A sharper image: to stay in style, focus on who you are today. Meet five men and women who were ready for a change.

Publication: Sarasota Magazine

Publication Date: 22-JUN-06

Bookmark this article Print this article Link to this article Email this article Digg It! Add to del.icio.us RSS

COPYRIGHT 2006 Clubhouse Publishing, Inc.

Style isn't static; like bread, it gets stale. Real style requires regularly reinventing your look, not in drastic Madonna-fashion, but by sharpening your focus on who you are and what's happening in your life now. A new job, a move, a change in your body or outlook--all can call for a new crease in your signature look. We found five men and women whose lives had changed enough recently to make them ready for some new fashion wrinkles, then we asked some savvy pros to help us sharpen their style.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

A STUDENT TURNS TEACHER

When Kate Daniel finished her master's in elementary education and landed a job as a second-grade teacher at Ballard Elementary School in Bradenton, she needed to add some authority and polish to her image.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Yes, her grad-school wardrobe of modern classics like cropped khakis, fitted shirts and cardigan-style toppers made the grade in comfort and suitability, but Daniel's style score soared when Marilyn Goldfarb, who offers personal shopping service through Saks' Fifth Avenue Club, helped her select some key investment-quality basics. Buying a few good pieces of classic design, says Goldfarb, pays off in the long run. Versatile and well made, they can outperform a closet full of random bargains.

In keeping with a busy instructor's need for maximum mobility, they chose beat-the-heat basic black truncated trousers topped by a hip-length, always-in, belted white and washable blazer (dry cleaning bills can flunk a teacher's budget) with dress-me-down cargo pocket detail. Cork platform slides give the young teacher authority and up-to-the...

Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.