Saturday Night Out

I am going to the opera Saturday night. This is not NYC but still in a city.

The problem is I've gained weight and don't want to buy a lot of clothes until I've given a good shot at getting it back off, so I want to put together something from what I have.

Mainly that's a black 3/4 sleeve knot-front knee length v-neck dress, a scoop neck 3/4 sleeve dark gray dress, good black pants and various tops including white shirts. I own lots of jewelry, many interesting bags and shoes but willing to buy accessories.

Basically what I'd like to do is take a standard simple outfit and make a standout one with accessories.

The one look I've tried but haven't been able to pull off is Pres's patented tuxedo look - the way I've been trying it it either comes off slutty because I'm so bosomy, or blocky if I button up too much!



The Pres-patented white shirt outfit, worn with men's black satin tuxedo tie draped around the neckline with ends asymmetrically placed and worn untied; is absolute dynamite, and not to be attempted lightly! It also supports black satin crops and killer high strappies. So beware.

But you have, in your arsenal, the gold standard of evening wear, the LBD. And the knot-front is excellent, too. What we need here is some killer shoes and stockings, a terrific clutch, and a wrap.

All of those items won't be affected by fluctuations of size (well, maybe the shoes? But we could add inserts.) So, decide where you want the shine. Choose the clutch, wrap or shoes. The clutch can be jeweled, or satin: Wide Price Range at ShopStyle

The wrap can be shiny, or, if you opt for the Shiny Clutch, should be matte: Wraps


The shoes alone can make this ensemble (Do you still have the Leopard print shoes?) so you can go wild there. If you opt for satin shiny shoes, keep the wrap matte, as above. If you choose a shiny wrap, wear suede shoes (boots?)

Jewelry is chunky these days; a clever trick is to wrap a necklace around your wrist as a bracelet.


Try the Smokey Eye. Have a Great Evening. You will be looking great!

Longer Skirt?

How do I make the longer pencil work for me?




There are some critical new elements needed:.

The skirt must be narrow, especially at the hem. If the skirt leaves airspace between the fabric at the calf, it's unflattering, because a horizontal line is created outside of the leg. Think wide cargo crops, cut just at the wide part of the leg, vs sleek skinny jeans.

The colors must be correct. Neutrals, especially khaki, are easiest (bright colors will follow when our eyes have become accustomed to the longer fabric.) The longer expanse of khaki makes the area below the waist (the leg) look longer. It takes up more of the visual space between the belt and the shoe.

To further elongate the look, try matching (new matchy!) the hose to the skirt; and the shoes to the hose. One long color block from the waist to the floor. No cut at all.
Be sure that the shoes support the outfit: High Platforms

Interview Suit

SOStyled,
I'm writing for help putting an interview outfit together. After being a SAHM for almost 19 yrs I am trying to re-enter into the workforce. I do have a suit, it's black with red pinstripes. I also have a white button front I could put underneath it. I have red & black handbags. I'm going to look for new heels, my black ones look a bit worn. I could do simple silver jewelry. I'm wondering if this outfit works, it seems a bit boring to me. But I'm not sure what to do. What would other options be for shirts? Would tan heels work better? I very excited to hear your ideas. The most recent resume I sent in was for a Paraprofessional job at a local high school. But I am hoping to put together an interview outfit that I can use as my go to for any interview.

Here's the suit

Thanks for you time/help.
Wendy


Siepres: I think Wendy's right. That outfit does seem a little bland.
First and foremost, I'd ask if the suit fits properly. Nothing kills a "suit outfit" like a jacket that's too big or pants that are too small. If the suit looks like it was made for you, the outfit already has an advantage. Secondly, I can see how the red pinstripes would be tricky to work with since you don't want to pull out the red color in a blouse, but you don't want to choose another color blouse that would clash with the red. To do a colored blouse, how about a warm-toned color like golden cypress:
Cypress
However, I also like the idea of doing something a little more monochrome since that's a very "in" this fall. Maybe try a charcoal or slate silk blouse with the Jcrew tortoise belt worn over the
jacket? If you want to keep with a white blouse, how about something with a little style:

White
To stick with a plain white button-front, she use that scarf technique Pres talks about, and maybe add a pin/brooch.

For shoes, New basic black pumps:

Pumps
Higher Pumps

Vava: That was the first thing I wondered too, is if the suit fit perfectly. That is a number one question. Does it look a little out- dated to you? Hard to tell from here.
I'm a big fan of the JCrew silk Francis cami. And I usually don't do sleeveless. But that thing is just the best item I have found lately. I hand wash mine. I discovered too that at the shoulder seam on the inside, they have little snaps sewn in so you can control your bra strap (if you wore it by itself, which I will never do.....I like sleeves). New shoes and a nice bag and some jewelry would top it off.

The SOS team has made some good points:
a) The suit must fit perfectly; if it's outdated, replace it with fresh suiting separates.
Remember that the length must work perfectly with the shoes.
b) Don't repeat the red color.
c) To add interest at the neck, drape a narrow scarf around the back of your neck; leave untied so that the ends fall in the open front of the jacket.
d) You can use a cami under to add interest.

Good Luck!

Statement Necklace

I've avoided large necklaces because I never know what to put with them. I'm afraid that a bold necklace plus coordinating earrings would be too much! There must be rules about this. Thanks,
Kat


I was going to invoke the " Only One Tricky Item Per Outfit" Rule here, and leave it at that, but the SOStyled Group has suggested a few additional tips. About The Rule, if the necklace counts as a "Statement" (someone looking at the outfit would think "Wow! What a Necklace!") then that's the one tricky item, for sure. So, in general, stick with very plain stud earrings, no red shoes and no tricky prints. Judyanne advised: Skip the coordinating earrings. I don't have pierced ears, and I find that most boutiques will sell me just the necklace as they can sell the earrings separately.

Siepres remarked about the need to understand the proportions even if it's tough to get the explanation perfect. A woman Ili's size (5 ft) with a huge statement necklace that takes up most of her torso would look like she's playing dress up in mommy's jewelry box. Also, a woman with a larger chest has to be careful which kind of statement necklaces she chooses.

Remember that with the current necklaces, the area that you have available for decoration extends from high on the neck to about mid-bosom. The statement necklace shouldn't drape down below that. We want to keep the interest near the face, and not mar the all-important below-bosom-to-torso-definition of our clothes. If this restriction adds too much bulk up top for you, skip the necklace and add chunky bracelets (just as new a statement) instead.

Remember that the necklace must be supported by the proper top underneath. Note how
JCrew has added the necklace to a very plain knit tee, and the skirt is a
conservative tweed in a coordinating color as well. The round neck and neutral color contributes to the support. And, the model's hair isn't over decorated; it's quite casual. The clutch couldn't be plainer. No visible earrings or bracelets to be seen, either.

BTW, you can create your own statement necklace by using vintage or modern elements, and hooking several of these to loops that end in a ribbon tie or Chain. Notice how this one is worn high on the neck, as well as the absence of earrings.

So, you were on the right track!

Here's some additional support from
Michelle:
As a lover of big necklaces, I can also add to this. Quite frankly, they look silly with "matching" earrings. Big earrings or a big necklace, but not both. When I am wearing a big necklace I will either wear no earrings or my diamond studs. The only exception I have to this rule is one necklace that I have which has small, stud coordinating earrings (note, coordinating, not matching). The other trick is to make sure you buy necklaces that are the right length for both your frame and the neckline on the outfit that you are wearing.A long necklace looks silly with a v-neck and a choker style necklace looks silly with a high collar. Also, as you already know, you need to make sure that the necklace is not competing with rest of the
outfit or accessories.

And, From Halfpint:
One of the best and first pieces of advice that Pres gave me a couple of years ago was to wear my small diamond studs when I'm wearing a statement necklace. Never, never the coordinating pieces together.
One tricky item...