22 Oct 2011 Make room for a little more FANCY
by Mathilda Hatfield Hulett
Go ahead, admit it. Your guilty pleasure is watching reality TV or make-over shows or “Desperate Housewives.” It’s OK. We know.
The primary reason for watching is not the story line or the hair-pulling or the before and after shots as much as it is to see what the stars of the show are wearing; and then using the fashions you see as a standard for shopping. It’s OK, really . . . After all, the name of the show is, “Keeping up with the Kardashians.” How better to keep up with current trends and style than to observe fashionistas in their home environment?
But, how real is reality TV? How does that lifestyle translate to the 501?
Truth be told, we could all learn a bit from these shows and others like them. We can all gain from flipping through fashion magazines, watching do-it-yourself shows and being guided away from what not to wear, especially if these guilty pleasures encourage us to ramp up our style just a bit. It is the holiday season! Make room for a little more FANCY!
Liz Snipan, co-owner (with her husband Larry Rogers), buyer and stylist at EM in Downtown Conway, knows fashion, knows trends and knows FANCY. One of her fashion tenets: “Every man should own at least one French cuff shirt and the cufflinks to go with it.” It doesn’t have to be a solid white shirt, nor does it have to be made with French cuffs. Forsyth of Canada and Thomas Dean, two brands carried by EM, feature colorful, fun shirts. These can be worn dressed up with a suit and tie, a little more casual under a sport coat or still appropriate for Game Day with jeans.
According to Liz, the movement is toward “cleaning it up a bit.” She recommends that men go ahead and tuck in the shirttails – even the colorful, patterned shirts that have been worn un-tucked for several years. And if your favorite shirt has buttons at the cuff, EM Alterations can make the change needed for those new cufflinks gifted to you by a favorite elf.
Another of Liz’s tenets of style: Drop the pleated pants. Men’s slacks should be flat front without cuffs. A great way to sneak in some fancy to an otherwise conservative wardrobe is by adding colorful, patterned socks. Coordinate socks to colors in the shirt or the tie. Show your personality with a splash of color.
Liz also holds fast to the tenet: “Every man should own a black sport coat.” Sport coats as a separate are easier to fit than suits. There hasn’t been a big shift in lapel styles or widths; however, there may be more side vents now than back vents. Either way, a well fitting sport coat is a classic investment sure to carry a man through many years and many holiday gatherings.
Liz has a few tenets for the real fashionista of the family, too. A time-tested principle of style, according to Liz: Women should always be dressed a little fancier than their man.
This holiday season, the fancy is in the details. An asymmetrical hemline can change an ordinary tunic into party attire. Some tops will feature a low hemline in front and a shorter or, “high” hem in the back, or vice-versa.
Another design change is the attention given to the back. Look for sweaters, tunics, dresses, vests and jackets with unique details designed in the back – everything from sequins, scoop necks, cut-outs, open weave or sheer fabric. Now, you’re sure to look good coming and going!
Liz recommends keeping the skinny jeans, or straight-leg jeans, based on personal preference. Kick up your heels in tall boots or heeled loafers. If you want to go all out, add a touch of fringe! Look, too, for fancy, patterned tights, leggings and socks to add color and personality to your holiday wardrobe.
Speaking of color, holiday wear is saturated in deep jewel tones. Formal dresses are showing up in deep amethyst, sapphire, crimson and golden topaz colors and so are sweaters, vests and wool coats. These complement so well the ever-present animal print and the dark charcoal basics presented again this year.
The reality of this time of year is that we’re busy cleaning and decorating and filling our social calendars with outings and gatherings and parties and fetes. Reserve some of that energy to polish up your wardrobe. Even if the invitation says business attire or business casual or your family always wears matching holiday sweaters, take it up a notch – make room for FANCY!
