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Summer 2004 Fashion Choices
Read Fashion Secret Archives Here
Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered
A Candid Outlook on Fall Fashion
It’s that time again! Fall is here and so are the fashions. To be honest, this is a Fall to celebrate – at least fashion-wise. Fading to the background are the goofy skirts (which I fondly refer to as headbands with a peplum (a flared ruffle)), exposed bellies, and juvenile tops. The focus is more on beauty, elegance, and sophistication and less on how much skin you can expose. We can all breathe a sigh of relief. So, what should you look for?
* Bewitched:
COLOR:
Brown — It’s about time! Until now, brown has been unceremoniously relegated to second place. At last, it is enjoying its rightful recognition as a delightful alternative to black. It’s hot! Black will never go away entirely (nor should it), but brown offers warmth, beauty and something different. Although you may be shaking your head in disbelief, nearly everyone can wear some shade of brown successfully (at least as (or more) successfully than black). When in doubt, choose a deep, rich, dark brown and be leery of a warm, honey chocolate brown. Of course, the bad news (or maybe good news if you like to shop) is that you’ll need to invest in a few brown accessories to complete your new look. There’s much to choose from.
Purple — A gorgeous color and everyone can wear some shade of it from eggplant to lilac. It looks great mixed with black, brown, gray and navy. And, green and purple are an awesome duo. What more could you ask for?
JEWELRY:
Gold — Yippee! Gold is back and with pizzazz. If you like and can wear it, get it while it’s hot!
Brooches — Want to change or update an outfit? A well chosen, strategically placed brooch can transform any ordinary outfit into a classy, funky, elegant, dramatic or trendy look. Think simplicity when you choose your outfit, and let the brooch become a focal point. For a trendier, more dramatic, look, consider wearing 3 grouped together — and definitely go for sparkle!
(Source: Karen Halaby is always up on the trends and has beautiful, tasteful offerings. She has jewelry in gold (and silver, of course), sparkly brooches, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. Contact her to see her jewelry at kmhalaby@aol.com or 617-666-2492)
Skirts— A-line, pleated and pencil skirts are all in, so there’s something for every body type and taste. Length is important. Forget the micro-minis. Slip into a knee-length skirt — one that just skims the top of your knee or falls directly below the kneecap. One word of caution: Avoid, at all costs, a mid-calf skirt unless you’re wearing boots. This length hits your leg at the widest part and makes your legs look heavier than they are.
* Bothered:
Colored and patterned leg wear. Let’s see how silly we can get women to look! This has to be what was in the minds of the designers when they offered up this fashion trend. Pink legs? Large diamond shaped designs or worse, plaid — what are they thinking! And, who wears these things except young teens who can get away with nearly anything. The only designs that might be office-friendly are a very pale fishnet or a subtle black design. Otherwise, unless you are very young or extremely fashion savvy, you run the high risk of looking tasteless or worse, trashy. My advice… skip this fad.
Shrunken Suits:
Say, what? Who thinks up these things? Unless you were to wear a sign saying, "Yes, I know this looks too small, but it’s a fashion statement I purposely chose," you’ll just look like you don’t have a clue as to how to dress. In a shrunken suit, everything is too short, the pant legs, sleeves and length of jacket. It looks ridiculous on everyone.
* Bewildered:
Capelets:
Okay, I’m on board for some of the nicer looking ponchos and elegant capes. They can actually be functional and very pretty, so why
not quit while we’re ahead. Capelets are just what they sound like. Little short capes that end above the elbow. Again, unless you’re very young or have an impeccable sense of fashion, they’ll look goofy.
Cropped Suits: Not quite as horrible as the shrunken suit concept, but equally bewildering. Unless you are thin and have very long legs, they will make you look like your legs are cut off at the knees. If you do choose to wear one, be sure to wear it with boots.
* Be Gone:
Print overload:
A new trend, that I can’t imagine is going to catch on, is to mix patterns. On rare occasions, this can work, but when absolutely no thought is given to whether they blend well or looking interesting together, it just looks ridiculous. Stripes with flowers, plaid with geometrics. Even the color combinations are thoughtless. If you want to look like your mother dresses you funny, as they say, wear it, otherwise, keep the majority of your wardrobe in solids and accent with gorgeous prints.
There’s much more out there for Fall and much of it is good. Of course, it’s always a matter of choosing colors, styles and fabrics
that work for you — not what designers or retailers dictate you should wear. And, as always, if you don’t love it, don’t buy it! Happy shopping!
Copyright 2004, Total Image Consultants - All rights reserved.
To purchase Ginger's book "Fashion Secrets Mother Never Taught You", please click here.
Copyright 2004, Total Image Consultants - All rights reserved.
Fashion Secret 2004 is written and produced by Total Image Consultants. Please direct all questions and comments to ginger@totalimageconsultants.com.
If you would like to forward this newsletter, we ask that you do so in its entirety. Do not alter its content or form and please include copyright info. Thank you. To purchase Ginger's book "Fashion Secrets Mother Never Taught You", please visit www.totalimageconsultants.com or www.amazon.com.
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