Break With Tradition: Go for Sporty Chic
Dear Fashion Police: I’m grappling with a fashion emergency and desperately need your help. I recently broke my foot and have been in a cast for the last five weeks. The cast comes off next week, but I will only be able to wear sneakers for another two weeks after that. My problem is what to wear with the sneakers for the office. A colleague suggested I go with the soccer mom look and pair the sneakers with whatever I’m wearing, but that’s not me. Although I can wear jeans (the only thing I would normally wear with sneakers) to the office, I often need to dress more professionally for meetings. Does anything go with sneakers besides jeans and shorts? Or is there some sort of fashion dispensation for victims of foot injuries? By the way, the sneakers have to be the bulky athletic shoe kind.
--NOT SO FOOTLOOSE
Dear Not: There is always special fashion dispensation for victims of foot injuries. After all, you’re not expected to parade around in stilettos while your bones and ligaments heal. Just thank your lucky stars you don’t have to wear fuzzy slippers. Sneakers we can deal with.
Don’t worry, you won’t have to wear them with jeans or sweats. Actually, we’ve decided to create a brand-new style category just for you: business sporty--professional enough for the office, casual enough for sneakers.
We envision you in a casual pantsuit. Depending on your figure, start with flat-front or pleated pants in cotton twill, stretch cotton or a nonshiny silk. Instead of a traditional jacket try a shirt jacket, which has a collar and buttons in front. Under that you can wear a short-sleeve shell worn untucked. It’s best if the jacket and pants match, but if you have good color sense you can mix up the pieces.
For a slightly less formal look, substitute a twinset for the shirt jacket. Or try a zip-front jacket with a shell.
Yes, the sneakers are still going to draw attention, but that’s your cue to say, “Gosh, sorry about the shoes, but I broke my foot and just got the cast off.” Make sure you limp a lot and wince with pain whenever possible to get the maximum amount of sympathy from co-workers and clients. Then they’ll be compelled to tell you their broken foot/leg/arm story, and you can all bond over bodily injury.
Write to Fashion Police, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053, fax to (213) 237-4888, or send e-mail to socalliving@latimes.com.
