Pin Points Help Women Stick With Eye-Catching Brooches
Sometimes it’s a little thing that can turn an outfit around. For example, if a woman’s wearing a drab pair of slacks with a matching ho-hum blazer, she can add a dashing pin to the lapel and change her look.
However, many women aren’t getting the best use of their pins. They’re sticking them too low. “They should be placed between the shoulder and the breast line so that the pin is facing out and catching people’s eyes,” says Stephanie Grani of Stephania in San Juan Capistrano. “Placing it any lower could provoke some rude comments.”
Large pins are in for the fall. The key to selecting one is to think creatively. More than one pin on the lapel is fine. And it’s OK to wear an earring as a pin.
Detective’s tip: You can usually tell if a woman is right- or left-handed from her lapel pin. Righties tend to stick the left lapel, while lefties use the right side.
Hot pants: In autumn, as the leaves fall, you can be sure that leather pants are being tried on. Guys are pulling and tugging at the seat and legs, hopeful that those summer beer parties didn’t add too much girth to keep them out of their pricey pants.
“Leather pants are a classic,” says Mark Schell of Mark Schell Designs for Men in Corona del Mar. “They’re even more popular now with the trend toward Western wear. You can even wear them as dressy Western wear.”
Pants that are too tight, however, are a problem. Many guys take the “new shoe” philosophy, thinking that a tight pair of pants will loosen up with wear like a pair of loafers. That may be true, but while you’re waiting for those pants to stretch, the general public gets a good look at your lower torso being suffocated in cowhide. If you find your leathers are too tight, it may be time to bury them--or cut down on your Twinkie intake.
Suede shoe blues: Time for a quick wardrobe check: The sweaters got through summer moth-free, your wool coat still smells fresh, but those suede pumps, well, you walked through a few puddles in March that left water stains around the upper. Unfortunately, if you’re just discovering the stains now, it’s probably too late.
“The salts and minerals found in water tend to bond into the leather fibers within one to two weeks,” says Tom Graffio of Factotum Shoe and Luggage Repair in Laguna Beach. “After that, it’s extremely difficult to remove water stains.”
Because it absorbs, suede is especially vulnerable to water stains. The key is prevention. Use a good spray protectant at least once a month, and when the rains come, try to leave your suedes in the closet.
