The Clothing Chronicles May 5, 2005 #178 FashionForRealWomen.com ================================================ In This Issue: Message From Diana Feature Article: Social Wardrobe Overview ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >> MESSAGE FROM DIANA Thanks again to everyone who took the time to write the last few weeks to tell me how much they've enjoyed looking at the different types of clothes (casual, eveningwear) that make up a well-stocked wardrobe. Glad I could help! It's one of the reasons I started this ezine: to get women to think start thinking in terms of the "big picture" when it comes to building their wardrobes. Yes, it's easy to funnel most of your clothing budget into your primary activity (working, taking care of kids, etc.), and yes, it's easy (for many) to go buy a new outfit when something special comes along. But it's hard is to justify the waste when you've spent a ton of money to buy clothes, then don't wear most of them - particularly if you're carrying debt, have no savings, and little or no retirement funds. No, I'm not trying to make you feel bad. What I AM trying to do is to get you to see clothes as the investment they are, and stop filling your closet with a lot of junk you never wear. Or as one financially astute client of mine put it, "If I'd had the money I spent on these clothes in investments collecting interest instead of hanging in my closet gathering dust, my portfolio would look A LOT different!" Amen, sister! So let's continue with a look at the well-planned closet with a look at your social wardrobe. Enjoy! Diana diana@fashionforrealwomen.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Organize Your Decorating Projects Planning on painting, wallpapering, or adding to your décor any time soon? What if you could head out to gather your supplies with a floor plan, samples, and room measurements at your fingertips? How much faster would you get the job done? How much better advice could you get from home improvement store staff? It would make the job quick and easy, that's what! Which is exactly why "The Ultimate Decorating and Home Improvement Organizer" was created: to make decorating projects a snap. From planning to budgeting to checking off your list, this one-of-a-kind project planner will help you stay organized. Don't do your next home improvement project without it! http://www.dianaprefers.com/books/homedecorplanner.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >> FEATURE ARTICLE Social Wardrobe Overview What should be in your social wardrobe? Before I answer that, let's define exactly what social clothes are. Social attire, unlike casual and business wear, is typically very formal and are made of fine fabrics like silk, velvet, and lace. They're worn on the dressiest occasions of life, like: Garden Parties Cocktail parties Formal dinners Formal dances Engagement parties Weddings Baptisms First Communions Bar Mitzvahs Other Religious Ceremonies Galas Graduations Award ceremonies Movie premieres Social day wear, which includes knee or calf-length suits, dresses, skirts, or pants, usually features festive colors, patterns, and trims in a modest style, and may be worn with a hat and matching accessories. Day wear is typically worn to functions that begin late morning or early afternoon, or before 5 pm. Social evening wear (which we looked at last week) includes cocktail dresses, full length gowns, or separates in flowing, shiny, or beaded fabrics in either modest or shoulder-baring styles. Evening wear is typically worn to functions that begin late afternoon or early evening, or after 5 pm.   Daywear Before 5 pm   Eveningwear After 5 pm Both dresses from Chadwicks.com A good social wear selection for an average lifestyle includes: Tops 1 fun day 2 flirty night Pants 1 evening Skirts Evening pants LBCatalog.com 1 all season day 1 summer evening 1 winter evening Dresses 1 all season day 1 summer evening 1 winter evening Suits 1 daytime 1 evening   Daytime suit Roamans.com Jackets 1 pastel for summer 1 velvet for winter Outerwear 1 evening jacket 1 light wrap Bag 1 evening clutch Light wrap Newport-News.com Shoes 1 pair dress sandals 1 pair closed toe evening heels 1 pair strappy metallic sandals Now as you look over this list, you may think it's a bit excessive for your needs. That's fine. Again, this is for an average lifestyle. If you live a quiet life, an all season skirt and evening bag may be all you need. If you're a socialite or are in the public eye a lot, this may not see you through a fortnight of events. Again, adjust accordingly. So how can you cheat if you need a few pieces to do a lot of things? In a word: SEPARATES. Mixing pieces will make you look like you have a lot more than you really do. You can even pull pieces from your casual or business wardrobes to use for social events, so long as you add an appropriate top and accessories. Have 3 or 4 events coming up that you need to dress for (graduation, wedding, cocktail party, bridal shower)? If you'll be with different people each time, you could wear the same outfit to each. If you'll be with the same people, wear the same base outfit (suit, blouse and skirt) but change the accessories or your hairstyle. If you'll be traveling out of town to an event (graduation, wedding, movie premier), be sure to check with your host as to what's appropriate. Generally, the bigger the town, the more formal the attire; the smaller the town, the less formal. This is important. If you've ever gone somewhere and felt like a "city slicker" or "country comes to town," you know what I'm talking about. If you want people to talk to you, dress like the locals; otherwise, you may travel a long distance and get a chilly reception for your trouble. So what's the bottom line with putting together an appropriate social wardrobe? With a few well-chosen pieces, a few jokes in your back pocket, and a kind word for everyone, you could soon find your social life sizzling with non-stop invitations. Match your clothing with the occasion, and like a fine vintage paired with a tasty entrée, you could soon become a special occasion favorite. Need some more tips on how to build a ready-for-anything closet? Download a copy of WARDROBE MAGIC, http://www.wardrobemagic.com to see how easy dressing well can be. ********** Until next time, Diana Pemberton-Sikes diana@fashionforrealwomen.com http://www.FashionForRealWomen.com http://www.FashionSavvy.com http://www.WardrobeMagic.com http://www.FashionJobReview.com ------------------------ Published by: Top Drawer Publications, LLC 256 S. College Ave. Newark, DE 19711 USA Copyright © 2005 by Diana Pemberton-Sikes All rights reserved. Want to get your wardrobe together in a flash? Try our best-selling ebook,  Wardrobe Magic Archives index Terms of Use | Privacy Policy © 2005 Top Drawer Publications, LLC All rights reserved. 256 S. College Avenue • Newark, DE 19711 Phone/Fax 302-266-0156 • Email: sales@topdrawerpublications.com