SLEEK CHIC : Working Class

When choosing elegant, stylish clothing for the office, the most important consideration is what works and what doesn’t. This season, the solution is simple: Anything comfortable, sleek, soft and colorful works. Anything fussy--ruffles, bows, pouf skirts--doesn’t.

To prove the point, we asked five successful Southern California women to select outfits from fall’s newest looks. What they chose points to a fresh view of contemporary fashion. These women were most concerned with quality fabrics and workmanship. They preferred styling that’s dignified but less tailored than in previous seasons. And they wanted inventive colors, shapes and proportions, saying that the business suit had become boring. Overall, they picked clothes that are decidedly different from those of the past but classic enough to remain in fashion for more than two or three seasons.

Minimalist silhouettes and an absence of detailing--plain necklines, simple adornments--create this distinctly modern look. Above-the-knee skirts and dresses win out over pants for business and social occasions. And because legs are dressed in tights, short skirts are accessible to women old enough to recall wearing the mini.

Hair and makeup: Jetty Stutzman / Cloutier; stylist: Jill Sokolec / Celestine-Cloutier.

Hair and makeup for McBeth and Tardio: Wendy Ann Rosen / Cloutier