The Clothing Chronicle Archives

Thanks again to everyone who wrote with comments and observations about my Fall 2004 "Best Bet" picks - including some of my readers in the Southern Hemisphere who wrote to remind me that they're just now emerging from winter and are looking for some spring fashion tips.

You'll see lots of trends here, obviously, but you may also be able to glean some styling ideas that you can put to use in your warm weather wardrobe. Take a look at textures, shapes, and layering to see what ideas you can employ. You may surprise yourself.

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Resurface Peel
Lancôme.com

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Here's what's new at Lancôme

In the early 1870's, Charles Frederick Worth, the "father of Haute Couture," found himself in an awkward position. He'd been designing fine apparel and dictating fashion trends from Paris for nearly 15 years, and his client list included a who's who of royals, world leaders, and industrial barons, to name a few.

Charles Frederick Worth

A master stylist and exacting clothier, Worth was notoriously demanding of the women who wore his clothes. Nothing left his atelier that was anything short of perfection, and in a manner that would make Trinny and Susannah of BBC's What Not To Wear look like pussycats, Worth was known to reduce his clients to tears if they attempted to wear styles that did not suit them or if they haphazardly paired accessories. Worth women were the belles of any balls they attended, but not without first submitting to Charles' demanding standards.

Reception dress, 1877
Reception Dress
1877
CincinnatiArtMuseum.com

Around 1873, Worth found himself with a client whom he could neither bully nor control. She was the wife of a new-moneyed entrepreneur, and she'd set her sights on becoming a member of New York society. What she lacked in schooling and finesse she made up for with money and ambition.

Worth was the exclusive clothier for a certain popular European princess. Lovely and well bred, this princess was frequently written about in the society pages on both sides of the Atlantic. Her dresses were described in minute detail, and she was often the subject of party conversations.

Hoping to ride the princess' coat tails into New York high society, the entrepreneur's wife ordered an exact duplicate of the princess' wardrobe from Worth one season. He objected. The princess and the socialite were nothing alike in coloring, body shape, or proportions, so he attempted to steer the woman to more appropriate selections.

She wanted to be able to tell her friends that she had the same wardrobe as the princess. And she was willing to pay for it. Handsomely.

Worth wanted to say no. His sensibilities demanded it. Why would any woman willing spend a fortune to look bad copying someone else's style when she could look so much better creating her own? It just didn't make any sense to him.

But his finances ultimately decided the issue. He was running a business, after all. As much as he disliked these "nouveau riche" Americans and their loud, flamboyant ways, they kept the House of Worth open. The Americans never quibbled about price and they paid their bills on time - which was more than he could say about many of his European clients, unfortunately, including the celebrated princess.

In the end, he gritted his teeth and prepared duplicate wardrobes for the socialite for several consecutive seasons, until the princess' popularity waned and the socialite was well established. The concession remained a sore point with Worth for the rest of his life.

I remember reading this story several years ago but it popped into my head again recently as I walked behind a woman at the mall. She was trolling about in no makeup, a sloppy sweat suit, and paint-stained sneakers. Oh, and she was carrying a Burberry handbag.

Probably the same thing he thought about the socialite and the princess: that money can buy many things, but it can't buy good taste.

If you're not born with it, you have to cultivate it. As in study, experiment, and make mistakes.

That is the process. You can't bypass it with a wad of cash or a high credit limit.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what many people try to do. They seem to think that wearing designer apparel automatically makes them chic. It doesn't. That's like saying that singing in the shower makes you a rock star or putting on a tiara makes you Miss America. The potential is there in each case, but nothing is a given.

I know women who can stop traffic wearing $40 worth of clothes from Walmart and others who don't warrant a second glance sporting $4,000 worth of designer apparel.

The clothing itself doesn't make you chic; it's in knowing HOW to find and wear the right pieces for you that makes all the difference.

If you've been thinking about adding designer brands to your wardrobe because you are trying to upgrade your image and can afford to pay cash to do so, then by all means, do. But before you spring for a label, ask yourself why you're doing it. Are you caught up in the "me too!" frenzy of a certain popular princess - er, I mean brand, or are you seeking to establish a signature style?

If it's the latter (and I certainly hope it is), here are some guidelines to consider so that you don't become a "label victim:"

This seems obvious, but many people stumble right out of the gate on this one. When women tell me they like labels and I start quizzing them on their preferences, I either get a short list of the current hot names or the vapid, "I like all of them!"

Fair enough. Not everyone can spend their days thumbing through fashion magazines.

But if you're going to spend the money, for goodness sake, educate yourself! I've seen people do lots of research before buying major appliances, computers, and travel then thinking nothing of dropping the same amount for apparel they saw on their favorite celebrity. Does seeing Carrie wear it on "Sex and The City" qualify as due diligence? For some people, it does.

Once you start learning more about the different designers, you'll probably find yourself drawn to one or two. You might not like everything they offer every season, but overall, they tend to have a selection that you like.

You'll also find other designers that will make you wrinkle your nose and wonder who in the world buys their stuff. If one of these happens to be a current social or celebrity favorite, you may be wondering what others are seeing that you're not.

It all boils down to clothing personalities, which is discussed in detail in WARDROBE MAGIC:

Some people like ruffles and lace, some like color and drama, some like plain and simple. Once you understand what you like and find the designers that make those kinds of clothes, you're well on you're way to cultivating your own sense of style.

Nothing shouts, "LABEL VICTIM!" more than excess. This can be wearing the same designer head-to-toe, flashing logo accessories on every limb, or even becoming a walking billboard for a brand by wearing the name in big letters on your shirt, pants, etc.

Yes, wearing luxury brands implies that you have some money. But wearing them all at the same time in a conspicuous display suggests that you have no taste. It's like thinking that because a pinch of salt makes a dish scrape-the-plate delicious, adding a tablespoon will make it even better. It doesn't. It overpowers everything else, rendering the food unpalatable.

Knowing how much is too much is what separates the best dressed from the victims, the leaders from the lemmings.

If you're going to walk around and endorse a brand to excess, at the very least, you should get paid for it - don't you think?

Watching the woman in the grubby sweat pants carrying the Burberry bag reminded me of the time I went to a rural wedding where they served champagne in Styrofoam cups at the reception. The premium item didn't upgrade the cheap surroundings; the cheap surroundings downgraded the premium item.

If you're going to go to the trouble and expense of buying designer apparel or accessories, be sure to provide a worthy backdrop to showcase the piece, like a frame around an exquisite painting. Otherwise, people will either assume it's a fake, or that you have no taste. Or both.

If your guy takes you to the couture houses in New York, Paris, or Milan and tells you to get whatever you want, that's one thing (although don't be surprised if he picks out something, like a necklace or pair of shoes, and asks you to model it wearing nothing else).

But if you're spending your own money, let your fingers do the shopping at any of the great discount designer sites online like:

Find your favorite designer brands like Michael Kors, Vera Wang, Dolce & Gabbana, and more at prices up to 75% off suggested retail. Beautiful pieces, nice variety. $$$

Deal.com is another great place where overstocks and discontinued items get snapped up by savvy, discerning shoppers. Find all sorts of items here, from names like Liz Claiborne, Harve Bernard, Burberry, and more at prices that will make your bank account sing for joy. Also has Women's sizes. $

Chrisian Lacroix, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Celine, Dior, -- and so many more. If you can't find your favorite designer brands elsewhere online, you'll probably find them on eLuxury.com. $$$

Prada, Dolce and Gabbana, Bill Blass and more are just a few of the names you'll find here, at prices up to 80% off suggested retail. These overstocks get snapped up quickly, so "get while the getting's good." Also offers some women's sizes. $ to $$$

Nicole Miller, Tahari, Michael Kors and more at the website that Loehmann's online calls home. Like the legendary store, you have to "grab it when you see it," or it might not be there next time you visit. Has some women's sizes. $ to $$$.

Yes, wearing luxury brands gives you a certain cachet - but only if you do it correctly. If you opt for labels that compliment your body shape and clothing personality instead of chasing the latest fad, you'll cultivate a style that's distinctly your own, turning heads wherever you go. You'll also make your favorite designer proud, instead of reducing him to taking your money and turning a blind eye to your "me too" sense of style.