Military? Plaid? Short skirts or long? Skinny jeans or wide legs?
For fashion lovers, it’s tempting to hit the stores at the beginning of the season yet easy to be overwhelmed by all the trends on display.
People who make it their business to keep up with the evolution of style know that by incorporating one or two of the new elements they can update their look seasonally without having to reinvent their wardrobes or break the bank.
This point was illustrated when Neiman Marcus in Denver asked five local stylists to put together outfits for the recent Fashion’s Night Out celebration. The looks were judged by a panel that included Neiman’s general manager Christel Dikeman, image consultant Patti Shyne, KUSA-Channel 9 entertainment reporter Kirk Montgomery and Four Seasons general manager Thierry Kennel.
Neiman’s public relations manager Nancy Sagar gave the stylists a hit list of items to choose from, including green; fur; pantsuits with feminine tailoring and menswear fabrics; pearls; structured handbags, lace, feathers; boots; capes, ponchos and vests; and military colors and details.
While the stylists piled pieces on the models to illustrate the season’s trends, they were also happy to single out an item or two that they view as the season’s top must-haves.
Here’s what they recommend:
Wendy Ledwitz, creative editor of Denver Magazine, said “I love green” of her outfit, which featured a teal Dolce & Gabbana dress topped with a leather jacket in a similar shade from Diane von Furstenberg. Black accessories — including tights, knee-high boots, a structured handbag and hat — completed the outfit, which the judges awarded the top prize to.
Dahlia Weinstein, a freelance stylist who works with such publications as 303 Magazine, built her outfit around shades of ivory and winter white because “there’s just something so cozy about it.” Rather than have all the elements match, she mixed it up with a Prada boucle skirt, a charmeuse blouse, nubby Trina Turk sweater, and ropes of pearls. Snake patterned tights and over-the-knee boots finished the look, which came in second place.
Sylvia Atencio, freelance stylist for The Denver Post as well as retailers and designers, chose a Ralph Lauren camel jacket and pants “because it’s a great neutral base to build on,” a classic that can be updated with new pieces. Accessories included a skinny belt, an Alexis Bittar gold pendant and earrings, and a chunky pearl necklace, as well as a fur-trimmed cape.
For Judie Schwartz, the Style Matters columnist for Colorado View Magazine, the key items for fall are olive drab skinny cargo pants from 7 for all Mankind or J Brand, tucked into over-the-knee boots. She made the outfit more luxe than louche by pairing the casual bottom half with a white ruffled blouse and sparkly Armani jacket.
Holly Kylberg, who styles for Colorado Expression, also was feeling green, which she chose in a jewel-accented Faviana Couture evening dress topped with a curly lamb vest. “I did a gown because I didn’t think any of the other stylists would do cocktail or evening clothes,” she said.
Suzanne S. Brown: 303-954-1697 or sbrown@denverpost.com
The essentials
Lloyd Boston from HGTV’s “Closet Cases,” who regularly appears in fashion segments on NBC’s “Today” Show and “The View,” has written a new book, “The Style Checklist” (Atria paperback, $22.99), detailing what items women need in their wardrobes. Don’t invest in any seasonal trends until you have fine examples of these 10 things, he says:
1. A white shirt, sharp and tailored
2. A little black dress, above or below the knee, cap-sleeved or sleeveless.
3. Great fitting dark jeans
4. Knee boots
5. Black pumps
6. A leather jacket
7. A skinny belt
8. Well-cut tailored pants
9. A business handbag
10. A sophisticated wallet
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