46 - Sunday, February 28, 1993-— North Shore News

Business clothes
must suit lifestyle

IF YOU often feel that you
have nothing to wear to
work, the problem may be
that your clothes are. not
right for your personality
and lifestyle.

Carol
Crenna

for special events.

Ai the beginning of a new
season, you:
a) hope the weather will hold until
you can buy the right coat or
jacket for the season because you
don’t have one.
b) go shopping for new clothes.
c) hope the weather holds out un-

- til you have time to go through

last season’s clothes and rearrange
your closet.

d) change your closet over when
the weather has changed, leaving
those items which are. season-
spanning, and shop during the
season for items on sale which
you need.

If you chose mostly a) then you :

: _are hard on your clothes.

‘ FASHION STATEMENTS

“Does your character make you’

“ consistently sloppy or excessively
“neat, organized or totally spon-
tanzous? Is your life fast-paced or

. unhurried?

*~ These, considerations have an
impact on your clothes that goes
far beyond your tastes and fash-

.. jon sense, ; .
Answer these cuestions abovt ‘

your wardrobe and your life to see
_.if the two are compatible.

Getting dressed in the morning:
a) is difficult. The first couple of

choices are wrinkled or stained.

The next choice is fine, but you
don't have anything to go with it. -

b) is fairly easy. If what you feel.
like wearing is dirty, you still have
a few standby items that you can
fall. back on to make you feel

» good.
c) is fairly easy, but it takes you
“ several minutes to find and coor-
dinate the pieces you’ve chosen. .
qd) is easy because your closet is
organized by color or by clothing
type and you” know. what you
haven’t worn in a while.
When you get home from work
you: ; :
a) leave your clothes where ever
-- they fall when you take them off.
-b) immediately peel off ‘your
clothes. because they are so un-
comfortable. : .
.¢) lay your clothes on a chair and
your. bed to be hung up before go-

_. ing to sleep.

d) hang your clothes up im-
mediately in. their proper section
_as you change for dinner.

You travel:

a) for work so often. you have
clothes you’ve forgotten
haven’t been unpacked.

b) fairly often, but not for work.
c) for work approximately three to
four times per year, enough that
it’s still a treat and not a habit.

d) does a business. lunch
downtown count as travel?

You have ‘another life outside
work that includes:

a) husband and kids.

b) ‘ sporting events and outdoor
exercise.

c) evenings on the town and in-
home entertaining.

‘d) is there life outside work?

Faced with an. important
meeting the next morning, you:

a) break out in a cold sweat
wondering what to wear.

b) get un the phone because you
have a suit but you need that shirt
from your friend thai goes
perfectly with it.

_.¢). spend an hour that night
washing out your best biouse and
getting ycur suit. from the dry
cleaners.

.-d) spend.a few minutes choosing
accessories to go with that con-
fidence-boosting. suit you . reserve

_ constricted,

that

This spring you will find lots of
clothes that will: keep up .to your
hectic lifestyle, but make sure they
are well-made and fairly easy-
care. . .
Dressy cotton knits, cool wool
and wash 'n’, wear fabrics in solids
that are easily. mixed and matched
will be best for travelling, harried
mornings, and when you have no
time for clothing upkeep.

Avoid. anything. that says
‘‘handwash only’? because you
won't.

If you chose mostly b), your
off-work hours are very impor-

‘tant to you.

Your clothing should be ver-
satile enough to coordinate for
sporty and business occasions.
You like to be relaxed. and un-
so cheose clean
shapes without fussy detail.

You aren’t too. restricted. by .
‘your budget, so can buy goad-

quality fabrics that will be more
comfortable, and sophisticated
enough to dress up even if they’re
casually styled.

Wear unstructured jackets,
clean-lined tunics, dressy pants,
lots of fine knits, gathered longer

‘skirts rather than narrow ones,
“and = pull-on-and-go dresses,

otherwise, instead of
dresses. .

Breathable fabrics are a must.
You will find lightweight woois,
cotton, linen, and softly shaped
washable silks easy to wear.

If you chose mostly c) you are
not very organized. .

You are probably. single, may
not spend a lot of time at home,
and therefore are unable to get
your wardrobe totally together.

If you have a schedule that
varies often and cannot get into a
routine, you'll make your life
simpler if you own just a few
basics that you can mix and match
for all occasions, all year through.

Choose semi-dressy sportswear’
(that can be dressed up or down)
in easily layered separates.

You are not too hard on your
clothes, so choose a few distinc-
tive, wardrobe-making pieces that
are easy to grab for.

A couple of colorful jackets is a
good choice. Then add a few
neutral basics that will vary the
look of the special items.

If you chose mostly d) you have.
time to spend on upkeep.

You have earned the right to
wear delicate fabrics that may
take more care such as siik, linen
and dry-clean-only items.

If you don’t venture out enough
in life, perhaps you can in your
closet by choosing a variety of
moods, colors and styles.

More complicated shapes and
detailing won't be destroyed in
your lifestyle.

Since your closet is well orga-
nized, you will still be able to co-
ordinate patterns and textures
with some experimentation.

You may not have a life outside
your work, but you can have a
great. sense of ‘style that others
can’t have and will always admire.

separates

CHOOSE CLOTHING that fits your dressing habits.

Spring suits get down to business

LESS. IS more in fashion
this spring.

Women get down to business in
strong but simple suits. The new
minimal style is neat, feminine
and sophisticated, and without a
structured fit and extra fuss, it is
also practical.

City suits combine semi-tailored
jackets that are cropped at the hip
or extend to the thigh with
body-conscious knits, long, lean
skirts and walking shorts. And all
are softly styled to allow for ease
of movement.

Subtle patterns, neutral colors,
and classic solid shades are mixed
and matched in a cool, unclut-
tered mood.

Ports International offers soft,
serious style in its spring ’93 col-
lection. Suits are designed to be
subtle and sophisticated, but with
a lot of impact.

The strongest silhouette in the
Ports line typifies most other col-
lections — the long, Jeaner cut.

Femininity is not forgotten in
these made-for-work basics.

Flowing, lighter fabrics are
paired with menswear-inspired
separates and softly clinging knits.
Refined colors in earth tones and
classic navy and white are found
in fine natural fibres. .

Relaxed pieces by Ports include

comfortable jackets, skirts that

alow unrestricted movement even -
though they are cut longer, and.

full cuffed trousers, all in linen,
silk and cotton.

A great set of blue and white
separates cailed Indigo Blues
epitomizes the soft spring look.

Shades of Oriental porcelain,
indigo blue and crisp white are
combined in. suits that take
cruisewear to the office.

Classic double-breasted jackets
in birds-eye suiting, priced at
$350, are teamed with. white
sleeveless mock turtlenecks, and
draped front shorts, pleated pants,
or long wrapped sarong skirts.

‘‘Masculine meets feminine’ is
shown in Ports  International’s
Bonnie and Clyde group, offering
a not-so-serious gangster look.

Menswear influence continucs in
office wear, but it gets even more
refined, using traditional fabrics
such as sharkskin and mini checks
in shapely coordinates.

Slender flowing dresses are
slipped under gangster jackets,
double-breasted pinstriped pant
suits are softly paired or mixed
with long. slim side-buttoned
skirts, all inspired by the °40s.
Gangster jackets. are $350 and
“cool wool’’ pants are $225.

Natural tones come alive in the
grouping called Havana | which

mixes stone shades with earth and —
sand colors... =.-

Raw sack linens and rough linen
and cotton knits in oyster and’:
gold are offset by touches of
bronze, slate blue and coral. Blue
and gold madras checks give sub-
tle detail’ to solid neutrals which
are layered one on top of the. -
other. ‘ , . .

A gauzy striped shirt, $195, or a
silk and rayon sea-shell blouse, is :

‘the base to a cotton ribbed but-

ton-front, vest, $90, cuffed linen
pants for $195, and a boxy linen
relaxed blazer, for $310. wo

eeo
Affordable designer suiting

which integrates prints and solids

in coordinating separates’ is
Nygard . International’s Bianca’
Nygard line. :
Neutral colors mixed. with.
classic brights are layered in light,
airy fabrics of cotton, linen, silk
and synthetics. : “,
Feminine clean lines punctuate
the suiting, which has no fussy
details or overly contrived shapes.
The easy-care pieces are perfect
for resort or business travelling,
since they pack quickly and span
the seasons.
The Oasis grouping by Bianca
Nygard integrates subtle - desert

See Easy-care page 19