Always Style in

GO BEYOND FASHION. FIND YOUR BEST LOOK.

Doris Pooser
Amina AlTai and Melissa Skoog
COLOR WARDROBE STYLE BODYLI NE HAI R FRAGRANCE MAKEUP
Second Edition
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
4 Steps to Becoming Well Dressed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Doris Pooser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
Melissa Skoog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
Amina Altai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
PART ONE STYLE
What Is a Well-Dressed Woman? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Beginning the Search for Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Style: A Denition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
PART TWO YOUR BODY
Discovering Your Bodyline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Where Do You Belong on the Graph? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Clothing As an Extension of You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
PART THREE CLOTHING
Which Clothing Line Is Yours? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Identifying Detail Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Characteristics the Affect Clothing Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Designers vs. Mass Retailers: Body Lines and Structure . . . 47
PART FOUR SCALE
About Scale (and Proper Fit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Is It Size, Proportion or Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
The Importance of the Right Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
PART FIVE FASHION
The Three Faces of Fashion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
How to Keep in Fashion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
PART SIX COLOR
The Power of Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Color Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
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PART SEVEN YOUR WARDROBE
A Wardrobe Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
PART EIGHT HAIR AND MAKEUP
Hair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Skin Care and Makeup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Fragrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Body Language Beyond Being Well Dressed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
AFTERWORD
The Outraged Woman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Grand Finale or Just the Beginning? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
GLOSSARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
CONTENTS (CONT.)
Fashions fade; style is eternal.
Yves Saint Laurent
To be well dressed, a woman must wear clothes, makeup, hairstyles and accessories that
complement her physically, express her personality, are appropriate for the occasion and are
current and fashionable. She must develop her own personal style. Coco Chanel said years ago
that style stays forever and fashion keeps changing. Both style and fashion are important. It is
possible to use the very simple guidelines described in Always in Style to develop your own
style and then to reach in the fashion direction that refects your personality.
Wearing colors and shapes that complement you is the frst step in identifying your style. Steps
two and three address how to be comfortable in your clothesknowing how to express your
unique personality and doing so for all occasions. The last step in being well dressed is to stay
current and fashionable each season. Outdated doesnt do it at any age. By applying the four
Always in Style steps, you will certainly be well dressed. When you look good, you feel bet-
ter about yourself, so it is easier to stand up straight and feel more confdent. In a later section,
I will provide a few tips on body language and presentation skills to ensure you will create a
positive frst impression. A more comprehensive study can be found in my book A Womans
Guide to Success, in which I have provided rules for business and dining etiquette and well as
nonverbal communication skills.
I hope Always in Style will help those of you who have not yet discovered your own personal
style to develop it, appreciate it and enjoy it. Those of you who feel you already have your
own style will be able to confrm why what you are doing works, and will have additional
confdence to reach further to be Always in Style.
4
Steps to Becoming
Well Dressed
INTRODUCTION
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Designers vs. Mass Retailers:
Body Lines
and Structure
How the lines of designer and
mass-fashion labels have blurred
In 1996, Sharon Stone turned the fashion world upside
down when she walked the Oscars red carpet in a Val-
entino full-length skirt paired with a Gap turtleneck and
Armani coat. It was a seminal moment in fashion history
because it marked a new era in how women shop and
dress. In the 1980s and 1990s, if you wore a Gap t-shirt
with a Calvin Klein suit, you never spoke about it and
hoped that no one would ask what you were wearing. But
today, it is almost a fashion badge of honor to show how
creative you can be by pairing a high-end designer with a
more mass-brand item.
What else has blurred since then are the lines of saying
that the only way to guarantee a product is made well is
by buying expensive designers. Nowadays, it is still very
true that designer labels from France and Italy are made
with the best fabrics and old-world European tailoring
and techniques that are very hard to beat, but it is also
true to say that mass retailers are paying far more atten-
tion to ft and design detail than ever before and offering
it to consumers at affordable price points.
Print categories
Straight Curved
Geometric
Check
Stripe
Houndstooth
Abstract
Aztec pattern
Modern
Sharp plaid
Floral
Paisley
Watercolor
Swirl
Realistic
Scroll
Rounded
For Straight-Soft body lines, use straight geometric prints on top and more curved on the bot-
tom. For Soft-Straight body lines, use curved prints on top and more straight on the bottom.
Taking exception
There are a few exceptions to note in terms of the relationship between print pattern and gar-
ment line. For example, if the line is strong and well-defned, the print pattern may vary a bit
from the line. A small geometric print can often be incorporated into a soft-curved line. A
stripe or plaid on the bias will be softened and will often work for a softer line. This combi-
nation may not be perfect, but is more acceptable than the reverse, a foral print made into a
tailored style. The straight-soft line at times may combine a foral skirt with a straight jacket to
create an overall impression of a softened line.
As a general rule, straight prints may be used in soft-straight or curved construction if, and
only if, the construction is well-defned. Line and texture should be considered frst; then print.
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Celebrity and Internet inuence on fast fashion
In the 1990s, people started to pay more attention to what celebrities were wearing. InStyle
Magazine launched in 1991, and was the frst celebrity magazine to focus on the fashions and
lifestyles of celebrities outside of weekly celebrity-rag magazines. And when Vogue started
replacing Linda, Cindy and Naomi with a celebrity on its cover in the mid-90s, it triggered the
decline of supermodels as we knew them. With this shift in featuring trends of celebrities vs.
models came the demand for women to wear the same fashions as their favorite celebrities as
quickly as possible. And with that began the trend of fast-fashion, which is, for the most part,
how we know many mass retailers such as H&M, TopShop and Zara today.
In the 1090s and early 2000s, retailers rode the trend waves by knocking off what celebrities
wore to major red carpet events such as the Oscars and the Golden Globes. Although that still
happens, the biggest culprit for fast fashion for the designers is the Internet. The Internet has
not only changed the speed with which we can view and incorporate next seasons trends into
our lives, but it has also sped up the process of what products you fnd in designer boutiques,
department stores and mass retailers during the same season.
Mass chains are now able to see what is coming down the catwalks of New York, Milan and
Paris and alter their buys to ensure that the same trends, prints and/or colorways are found in
their collections in the same season as designers.
For designers, they have to continue to focus on high-quality fabrics, design details and manu-
facturing to delineate the reasons for their price points and design aesthetic, while mass retail-
ers who choose to design into similar styles, silhouettes and colors need to focus on ft, avail-
able fabrics, and how quickly they can speed-to-market these new designs and trends.
How this benets you as the consumer
Now that you understand how we got where we are in fashion, it is important to understand
how all of this benefts you as a consumer.
With more attention to ft and fashion across the board, there are more opportunities for you to
fnd what is right for your bodyline and personality at any price point. Price no longer dictates
whether you are buying something fashionable or something that will ft you better.
Also, with Internet shopping starting to command the lions share of how we shop these days,
you can now feel more comfortable with what you buy online, knowing that it will most likely
ft you if you are buying from designers or retailers you know and shop from.
Internet shopping
With the Internet becoming the fastest and easiest way to shop, it is important you read the de-
scriptions and do the necessary homework to ensure that you are making smart choices online.
If there are designers and retailers you know and love, make note of why you like them so
much. Is it the ft, the design details, the color offerings and fabrics, or all of the above? Also be
sure to read online stores return policies so you are aware of possible additional postage costs
and whether you can receive a credit card refund or just a store credit.
Just like their brick-and-mortar counterparts, department store websites offer great ft guides to
help you shop. For example, Nordstrom.com has an incredible denim store offering solid advice
on ft and sizing and also offers advice videos to help you make the right shopping choices
online. However, pay close attention to the measurements listed, and not necessarily to how the
garment looks on the model or in the photo. For example, when shopping for jeans, look at the
front and back rise, leg opening, knee break, length, and the fabric blend.
Remembering your lines and what works for your shape is paramount while shopping online,
as they generally use size 2 ft models that are 5'8" and taller, and body lines vary. With the
Internet we literally have the world of fashion at our fngertips. We can compare designers,
prices, fts and colors instantly and make more informed choices as we do so. However, we
should also note that it is harder to decipher color online as color varies from screen to screen
and fabric texture can also be diffcult to identify.
Designers and their lines
Here is a list of the major international designers with the lines they tend to use most frequent-
ly. I have also included the moderate-priced designers and manufacturers with the lines seen
frequently in these collections. Remember, you will be able to fnd several lines in their collec-
tions, which makes it particularly important to begin to recognize the different body lines in
clothing construction.
International designers
Moderate-priced
designers and manufacturers
Straight Chanel, Calvin Klein, Prada, Burberry Ann Taylor, DKNY, Club Monaco,
Loefer Randall
Straight-soft Alexander Wang, Donna Karan, YSL Jones NY, Gap, Tahari, Theory
Soft-straight J. Mendel, Chlo, Dior J. Crew, Alice & Olivia, Banana Republic,
Eileen Fisher, Joan Vass
Curved Valentino, Carolina Herrera,
Roland Mouret
Top Shop, Anthropologie, Marciano,
Marc by Marc Jacobs
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Sarah Jessica, Jennifer and Ellen know their lines.
Have you learned yours?
Ellen DeGeneres has a straight-line body and facial features. She needs straight crisp lines
in her clothing and can wear many of the straight-line designers clothing well. Sarah Jessica
Parker needs a straight soft line to create balance and harmony for her. She will fare best in
the straight-soft lines of the designers listed in that category. Jennifer Hudson will be her most
ravishing in clothing from designers who favor a curved line in their collections.
Women like Michelle Obama do not use just one designer but choose to have a more varied
look in their clothing selections. Mrs. Obama has been instrumental in doing away with the de-
pendence on a single designer and has combined a casual wardrobe with her more formal one.
She uses a variety of designers and brands, selecting outfts appropriate for different occasions
and ones that refect her personality. Stepping out of the classic and well-followed rules of the
protocol experts, she often wears sleeveless dresses for formal occasions. Although a sleeve or
jacket would be more appropriate, she manages to pull off the look with her well-toned arms.
There have been some recent outfts worn by her that did not complement her curved bodyline
and warm coloring, including the white blouse with the exaggerated stiff bow criticized in
the press or the print outft she wore while with Carla Bruni, French President Sarkozys wife.
However, her variety of styles and selections for different occasions complement her personal-
ity and work for her lifestyle
Remember, once you fnd your right line you will be on your way to looking successful, cred-
ible, and fabulous. It isnt how much you spend on your clothing, but how knowledgeable you
are in selecting what is right for you.
When I completed my study of body and clothing lines, I was fnally able to understand why
that Chanel-like jacket, pinstriped suit, and shirtwaist dress looked wrong on me. Each of these
pieces has a very straight line. In order to complement my body and facial features, I needed
a straight-soft line in my clothing. The straight-lined clothing looked stiff and rigid instead of
like a natural extension of me. Butand this is an important butI did not have to give up
my suit, my tailored jacket, or my classic shirtwaist dress. I now shop for a jacket with a ft-
ted waist and notched collar instead of a boxy jacket or shawl collar and a suit in a soft tweed
instead of a bold plaid.
Now that you know the direction of your line (straight or curved) to use in selecting your cloth-
ing, the width of your line (fne to broad), the depth of your line (the amount of texture), and the
print design, lets look at the Clothing Lines chart, which summarizes this information. Also
included for your reference is a list of fabric types.
Clothing lines
Straight Soft-straight Curved
Fine
line width
Lightweight fabrics that are
stiff
Tightly woven fabric
Small buttons, details, and
trim
Top-stitching at edge
Lightweight fabrics that fall
softly
Loosely woven fabric
Small buttons, details, and
trim
Top-stitching at edge
Lightweight, ne, at fabric
Fabrics that drape
Fine, small buttons, details,
and trim
Top-stitching at edge
Average
line width
Average-weight fabrics, stiff,
crisp, and tightly woven
Average-size buttons, details,
and trim
Well-dened top-stitching
Average-weight fabric woven
to fall in soft straight lines
Average-size buttons, details,
and trim
Top-stitching, not at edge,
subtly dened
Average-weight fabrics that
drape easily
Average-size buttons, details,
and trim
No top-stitching or
top-stitching at edge
Broad
line width
Medium- to heavy-weight
fabrics, stiff and tightly
woven
Large buttons, trim, and
detail
Double or large top-stitching
Heavy, loosely woven fabric
Large buttons, trim, and
detail
Double top-stitching
Medium-weight fabric
Large details and trim
No top-stitching
Texture Little to none Maximum amount Little to none
Fabric type Satin
Linen
Twill
Silk
Polished cotton
Linen
Jersey
Challis
Wool annel
Satin
Thai silk
Raw silk
Tweed
Crepe
Challis
Satin
Jersey
Chiffon
Raw silk
Prints Geometric
Abstract
Modern
Sharp plaid
Check
Houndstooth
Herringbone
Paisley
Plaid
Animal motif
Realistic
Natural scene
Check
Tweed
Floral
Watercolor
Realistic
Rounded
Swirl
Scroll
For straight soft, use straight lines and details on top and curved lines and details on bottom.
For soft straight, use straight lines and details on the bottom and soft curved lines and details
on top.
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