Washington Post fashion columnist Suzanne D'Amato and Janet Bennett Kelly, fashion and beauty editor for WashingtonPost.com, offer advice on shopping smart.
Q: My graduation is next week, and I still haven't found a dress! I'm having a bit of trouble deciding what to get. I don't want to look as though I'll be attending a cocktail party, but I don't want a sundress, either.
J.B.K.: Have you looked at Diane von Furstenberg or BCBG's selection of dresses? I've seem some at Saks and Bloomie's that I think would fill the bill. Or perhaps Tory Burch?
Q: Lately I've put on some weight, and my clothes do not fit quite right. I am doing everything I can to keep it off: healthier foods, more activity, returning to that place we call the gym. In the meantime, I'm bored with wearing the same outfits (black pants and solid top, black skirt and solid top, brown pants and solid top -- you get the picture) day after day. Do you have any suggestions for an update while I slowly return to my old shape?
S.D.: I'd stop buying clothes for the time being and spend your bucks on some bright, trendy accessories. Hoop earrings, cuff bracelets or chunky, artsy necklaces are options to consider. Whatever you choose, go large: Bigger accessories make the rest of you look smaller.
Q: I am in search of the perfect black pant. You know, the one that's not too tight, not too wide-legged, that I can wear just as well to the office as out to dinner. I'm willing to spend some money for something that will be a staple.
S.D.: For black pants, I love Theory, Tevrow & Chase, Joseph and Chloe. Yes, these are all pricey brands, but perfectly fitting black pants are also one of the soundest fashion investments you'll ever make.
Q: I snagged a fabulous silk dress. It looks like two pieces but is one, with a white, sleeveless ruffled top and a gray pencil skirt. The problem? Shoes! I'm not afraid to color outside the lines when it comes to shoes: pairing fire-engine red heels with yellow or green dresses, or turquoise heels with a brown dress. But white and gray?
S.D.: I think you have a lot of options here: burgundy, for one, which would look subtle and sophisticated. Grass green would be surprising and current. If you want to invest in a drop-dead pair of shoes, Christian Louboutin makes these ruched gray crepe satin pumps that would look absolutely killer with your dress. And something dreamy and pastel -- pink satin d'Orsays, perhaps -- would be sweet, too. The only colors I wouldn't recommend are black and metallics. You can do better than that.
