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Power Shopper: Spring Update
Belts, totes, flats and yellow!
by Anne Dukes
March 1, 2007
The good news about spring fashion in 2007 is that it doesn't require a complete overhaul of one's closet or breaking the bank. There are lots of options to try in the never ceasing updating quest.
Accessories are a sure way to lead a woman out of the dark days of winter and into the brighter days ahead. Colors will revitalize the more somber, neutral palettes of business looks, and the tease of using one thing (like a scarf) as something else (a blouse under a suit) can create a surprise way to transition from day to evening.
Three fashion experts contacted by Atlanta Woman agreed there's a lot to be excited about, and not all will require a bank loan.
In fact, many of Terry Jackson's clients are bankers. They come to her Buckhead boutique, “Just the Thing,” to jazz up their bankers' look, she says, especially as the season changes.
“They love patent leather for spring, and clutch handbags in all different colors of patent can travel to work in their briefcases, then be brought out to go to lunch or for cocktails,” says Jackson, who has stores in Columbia, S.C., and High Point, N.C., and who just opened a new store in Athens. “All it takes is a little bit of fashion to change your look,” she says.
Some of her clients have gone the daring route of tying colorful scarves into halter tops and wearing them under suits. The transition to evening then just requires removing the jacket, donning a soft pashima or shawl for a dramatic look, especially under the popular navy suit, delicate tops in bright colors such as turquoise, pinks and greens really pop; under the workhorse black suit, she adds.
Such out-of-the-box thinking is key in today's fashion looks, says Jackson. “Matching shoes to handbags is over, so don't worry about that. We have to shift our paradigms of thinking what is correct … just because women are in business doesn't mean they have to stay in little boxes.”
Another way to make a fashion statement, but which is also business friendly, is the file tote – a perfect alternative to a briefcase. “These can hold everything you need to work, even a notebook or laptop, but they are fun because they come in bright colors like blue and green and pink and in textures such as faux moc croc, lizard or python,” she says. “We even have a black lace file tote.” – a look that's sure to stir some interest in the boardroom.
Jewelry this spring is more tailored and less showy, she says, with a brushed Brazilian gold chain adorned with a colored stone as a way to fill in a neckline. Although popular, she says Bangles are too clunky and noisy for the office, so women are dressing up their hands with fashion rings in big stones or pearls – with the third finger rings for the right hand one of the looks.
Gregg Andrews, a fashion director for Nordstrom's, says that while the pantsuit is returning as one of the working woman's best friends, the silhouette tends to have a shorter jacket that ends at the hip bone and features only one or two buttons. Pants tend to be very narrow now, and the colors tend to run to neutrals, like white, beige and navy. With these neutrals, women can feel free to juxtapose bright blouses in colors as extreme as yellow, fushia and cobalt blue, he says.
“Women are jazzing up these looks in other ways besides colors as well,” Andrews says. Shoes and handbags also make fashion statements. “The tote is part of a trend toward oversized handbags – and they make perfect sense for a working woman who might like something a little less masculine than a brief case. White is a good spring color in a tote, and Andrews also likes one that is made of canvas with a leather trim for a little more fashion forward taste.
The spring shoes that have taken center stage are flats, he says. The ballet slippers in soft supple leather may work in some environments or the skimmer with a pointed toe and more elongated look might fit in a more traditional workplace.
Andrews shrugged off the notion that fashion for Atlanta working women tends to lag behind the national trends and runway looks. “It depends on what kind of jobs women have and where they live…I would say that if you're an art director in Atlanta, Boston or San Francisco, you might tend toward the same type of fashion trends. It's more about the individual,” he says.
He also cites jewelry as an obvious way to update a look. “There is now a trend in jewelry towards links; either oversized or elongated – either a single piece or several strands together – they give a very professional look. There are also a lot of interesting looks in gold, and plastic-type materials in oversized shiny black necklaces and bracelets are good for spring,” he explains.
Andrews also emphasizes that wide belts – about 1 to 2-inch wide – offer a great way to add to a work wardrobe. “If you put a belt on top of a jacket in a contrasting color, you get a whole new look, but you must be careful to pair belts in proportion to the jacket and your figure,” he says, adding that this look works well even for women who are not model-thin. “Women are in such great shape today, and using a belt to bring attention to your waist gives you a nicely drawn figure,” he says.
Bloomingdale's and Macy's also herald the popularity of bright colors for spring – once again, worn against the backdrop of a neutral jacket and pant. At Neiman Marcus, public relations manager Leigh Testa says that yellow is huge for early spring in hues from butter to lemon. As the year moves on, she says other important colors will be blues, like aqua and navy, then into summer with pinks, from light to berry to fushia.
All these colors will complement one of the spring/summer staples: the white linen pant. Neiman's has 29 different pant shapes from designers like Ellen Tracey, 148 New York and Lafayette. Shapes include the gaucho pant, cropped pants, straight or wide-legged. Navy is always good with white, she says.
Testa also recommends a wide belt to accent the waist. She even suggested a belt over a shirt that is not tucked in – either a delicate blouse or a crisp shirt and a jacket on top. She names Suzie Roher and Yves St. Laurent as two designers whose offerings will update well for spring. “ You've just got to make sure they sit comfortably on your body,” she says.
She likes the big shapes in bags and says that metallics and patents are the perfect fashion accessory, as they are functional as well. The advent of flat shoes is one of the huge current trends because they help offset the shorter hemlines. “But people wear them with narrow pants as well,” she adds.
Testa and Andrews agree that dresses do well in the business world for spring. “There are dresses in any style and shape and everybody needs a dress,” says Testa, adding that the wrap dress is still big and can be worn by day with a cropped jacket, then go into evening with a change of jewelry. “You just have to get a dress that works for your shape,” she says.
“We are seeing more dress options,” says Andrews. “Women like the ease of a dress because it's one piece, and there are tailored looks, like the shirt dress, which is very appropriate for the office – or the shift dress which is understated and can be the backdrop for dramatic accessorizing,” he says. Belts can add to the dress look as well.
So if you have to narrow your spring fashion shopping list to just a few things, you can't go wrong with color, patent, both big and clutch bags, wide belts, flat shoes and gold jewelry. So go ahead – charge!
