CLOSET Rx : Practicality Is the Point With Nail Length, Hue

Women have always been burdened with a particular fashion rule: While guys can make their hands presentable just by keeping the grime from sticking beneath their fingernails, women have had to keep long fingernails clean and polished, no matter how impractical it may be.

Length is a major problem. Just how long is too long? “The general rule is that the free edge of the nail, which extends out beyond the finger, should be half the length of the bed of the nail,” says Belva Quigley of Belva’s Nails Naturally in Orange. “Any longer than that, and you may have problems doing intricate work with your fingers.”

Some manicurists try to accommodate their clients’ requests for long nails and also make them practical.

“Since a majority of my clients, from stockbrokers to secretaries, work on computers, I’ll give them some fake nails of different lengths to try if they want longer nails,” says Bridget Felton, a manicurist in Santa Ana. “Some can work with the longer lengths, and others need to have theirs cut back.”

Even if you can work with longer nails, however, give it a lot of thought before trying them. “They can draw attention away from the outfit you’re wearing,” says Quigley. “And when they’re out to three inches, they can look like talons.”

Of course, not everyone has the time or extra cash for a standing appointment at the nail shop. Most women give themselves a manicure, which doesn’t have to look amateurish if they take a little extra time.

“Don’t rush; don’t do them just before you have to go to work,” says Felton.

“Relax, put some music on, and get your materials ready so you don’t have to try and open a stuck bottle of polish remover while your nails are wet.

“If you’re right-handed, start with your right hand,” says Quigley. “It’s the hardest one to paint and you’ll be a little more cautious if you start out with it.”

Use a cuticle pusher around the cuticles to keep from painting on them. It’s best to soak your nails (as Madge did on those dish soap commercials) just before working the cuticles to make them easier to work with.

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Like clothing, polish colors go along with the seasons. Lighter pinks and shades of white are seen more in the spring and summer.

“Darker tones are popular at other times of the year, especially in shades of red and even brown,” says Quigley.

But if you’re looking for the most uniform, conservative color, go with the French manicure, which is often coated in a neutral or a pale polish.