platform at the toe. The look is sleek, slightly tough, very leg -lengthening and aerodynamic. The walkability factor is a biggie too. Move comfortably all day long in this style. There is a decidedly kitten-with-a-whip quality to over-the-knee styles. If you go there opt for a simple and lightly adorned or textured pair to avoid appearing in your own costume drama. 
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