Wardrobe Basics

I was recently asked the question, “If you were stuck on a deserted island and could only have ten pieces of clothing and three accessories, what would they be?” Wow, what a loaded question! The fact of the matter is, I don’t really have a pat answer of must haves. Everyone’s needs and tastes are completely unique. It’s truly impossible to suggest the same 10 items for all women.

But wanting to be helpful, I’ve given some thought to my friend’s question and have come up with some ideas of garments in general that could be useful. However, if one were really stuck on a deserted tropical island, I’d suggest a swimsuit and a cover-up. I’d then suggest using any additional garments to make S.O.S flags!

Remember, these are merely suggestions. Feel free to adapt to your likes and needs.

Little Black Dress: It doesn’t really have to be black. It could be any dark neutral color that looks good one you. The important thing is choosing a relatively dressy fabric in a simple style that can be changed easily with layers and accessories.

Swimsuit: Really. Even if you don’t swim much, you never know when you’ll need one. A Jacuzzi is a requisite for any hotel I stay at. Plus, you never know when you’ll be whisked off to a tropical island!

Black suit: Again, it doesn’t have to be black. Any dark neutral color, such as navy, charcoal, or brown would be suitable. Even if you’re not involved in the business arena, a suit is appropriate for a huge variety of occasions, from a funeral to a dressy dinner to a fun, funky look with a t-shirt. For the most versatility, try to find a skirt and pants that match the jacket. Feel free to dismiss the previous advice if you strictly wear pants. I know a lot of women who have freed themselves of skirts. If you have occasion to wear suits a lot, I’d suggest a suit in a lighter color like khaki or beige for warm weather.

Flattering jeans: Other than the swimsuit, we’ve got a real theme going on! If you’ve got a casual lifestyle, you may only need casual jeans, like Levi’s. If you want the most versatility, go for a dressy pair of jeans to wear with heels, more casual jeans to wear with flats, and super comfy weekend jeans that can take a lot of wear and tear.

Silver or gold hoop earrings: I’m a big fan hoops! (I’m actually a big fan of diamond studs too, but I don’t foresee those in my jewelry box any time soon!) The nice thing about a medium sized hoop is that they work for both long and short hair. They give short haired heads some volume and interest. They’re big enough to be seen if you’ve got long or thick hair. Another thing I like about hoops is that they are a nice blend of dressy and casual. Lastly, they are a simple compliment to a statement necklace, keeping you from being to matchy-matchy all of the time.

Check for more wardrobe essentials next time.

Coats-my necessary evil!

I have to admit, I don’t really like wearing coats. Strange for Colorado, huh? I like looking at coats, but not wearing them. Luckily, contrary to popular belief around the country, there aren’t many days here in the winter that you need a heavy coat. Nevertheless, I’ve found that no matter how hard I try to deny it, we need coats! Last year I was really excited to find a lightweight winter coat. Unfortunately, I learned it’s not warm enough!

So…I found myself coat shopping at the big sale at Macy’s over the weekend. It led me to thinking about what’s important to consider when you’re shopping for a coat. Here are a few thoughts to ponder:

-Do I wear mostly pants or skirts? A car coat is fine if you rarely wear skirts.
-How dressy are most of my clothes?
-What’s my body shape? Will a fitted coat suit me or is an A-Line better for my figure?
-Will I wear jackets and bulky sweaters under my coat? If so, be sure to try the coat on over both.
-What’s my personal style? Am I more sophisticated or sporty?

Here are some great coats:

This one is great for a triangle figure. The double breasted style widens the upper body. The a-line bottom accommodates hips and thighs.

Great for an inverted triangle, the wide sleeves will visually widen the hips, balancing the figure.

This is a simple, sophisticated style that flatters many body types.

What an amazing color! This a a great car coat for business casual and would be hot with dressy jeans and boots.(I put this on my wish list!)

Photos Courtesy: Macy's, Nordstrom

The Little Black Sequined Skirt

On Saturday, I participated in the Best Ever Holiday Extravaganza benefiting Warren Village. As my contribution to the event, I did a presentation on dressing for the holidays. My first idea was to show a little black dress accessorized in a variety of ways, but then I found the cutest “little black sequined skirt”, (LBSS,) at Ann Taylor and decided it would be a lot more useful and fun!(Don't let these pictures throw you off. Both pieces are much cuter than they appear here. I think Ann Taylor should let me style their photo shoots!)

Since shine is such a big trend for fall, there are ways to wear this skirt pre and post holiday season.

I love mixing dressy items with casual pieces. So I combined the skirt with a black, cashmere, faux wrap sweater, black tights and black, high boots. It’s all about mixing up textures that make this modern look interesting. This is a dressy look that’s not over-the-top. It would be perfect for an office party, dinner party or dinner out at a romantic restaurant.

The next look is inspired by an article I saw in Vogue, written by one of their fashion editors. She paired the skirt, (well actually hers was a mini-skirt,) with a white blouse and a big slouchy sweater. She wore it with thick tights and chunky shoes. It makes a great weekend look. In spite of the sequins, it’s casual.

For my presentation, I paired my skirt with a long sleeved black t-shirt from the Loft, a black DKNY rayon blazer that I’ve had for a few years, and the same tights. (Charcoal or aubergine tights could be cool, too.) I belted my waist with a black patent belt and changed to short, suede boots. I felt very fashionista!

Last but not least, I paired the skirt with this magenta INC top I’ve been coveting for a couple of months now. (I got the last one at the store!) For this look, I’d shed the tights and change to strappy, sparkly sandals. It’s truly a fun look that will really go to any dressy occasion except for all but the most traditional, black-tie affair. (The top shown obviously isn't the exact top, but it's similar.)

For my presentation, I actually made my changes in front of the group, so if you have a variety of events in one evening that you’d like different looks for, you can too. I started with a stretchy, black camisole under the sweater, then layered the t-shirt and blazer over it, then changed to the dressy top, popped off the cami straps and wriggled the top down over my hips. I also loved that any of the tops I used can also be worn with jeans, so if you had a super, casual event, you could even change from the LBSS to jeans!

Where do you shop?

If you live anywhere in Colorado, and you're updating your wardrobe for a season and want to have the very best selection of clothing, you need to visit Cherry Creek Mall or Park Meadows Mall. Forget about convenience! I live closest to Westminster mall, but they don't have the stores I like, and because the chain stores there are considered 'C' stores, they have very little merchandise. On the other hand, if you're looking for a bargain, perhaps something you've seen at one of the larger stores and now it's on sale and gone, you might try one of these outlying stores.

Ann Taylor at Cherry Creek by far has the most merchandise. They get the best selection and a lot of it. I was at this store on Friday with a client. There was a ton to choose from and they had my client's size in everything! I popped in the Ann Taylor in Park Meadows on Saturday and saw several things I'd seen at CC, but I was astounded at much less they had. (In their defense, it appeared they'd had a busy day and probably had sold a lot.) One more tip I should share about A.Taylor is that many times they mark items down, but the pieces don't automatically go on the sale rack. If you typically head for the sale racks, slow down and look through the whole store. You're missing bargains!

Dillard's at Park Meadows mall has more suits and suiting separates than I've seen anywhere else. A sales associate told me they're the Antonio Melani store, meaning you'll find the whole line there and most likely only clearance items at their other stores.

I've also found that Park Meadows as a whole seems to be a "suit mall." Macy's has a lot of suits also...far more than Cherry Creek.

Last but not least...Nordstrom! Although I love the new Cherry Creek store and have been there several times already, I for the most part prefer Park Meadows. Park Meadows is a much bigger store, and like the rest of the mall, they have a lot of suiting and other professional clothing. On the other hand, what makes Cherry Creek's Nordstrom special is the they have many designers that aren't in their other stores. One department I've got my eye on is called Via C. It's an area with up and coming designers such as Vince and Philip Lim.