ATLANTA – Cake and frosting usually are not on the menu of string-bean fashionistas – especially at the start of a New Year. But when fashion stylists and “Oprah” regulars Jesse Garza and Joe Lupo speak, the dessert becomes tres important.
“Cake is the foundation of your wardrobe – the basics or classics,” said Lupo during a recent wardrobing seminar at Saks Fifth Avenue. “Frosting pieces are items that are trendy and look fabulous. Too much cake is boring. Too much frosting can be a challenge when pulling together a coherent outfit.”
Garza, 41, and Lupo, 36, are co- founders of New York-based Visual Therapy, an image consulting firm that provides style and wardrobe services to individual and corporate clients at a premium price. And while the personable duo knows their St. John knits and Chanel suits, they also manage to dispense closets-full of common sense in their new book, “Nothing to Wear? A 5-Step Cure For the Common Closet,” ($25.95, Hudson Street Press).
First up, know your style. Every woman, according to the duo, belongs to one or a combination of five style types.
Classic: Simple and clean. A timeless look because the silhouette and colors rarely change. Examples who carry off this ladylike look include Laura Bush and Renee Zellwegger.
Chic: Defined by a powerful look and sharp lines that come together in an effortless way. Often monochromatic, combined with bold colors. Examples: Halle Berry and Jacqueline O.
Whimsical: A playful style with a thoughtful combination of colors and patterns. The look is sometimes ethereal and romantic. Examples: Gwen Stefani and Sofia Coppola.
Bohemian: Relaxed, hippie or funky. Incorporates offbeat accessories and lots of denim and suede. Also, the look emphasizes natural fabrics and earth tones. Examples: Kate Hudson and Ali MacGraw.
Avant-garde: Ultramodern, using fashion as an extension of one’s creativity. Black is typically used as a foundation and to make dramatic statement. Examples: Cate Blanchett and Marlene
Dietrich.
Garza and Lupo showed how each type can dress for an evening out.
“The Classic woman goes for a ladylike little black wool dress with high heel pumps,” said Garza. “It’s timeless.” For the Chic woman, the duo suggests a long black dress with sequin trim and a train, topped with a white fox jacket.
For the Whimsical person, Garza prefers a hand-embroidered, off-white dress. To jazz it up, he adds a tan fur jacket, gold sandals and small rhinestone clutch.
The Bohemian woman, said Lupo, looks right in dark skinny jeans worn with a lace camisole, silver metallic trench coat and black patent sandals. And the Avant-garde woman makes a statement in a sleeveless sequin black dress worn over leggings and accessorized with high-heel black sandals.
Once you define your style, the authors say it’s time to edit your wardrobe. The pair’s advice: Purge your closest of all that is inappropriate to the style you’ve defined. Organize the space to make those items accessible, then streamline your wardrobe so you can easily pull your style together.
