, 16 ~ Sunday, June 16, 1991- North Shore News mx ES BUSINESS IS _ business, even if it takes you thou- sands of miles from the of- fice. When your closet shrinks to a suitcase, there is no room for mistakes. Your business travel itinerary may stretch from boardroom to beachside, and your portable wardrobe often has to stretch from one extreme to another. Carol Crenna s. FASHION STATEMENTS More and more women are fin- ding themselves travelling on an impossible schedule, which some- times crosses time and temperature zones, yet demands they look polished and_ profes- sional. A working trip may be your image slip, if you pack wrong. You need clothes that can lead double lives. This means a minimal wardrobe cf versatile, seasonless separates that go together in a multitude of ways. They are fail-proof basics with simple lines, strong solid colors and shapely shapes. Your ward- tobe should cely on chameleon- like basics that are easily packed, and not easily wrinkled. Choose fuss-free city separates and dresses that match, because when you are on the run from 8 a.m. to midnight there is rarely time to think about clever co- ordinating. You simply add or subtract a few quality well-chosen pieces that can pack weekends, or even weeks, into one suitcase. if you are preparing for two or even three climates, take clean-cut pieces in lightweight, breathabie fabrics that can be layered for cooler weather, and pared down when it’s warm, What should you take? One suit jacket. An ankle length gathered skirt. A cotton cardigan. A lightweight dress. Dressy walk- ing shoes. A jersey T-shirt and mini skirt set. a dressy miaillot swimsuit. A sheath top or sleeveless jacket. A mock necked tank top. Flat pumps with remov- able shoe clips. Washable silk pants. Thongs. And, the rest is teamwork. Your ticket to a sharper work image, no matter where you Jand, is a thigh-length summer suit jacket’ — one that is long in length, and long on options. It slides over a matching skirt or walking shorts during business hours, and looks sexy for evening when it goes alone, as a jacket- turned-dress with opaque hose. There is no need to pack the jacket. Simply throw it over your arm while travelling, folded inside out to hide and protect the sleeves and outside fabric from stains and wrinkling. Feminine blazers by Eric Alex- ander are designed in dusty pink cotton, which are fully lined and cut as single breasted or double er TR TE Shion that trav VERSATILITY [S the key when packing a wardrobe that does doubie duty, dressing for business and pleasure while travelling. breasted styles. The jackets are shown in short or long-sleeved styles and can be worn imore ca- suaily, paired with matching dress shoris or pants. They are sold at Crumpets in Park Royal North. A travel wardrobe that you can pull together at a noment’s notice is done with a minimum of color choices. Organize your wardrobe around two or three colors. Rich jewel tones or graphic duos such as navy and white make good cembinations that travel well. A good selection of navy, white and red separates are described as a “transitional grouping’ for day to dinner wear by Adrienne Vit- tadini and Mr. Jax, available at BJ's of West Vancouver, 2463 Marine Dr. Little sweater jackets, shells and longer dressy cardigans with mixes of navy, white and red are teamed with knee-length knit- ted cotton shorts in white, or long linen dress shorts in navy or red. A high voltage color will also earn its space. Clean-lined, linen or cotton dresses in a bright solid shade, for instance, can glide in anywhere, no questions asked. Sleeveless sundresses by Adrienne Vittadini have a long, ankle length skirt with a dropped waist, and are available in a range of solid shades. They are in multi-color sroupings which in- clude pants, shorts and = knitted tops at B S's. A monochromic color scheme works well while travelling. Wear an unbroken line of one solid col- or from head to toe for mistake- proof coordination. With no mix- ing and matching prints and col- ors, you could get dressed in the dark. A solid turquoise grouping by Eric Alexander combines a brush- ed cotton, short-sieeved suit jacket with shorts or a skirt. A matching group cut in chamois-soft, washable sils, adds pants to an oversized, short-sleeved shirt, also by Eric Alexander and available at Crumpets. Mix and match the shirt with the shorts for sight- seeing, the jacket with the blouse and skirt for business lunches, and the jacket with nothing underneath worn over the silk pants for dinner. Halve your luggage and double your wardrobe by fitting more in- to less space. Collect very light weight separates that can be rolled into a ball to save space, and need no ironing. Washable silk, lycra knits and sheer feminine fabrics such as chiffon and georgette look as good when they are wrinkled as they are when ironed flat. The washable silk ensemble mentioned above, for example, will take up very iittle extra space. When you don’t have time for careful pack- ing, add cotton knitted separates that need little care, and are perfect tor fashion transforma- ons, Putlover or cardigan sweaters that can be worn casually or dressed for work with added em- broidery detail are available at Crumpets. They are made by well-known firms such as Orly, Jeanne Pierre and [.B. Diffusion, Crenna’s quick snips AUTUM™ SHADES ... A glance far ahead to tall/winter 1992 shows a turn toward more natu- ral, less artificial shades, accord- ing to the Color Marketing Group’s Fourth Fashion Workshop in New York. Reported in Audrey Gostlin's Inside Fash- jon May 14 issue, the prevalent colors include flamingo pink, chestnut brown, Spanish tile clay, amber gold, reuben red, breen (brown-ereen), split pea (yellow- green), blue corn bluc-teal, ultra violet purple and sapphire blue. Other new hues are given movie star names such as Lombard, corn silk, Gable, blue-grey with red, Hepburn, a metallic bronze, Ginger, a soft clay, and Bogey, a deep mauve. Cool, serene colors will replace warm sunlit colors of spring and summer; and there will be more of an influence from blue, green and purple, making the overall! colors softer. Bright colors will continue to be important, but will deepen and become more natural. It is forecast that we will see more contrasting combinations such as warm with cool, dusty shades with clean ones, and dark colors with brights. FASHIONABLE PNE ... The Pacific National Exhibition stated Aug. 16 to Sept. 2, will feature B.C. designers and manufacturers in a series of fashion shows and displays. The fair will also provide mar- ket booths for manufacturers, retailers and services in the fash- ion industry, which are said to reach more than one million cus- tomers during the event. Fashion show participation and clothing for mannequin displays are free of charge and market booths can be purchased for the B.C. Showcase Building, the Showmart Building and specific outside areas. For more informa- tion, contact the PNE Exhibit and Commercial Space Dept. at 253- 231. Jersey knitted tees in prints or plain are sold in shades sich as pink, turquoise, white and black. Pack classic mood changers like an ankle-length pleated or gathered skirt in a feminine fabric, and a slinky mock turtle- neck tank with cut-in shoulders. “Undress”? the skirt with a long cotton cardigan or a waist-tied T- shirt that is pulled over top, for casual times. For business, pair it with the jacket and the mock necked tank. For evening, pull the skirt around a maillot swimsuit or the mock neck tank, which can go with nothing overtop for a dressy event. City shorts in a long, dressy style, are also great for quick changes. They are up to date and sophisticated for business when accessorized with sheer hose and pumps, are comfortable with a cotton cardigan for shopping, and can be pulled on beneath a T-shirt or maillot for the beach. Shoes for travelling have to See Light page 16