Style Guide for July 97

Making the Most of Your Wardrobe with Mix and Match Coordinates

by Shelby L. Crumlich

With the arrival of summer, comes a feeling of revitalization. We all want to look and feel our best. What better way to revitalize one’s self than with a whole new wardrobe? While getting a whole new wardrobe may be impractical for most of us, with the tips and fashion-finds that we have uncovered, you can enjoy the look of a brand new wardrobe with little effort or expense.

With this issue, MODE is celebrating its one-year anniversary. We are kicking the celebration off with the introduction of this fashion section. Our first monthly fashion focus is dedicated to being an informative and inspirational guide to "Making the Most of Your Wardrobe with Mix and Match Coordinates."

The search for a new wardrobe took us to Marshall’s of Colonial Commons, located on Jonestown Road in Harrisburg. Store Manager, Jerry Lamie was happy to offer assistance in our new endeavor. The goal of this shopping expedition was to find a few basic articles of clothing that we could mix-and-match into a number of complete outfits for work and for play. At Marshall’s we found a variety of mix-and-match fashions for men and women. Perfections Models, Katrina and Darryl were on hand as we selected six separate pieces of clothing for each, and a few accessories.

Katrina’s mix and match wardrobe consisted of a basic short sleeved, white spandex blouse ($19.99); a black, form-fitting, art deco top ($19.99); a plaid cropped suit jacket ($49.99); a black, silk vest ($19.99); a basic black skirt ($12.99) and a pair of multi-colored striped pants ($14.99). The accessories selected consisted of a rope print design, silk scarf ($7.00) and a black leather belt ($16.99). A total of $162.00.

Darryl’s wardrobe was also made up of six separates and a few accessories. Darryl was fitted in a camel colored, suit jacket ($39.99); a black pair of dress pants ($19.99); a casual, beige pair of pants ($24.99); a standard white dress shirt ($29.50); a casual, paisley print, short sleeved shirt ($14.99) and a basic, royal blue, cotton T-shirt ($14.99). To add the finishing touches to Darryl’s outfits, we selected 3 different accessories, a brown leather belt ($14.99); a black leather belt ($9.99) and a print tie ($7.00). A total of $177.00.

By the time the final count was in, the results were outstanding! For Darryl we coordinated six totally different outfits, ranging from dressed up to dressed down looks. Katrina ended up with eight remarkable outfits. .

To achieve these same incredible results, we have listed some basic fashion tips.

WARDROBE TIP #1

Separate. Take all the clothes that you already have hanging in your closet and split them by style. By this, we mean, place all of your suit jackets together, separate the skirts or pants from the suit jackets and hang them together. Next, separate all of your short-sleeved tops from your long-sleeved tops. Guys take dress shirts, casual shirts and shirts that might work as either and separate them. Take a look at your casual dress jackets and see what might fly for both work and play. By separating your clothes, rather than limiting yourself to seeing just one way to wear a suit, your wardrobe will come alive with new ideas. Plus, taking an hour or so to sort out your existing wardrobe may introduce you to some items that you’ve forgotten about or just plain got lost in the shuffle.

WARDROBE TIP #2

Categorize. The next step is to categorize your wardrobe. Once you have your wardrobe broken down into a section for jackets, skirts, pants, and shirts. Now it’s time to categories by color and fabric type. Place all of your similar colors beside each other, then further separate by fabric type. This will enable you to quickly select what colors and fabrics will work well to mix and match with one another. Guys, color and fabric are important to you as well. Darker colors for evening, lighter for daytime is a good rule of thumb to follow. Fabrics that are heavier like wools and wool blends will keep you warmer on brisk nights while lighter weight fabrics like jerseys, linens, and cottons will keep you cool and comfortable. Keeping things in order makes getting going in the morning much less of a hassle.

WARDROBE TIP #3

Shop. Now its time to shop. The days of buying that article of clothing that just sits in your closet because you have nothing to wear it with, are gone. Take a good look at your wardrobe, make a list if necessary, and write down the basics that your wardrobe is missing. Perhaps you need to add some neutral colors, such as basic beige, black or navy, skirts or pants. You will find that solid colors will go with almost anything. Perhaps you may find that you have to many prints and need more solid colors in your wardrobe or visa versa. Whatever the case may be, by the time you add those few missing items, your wardrobe will be on the way to providing you with an endless selection of mix-and-match options.

WARDROBE TIP #4

Accessorize. Adding accessories, such as a scarf or tie, jewelry or belt, can change the overall appearance of an outfit. For example, as you will see in the photographs of our model, Katrina, the addition of a silk scarf, changed the look of her outfits significantly. In fact, in one of the photographs we actually used the silk scarf as a blouse, featured under a silk vest. With so many fun accessories available today, and so many creative ways to wear them, now is the time to update your personal collection.

If you’re feeling tired with your present wardrobe and a closet overhaul is needed, the time to take action is now. One thing’s for sure, by following the fashion tips provided you will never have to wear the exact same outfit twice.