Change Colors & Seasons With The Experts

Ebony, Nov, 2000

The fashion rules are changing with the season, and Sisters all over are wearing racy colors, funky feathers, sequins and satiny stoles. The good news is that every Sister can look her vibrant best, at work and at play. Just remember the new order of the day: If you've got it, flaunt it!

"If you look in the mirror and you like what you see, wear it!" says Kenneth Owen, assistant producer of the Ebony Fashion Fair, the largest travelling fashion show in the world. "You no longer have to be a certain size to wear certain things, that's no longer the issue."

Career women are wearing the new chic/comfortable ensembles, fabrics and styles especially designed to look good from 9-to-5, and with the right accessories, can transform easily into after-5 wear. Berry and gray color combinations are wildly popular this season, as well as the traditional neutral shades. Choose suits that accentuate your positives; top-heavy women should choose styles with V-neck collars to look your best. To enhance your waist, choose suits with fitted or belted jackets; to flatter your hips, wear longer skirts and longer jackets. (Capitalized on the latest fashion trend--head-to-toe color)!

When stepping out on the town, Sisters are donning everything from ballroom-style gowns to bejeweled leather pants. Some of the hottest colors mirror the disco age. Precious metals--the shimmering silvers, glittering golds and every other metallic shade on the spectrum, are definite must-haves for the holiday season. Turquoise, emerald green, racier baby blues (mostly highlighted with strands of silver) and the royal colors of the purple family have also re-emerged. But the showstopper, as always, appears to belong to the passionate red. And this year's offerings, ranging from the blazing hot candy-apple red to more subtle, sensuous reddish hues (i.e. "sunset") are extremely popular, especially among the younger crowds.

But if you're really looking for that whiplash-appeal, leather is your answer. The supple fabric is flexible (it can be worn at work and some leathers are washable), but most importantly, undeniably sexy. Singers from Monica and Tina Turner to scores of career women have made fashion statements in their leather looks--proving that Sisters of all dimensions and ages can find the perfect leather skin to be in. And of course the colors available this year are fabulous--from soft camel to ravishing red to tobacco.

And don't snub black--by far considered the alpha and the omega of elegance in the fashion world. Black's reputed slimming effect isn't the only thing this color has to offer--it also offers a chic mystique for the wearer. You can experiment with a basic black dress and add a splash of color with bold accessories such as gold stole and matching metallic stilettos.

So fall into the fall season by wearing what you like--just know that blase has taken a backseat, and that attitude and elegance reigns supreme.