How to Accomplish That One-of-a-Kind Look
Dear Fashion Police: I have read countless articles about funky little streets in L.A. that have boutiques with non-mall-type dresses. But I can’t find them or remember where they are. This Orange County mom is out of her wits trying to find a one-of-a-kind dress that no one else will be wearing. Melrose is not only too expensive, it’s also too Heather Locklear. Instead, think “Felicity” or “Party of Five” or even “Dawson’s Creek.” Simple, not formal, just not the same as everyone else.
--FRUSTRATED SHOPPER
Dear Frustrated: Not the same as everyone else. . . . You realize that when you talk about something that no one else on the planet has, that’s called couture, and we’re guessing you don’t want to throw $10,000 around on a dress.
What we think you mean is that you don’t want to wear the exact same little figure-flattering dress or skirt and cropped top that you see coming and going, and we think we can help you there. By the way, we love your description of Melrose stores being “too Heather Locklear.” In fact, we think we’ll adopt it as a new adjective: “Where did you get those shoes? They’re so Heather Locklear!”
Since you mentioned “Felicity,” we thought we’d talk to the show’s costumer and find out where she shops for actress Keri Russell. In the process, we learned some interesting secrets about style from Linda Serijian-Fasmer, who won an Emmy for her work on “thirtysomething.”
Here’s what Serijian-Fasmer had to say: “For Keri, I get a little bit of everything. I’ll go to Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Barneys, Anthropologie, Fred Segal, Abercrombie & Fitch and use designers like DKNY and Tommy Hilfiger. I’ll do a lot of mixing and matching with clothes I find at thrift stores and resale stores and swap meets, so it looks like a college kid put them together, not a costumer. I’ll also put her in an old pair of Adidas or some Birkenstocks.”
Clothes are worn several times in various combinations, and new, expensive pieces such as leather jackets, designer shoes and cashmere sweaters are often “distressed” (using everything from harsh detergents to rock salt to sandpaper) so Russell’s character doesn’t appear to have a bottomless money pit to spend on clothes.
In other words, what starts out looking like pure DKNY doesn’t resemble it at all by the time she’s finished.
We believe you’re responding to the character’s overall style, which you can achieve by following Serijian-Fasmer’s approach. Mix thrift-store items such as fake-fur jackets with basic pieces from stores such as Gap and Abercrombie. Resale shops are great places for finding designer pieces that you can incorporate into your wardrobe.
She recommended you venture into Urban Outfitters (2930 Bristol Ave., Costa Mesa, (714) 966-1666) and Anthropologie (823 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, (949) 720-9946 (https://www.anthropologie.com) for interesting items--but remember, these are chain stores, and the clothes are not one-of-a-kind. Fred Segal (Santa Monica and Los Angeles locations) is another one to try.
You should also check out some Web sites that have unusual, funky women’s clothes: https://www.bluefly.com, an online outlet that carries labels such as Daryl K, BCBG, Betsey Johnson, Blue Plate, Cynthia Rowley and Nicole Miller (they also offer men’s and kids’ clothes and home and gift items), and https://www.girlshop.com, another site for great fashions from Sam clothing, Tibi and Spooner Prague.
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Dear Fashion Police: In the near future I will be attending an opera, a first for me. I assume appropriate attire is pretty dressy, but I’m a little stuck because it is a matinee. I have a black, mid-calf cocktail-type dress in a flowing matte material (no beads) but am not sure if this is too dressy for daytime. Also, any thoughts on jewelry? I am in my early 50s, like to remain stylish and wear a size 8. Your recommendations are greatly appreciated!
--OPERA VIRGIN
Dear Opera: We appreciate you wanting to dress appropriately for the opera! We just don’t get the jeans thing. You can wear them to a baseball game but, people, please don’t think of them as all-purpose clothing. They’re not.
Sorry, we digress. Back to you. A black cocktail-type dress, even without the beads, would be overdoing it a little for a matinee, even for the opera.
Some alternatives are a pantsuit, nice pants with a coordinating jacket or sweater, a skirt (any length) with a sweater or sweater set, a skirt with a coordinating jacket or a less formal dress, along the lines of something you might wear to an informal afternoon wedding (again, any length).
If you wear a jacket, don’t go too tailored. Think in terms of styles that are less fitted and more relaxed.
Don’t wear anything that’s too tight, that pinches, grabs or is scratchy. You’re going to be sitting a long time, so choose something comfortable.
As for jewelry, keep it minimal. Earrings and a small pin or necklace should do it.
Write to Fashion Police, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053; or fax to (213) 237-4888; or e-mail socalliving@latimes.com.
