New York clothes help-I'm desperate!
 

Here's my story. I'm going to Montreal for the weekend with my husband's boss and wife. There's not much action on the Canadian board so I figure the clothes issue will be similar for Montreal as it would be for New York. I'm a stay at home mom and don't have a lot of dress up clothes. The plan is shopping for a day and a couple of dinners out - one casual and one more fancy. I'm desperate for help with what to wear (got to impress the boss's wife). I'm guessing you will tell me I can't wear a nice pair of navy khakis with a sweater and spring 3/4 jacket for shopping day? I know your sick of the clothing question but I really do need help!

Wear whatever you want shopping - wear what you feel comfortable in<BR><BR>As for dinner - black pants and a nice top always do the trick -<BR><BR>Don't stress about clothes

Stephanie:<BR>Go out & buy a good pair of black pants for the shopping day & casual dinner. (Bag the khakis & the spring jacket) Go through your closet & see if you can come up with at least one top for these pants. You could possibly wear a sweater for the shopping excursion. Get yourself a slightly sexy/cute one for the casual dinner. The same shoes will do for shopping & casual dinner - NO GYM SHOES!<BR>Now, you will need a skirt or dress for the fancier dinner - anything in your closet that will do? If not, get out the credit card, honey, you will need to shop.<BR>Also, do you have any jacket/coat that will do? It will be chilly at night.<BR>

Hi stephanie,<BR>We go to Montreal all the time, and live in NYC. The dress is very much the same. It will be a little too cool to wear khakis and a spring anything!, I would recommend cotton turtlenecks, and corduroys or casual pants for days, and black at night, trousers and a nice top or sweater. You will be walking a lot, it can be cold and windy on those side streets or down by the water. Take a comfortable pair of shoes for the day. <BR>For fancy anywhere, I take my trusty black pants suit-the pants can be worn the less fancy night with just a sweater.<BR>Have fun, it is a lovely city.

Lol Coco, I posted at the same time as you, I needn't have-you gave excellent advice, especially the shopping part:)

In the fall and winter, I wear a lot of black. It is timeless and matches everything else.

If you are relatively young, in good shape and have a nice figure this is what I think you should be wearing:<BR>outfit for shopping: a nice pair of black knit slacks that are slightly flared or boot cut, a good quality turtleneck sweater in a color that complements your skin color, a black leather jacket (3/4 is more versatile), a pair of comfortable black leather boots with at least a 1" heel, and a matching bag of course. Opt for a nice pair of earrings as an accesory. This is a casual yet sophisticated look for anyone. For the casual dinner you can still wear the above, but change the top to either a silky and shimmery blouse or a cashmere sweater. Again, wear a flattering color and a different pair of earrings. A coordinating scarf would look good with this look. As for the more formal dinner, that depends on whether or not you prefer slacks, skirts, or dresses. Opt for a pantsuit in again, a flattering color, that you can dress up with shoes and accessories. The same idea works with a skirt and blouse or a simple A line style dress. I say less is more. Wear something that falls properly on your body and is in a flattering color and you can't go wrong. When you are comfortable in what you are wearing you feel confident and you look great. It shows.

Stephanie, I don't live in the city, just outside of it, but I do go in a lot for shopping and dinner.<BR><BR>As usual, coco gave great advice, just make sure the black pants are longer (not cropped), flared bottoms and lower on the hip. Much more up to date. It's actually fairly chilly this weekend so a nice sweater or turtleneck would be purfect, and if you have a nice scarf that would dress things up.<BR><BR>Also if you have any suede or leather pants, those would look great. Some heeled boots would look nice with the pants, and definitely 86 the Spring coat. See if you can get a simple, 3/4 a line coat, (they have some decent ones at Banana Republic and the Gap at a great price, in black). Otherwise, Shearling coats are really in this year, and believe it or not I just picked one up at TJ Maxx for $ 129. <BR><BR>I might stick with pants at night too, depending on the weather. If it's cold, I hate wearing dresses in the city. Maybe you can find a shear sweater or lace long sleeve blouse over a camisole to dress up the pants.<BR><BR>Have fun, and remember, some of us are never sick of the clothing questions!

Donatella I absolutely agree with your great advice that fit and color are the key to looking good. Trendy is difficult to wear and the look doesn't last long anyway. Classic lines and tailoring are always in style and it crosses body type and age lines. Don't forget to keep your posture straight, smile, and be an interested listener. That goes a long way also.

Thank you! Donatella-I don't have those kind of clothes-you're scaring me! How's this..I have a grey/black pair of wool type slacks with a gray turtleneck sweater and a black "pea" type coat for shopping. Then I have either black wool pants or a long black wool skirt with a black turtleneck and a cranberry type "suede" look jacket for nice dinner? <BR>I don't have boots - would casual black loafers with socks be ok for the shopping outfit and a pair of pumps be ok for the dinner outfit? Now how about the flying part? Can I wear the same black pea coat with a pair of cords?<BR>I'm getting there-thank you so much.

The pants will be fine as long as they are not "pleated in the front, cuffed at the bottom with a knife edge crease" type pants. Can you buy the boots? I've seen them for under $50. The loafers scream 'soccer mom'.

Stephanie, I would wear the long black skirt over the slacks. You don't have boots? Where do you live? If it's not down south, now might be a good time to buy a pair. If you have a tight budget, maybe you could tell your husband that you need to look good for his job!

Steph: I agree with the previous posters about the boots - get yourself a pair for the long skirt. You WILL wear them again, I promise.<BR>Also, Donatella gave great advice regarding accessorizing - pick up a scarf or two for the outfits, as well as a pair of eye-catching earrings.<BR>Voila, you're ready to go. Have fun.

Unless you are under 25 yo, I wouldnt wear the pea coat (a bit too casual for shopping). The black pants will be your friend on this trip. Pair them with your grey turtleneck sweater (add a silk scarf if you have one) with your long black coat for shopping (I feel self conscious if I am dressed too casusal when I go shopping (SoHo or Mad. ave) This will also take you to to a casual dinner without having to stop to change. Unless your loafers are JP Tod's or are slim with a high gloss, Id try a different shoe-dressy but comfortable (I know, every NY woman's quest) As for a dinner w/ yr husband's boss Long black skirt with black sweater black hose and black heels are a safe bet. Or, in your shopping day- you might come across a nice Dian Von Ferstenberg dress- those are so great for dinners out and go with virtually any shoe. Good Luck<BR>

Stephanie, I have a suggestion: Wear the blk pants w/ the blk turtleneck & your blk jacket on the plane & for shopping. Go out & buy a pair of black flat or 1 inch heel ankle boots (leather...Anne Klein makes a nice one). Sometimes referred to as a "pant boot". They actually go above your ankle! Forget the grey "wool type" pant & grey turtleneck. Depending on the cut of the boots you may be able to wear the boots @ night w/ light weight black tights and your long blk. skirt. I think a nice crisp white shirt wld. be great w/ your skirt for dinner. But I wld. tend to go with pants for dinner too. White shirt, pants w/ a bit of flare @ the bottom and a long black cardigan...pants & cardigan in a knit fabric. Or a blk. knit short sleeved/sleeveless sweater instead of the white shirt in the same fabric as the pants & sweater. I saw a nice one by Liz Claiborne last week. <BR><BR>Personally, I don't like the cranberry w/ the black & I wld. prefer not to see the "suede" like fabric w/ the wool skirt...the fabric textures won't work together. <BR><BR>I wish I could see your closet! I am sure we cld. pull some things together. If I think of anything else I will check back here later. Somebody in an earlier post here said :Wear what you are comfortable in! I agree with that! You know what your favorite things are! And, remember you are going shopping in Montreal. So you will probably find your dinner outfit there!<BR>Have fun!<BR>Susan

So should I wear the black long all-weather coat (not really an all-weather coat but you know what I mean) for everything? Otherwise I'll be packing an extra coat for the weekend? Oh God..I'm stressing..I have boots but they're the kind you wear with a winter coat - flat black leather but not stylish. I'm heading out to buy a new pair. I'm 45 yrs. old and don't own a pair of flare pants! and I wouldn't know where to buy a potato sack if my life depended on it!

Stephanie, I recommend that you invest in a pair of black leather boots with at least a 1" heel. If you live near a Payless Shoe Store, Target, or Wal-Mart, you can get a pair for about $30.00. DSW Shoe Warehouse is your best bet, but you will pay at least $50.00. However it's well worth the investment. DSW also sells better quality. I don't think you should wear the loafers, pumps, pea coat, suede look jacket, or cords. The black wool pants would probably work with the gray turtleneck as long as the texture and weight of the turtleneck can hold up to the texture and weight of the pants. By this I mean you don't want to pair a lightweight nylon cotton blend turtleneck with wool. Tie a print scarf around your neck with the slacks and the turtleneck to add a little color, and don't forget a pair of earrings. The long black wool skirt can be worn with the black turtleneck as long as (again) the texture and weight can hold up to the texture and weight of the skirt. Wear the turtleneck out if it has a nice hem and then add a wide belt. Belts are very popular now. You won't have a problem finding an affordable one. This look works very well with the black leather boots. Add earrings. For more formal dining you can pair either pair of slacks with a silky shimmery blouse in a color that looks good on you. As for a coat, another good investment would be either a classic wool camel coat or black leather. Length depends on your height. Any chance you have a family member or close friend that will allow you to raid their closet? Belts, scarves, and earrings go a long way in dressing up any look.

I do like the suede with the wool, that is because I like mixing different textures though:)<BR>Velvet is big again this year, maybe go to Ann Taylor or something near you and get a nice velvet top or shirt and wear that at night with the black wool pants. It would dress it up, days you can wear velvet with jeans for a more bohemian look.<BR>Boots are a must this year, might as well buy them now-you will anyway!<BR>Pea coats are ok for casual shopping, Montreal is young , you will be surrounded by university students shoppping also. No need to buy a special coat just for shopping.<BR>It will be chilly though, remember scarves gloves, layers!<BR>have a good time!

You guys are good-wish I could raid your closets! I'm off on a mission-black boots with 1"heel and a new coat. I'm 5'11" tall so it's hard to find nice clothes that fit.

Steph: I'm 5'11" too - we can wear the long skirts beautifully! Honey - play up your height - tall can get away with a lot - we can wear oversized jewelry, long coats/skirts/sweaters. <BR>Can't stand to see tall women wearing little girl clothes (Laura Ashley).<BR>Be bold! Be proud of your height and DO NOT SLOUCH (this is your mother speaking)

A few other KEY tips:<BR>1. If you have nice shoes and a nice purse, you can get away with the rest of it. <BR>2. Be sure to get your hair cut and colored before you go. Visit a department store and have them do a free makeover and then buy either that make up or cheapier drugstore imitations. Consider eyebrow waxing if you have the thick kind that need lots of plucking.<BR>3. Get your nails manicured, short, light-natural gloss.<BR>4. Don't wear some old watch with a ratty band, or any gold plated jewelry that is chipping off.<BR>5. Buy yourself some new underwear, that will give you a lift. <BR>WELL GROOMED! THAT IS WHAT IS ATTRACTIVE!

Message to Coco:<BR>Just wanted to say that I agree with you about tall women who wear little girl styles. Tall women can carry so many wonderful and sophisticated looks and they look elegant and classy when they do so. I'm 5'5 so I can't relate, but I do admire. Now that I know Stephanie is tall, I'm all the more glad for suggesting to her that she leave her loafers and pea coat at home.

Stephanie, I agree with the jewelry. If you have anything fussy, leave it at home. Can't stand to see someone with a couple of rings on each hand. Good for you for getting the boots. Black is a great color to stick with and you really can't tell the age of something with black if it is well taken care of. If you can, invest in a good pair of boots, a good handbag and thirdly, a good black cashmere sweater.

Stephanie:<BR><BR>Aerosoles makes great "pant boots" and they're comfortable enough to wear all day too. If you're not used to wearing any kind of a heel, this will be important.

Since you're a stay at home mom you probably don't want to invest in the things people have been suggesting, nor would I blame you. What you might want to do is some outlet shopping if that's available where you are. I myself shop in Loehmann's, where you can find designer clothes at greatly reduced prices. It's a great solution for looking good w/out spending much money. They also carry coats, shoes, bags, jewelry and scarves to complete your ensemble.

OK, I'm back from first trip to the mall. I found a pair of Unisa boots but they're low boots - pant boots I guess. Don't know what I'm going to pair them up with but they're really nice- black leather, square toe, 1" heel, stylish. They feel great. If I can find a neat pair of black flares I think they;ll look good. Now I probably need another pair of higher boots for the long skirt but I couldn't pass these up. I'll head to another mall tomorrow. Thank you so much . Doesn't seem to be anything to bring woman together like shopping!<BR>

Stephanie, I believe Ann Taylor cuts pants on the long side as does Ralph Lauren. Glad you found cool boots! Nothing like a pair of new shoes to make you feel like a million bucks!

I have absolutely nothing to add to this but I have so much enjoyed reading it - gotten lots of chuckles and actually learned a bit. I am also very thankful that I live on the West Coast! I don't really like black (looking like everyone else) I love vibrant colours and much more casual! <BR><BR>Have a great time - do stand tall; my best friend is 5'11 and I have always been proud she doesn't slouch! I agree with new underwear - makes such a difference. Smile, you'll be beautiful!

Nadine, I don't understand why you think Stephanie wouldn't want to invest in a few things because she is a stay at home mom? Please explain???

Sara - I'm with you - glad to be living on the west coast. No need to worry about dressing to impress. Everything is so much more casual here than elsewhere. I grew up in Santa Cruz where putting on long pants and regular shoes is considered dressing up, and jeans are the norm in all but the fanciest restaurants. <BR><BR>I like this thread though.

This is fun-Stephanie, we're rooting for you! Actually this post brought<BR>up quesiton I'd like to know about.<BR> someone said you could wear bootcut boots with a long skirt-i've always shied away from that cause I thought<BR>it would look weird. Anyone expand on that? <BR>

Don't you know, SAHM's should be sentenced to khaki's, jeans, sturdy flat shoes and parka's! Whatever would WE need to look nice for?<BR><BR>I'm obviously being incredibly sarcastic. I'm a SAHM and a very sharp dresser, who likes to shop, look nice and will put my wardrobe up against any working woman's.<BR><BR>Nadine didn't mean to say that, did you Nadine?

Metoo: Regarding your question on wearing bootcut boots with a long skirt, I've seen this done well and I've seen it done poorly ...much depends on the particular "look" of the person trying to carry this off. Not everyone can do, especially if you're short because if there is a break between top of boots and skirt it can look odd. It seems to best work with a very funky, modern young look (which can be difficult for a 40 year old to pull off and not look silly), or if the top of the boots fits close to your legs and hits just at the bottom of the skirt (so there is no gap).<BR><BR>Stephanie - Don't be afraid to invest in some classic, updated and modern clothes because you are a stay-at-home mom and may not wear them frequently. Just try to keep the styles classic, in neutral colors (you can't go wrong with black) with quality fabric.

I didn't mean to stir up any controversy here. My point was that Stephanie may not want to invest in these things since she either may not have the opportunity or the desire (or the money) to wear them in her daily life. I did not say that all stay at home mom's are not stylish dressers, however I imagine they don't have the same pressure to dress in a certain fashion as working women do. Therefore I was giving her an alternative on how to dress a certain way without "investing" in these things.

I have 'office politics' concerns. Yes you want to look nice on the trip, but you are not to outshine the boss and his wife. One question -- have you even met these people before?<BR><BR>I hope this weekend is not a case of you getting to accompany the boss's wife while she splurges on fab stuff that is way out of your price range. And I hope she doesn't have the attitude that she can buy all the wonderful stuff because her husband is the boss while your husband is just a lowly employee. <BR><BR>I am not a fashion diva like some of the people here -- however -- if you do wear boots with a skirt please have the skirt hem cover the top of the boots. Even at 5'11" (boy am I envious) you don't want a break in your vertical line.

Nadine,<BR><BR>If you're stylish, you're stylish. Becoming a stay at home mom would not make a stylish woman less so, and would not make an unstylish woman more so. Your comment insinuates that SAHM's, on average, don't care much about being stylish and/or don't have very much money. That's what I read, anyway...

another fashion question since it was<BR>brought up here-(i'm learning so much!). i never though to wear a scarf<BR>with a turtleneck sweater-how do you do that - do you tie it, let it<BR>hang down?? i can't get a mental image<BR>of a scarf around a turtleneck?

Pack black, simple clothes. Absolutely no sneakers.

Just a piece of advice-I would not, I repeat NOT wear a new pair of boots, shoes for your shopping day! Wear them in an evening whatever but<BR>wear a pair of comfy shoes you already<BR>own (I agree no sneakers) even if its the loafers. Last thing you want is<BR>to be in mega pain walking the city!

You can tie it, or let it hang down. I generally let the sides hang down.<BR><BR>Last winter we were eating dinner out when in walked Patti Hanson, a former model and wife of Keith Richards. She was wearing black leather pants, a black turtleneck and a very large scarf (almost a pashmina), wrapped around and around, sort of like a cowl neck. She looked very cool, but then again it could've just been walking in with a Rolling Stone that did it!