Glorified Hairnet Caps Off Sweater Outfit
Question: Please help me put the finishing touches on an outfit I plan to wear to an upcoming benefit. The focal point is a red sequined sweater, which I just finished knitting. As you can see from my enclosures, the sweater has a V neckline, and the sequins are really more like plastic discs. I have both a red and a black skirt I must choose between, and I am making a red velvet cape. I love hats and need your advice on what type of hat would really pull this look together. I have extra sequins, and I could knit something to match. But would that be too much?--H.J.
Answer: You could add a hood to your cape and go as Little Red Riding Hood. But if you aren’t keen on attracting the Big Bad Wolf, consider the look illustrated here. It’s a snood decorated with the same red discs that are on your sweater. This glorified hairnet snared from the ‘40s will pull your look together and push you right into the fashion spotlight.
Q: What kinds of pants are in fashion now--peg, tapered, pleat-front, plain-front, pull-on, palazzos or classic trousers? I’m not talking about anything but full-length pants.--H.A.
A: The new pants for spring and summer are either skintight or wider than usual. Tapered pants that start from a gathered or pleated waistline and gradually narrow to the ankles are a casualty of the season. Even the most classic trousers are cut a little wider than the current fall pants. Many designers on both sides of the Atlantic are featuring palazzo pajamas with extremely wide, elephant legs.
Q: What is the newest blouse to wear with a fitted jacket that has notched lapels? Mine is white flannel, and I wear it either with its matching skirt or a navy gabardine wrap skirt.--R.R.
A: The newest blouse is no blouse at all--that is if you and your jacket have all the right curves in all the right places. Milan’s Luciano Soprani, who is in Beverly Hills this week to celebrate the opening of his new Rodeo Drive boutique, champions this look in his new spring-summer collection. This no-blouse blouse also is endorsed by fellow Milanese designers Gianni Versace and Gianfranco Ferre.
Q: I love the silk bows first popularized by Coco Chanel, who often showed them with her tweed suits and white blouses, but I can only find them in black. If I were able to sew, I could make my own, but I don’t, and this kind of project does not seem worthy of a seamstress. Does anyone make these bows in colors other than black?--P.B.
A: Yes. Silk ties exactly like the original Chanel versions are available in royal blue, red, green, ivory, navy and rose. They’re $9.50 each, and they’re offered in the current catalogue published by Winter Silks, the White Pine Co., 2700 Laura Lane, Box 130, Middleton, Wis., 53562. Made of silk crepe de Chine, the ties are 45 inches long and 2 5/8 inches wide and are easy to tie into Chanel’s famous pussycat bow.
