Holiday wear – when is it too much?
Recently, I saw the ultimate holiday outfit, patterned coat, hat, scarf and mittens. This person was young and she looked cute.
Holiday wear for some is a tradition and other clothing comes off a bit hokey.
At its best, holiday wear should put a smile on the person who is wearing it and a smile on those who see it. These are a few of my guidelines. One piece is enough for me and my preference is in the color. I love red this time of the year, whether in a scarf, hat or necklace.
I wear color brights when working out because it is fun and most athletic shirts are found in multiple colors. Interestingly, my professional clothing tends to be in grays with a touch of a primary color. The dramatic colors come out when presenting in a large venue.
The perfect length for an ankle pant is when the pant covers the ankle, or the ankle just slightly shows. The Lafayette fashion show got it right. Their models wore the correct length with those pants. When the pant length is too short, it looks dowdy and makes the person look heavy.
Recently while out with a client, I noticed her straight full leg pants were short and not short enough to look fashionable. They looked like a fashion snafu. This is a challenge because many new pants shorter while the pant could be wide or narrow. The problem is that the look is dumpy if not worn correctly.
The manner in which a jacket fits on the shoulder is critical because it proportionally balances the way the rest of jacket looks. The seams need to align at the spot the shoulder connects to the arm. The jacket model must have the appropriate design.
A recent MSNBC business program featured icons and their uniforms including Steve Jobs with his black turtleneck and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg with a gray tee shirt. I recall that when DreamWorks was formed, Steven Spielberg wore a bomber jacket, David Geffen sported a mock tee, and David Katzenberg of Disney favored the shirt and tie.
Recently, a well-known designer sold out a dress with a flower pattern on half of the dress and stripes on the other side. It was a shirt dress style designed to be worn in a business casual or party event setting. This major pattern style change shattered the mold of a small pattern with a stripe. This new trend has yet to make it to the next season. However, it fits with the current pattern explosion in dresses and men and women’s shirts. The one rule of the thumb is that the person should be wearing the clothing, not the clothing wearing the person.
An essential piece for the complete wardrobe is a versatile black dress. Recently, a client called in a panic. She needed a black dress for a very serious occasion and has worked herself into a state of panic. We bought a black dress with a jacket about 15 years ago, but she never wore it. She took it out, tried it on (it still fit), and brought to the cleaners for their one-day service. She found her pearls, dark hose, and black shoes making her ready for the occasion the next day! She was relieved at rediscovering the perfect dress she already vetted rather than having to go through the stressful process of rush-buying a new dress.
A recent New York Time’s article covered the late Tom Wolfe, his choice of suits, and his white suit. The white suit, while not in fashion, set him apart from the crowd. This clothing reflected his internal and external style including his writings and larger than life personality. The clothing choices also distinguished Mr. Wolfe from a group of very successful writers.
Prints, patterns, and flowers are making a presence in dresses, blouses, and shirts and in styles big, small, and mix and match separates. I personally prefer other prints, but I do like adding variety to my clothing choices. They way to do that is to select fabrics with texture and pronounced color weaves. If I ever decide to incorporate flowers in my wardrobe, it will most likely be with scarves.
