GET (PEOPLE) SMART

EARRINGS

These pretty, featherweight finds have all-day, every-day appeal.

1BLANCA MONROS GOMEZ

gold-and-diamond earrings, $565, blancamonros gomez.com.

2SUZ SOMERSALL

gold-vermeil earrings, $200, suzsomersall.com.

3CYNTHIA

RYBAKOFF goldplated studs, $58, cynthia rybakoff.com.

4ADINA REYTER

earrings of sterling silver and diamonds, $198, adinadesign.com.

5CC SKYE

gold-plated earrings with crystals, $78, amazon.com.

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“A white shirt is always perfect for any occasion. It makes women look seductive and snappy. But it must be crisp.”

—CAROLINA HERRERA, fashion designer

Thomas Pink blouse. Citizens of Humanity Vintage Collection jeans. Cynthia Rybakoff studs.

For buying information for the clothes and accessories featured on these pages, see Credits (last pages).

THE BEST FASHION ADVICE OF ALL TIME

Pale pink, leopard print, the right bra, a little skin. Fashion-industry insiders share their best wisdom on the elements of great style.

Written by

Ingela Ratledge

Photographs by

Jessica Antola

let’s

face it: Some fashion axioms are so well-worn, they’re practically branded into our brains. But applying them to everyday life—when you’re, say, trying to pick a dress from an endless sea of search results, or running 20 minutes late and staring down the barrel of a hostile closet? Well, that can be a little tricky. Real Simple consulted a panel of experts—top designers, style consultants, and retail pros—to demystify the act (art?) of getting dressed, once and for all.

fashion

White shirt 101

Hands-on how-to’s from Florence Thomas, the creative director for Thomas Pink.

• Opt for a pure white, rather than ivory, which may skew dingy. But since white has the potential to make your teeth look yellow in comparison, consider wearing a bold lipstick with a blue undertone, like fuchsia, so teeth appear brighter. •Not sure which cut is best for you? A button-up with darting at the waist or curved princess seams can create a feminine hourglass shape on anyone. •Key factors of an impeccable fit: Be sure the seams of the shoulders line up with your shoulders and that there is no pulling across the front or the back. Anything else can be tailored. •To keep all-cotton shirts from discoloring, don’t dry-clean them. Have them laundered and pressed, the same as men’s shirts.

FASHION ADVICE

“BALANCE PROPORTIONS.”

HOW TO ACTUALLY DO IT: As the old song goes, “You’ve got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative.” Obviously, you want to show off what you’re proud of—toned arms or a slim waist. It’s the downplaying of less beloved parts that’s tricky. One tactic? Add opposite volume, like wearing wide-leg trousers to offset a heavier upper half that’s wearing something fitted. “The object is to even yourself out,” explains designer Nicole Miller. “So avoid anything too oversize or you’ll look bigger.” Another idea: Distraction. If you’re pear shaped, wear forgettable black pants, then bring the focus upward with a bold scarf, says Louise Roe, the author of the style-advice book Front Roe.

FASHION ADVICE

“WEAR TRENDS IN AN

AGE-APPROPRIATE WAY.”

HOW TO ACTUALLY DO IT: Odds are, there’s a grown-up version of the style du jour. Take crops tops: To avoid revealing skin, pair a shirt that hits at the navel with a highwaisted skirt—or a longer top with a crop top over it. “It gives you a similar look,” promises designer Rebecca Minkoff. Bottom line: “You never want to seem like you’re uncomfortable with your age and trying to look younger,” says Lilliana Vazquez, a style expert and the editor of TheLVGuide.com.

“Every woman looks good in pale pink. To find the right one for you, try on different shades the same way you would shop for blush at the makeup counter.”

—BETTY HALBREICH, personal shopper at New York City’s Bergdorf Goodman since 1976

Autumn Cashmere sweater. Suz Somersall studs.

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fashion

FASHION ADVICE

“THE RIGHT BRA MAKES YOU LOOK SLIMMER.”

HOW TO ACTUALLY DO IT: “Where your breasts sit on your chest makes a big difference in how clothes fit,” says Vazquez. In other words, if you’re wearing a bra that fits properly, there will be no sagging or bulging—and that means your silhouette will look trimmer and neater from every angle. The target is midway between your elbows and shoulders, so the bust doesn’t blend into the stomach. You’ve scored a match when “the front center panel of the bra lays flat, there’s no wrinkling or gapping in the cups, and the bra is not hiking up or creating bulges,” says Kristen Supulski, the director of merchandising for Vanity Fair Brands lingerie. “If you can squeeze just two fingers under the band and it still feels snug, that’s the perfect fit.” Finding it may require kissing a few frogs: Sizing varies among brands (particularly between European and American labels), so not all 36C’s are created equal. Supulski advises getting professionally measured once a year or so. Before you balk at the nuisance, keep in mind that an estimated 80 percent of women are wearing the wrong size, due to everything from changes in weight and fluctuations in hormones to, well, gravity.

FASHION ADVICE

“DON’T BE TOO

MATCHY-MATCHY.”

HOW TO ACTUALLY DO IT: Strive to wear colors that enhance one another rather than “match” in the traditional sense. What’s the difference? Perfectly coordinated pieces can make an outfit look flat and predictable. Picture a gray dress with gray or black pumps— acceptable, but not exactly interesting. When done right, not matching creates an ensemble

“Smaller patterns are better at hiding lumps and bumps than large prints and solids.”

—LOUISE ROE, fashion writer

Zara top. Banana Republic pants. & Other Stories earrings.

“When you bring in multiple items at once for tailoring, it puts you in a position to negotiate. It’s reasonable to request 10 to 15 percent off the total bill.”

—LILLIANA VAZQUEZ, style expert

Mix prints—without looking like a seven-year-old

Doubling up on patterns can help you come across as confident and chic—or as if you got dressed in the dark. Achieve the former by following these guidelines.

•Stick to a similar color family—and preferably the same background shade. •Some pairings are like

PB & J—they just work. “Polka dots with stripes or florals typically go well together,” says Rebecca

Minkoff. The same holds for leopard print with a noncritter pattern or paisley with squares or checks. •Near matches are a no-no.

For example, says Lilliana

Vazquez, houndstooth and plaid are too similar to be simpatico. And two largescale prints will compete for dominance—and give people a headache. •Finish off the outfit with neutral accessories.

Cautions Louise Roe: “Don’t add another color into the mix.”