Faux Pas Fix with Anne Zeumer: Five Fall/Winter Basics

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Faux Pas Fix with Anne Zeumer - Every week in Arts and Lifestyle

By Anne Zeumer
Staff Writer

If you venture out shopping for some warmer digs, you will undoubtedly be bombarded by window displays and racks of fall and winter’s latest trends. To spend your money most efficiently, knowing which things to avoid, which to wear, and how to wear them, is the key. I’ve flipped through all my magazines, done a little investigative research, and put together a list of 5 basic items to update your look for fall/winter 2006, without having to lay out tons of cash on a new wardrobe. By mixing what you already have with a couple of updates, you can have an up-to-the-minute look without putting yourself in debt. 


It seems the designers have stretched everything out. Tunic-length tees, tanks, sweatshirts, and sweaters are dominating the market right now. This is good news for some of us, bad news for others. If you have hips and a curvier physique, I think this look works very well, by accentuating what you have. For those of us with no hips, it can be more difficult to pull the look off. (A solution to this is to follow.) Regardless of your shape, I think its well worth it to invest in a long sweater or sweater-coat as one of your basic pieces. A long sweater with narrow jeans and flats or this season’s wedged heel will satisfy your need for warmth in the chill of winter, without sacrificing your look in the process. Urban Outfitters, (www.urbn.com), has a pretty diverse selection of them, reasonably priced. 


Purchasing a wide belt to pair with a long sweater, long tunic, or whatever you choose to put up top is my second affordable way to stay in touch with what’s chic right now. Lucky Brand, (www.luckybrandjeans.com), has really nice belts in shades of brown and black, studded and braided, for between $44 and $58. Adding a wide belt to a long top adds form and shape to the silhouette. If you have no hips, strategic placement of a belt can give the illusion that you have them. If your hips are a little wider, settling the belt a little higher will give that cinched appeal, and prevent your top from looking like a tent. 


Tweed never really goes out of style, but this season, its back in the forefront. Coincidentally, cropped blazers and jackets are in right now as well. You can kill two birds with one stone by getting a tweed-inspired cropped jacket. It’s difficult finding wallet-friendly tweed-type jackets, but the Gap’s Patchwork Jacket, (on sale now for around $50), is a nice alternative. A cropped jacket cannot be worn over anything too thick, like a heavy sweater, otherwise it will look ill-fitting. I like to call this, “fat man in a little coat” complex. If you’re long in the torso, this effect can be accentuated, regardless of whether or not you wear a thick sweater underneath it. The look is cute on girls of smaller stature, because the small proportion can be far too awkward for more statuesque females. 


There are other solutions for you if the cropped look isn’t your thing, (I know it’s not mine). The ultimate way to “make” an outfit this season is with a long coat. Find a funky trench that you really like and wear it with absolutely everything. Ever popular Urban Outfitters has you covered here, too. I especially love Lux’s Empire Bubble Coat, ($175), and Ben Sherman’s Mod Neck Wool Coat, ($199). Play with color. Buy a red coat with black buttons, something with a drapery inspired pattern, or a coat with an asymmetrical cut. Experiment with things you like, and you’ll be sure to set yourself apart from the bundled up multitudes rushing between the buildings on campus, once the chill sets in. 


Number five on my list of fall basics is cropped pants. I am in love with Gap’s Audrey Hepburn pant, ($58). You can wear them with almost anything. I love them with argyle socks, black loafers, and a funky sweater for fall. Beyond black, there are plenty of color-options. For a more classic look, you can find herringbone cropped slacks, as well as pants in shades of khaki, olive, and beyond that whatever you are brave enough to try. With long socks or boots, you’ll avoid getting chilled ankles, and succeed in looking well-put together and practical. For heavier girls, super skinny pants like the Audrey Hepburn pant should probably be avoided. The tapered characteristic of the leg could be very unflattering. I would opt instead for some of the lovely wide-leg pants that are being featured, as they will elongate your legs and look more proportionate. They, too, can go with boots or flats, whichever you prefer will look stylish. 


If you buy just one of the 5 things I’ve mentioned, or you go out and buy all five, the key is to choose things you like. If you find nothing on my list that suits your fancy, by all means do not buy anything just for the sake of fashion. Wearing what you’re most comfortable in and what fits your personal taste will always look best on you, regardless of what the fashion guru’s dictate is in. If you feel insecure about your clothes, it will shine through when you wear them. Hopefully I have put the wheels of fashion in motion in your heads, and I hope to see some fun coats and funky choices being made on campus this winter.

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