Lyn Paolo, the costume designer for Scandal, creates a commanding presence for Kerry Washington (Olivia Pope) by using these guidelines:

Choosing a palette: Men are always in navy and black. Her thoughts are that lighter colors stand out. (I favor lighter shades of blue or gray with white shirts to stand out for my clients.)

Ignoring trends: For Kerry, she looks stronger and more consistent in trousers, pumps and jackets. However, wear what looks best on you. If you look and feel best in skirts then wear skirts with jackets. Have the look be consistent.

Forgoing suits: Mix and match jackets and slacks or skirts to create a custom look. Colors can be mixed but fabrics must match to look smart.

Being understated: Have a signature piece. It can be a jacket, coat or jewelry. It will set you apart while not appearing too flashy.

The new fashions for both men and women have made a splash with printss; mainly floras in women’s dresses and for men, plaid shirts and ties. How can you integrate prints in your wardrobe without looking like you belong at social event? (At social events you can push the envelope a bit.)

Women

Floral blouses, sweaters and scarves for the women are best with a solid companion piece or displayed in accessories like a necklace or a pin. (Michelle Obama does this.) It’s a trend that seems to be gaining popularity.

Men

Plaid shirts have gotten to be very bold going even so far as to be paired with a plaid print tie. It is considered modern prep. The more elegant way to add plaid is either in the shirt or the tie but not both at the same time. If you want to experiment, one plaid pattern must be larger in size. The main color should be reflected in both choices.

It is fun to add a trendy piece in pattern or color with the idea that it adds a contemporary elegance to your style.

Women this year at the Oscars decided elegance trumped shock and too much skin. The colors went from vibrant jewel tones to pale sparkles. Full length ball gowns appeared to be in the majority.

It is interesting to note that no matter who they are, women all over have the same challenges on what to wear and how to be comfortable for the evening. Of course, if one actually gets to a red carpet, a statement must be made. Diamonds in earrings and bracelets were the statement this year. Also, there were not too many necklaces on those wearing strapless dresses.

A key element for folks who have a polished, smart, elegant image is their clothing choices. Their clothing is appropriate for the occasion and their role in the organization. The color resonates and makes folks feel confident about them. Their accessories add just enough nuance to enhance their appearance. Their overall look showcases their leadership presence. Make sure that these key clothing factors capture your elegant style no matter what situation you find yourself in.

For women:

A critical detail that determines if a look will be smart is how an individual wears their clothing. Short jackets will always look smarter with longer skirts. Longer jackets will look smarter with shorter skirts. Tops should always be at the narrowest width just before the hips.

For men:

Shirts and Ties: Small size prints can be worn with larger prints. You use colors to tie them together. For example, a shirt with a smaller print worn with a larger pattern tie will look smart. Never wear the same size print for both and ties. The preference is for the smaller print on the larger item and larger print on the smaller item.

1. Do you find that you have things in your closet that you have not worn because you don’t have anything to wear with them? Never purchase anything unless you have three clothing items in the closet to go with it or buy at least two items to wear that work with the garment.

2. Purchase items in three colors only. Most folks have black pants or skirts so the key to purchase shirts, jackets, sweaters in three colors in addition to black.

3. Last, but not least, only purchase items that fit in the shoulders, chest and jacket/sweater length. It is easy to shorten sleeves but tailoring in these other areas can be very expensive and tough to pull off properly.

The fall trend for coats is color—no more black, gray or brown coats. Orange and yellow are in. Bright is fashionable. The challenge for bright colors especially when you are used to more subdued tones is that we may buy a bright coat and end up not wearing it. We fold under questioning and go back to the colors that we are used to.

This is where interchangeable scarves can help by adding color. Today’s scarves come in many different fabrics, colors and patterns. Start with solid color oblong ones that you can wrap around your neck. Next, branch out to patterns and bold shapes. The beauty of this is that if you don’t like the color you can quickly choose another one.

Bobbi Brown, my favorite makeup artist, and I both agree is it important to recognize your color temperature. If your skin tone is warm it is best to wear blush and lipstick in the warm families with yellow undertones.

For example, a red lipstick would be a tomato color with red undertones. This also suggests that those with colored skin tones can wear blush and lipstick with blue undertones. The red lipstick would be a cherry red with blue undertones. When you try to do the opposite it tends to make your skin look harsh and dry.

Prints, in a variety of clothing, have become very fashionable for both men and women. For men, plaids and checks are all the rage including wearing prints (stripes and checks) with patterned ties and shirts.

Women’s patterns are available in all clothing choices and also accessories like handbags and shoes.

Here are some tips to mixing prints and patterns:

For Women:

– Feminine prints – flowers with a masculine print (stripe); keep colors in the same family

– Only wear three prints or patterns at once; example- blouse with skirt and purse or shoes

For Men:

– Balance bolder and brighter shirts with your natural physical size

– Chose a solid tie when shirts have a bold pattern

Train your eyes to see the commonality and balance in prints and patterns. Experiment first, starting small with your choices.

Cheryl Burton, ABC Chicago evening news anchor, wore an aqua blue multi-shaped bib necklace with a sleeveless scooped neckline coral dress. She looked stunning. The scooped neckline gave the necklace space to be featured. Cheryl also chose a complementary color so the necklace was balanced with the coral dress. If she had chosen to wear a black dress the necklace might not have looked as stylish.

If you choose the appropriate neckline and color to balance a bib necklace, you will wear the necklace; the necklace will not wear you.