r u l y

I have this little daughter “Lola.”

She is small and very funny.

One year, we decided to make a Halloween costume.

We needed:

and ended up with:

Lola!

Then we took

and created . . .

Charlie!

Next we found

and made

to create

Sizzles!

But no story would be complete without an imaginary friend.

For this, we need:

Our Lola has an invisible, beautiful fairy who is her best friend . . .

Lauren Sorenson!

*If you are a Lauren Child fan, you absolutely get this. If you don’t, you must read, “I Will Not Ever, Never, Eat a Tomato.” Immediately. (Or check out the Charlie and Lola website.)

Thank you, Lauren Child! We love Lola who embodies all the imaginative exuberance of our girls and Charlie’s kind rationality trying to guide her in the right direction. We admire your deceptively simple, and extremely stylized art. Charlie and Lola will be the remembered classic books of my children’s childhood. Forever.

Happy Halloween!

My Halloween outfit impulse buys this year.

In the spirit of discussing closet minimalism this month, I have had to confront my Halloween clothing issues. You see, each October, in addition to buying/making Halloween costumes, there is always this wonderful supply of inexpensive black and orange or purple and black Halloween clothing for sale. “Oh, that’s so cute!” I exclaim and start tossing things into my shopping cart.

So, my kids end up with 2 “costumes”: a Halloween costume as well as a black and orange “Halloween outfit” that gets worn to fall festivals and other October events.

When I had just one child, the Halloween oufit purchase was no big deal. I would pick up a pumpkin shirt and be done. With two kids, I could sometimes recycle the prior year’s shirt to my younger daughter and buy just one new shirt for my older daughter. With three kids, where my daughters are getting older and wiser to the fact that it is fun to buy new (or match each other) and now a child of a different gender who can’t always wear what his sisters wore, the situation is getting out of control!

Is this Halloween outfit buying really necessary? Probably not. But it is hard to resist cute “pumpkin patch” shots like these:

We are not talking about a huge amount of money (about $30 for everything) but when you are trying to live with less stuff, the Halloween outfits are something I need to think about. These outfits are a particular extravagance in the clothing department since they are worn only a few times and usually can’t be worn after October–except perhaps as pajamas. Fortunately, I don’t suffer from the problem of buying a special outfit for every holiday season (Christmas/Santa outfits, Valentine’s, Easter, etc.), but I do seem to have a weakness for red, white and blue outfits for the 4th of July (which are also wearable the rest of the summer) and the black and orange Halloween outfits.

We can probably squeeze out another year’s wearing of this year’s outfits for the girls (plus I would love to see those hilarious black and orange striped legs again) and we will see if we have a gender neutral hand-me-down for next year for my son.

Where do you stand on holiday outfit shopping? Which holidays tempt you with outfit shopping? Are you a disciplined minimalist or do you adopt a “they’re only young once!” mindset and splurge when you feel like it? Please share in the comments.

All this month, we have been trying to identify the items in our closets that never seem to go out of style or that we simply enjoy wearing year after year.  While the clothes may not be that exciting they probably form the bulk of what is in most people’s closets.  But what if you want to look fresh and trendy?  What could you add in to your wardrobe from this year’s fashion collections?

For this fall’s guide, we look to Vogue first, who says that some of the major trends for fall include “winter lace,” “the long green dress,” “graphic prints,” bright color block designs and even a “utility” trend which includes “refined, smartly tailored updates on the sweatsuit.”

But, the real question is what does Ruly Ruth think about these trends?  Read on for her analysis.

Winter Lace

BCBGMAXAZRIA Women's Fae Boat Neck Lace Top at amazon.com.

Lace for winter? Vogue says yes. You might need to wear a jacket over these chilly pieces but they certainly add a lot of unexpected style and glamour to a cold winter day.  Ruly Ruth says: I LOVE THIS TOP! Needs a camisole under it for sure—looks great!! Can be worn everywhere–from casual day at work to playgroups to night out. I’m such an all- or mostly cotton gal I want to know if this is “itchy” on though!!

Graphic prints

Missoni for Target Sweater Skirt at amazon.com.	The sell-out trend this fall has been the Missoni for Target collection.  Ruly Ruth says: I totally get this zig-zag print is hot! I hate the skirt–too casual and not a place to accent for most people with a bright pattern—could use the hoodie as a one-off piece and not worn too often–same with the shoes. They’re definitely memorable–but not for every day! They would get tiresome quickly.
Missoni for Target Tunic Hoodie at amazon.com.	Women's Missoni for Target® Zig-Zag Ballet Shoe Flats at amazon.com.

Shimmer fabrics

bebe Dolman Sleeve Lurex Sweater Dress at amazon.com.

Glimmers of silver and gold are hot for fall. One particularly striking trend is a variation of this summer’s head-to-toe nude look where you wear a khaki or beige pant with a gold shimmery top.  Ruly Ruth says: I used to wear almost this exact dress in the late ’80s! Glad it’s back–the skinnier you are the beter it looks–back then I was 112 pounds and 5’8″–it popped! For skinny people…sorry to say! (which is NOT me right now) I don’t think even regular-sized people should wear a shimmer dress or fabrics….for models only.     If it were a wrap–like I like a touch of shimmer in regular fabrics–that would be more wearable for everyone!

Bright Colorblock Combinations

Vivace Crystal Chain Removable White Bib Racer Back Top Aqua at amazon.com.

Fila Women's Pleated Supplex Jacket at amazon.com.

The bright look, echoing the 1980′s, is still a trending look–layering on colors of hot pink, bright blue, etc.  Ruly Ruth says: I love the concept–not really thrilled about any of these specific offerings. I think with black bottoms it would be easier to translate for all body types.A longer hoodie in a bright color over a cute basic white or black t-shirt or tank top would be an easier way to rock this!

Utility Jacket

Vince Camuto Women's Utility Jacket at amazon.com.

The utility jacket, which appears to be a jacket with cargo pockets on the outside, is a trend for fall.  Ruly Ruth says: We should all buy this! I’d like mine in a darker tan or even black—but I love this jacket concept–it’s asymetrical–chunky–love it!! Everyone could wear this.

Chic Sweatsuits

Diesel Women's Fohpa Snap Front Sweatshirt at amazon.com.	The most surprising trend this fall is the tailored sweatsuit look where humble sweatpants and sweatshirts take a designer turn.  Ruly Ruth says: This is part of the trend I go with the pajama jeans—UGH!! I think the bad economy is making us use inexpensive fabrics in very fashionable ways. I’m sure they’re soft and comfy and have great cuts—but I prefer my sweat materials to be in super cute sweat-type exercise styles…not high-fashion. Done with this–wouldn’t buy any of it!! And by the way–the black jacket in sweat material will most likely not wash and dry and wear well for long! Those snaps will eat it up!!
David Lerner Women's Cassie Cardigan Sweatshirt at amazon.com.	David Lerner Women's Rollup Cargo Sweatpants at amazon.com.

Long green dress

PacificPlex Strapless Taffeta Beaded Formal Gown at amazon.com.

For formal occasions, the trend for winter is a long, dress billowing in green silk or taffeta fabric.  Ruly Ruth says: THIS IS GORGEOUS! And it would look so great on so many body types—LOVE IT!!!  Great find!! And the price is so right–hoping this will be for some proms this year—esp. with a beautiful bolero wrap!

The 1970′s

Another trend that Vogue did not focus too heavily on but that we are hearing a lot about in the general media is the 1970′s trend. Specifically, high-waisted bell-bottom pants with skinny belts, tie blouses, maxi dresses, middle parts, big disco hair and braids. (The most beautiful braids I have seen recently have been at the blog of designer Gina Michele who also gives excellent instructions.)

HALSTON HERITAGE Women's Removable Tie Blouse at amazon.com.

Ruly Ruth says: High waisted pants are only good on women with flat or skinny stomachs. Their wearability is very limited in that way. When you do have the body type for that–they look amazing and polished and elegant. The tie blouse is a classic–it reminds me of the late 50s and 60s but this pattern of polkadots reminds me of the 70s. I think it’s gorgeous and it’s gorgeous on everyone!!

Ruly Ruth’s Fall Fashion Picks

What does Ruly Ruth want in her closet?

2b by bebe 2b Faux Fur Collar Cardigan at amazon.com.	I would love this!! I think it’s a staple piece, it’s casual–but classy enough to be worn to a casual office–I love it!
BB Dakota BB Dakota The Garrett Faux Fur Vest in Light Camel Beige at amazon.com.	LOVE this too! Vests are hot and perfect for those in-between temps–esp. with gorgeous turtlenecks underneath.
Coral Bay Misses Coral Bay Solid Long Sleeve Turtleneck Top at amazon.com.	I think this is a stealing price for an all-cotton turtleneck! (I love black!)
Columbia Women Greenway T IV Turtleneck at amazon.com.	or this one in gray.
Things2Die4 Camouflage Studded Rhinestone Buckle Purse at amazon.com.	Camo’s HOT right now–just look at the Camo-print diapers Huggies now has! This bag is fabulous–love the blinged-out camo print!
Calvin Klein Women's Knit Maxi Skirt at amazon.com.	Maxi skirts are STILL haute….already own one–should probably wear it more–but it is fabulous!!

Overall, I have to say, the fall collection is extremely wearable. There are very few pieces that aren’t wearable right off the runway–and that is extremely unusual in my book!

-Ruly Ruth

P.S. on 2010 Trends

In the spirit of streamlining your closet . . . reflecting back on last fall’s fashion trends, which ones have held up over time?

The leopard print booties, the feathered items, and the Halloween colored makeup may look a little dated this year. The boot cut pants are right on trend and the other items aren’t really in or out. Some, like the capes and simple, streamlined pieces, might be tucked away for future when these trends inevitably come back around.

What do you think of Fall 2011 fashion trends? Which ones will you be wearing this year? Please share in the comments.

Fashion is about taking risks and combining new elements.  Sometimes you will find clothes that express your vision straight off the store rack and other times you have to make your own.  For the past year or so, I have been so inspired by all the DIY sewing projects I have seen on various blogs where you work without a pattern and just create as you go.   It has opened up a new realm of creativity for me.  While I still like sewing with patterns, free sewing has helped me learn to see new possibilities in materials and experiment as a designer.

I am hardly the first blogger to be inspired to refashion a cast-off man’s dress shirt.  There is something irresistible about sewing with this material.  Perhaps it has to do with the handsome man who used to wear the shirts.  Perhaps it is the high quality material the shirts are made of.

Whatever the reason, I recently found myself in need of some new formal dresses for my little girls and as a creative challenge, decided to see what I could come up with using their dad’s old dress shirts.

First, I knew that I would need to girl-up the shirts since the patterns were overwhelmingly masculine.  So, with my daughter’s assistance (who is a budding fashionista), we paired the first shirt with lace.

and the second shirt with pink and purple ribbons.

I tried to cut the shirts apart in ways that minimized the amount of sewing necessary.  In general the fabric was quite nice to work with although one of the shirts was made of a very thick material that bent quite a few needles and pins.  I used elastic to reduce the shirts to little girl size and create feminine gathers.  The lace and ribbons were essential to finish the transformation.

What I love the most about these shirtdresses is that it gives our girls a little “hug” from Dad.  This would be a great project to do for Father’s Day, to honor a special man in your life or to repurpose an heirloom.

Have you done any wardrobe refashioning/recycling?  Please share in the comments.

Every once in a while we all have to learn something the hard way—by making a million mistakes and suffering a big fail—but in the process gaining invaluable insight. For me, this fall’s learning experience has been the “fall festival bake sale.” It has taught me lessons not only about bake sales but about work, committees and life in general.

If you are a woman, if you have children in school, or if you are involved with a charity that needs to raise money from time to time, you are at increased risk of being asked to participate in a bake sale. Now, if you are an excellent cook, you may rub your hands with excitement at the prospect or perhaps hang your head in grief knowing exactly how much effort this will require. If, like me, you are not much of a cook, the bake sale causes confusion along with a grand but unrealistic plan.

To make a long story short, my “simple” and “easy” project turned into a ridiculously lengthy project that turned out “cute” but not necessarily successful. It might be a keeper of an idea for my limited cooking ability but it definitely needs some refinement in the execution.

The original plan:

Last year’s festival offered lots of small, individually wrapped treats that sold for about $1 each. I remember moms last year bringing in lots of elegantly wrapped candy apples and the like. My plan was to take this “Monster Paws” idea from Family Fun but make it even easier (and healthy to boot) by using plain popcorn and raisins. No real cooking, just cute packaging. Cater to the health or weight-conscious crowd. Easy. Done.

The reality.

Discover that popcorn will be offered for free at the fall festival so I need to use something else. Discover that the ingredients for trail mix (yogurt-covered almonds, pumpkin seeds, etc.) are not cheap (go heavy on the less expensive organic banana chips). Discover that washing and drying disposable plastic gloves as recommended in the project instructions, is a lot more difficult than it sounds and that the drying process could take days. Discover that people have varying opinions about whether disposable plastic gloves are safe to use with food. Discover that the gloves I had were not the clear plastic type in the picture and looked unappetizing when filled with food. Discover that trying to sew your own gloves out of two layers of plastic wrap does not work. Discover that sewing one layer of plastic wrap to a sheet of paper to create gloves works but takes time. Discover that, once sewn, stuffing food down the fingertips of the “gloves” is difficult and takes time. Discover that plastic wrap breaks more easily than you imagine. Discover that this project was neither quick nor easy.

The bright side of this whole experience, however, was that it provided a good reminder of how to handle an unfamiliar situation. With lots of baking experiences ahead for me this holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas cookie exchange, etc.), I hope to use these lessons to improve my cooking and reduce my stress level.

5 Tips for Organizing Yourself in an Unfamiliar Situation (and Bake Sale!)

1) Ask the organizer to clarify the end goals of the project. In my case, it turned out that the organizers were intending to offer a variety of items and prices, from individual treats to more expensive whole pies and big plates of cookies and cupcakes. There was no need to organize my project around the most time consuming option–individually wrapped treats.

2) Clarify exactly what you are expected to do (and not do). The bake sale organizers were willing to wrap up the final products for you and seemed to prefer this so that they could maximize revenue from the sale by grouping items into more expensive sets, coordinate all the packaging to present a unified bake shop and improve the appearance of the less-well-made treats. Now, it would have been enormously helpful if this information was specified on the initial request for baked goods, but I can see how it might be difficult to word some of this on the general notice that was also going to prospective bake sale buyers.

3) Estimate your time commitment to participate and budget your time appropriately. For some reason, it never occurred to me to do a simple calculation like the following:

Minutes per treat * Quantity needed = Total time commitment

For example, if you were intending to do an elaborate decorated cookie or cupcake that would take say “just 5 minutes” per item to decorate and package and you wanted to provide 2 dozen of these, you are looking at 2 hours. Add in shopping time, baking time, interruptions due to other responsibilities, etc. and this could easily escalate to 4 or 5 hours. If you are an experienced cook, you already know this. If you are still learning, it is best to double all of your time estimates to be safe.

4) Estimate your expenses and shop early. Had I started earlier on this project, I could have shopped online and bought in bulk for my pricey trail mix ingredients. I might have also been able to find food safe gloves.

5) Do a quick test run or sample–especially if you are running behind on time. Since, in my mind, I assumed this was a super-easy project, I did not test it ahead of time. Had I taken a second just to wash and dry one of the gloves right when I decided on this project, I might have changed my mind and pursued a different packaging option. As I was working, I wasted a lot of time sewing bad prototypes instead of stopping periodically to test to make sure I was still on track. Any time you see a cute, “easy” project whether on Family Fun, Martha Stewart or someone’s blog, assume that there could have been a lot of false starts and a lot of work to create the finished product.

With regard to this bake sale specifically, here are the takeaways I should remember:

1) Contribute something flexible. Make something that can be sold individually or grouped. Cookies or cupcakes are natural candidates.

2) Don’t spend time on packaging that can’t be changed easily by someone else. Time and time again when I am participating in group situations, I find that the issues people care the very most about are issues of appearance. There is always someone who wants to dictate the final appearance. If you are not the person in charge, assume your packaging will be changed in some way.

3) Whenever possible, emphasize unique, high quality goods. The organizer of this bake sale seems to be subtly pushing people to up their cooking skills. They offered prizes for the best contributions, for example (which went to a chocolate ganache cake made by someone’s grandma and cupcakes made by a mom who is also a professional baker). Despite this, there were numerous contributions that appeared to be Pillsbury slice and bake cookies or cake mix cupcakes. Realistically, moms of school-age children may not be the prime candidates to make elaborate baked goods, particularly since they are short on time and their children may not eat them anyway. Nonetheless, there might be easy alternatives for the non-cooks among us. I could up the wow factor in my trail mix, for example by adding some unusual ingredients or flavors.

What are your bake sale tips? How would you improve on my trail mix idea? Do you see any lessons from the bake sale that translate into other areas of your life? Please share in the comments.

P.S.  In the spirit of planning ahead for Thanksgiving, you may be interested in Apartment Therapy’s 20/20 home cure – 20 days, 20 minutes per day to change your home.

"Fashion Fwd2011-89." Photo by Uptown Saint John. From the Flickr Creative Commons.

One of the biggest hurdles to dressing well is having enough money to afford the latest looks or the highest quality clothes.  Recently, two fashionable women weighed in in the issue of money and fashion, with answers you may not expect.

First, my favorite financial adviser, Suze Orman, talked about the issue on her show.  While the clip was primarily about whether women should be allotted more money in the family budget to take care of their appearance, Suze also weighs in with some fashion advice!

While I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that Suze has a frugal approach to her clothes as she does with all things money-related, I was surprised.  I assumed that anyone in such a public role would require an enormous expenditure on clothes.  Now, I am certain Suze’s clothing expenses still dwarf all of ours, but it was interesting to know that even a celebrity can live on a clothing budget.

Second, one of my favorite fashion bloggers, Maegan Tintari, wrote a recent post on her blog . . . loveMaegan about how she spends money on clothes.  Maegan, who has the good fortune of looking like a beautiful, human Barbie-doll, posts photos of her outfits several times a week, if not daily.  While she achieves so many different looks, often she is recycling the same wardrobe pieces all the time.  She also adds in these really clever, simple, but very cool DIY projects that adopt high fashion runway looks for pennies.  Yet, in the post that was so interesting to me, she reveals that she is not necessarily about budget fashion and that she does spend a lot of money when she wants to and that she is picky about certain items.

Clothes are one area we try to save money on in our household budget.  When you are dressing children who are constantly changing sizes, you have a lot of clothes to buy–not to mention accessories like shoes, boots, pajamas and coats.  We haven’t had a lot of luck thrift store shopping but we do patronize a lot of discount stores, browse clearance racks, buy online, request clothes as gifts for birthdays and holidays, share hand-me-downs with younger siblings and sometimes I sew or knit things as well.  We also try to buy classic things in the off season sales to wear the following year.  I don’t have a set pattern for what I splurge on.  It’s more of an “I’ll know it when I see it” sort of test.

Where do you stand on fashion and money?  What items are you willing to spend a lot on and where do you try to save money?  Do you save elsewhere to splurge on fashion instead?  Please share in the comments.

So sad to hear via FabFitFun that Giuliana Rancic was recently diagnosed with breast cancer! With October being breast cancer awareness month, her timing, unfortunately, is perfect. Giuliana has been so open in sharing her incredibly personal and painful infertility struggle with the world while remaining so positive and uplifting.

Here she is revealing the news on the Today show.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

What a beautiful person to take one hardship after the next and make the best of it with an eye toward how her struggle can benefit others! I can’t believe she is being so open about her diagnosis and I was moved when she said that the best thing women can do for her right now is to look after their own health and avoid cancer themselves.

Best wishes, Giuliana! Beat this cancer! We are pulling for you!

In the last post, I shared with you the staples of my husband’s professional wardrobe. His style is also simple and classic for his casual clothes. Like every wife, I interfere with his wardrobe choices every once in a while but for the most part he does his own shopping and sticks to choices that are comfortable but not frumpy.

Men’s fashion generally changes at a glacial pace.  The classic men’s fall casual wardrobe is very easy to assemble and consists of just 2 types of pants and 3 types of shirts.

Pants

Unionbay Men's Cotton Twill Survivor Cargo Pant at amazon.com.

Calvin Klein Mens Relaxed Straight Jean at amazon.com.

The only pants in my husband’s fall casual wardrobe are cargo pants (khaki-style pants but with a huge pocket on the side) and straight leg jeans. While the cargo pants look a lot like his work pants, he goes a bit more wild with the color selection (olive green . . . Gasp! or dark brown for example).

Shirts

The three types of shirts my husband wears with his cargo pants and jeans are: long-sleeved T’s, plaid shirts and polos. All of these shirts have the advantage of making the wearer look very warm and huggable.

Champion Men's Long Sleeve Tee at amazon.com.	Plain is OK in a long-sleeved tee but even better is a printed shirt that expresses some personality. This is a great item to pick up as a souvenir at your favorite vacation spot or receive as a gift for the holidays. My husband tends to have “geek shirts” (with references to computers) or motorcycle shirts. Other common choices are sports shirts, shirts with quotations, or art and photography shirts.
Carhartt Men's Midweight Flannel Shirt at amazon.com.	The button-down plaid shirt has been a staple of the men’s fall/winter wardrobe forever. My husband still sticks to his standard work color scheme when choosing his plaids (black, brown, grey, navy, brick red, burgundy, forest green, etc.) and when you stick to these colors you generally can’t go wrong. There are some very interesting plaids out there with primary or pastel colors but you need a good fashion sense to know whether these will work for you.
Nautica Men's Long Sleeve Pieced Button Up at amazon.com.	The long sleeved polo/rugby shirt is another staple. The best ones have colorblock patterns in primary colors or have a plain background with small stripes in a contrasting color. These are the shirts my sisters and I shamelessly stole from my dad’s closet during our teenage years. (I am not sure if he ever got to wear them himself. Thanks for sharing, Dad!) There are a lot of these polos out now with embroidered logos and other “stuff” printed over the stripes. These are not as classic but I’m sure the right person could carry them off. For most people, the plain stripes are the best choice.

Shoes

Dr. Martens Men's Saxon Boot at amazon.com.

For my husband, Dr. Martens boots are the classic fall/winter footwear choice. They look rugged and go well with both the jeans and the cargo pants. It has been funny to see over time how Dr. Martens boots are a signature style and people who love them bond instantly. A few years ago on a job interview, my husband was told, “I didn’t have much time to spend with you but you wear Doc Martens so I know you would fit in just fine.”

That’s it! Seriously. It’s just that simple. You may be thinking that I must have left something out.

Let’s see . . .

Fall/Winter Dress Clothes

See professional wardrobe. The clothes and shoes are exactly the same.

Sweaters

Columbia Men's Bridge Avenue Crew Neck Sweater at amazon.com.

Sadly, my husband’s fall/winter wardrobe lacks sweaters. He doesn’t like wearing them and says they are too hot (despite my desperate attempts to get him to wear them). A man in a sweater is extremely handsome and I think I would say that even if I wasn’t a knitter. In my humble opinion, every man should own at least one classic sweater or sweater vest.

My trendy pick for fall

Mens Volcom Cavity L/S Thermal at amazon.com.

This is probably not even a new trend but for my husband’s closet this will be a revolutionary change. I have seen so many cute thermal shirts (the same waffle-weave material they make long underwear out of but thicker and designed to be worn as outerwear) for men this fall. I picked up one for my husband to try (round neck with simple stripes) and to my great surprise, he didn’t hate it! We’ll see if this trend sticks around to join the other time-tested classic pieces.

My son in his grey thermal shirt.

Men, what are your fall casual wardrobe staples? What trends are you wearing this fall? Women, what are you buying for the men in your life? Please share in the comments.

Men’s fashion operates on completely different rules than women’s fashion.  I am not sure I understand them completely and I have had to learn how to shop for my husband through a considerable amount of trial and error.

My husband is not really interested in fashion but his personal sense of style aligns perfectly with all the general advice you hear about dressing for the workplace.  What better person to advise us on closet staples for men!

My husband did not want to participate and claims he is not an expert in this area at all.  However, here are a few things I was able to drag out of him.

First, my husband has a built-in set of rules about what he will and will not wear.  Three of the rules I have learned over time are:

1)      It’s all about the small details. Men like my husband are very tuned into very small changes when it comes to clothes.  If my husband picks out a shirt, for example, I will say, “It’s nice but don’t you have one just like that?” He will then point out to me how some very small detail like the shade of color, the thread used in the stitching, whether it has a pocket or not, or some very small difference in the styling, makes it a completely different shirt.  I run afoul of this rule all the time when I pick something that, to my eye, looks almost identical to what he owns and likes and he will point out the difference and explain why he doesn’t like it.

2)      Brands matter. Once my husband latches on to a clothing brand he likes, he is a very devoted customer.  There are certain brands for certain things that my husband requires.  Even if another item of clothing looks identical, he won’t consider it if it is not the brand he wants.  Shoes are particularly brand driven.

3)      Technology is as important as fashion. My husband loves to have technology in his clothes.  He is often looking for clothes that are moisture-wicking, cushioning, or wrinkle-free, for example.

The professional man’s closet is a relatively simple set of items compared to the women’s closet.

A nice suit

Jos. A. Bank Signature 3-Button Jacket at amazon.com.

Every man needs at least one business suit, and most likely it needs to be dark grey or dark navy.  There is no denying that most men look their best in a formal suit.  There are few workplaces left where men wear a formal suit every day and generally suits are reserved for very important business occasions, such as meeting important clients (or clients that dress formally, such as those in legal, finance or the military) or making presentations to the public. My husband indicates a preference for a single breasted 2-piece suit with a 3-button jacket and flat front pants.  The bottom line here, however, is that you should choose a suit style that looks really good on you. A double-breasted jacket can have a slimming effect for some men and may be more appropriate.

Navy sportcoat

Ralph Lauren Mens Single Breasted 2 Button Navy Blue Wool Blazer Sport Coat Jacket at amazon.com.

A sportcoat is a great way to create a suit look when you have to meet with multiple clients on the same day who dress in a range of styles from informal to formal.  My husband prefers a navy sportcoat over khaki pants.

A Tie (or Two)

Geoffrey Beene Men's New Natte Tie at amazon.com.

I have been told by both my husband and numerous tie salespeople that I am terrible at picking out ties!  It is a good thing I don’t have to wear ties!  There is such a huge selection of clever ties and this is one area where a person could express some individuality.  It is really too bad that selecting a tie can be such a fashion minefield! I asked my husband for guidance and he said, “Don’t ask me . . . I hate ties!”  All I could get out of him is “No bow ties” and “No novelty prints . . . preferably solid color or stripes.” I hope someone will chime in on the comments and tell us how to pick out a classic tie.  All I can suggest is that you look at pictures of what high-powered politicians are wearing or ask a male salesperson for help in a good department store or menswear shop.  Many of the ties that we asked someone to pick for us in stores have tiny, repetitive prints but look primarily like a solid color from a distance. Unless your job requires wearing a tie every day, you can get away with as little as 1 or 2 ties.

The everyday outfit: dress pants and collared shirt

Collared shirts

Nautica Men's Solid Non Iron Dress Shirt at amazon.com.

You need at least one plain white collared dress shirt to wear with your suit.  My husband will never wear a plain white dress shirt without a jacket.  For shirts worn without a jacket, his “approved” colors are light blue, French blue, navy, black, brown, grey, burgundy, muted red, forest green, and olive green as well as stripes, plaids and checks in these same general colors.  He strongly prefers the no-iron variety since he does the bulk of the laundry in our house.

Nautica Men's Stripe Non Iron Dress Shirt with French Cuff at amazon.com.

Eddie Bauer Relaxed Fit Wrinkle Free Pinpoint Oxford Blues Pattern Shirt at amazon.com.

Undershirts

Calvin Klein Mens Body 3 Pack Slim Fit Short Sleeve Crew Neck Tee at amazon.com.

Beneath your collared shirt goes a round collar undershirt generally in a thick quality cotton.

Pants

Nautica Men's Sportswear True Khaki Flat Front Pant at amazon.com.	Until you buy a pair of men’s pants, you have no idea how many shades of khaki and tan there are!  Black, light tan and dark tan are the colors my husband says coordinate with the majority of his shirts.  He insists on flat front pants (no pleats) and prefers cuffed pants.  Again, no iron is his favorite.
Dockers Men's Signature Khaki D2 Straight Fit Flat Front Pant at amazon.com.	Dockers Men's Signature Khaki D1 Slim Fit Flat Front Pant at amazon.com.

Jewelry

Suunto X-Lander Wrist-Top Computer Watch with Altimeter, Barometer, Compass, and Chronograph at amazon.com.

The conservative look for the office is no jewelry except for a wedding ring and a watch.  While a lot of people have stopped wearing watches, finally here is one area where you can express a little personality!  A conservative looking watch that does something cool besides tell time is a great conversation piece.

Belt

Dockers Men's 30Mm Reversible Swivel Buckle Belt at amazon.com.

A simple brown or black belt that matches your shoes completes the standard outfit.  You could even be a true minimalist and get a reversible belt that is brown on one side and black on the other.

Socks and Shoes

Dockers Men's 3-Pack Performance Dress Flat Knit Socks Socks at amazon.com.	Black socks always.  A simple Oxford-style lace-up shoe in black or brown is always a classic look.  Keep them in good condition with no scuffs.  My husband likes the Ecco brand as he indicates they have some sort of cushioning in the shoe that makes them as comfortable as athletic shoes when you have to stand on your feet for long periods.
Ecco Men's Boston Plain Toe Oxford at amazon.com.	ECCO Men's Helsinki Lace-Up at amazon.com.

What would you add or subtract from this list?  What are your favorite menswear staples?  Please share in the comments.

Fall is just about to start here in Virginia. Within the next week or two we will enjoy the trees in their fall colors. The temperature has dropped and we have some chilly, rainy days. It’s definitely time to get the fall wardrobe ready!

Last week, I posted my wardrobe essentials for professional women and today I wanted to post my fall casual staples. These are not necessarily the Vogue-worthy pieces but rather the pieces that don’t seem to go out of style and I find myself turning to year after year. After much thought, I decided that my fall casual wardrobe basically revolves around 5 types of outfits.

I actually had to think a little harder about my casual selections than my professional ones, even though that is what I am wearing most often these days! At the moment, due to the recent birth of my son, I am between sizes– somewhere between maternity clothes and my regular size. So what I am truthfully currently wearing is the oh-so-attractive combination of maternity pants with a belt to hold them up!

But what would I like to be wearing?

The Steve Jobs Look – Jeans, turtleneck and boots. I probably wear this outfit the most often in fall and winter. My body freezes below about 70 degrees so I definitely need to cover up to stay warm. I like that this outfit can be either casual or semi-formal so it can adjust to the preschool run or dinner out with friends.

Eddie Bauer Basic Long-Sleeve Turtleneck at amazon.com.

Lucky Brand Women's Vale Easy Rider Five Pocket Jean at amazon.com.

Nine West Women's Magic Boot at amazon.com.

Leggings & Tunic – For more casual days, I like to wear leggings and a long tunic-style top, which can be anything from an oversized sweatshirt to a long sweater. I pair this combination with athletic shoes if I am headed for a workout or cute boots if I am not.

Woolrich Women's Laurel Wool-Blend Tunic at amazon.com.

SPANX Look-At-Me Cotton Legging (1064A) at amazon.com.

BEARPAW Women's Pasador II Fur Boot at amazon.com.

Skirt & Sweater – This is the outfit I keep hoping I will wear more often but it takes more energy to put on so I usually default to the previous two looks! It is also a great causal/dressy adaptable style. Comfortable sweaters are wonderful in fall and winter. At a minimum, I like to have one Aran-style (usually a neutral color like white, cream or beige, with cable patterns), one Nordic style (two-color patterned knitting) and a solid color in a plain style without any details. I would pair this outfit with either a fun clog or ankle boot.

MINKPINK Women's Argyle Crop Cardigan at amazon.com.

!iT Jeans Juniors Basic Knee Denim Skirt at amazon.com.

Capezio Women's Ultra Soft Footed Tight at amazon.com.

Dansko Women's Riki Clog at amazon.com.

Dansko Women's Bobbi Ankle Boot at amazon.com.

Pants and Sweater – This is a more formal outfit great for situations like Thanksgiving dinner or church services. I would pair this with heels, probably the same ones from my professional wardrobe.

Dale Of Norway Peace Ski Womens Sweater 2012 at amazon.com.

ESPRIT Women's Favorite Fit Straight Leg Pant at amazon.com.

Formal Dress

Ella moss Women's Daphne Long Sleeve Maxi Dress at amazon.com.

For formal occasions like a company holiday party, it is great to have a long sleeve long skirted dress that you can dress up or dress down as the situation warrants. If it is really cold outside, pair it with leather boots or otherwise a cute pair of heels.

Undergarments

Duofold Women's Mid-Weight Two-Layer Thermal #627A at amazon.com.

Duofold Women's Mid-Weight Two-Layer Ankle length pant Thermal #627B at amazon.com.

Last but not least, the staple for all of these garments when the weather gets REALLY cold….long underwear! If you are the kind of person who is always cold, long underwear is a must. I don’t tend to wear the bottoms very often unless I am going to be outside for a long period of time but the tops get worn all the time.

So now it is your turn!

Ruly Challenge: Think about your own fall casual wardrobe and see if you can recognize any outfit patterns that you wear all the time. Remember these patterns the next time you are organizing your closet or shopping. If an item of clothing is not something in your regular pattern, it might not be worn as often. Less worn clothes are prime targets for uncluttering efforts.  When shopping, you might not want to spend much money on something you don’t wear a lot.

What are your cold weather casual “uniforms”? Please share in the comments.