Midi length skirts and dresses are the newest trend on the style horizon for fall 2011. If you remember these numbers from the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, you may be thinking “Yikes, really?” If you don’t remember them at all, you may be ready to wear this new style with abandon. No matter which group you fall into, I encourage you to read on. Midi skirts can go terribly wrong! It’s easy to veer into “frump territory.” And it's especially for petite women  to completely destroy the long leg line you've worked so hard to achieve. Somewhat similar to mini skirts, there is a range of lengths for the midi, from barely below the knee to just above the ankle. Personally, I prefer midis on the shorter side; however, experimenting to find your perfect length skirt is advisable. Here are just a few tips to help you make the most of this new length:

• “Short over long,” is a rule you want to follow. In other words, since your skirt is long, be sure to pair it with a short jacket or tucked in blouse. This allows you an uninterrupted line from waist to hem.

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I absolutely love light blue with red!  When I first spied the combination on a mannequin in the window of Garbarini, it was too early in the season to start thinking about it. (And if you read my blog post about red jeans, you might be interested to know I haven’t found them yet. Really need to get on that!) Now I'm inspired! Usually when we think of light blue clothing, we’re thinking of pastels, a bit grandmotherly. Most of my clients make note on their personal  style homework that they dislike pastels; however this jacket shown, although pastel, is pretty intense…almost aqua. (I also like the retro/sailor vibe of the outfit shown!) If you love the color scheme but aren’t sure about red pants, the look could also work with white pants or jeans or even a skirt. Fabulous shoes and accessories would be the key to punching up the look. Here are a few other ideas for wearing red/white/light blue: A white bottom, red jacket/cardigan, light blue top (print, stripe or solid) Light blue skirt, white top, red accessories Red skirt or pants, red jacket (perhaps a suit?), light blue top, white accessories. We all know (Read more...)

My favorite thing about skirts is that I’m not limited to one heel height. If you know me, are a client or have been reading my e-Style Tip or Blog for very long, you know I’m a real stickler for pant length. If you want your pants to be long enough, you can vary your heel height minimally at best. On the other hand,  a basic skirt can be worn with the highest of heels for an edgy look and with flats for a more casual feel. While skirt length isn’t nearly as precarious as pant length, exploring  what skirt lengths work best for you can help you look and feel your best at all times.

Tips to help you determine your best skirt lengths:

(Oh, and these tips mostly refer to professional dress, so mini skirts and maxi’s aren’t addressed. ) The most popular skirt lengths right now are from just above the knee to just below the knee. Your best length will depend on your legs, your knees,  and your comfort level. To find the length you prefer best, start by trying on the skirts you love most. Look at yourself from the side and rear. Take note of where they hit on (Read more...)

You’re familiar with this scenario. The weather forecast calls for 65º and sunny. Your new spring outfit complete with accessories is steamed and ready to go for tomorrow. Then you wake up to cloudy skies and SNOW! Panic attack! What are you going to wear? Never underestimate the power of mid-weight basics in neutral colors. Also consider a few garments such as jackets or sweaters in mid-weight to slightly warmer fabrics in bright colors. It’s a great way to keep your sunny, spring outlook without freezing. Yes, this situation is fresh in my mind, because it’s exactly what happened last week. Since I wasn’t able my new spring dress, I was ready to go with my black Kenneth Cole, poly/rayon blend pencil skirt, my Adea micro-fiber tank, topped off with my Azalea pink cotton twill blazer. Bare legs certainly weren’t going to work, so I opted for black patterned tights. The pattern felt so much lighter in mood than opaques. Ever optimistic I first grabbed my black slingbacks, but realizing the ground was pretty mucky, I opted for high black boots. (They’re way more comfortable anyway!) The variations on this snowy, spring day uniform are endless. Of course pants can replace the skirt (Read more...)

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I got an e-mail the other day from Anthropologie and even after going to the web site haven’t been able to delete it. I absolutely love this look!  With this next statement, you'll think I'm crazy, but I could never wear the sweater (wrong green-wrong pattern-too bulky,) and I’m not crazy about plaid. What I like is the color combination, black/white/green. (I typically wear more of a lime or apple green over the grass green.) It’s a classic color combo and can be worn year round; And it’s perfectly professional (business casual) to boot!

The skirt? While I don’t love plaid, I again like the color combo—on the bottom. We so often see prints on the upper body-more difficult for us inverted triangles, (bigger on top than on bottom.) The other aspect of the whole look that I love is that it’s a touch retro. We’re going to be seeing a lot more skirt silhouettes for fall. This skirt is a cross between an A-Line and a Full

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While sometimes we think business casual is especially hard in the summer, it doesn’t have to be. The other day, I was meeting a client for lunch. It was a warm sunny day, and I wanted to be cool, comfortable, and stylish, professional without looking too dressed up. I chose a white 3Dots t-shirt and a tan, pencil skirt. Alone this would have been a pretty bland outfit, so I added a heavy, chain necklace, gold hoops and my gold watch. Then I slipped on my brown high heeled “gladiator” sandals. Ah, and because you can never tell what the weather is going to do, I grabbed my Beth Bowley, lightweight, brown cardigan. Here’s why this outfit works— First, the colors are neutral and the shapes are basic, so they're super easy to combine. Secondly, instead of choosing any old white t-shirt, I picked one in a high quality. While you might not always want to sink a lot of money into your everyday summer tops, a few nice quality t-shirts in your wardrobe lend themselves to a business casual look. They also wash better and last longer. Next, the weight of the skirt is a little heavier than your typical cotton skirt. (Read more...)

I'm always astounded how quickly time flies between my spring and fall trend reports, but here we are again! As with the last few seasons, we're continuing to see many classic garments. However, this fall designers have gotten extra creative with colors, textures and best of all, the way they've combined classics with trendier pieces. Since I specialize in professional dress, I always hesitate to use the word "trend." Adopting trends doesn't necessarily deem you trendy. Rather, think of it as new ways of updating your look to keep things fresh! The following is just a sampling of what awaits you in the stores. 

Colors

Purple-from amethyst to deep plum. Red-mostly a tomato red, great for blondes and brunettes with warm coloring. More colors include russet, (brown with a tinge of red,) burnt orange and of course, black.

Lace

From heavy lace garments to lace trims. If a lace blouse seems like too much for you, consider wearing it under a jacket or sweater with only the collar and cuffs peeking out.

Belts

Although all widths of belts remain popular, the newest widths are approximately 2 inches and very skinny. Look for (Read more...)

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In just a few mere days, all of the Fall Fashion Preview issues of the fashion magazines will be hitting the newsstands! Admittedly, it's a pretty exciting time of year for me. Although the magazines have been giving small glimpses of fall for most of the summer, September is when the big, thick, "bibles" hit. You may be wondering why I'm talking about this. It's simple, one word, okay well two: Wardrobe Planning! By seeing the new trends and designer offerings, you can begin to get a good feel for what you need to update and complete your wardrobe. (Read more...)