Working World

No matter how crammed with apparel my closet seems to be, like most women, I periodically have that “I have nothing to wear!” moment. At times like these, hangers full of rejected options are strewn across my furniture and floor and panic overtakes me. Nothing fits, nothing matches, nothing looks good on me. Do men ever have such moments?

One thing we can borrow from the guys is the concept of the suit as uniform. Investing in one or two good suits can be a foundation from which a classic working wardrobe can be built. Things to consider:

SILHOUETTE: For the optimum versatility, buy two suits. One will be a jacket and skirt, one will be a jacket and pants. Or, if you’re a gal that doesn’t wear skirts, make them both pant suits. Or vice versa. If you are on a tight budget, start with one suit and then add another one later on when you can afford to, keeping in mind the idea of building on what you already own.

COLOR: Choose neutral solid colors for your suits, in darks such as navy, black, or brown; medium tones such as grey, burgundy, olive; and light tones like whites, creams, beiges. Pastel pinks, yellows, blues are not considered neutral colors but they make great accents for accessories such as blouses, tops, and sweaters.

SEASON: If you choose one dark neutral suit color and one lighter neutral suit color, you can pretty much wear them continuously by mixing/matching and adding accessory pieces that indicate more seasonal changes. Let’s say you have a dark navy suit consisting of a jacket and pants. In winter, you’d do well to pair it with a solid fine gauge turtleneck sweater. In spring, a solid or printed blouse. In summer, a sleeveless shell or t-shirt (with or without the jacket).

PRICE: Always buy the best quality that you can afford. If you avoid trendy styling and cheap construction, your wardrobe can last a long time and save money in the long run. It’s better to have only a few quality items and look like a million bucks every time you wear them than to have a lot of cheap looks that fall apart and make you look frumpy.

FIT: Go for well fitting—but not tight—clothing. If your skirt, pants, or sleeves are too long, take them to a tailor for some alterations to get a custom fit. Avoid double breasted jackets and trendy 3/4 sleeves.

FABRIC (easy care vs. dry cleaning): Many fabrics today are seasonless synthetic or blends that make for easy care in the home washing machine. Also, there are ‘dry cleaning at home’ products available that work in your washer. If you are on a budget, consider buying suits and tops that do not require high maintenance costs. Avoid wools, silks (unless they can be washed by hand), and linens (too many wrinkles).

MIX ‘N’ MATCH: Want to make your two new suits the basis for a complete wardrobe? Buy them in colors that harmonize well together. For example, if you can only afford to buy two suits, don’t buy a black suit and a navy suit. Why? Because a dark navy jacket will not work well over black pants, in fact, most of the time it will look like a mistake in the dye lot of the suit. Also, if you go with one darker color and one lighter color, you have more seasonal versatility.

Good choices of harmonizing neutral colors would be: black or navy or burgundy + any of these: beige, khaki, cream, white, grey or brown or olive + any of these: black, cream or white

ACCESSORIZE: Bring color and fashion trends in with accessory items. For example, ruffled blouses are all the rage this coming spring season and can make even the most conservative suit look trendy. If you’ve taken my advice and bought one navy suit and one beige suit, you really have 4 different looks.

(1) Navy jacket + navy skirt
(2) Beige jacket + beige pants
(3) Navy jacket + beige pants
(4) Beige jacket + navy skirt.

INCREASE YOUR OPTIONS: Add these items to round out your wardrobe.

• Basic white shirt.
• Basic pink shirt.
• Fashion printed blouse or knit top.
• Solid fine gauge light sweater. You may want more than one. If you buy it in matching color to your suit, you’ll have an elegant (and slimming) monochromatic look that you can wear alone, wear with matching jacket, or wear with the contrasting color jacket. If you buy in a bright or feminine pastel color, you instantly change the feel of your suit. If you buy in a striped model, you become sportier.
• Express trendiness with belts, bags, boots, and shoes.
• Fashion jeans to wear with heels, and you’re ready for casual Fridays (or a hot date).

Katy Allgeyer writes the Feng Shui at Work column for Working World.