Recently in Where Can I Find... Category

Q. I just bought a lovely skirt suit. What camisole colors can I wear with a brownish purple suit? Need help fast.
-Color Clarity

A. When you say “a camisole under a suit,” do you mean the basic simple tank style or a style more like lingerie? Depending on how strong the brownish purple color is, you can easily go with chocolate or purple. But I’d say choose something with more zing of color.

1. Hanky Panky Gilded Rose Camisole, $47.99 at barenecessities.com
2. Lace-trim camisole, $28 at bananarepublic.com
3. Nanette Lepore ‘Kiss Me’ Top, $255 at nordstrom.com
4. Classiques Entier® Twist Front Top, $98 at nordstrom.com
5. Design History Sleeveless Ruffle Top, $75 at saks.com
6. Silk Illusion Blouse, $58 at ardenb.com

Q. My question is based on something I keep seeing on celebrities - leather jackets. I love the black leather jackets I’ve been seeing on young starlets, they look great with both jeans and dresses. I’d like to find a jacket that is flattering (some I’ve tried on make me look wide) and has the rock and roll feel of the ones I’ve seen in magazines, but hopefully won’t go out of style in the next few years. Could you help me?
-Rockin’ It

A. A good leather jacket is not cheap, so I warn you now that it may be an investment piece. One that has some attitude and fewer over-the-top embellishments will last longer than others. Keep it sleek and look for ones that help define your waist. Add some of your own ‘tude and you’ll covet the jacket for years. Wear it with a tank top and dark jeans, pair it with a black cashmere turtleneck and tuxedo pants then throw it over a knit or lightweight wool dress on Saturday night.

I own this jacket in black and love it (Hayden-Harnett Rizzo Motorcycle Jacket, $650) >

Some more options for you:

1. Vince Leather Motorcycle Jacket, $774 at bloomingdales.com
2. S.W.O.R.D Genova Pocket Jacket, $825 at shopbop.com
3. Jill Stuart Lara Jacket in Mascara, $675 at revolveclothing.com
4. S.W.O.R.D Volterra Leather Jacket, $748 at revolveclothing.com

Q. I need your assistance shopping for a formal dress. I fell in love with a designer who is really pricey, but the dress looks damn good! It’s Butter by Nadia brand and it’s part of her Signature Satin line. I love it in Cobalt (bright blue). This dress is amazing and can be wrapped in multiple ways to create different looks. I need the dress for a special occasion. Here’s my dilemma: Butter by Nadia advertises this dress online and online boutiques sell it for the same price in stores. I cannot afford this price. This online boutique sells it in my favorite color. Victoria’s Secret’s “7 in 1” is a look-a-like in jersey material but it doesn’t come in Cobalt. The black is okay, but don’t know if the Teal and Red are formal enough. It is $200 dollars cheaper. I’m not finding any more look-a-likes, but I have heard of a Mai Tai by Soprano that is exactly like the Butter by Nadia and it’s $50. The stores that I go to are not selling it in my color and it is a mystery to me if it is sold online. Do you know any dresses in this color and style and price? If you can help me make this happen please I would be so grateful! I’m not so good at looking online. Can’t wait to hear from you.
-Wrap it

A. I own the darker blue Butter by Nadia dress. I bought it for a Holiday party with my boyfriend and I adore it. Can’t wait to wear it again and again so I can complete the list of the “20” ways to wear it. I like the silky feel of it, the drape and the color with shine. That said, I think the dress is a good investment if you think you’ll get several more chances to wear it. However, I’m not going to recommend you eat Ramen noodles for the next two months to pay your credit card bill. Why not order the V.S. dress, try it on and play with the variations they claim? If the dress falls well on your body and doesn’t seem like it will come apart at the seams, then you may have the ideal imitation. For the V.S. color choices, I’d recommend black, but I do love the colors from Butter. You’ll surely be a stand out in the crowd in color. I did look for Mai Tai by Soprano and only found clubbing clothes on the sites where the name brought me.

Q. I’m getting married this summer and I want a ’60s inspired knee-length lace dress with sleeves that won’t break the bank.
-Lace in Place

A. Oooh, this is a little tough. I scoured online retailers and found this lacy dress, but you may find your best options by working directly with a wedding dress designer or getting help from a fabulous vintage store like The Way We Wore in Los Angeles. You can contact the owner Doris Raymond (323-937-0878) and fill her in on what you’re shopping for. She’s an incredible curator of vintage fashions.

ABS by Allen Schwartz Lace Minidress, $330 at nordstrom.com

Q. I love your website. I have gotten rid of a lot of things in my closet and seriously need to build a new wardrobe. I was wondering what basic pieces I need to have. If you could add a section to your site that shows great basic finds would be great. I am a curvy petite.
-Shapely Figure

A. First off, make it simple and shop from designers that cater to your size so you don’t have to spend even more money heading to the tailor. Petitesophiticate.com offers pants in both petite regular and petite short, plus stylish dresses, suits, tops and more. J. Crew, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Liz Claiborne, Gap and Jones New York also make petite sizes.

The classic list of items every woman should have in her wardrobe hasn’t changed much in 25 years, but it’s what you add in that injects your own personality. It can mean colors that brighten or deepen your skin tone, tops with added details or accessories that help liven up a white button down.

I consider the top 10 classics to be:

1. Well fitting white button down shirts.
2. Long sleeve and short sleeve shirts, primarily v-neck which is most flattering.
3. Trench coats. For your size be sure it doesn’t overwhelm your height. Look for belted versions to help define your waist and a style that you can wear with suits, dresses and jeans. A truly versatile style will also have a zip out or button out wool lining.
4. Black pants. Nowadays, it’s also good to have navy, chocolate, khaki and white for choices all year.
5. Dark denim jeans. A pair that can be dresses up with heels for evening and ballet flats to run around doing errands.
6. Turtleneck, v-neck and cardigan sweaters in black and other various colors.
7. One good suit, but if your career doesn’t require a suit, then just buy a good blazer that you can pair with trousers and jeans. It is a polished look to wear a button down shirt, blazer and dark jeans.
8. Dresses. Go for a wrap style and a v-neck dress that is fitted on the top half and has an a-line bottom half.
9. Skirts. For a curvy, petite figure look to score a-line shapes and avoid full skirts and straight up and down pencil styles.
10. Additional tops that have flirty features, but are not laden with ruffles and bows. Too many girly features on a petite figure can make you appear like a little girl rather than a woman.