The following post is from the archives of Friday Style.

I went to a swank cocktail party over the weekend; the invitation specified that the attire was “after five.” When my friend Molly called to invite me, she said, “I don’t know about your house, but at my house, after five usually means pajamas.”

“After five” is not a style concept that most of us do very often, and when we are compelled to get our party duds on and go out, we often panic. In the last week, I have gone to a funeral, a ladies’ luncheon, and a cocktail party, none of which are part of my typical weekday events calendar. How do you know what to wear? Easy. Read the rest of this entry »

I will be traveling a lot this summer, for business and pleasure, and I’ve been spending some time standing in my closet trying to decide what exactly I should pack for all these trips. I’m looking for pieces that are easy to wear and easy to care for and versatile. I need things that can go to a meeting and go sightseeing, and I need outfits that will work for hot and cold weather. I am trying to steer clear of dry clean only anything, because I want to have the option to wash things out in the hotel sink, rather than wearing it once and stuffing it back in the suitcase.

That’s not too much to ask, is it? Nooo of course not! Not if you have the right strategies.
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On a normal day, I carry all of the following in my handbag: wallet, iPhone, ear buds for iPhone, iPod, Kleenex, hand wipes, contact lens drops, eye cream, nail file, tampons, Tide to Go stain remover pen, fancy hand cream from L’Occitane, face powder, breath mints, EnviroSax tote, Canon Power Shot A430 camera, three lip glosses, two lipsticks, and a tube of Aquaphor.

Seriously.

I also occasionally need to toss my laptop or my big camera or both into the bag, depending on where I’m going. And sometimes, it’s nice to have a sweater, just in case.

And you wonder why I have such a hard time finding a bag I adore. Read the rest of this entry »

Maximizing the pieces in your wardrobe means wearing everything with everything else. But eventually, you will come to a point where you can’t possibly pair two things — a print blouse, say, and a different print skirt. Or CAN you?

Blouse available at Talbots

I love the idea of mixing prints; it gives depth and visual interest to an outfit. But you can’t mix things willy-nilly; you need to have a strategy, otherwise you will look like your kindergartener. Or MY kindergartener (he’s not the snappiest dresser).

When you think about mixing prints, think about three things: color, scale and style.
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So, I have a bit of a dicey question. How much do you spend on clothes? Or on shoes? I’ve been inspired by your columns and am starting to upgrade my wardrobe, but it seems to involve such major investments of cash. I don’t have thousands to spend- I might not even have hundreds to spend during one season. I’m just not sure what the range of reasonable is.

I love this question, because it gets right to the heart of what I believe about having a really functional wardrobe — a working closet, if you will. Having the right clothes isn’t about how much you spend, it’s about how you shop, but shopping costs money, and in this economy, having a strategy for your spending is crucial.

I am hesitant to put a dollar amount on my shopping, or to say that I spend X each month or year. I don’t have a specific shopping budget, nor do I track what I have spent. Instead, I constantly assess and reassess my closet, looking to see what is and isn’t working, and I don’t buy anything that I can’t easily incorporate into my current closet. I keep a running list of pieces I could really use (honestly, I only rarely NEED anything, but there are always gaps) and I shop off that list.
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It is a truth universally acknowledged that at some point, all of us will start to notice that we’ve got a little extra around the middle. For many of us, this Mama Roll comes after the arrival of the baby, but for some it appears right around age 40. Either way, even the slimmest of Mamas are most likely struggling to hide the muffin top.

Rest easy, I am here to help.
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So you’ve cleaned out the closet and gotten rid of everything that doesn’t fit or won’t work or just should never ever be worn in public by anyone ever again, amen. And you’ve made a list, sort of, except that you’re still not sure what exactly you should be putting on every morning when you leave the house because it’s been a long time since you worked in a casual office and you’re still not sure you can pull together a look that is casual and work appropriate at the same time?

How about some suggestions? As you sort through your closet, consider how many of the following you have, and what you might need. Keep your own personal style in mind as you make up your list, but don’t be afraid to try new things on. And don’t ever buy ANYTHING that doesn’t fit your body, your budget, and your lifestyle. Please.
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We’ve been talking about how to build an office-friendly wardrobe that will also work for those hours and days when you are NOT at the office. The goal, of course, is to have a closet full of basics that you can mix and match and wear for years to come. The place to start any wardrobe overhaul is by assessing your existing wardrobe, which includes making a list of pieces that you are missing.

As you go through your closet and try on everything that has survived the purge (pieces that fit AND are in good condition AND are classic enough not to reflect a specific trend or moment that has long passed), you need to take note of what you DON’T have. While you might easily identify gaps in your basic pieces — no trench coat, for example, or no office-appropriate jeans — you also need to think about the details: Do you have the right undergarments for every piece in your closet? The right shoes for every outfit? The right accessories for every look?

That fabulous white shirt won’t look so fabulous if you’re wearing it with a green bra, trust me. Or even with a white bra that shows RIGHT through.

Make two lists as you clean your closet: one list of Big Pieces (trousers, skirts, blouses, dresses) and a second list of Foundations and Accessories (lingerie, jewelry, bags, shoes). These are the things you need to shop for, because these are the things you actually NEED. Nothing else, at least for right now.
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Remember going back-to-school shopping? So many options! So few things your mom really thought you needed! SO much angst!

Or was that just me?

Shopping for new ventures — new school year, new job — can be overwhelming, because how do you know what you will REALLY need before you start the new thing? What if all the OTHER girls are wearing skinny jeans and you are wearing boot cut jeans? HOW WILL YOU EVER SURVIVE?

You laugh, but you know it’s true, and it is still true when we talk about shopping for a new job. You don’t want to be the only one in the office who wears a dress (or maybe you do, in which case more power to you! wear that dress! seriously) but you also don’t want to dumb down your style just to fit in. Instead, you want to find pieces that are appropriate for the specific environment of your office AND reflective of your personal style.

Yeah, it’s not any easier now than it was in high school.

No matter what your style or the office culture, there are five things you really ought to have before you head back to work.

Kate Spade Tarrytown - Quinn handheld tote, Nordstrom, $395.00
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We’re talking about what to wear when you start a new job, particularly one where the office dress code is casual but professional. Whether you are moving from a corporate environment or from your kitchen table, you will most likely need a few new things to wear to work.

But BEFORE you run to the mall and start buying things willy nilly, let’s talk about how you can make your existing wardrobe work for this new job.
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