Smart Dressing - different looks with same wardrobe

It's time to begin to think about 'smart dressing' - creating different looks with one piece of garment without being caught wearing it again.

With your existing wardrobe you can use separate pieces of clothing and accessories, do your own pairing with them and create a unique outfit each time. With a little smartness you can be styling and saving at the same time.

Make sure your hair and make-up go with your look.

Magic: One key-piece - different looks
Scared of being caught in the same look twice? Don't blow your budget, just re-work these key pieces:

1. Stand-out blouse
Give yourself a fresh look with a stand-out blouse. Come out of blacks, greys, blues and whites. See how this emerald green blouse can be worn from a dinner date to a work meeting. And you thought this was only evening parties?




Night out: This chiffon top when paired with a sexy skirt (here we have paired it with a short tulip pencil skirt) along with high heels and a smart clutch will bring you in the spotlight. Don't forget to undo a few buttons. Complete the look with an eclectic necklace and you are sure to find men staring at you.

Dinner Date: Bored with your black dress, no matter how sexy it looks? Cannot wear your strapless or cleavage showing dress and is lying unused in your wardrobe? Your prom dress looks unfit for a dinner date? Well this blouse can change your black dress into a more interesting item and will also make your dress usable if you had been avoiding it. Wear your stand-out blouse inside this dress and see how your dress looks completely different. You can team it with your long high-heeled boots or strappy platform shoes with a matching (or metallic) clutch and win over your date in the first look.

Girly Lunch: For a more subtle look for the day, slip a pair of well-fitted denims pull over your blouse (you can tuck in or leave out, choice is yours; but if you tuck-in ensure you wear a belt preferably matching with your shoes). Carry a simple tote in black, beige, cream or brown. And here you are ready for your girly lunch.

Work Meeting: Layer the blouse with a knitted top or a cardigan, pair them with a formal skirt in black or grey, slip in to your court shoes, carry your tote or work bag and you are ready to go to the office. This ensemble will not only give a subtle look but also add a little zing to your everyday work wardrobe with a splash of colour and the girly chiffon in your top. Keep the other accessories simple, you can wear a simple pair of earrings with a pearl string. Even without it your look is complete. Don't forget you are going to work, you want people to take you seriously.

2. Dress
The checked dress was a runway hit this season (D&G). Alternatively you can also go for a plain or printed dress, but make sure you team it with the right accessories and clothing.



Night out: Your dress plus a stilettos or platform sandals and a clutch, an Alice band to add to the girly look and you are ready for the night out.

Dinner Date: Turn your dress into a strapless sexy blouse by pairing it with a black flannel skirt (don't forget to tuck your dress in). In the accessories department you can wear strappy black heels, carry smart purse/clutch, and most importantly don't forget to add a jewellery piece - it can be a stand-out ring or a necklace.

Girly Lunch: Create a day look for your dress by teaming it with a cardigan or a shrug and skinny pants or leggings. Don't forget your tote. You can carry this look for a girly lunch or to run day's errands.

Work Meeting: Wear a shirt inside the dress, slip in skinny pants or leggings and a formal pair of shoes (your black pumps) and you can wear this to work. Alternatively you can also wear a formal jacket over the dress to carry it to work.

3. Black Trousers
Who says black trousers are boring and can only be worn at work? See the four interesting looks worked from the black trousers for a - night out, dinner date, girly lunch and work meeting.



Night out: Team your trousers with an embellished top or dressy tunic and complete the look with zingy accessories for a night out. Don't make it too loud, if your top grabs the spotlight, keep the accessories subtle.

Dinner Date: A feminine top with a waistcoat (even a satin waistcoat will look fab) or a sexy cami top paired with your trousers along with a nice clutch and stilettos will work for your date. Be sure to wear a statement jewellery piece to complete the look. Here we have teamed a glam wristband with the outfit.

Girly Lunch: A girly top layered with a cape along with flat boot and a duffle bag is great for your lunch. The same look can also be worn for a shopping spree. For summers you can go away with the cape or may even replace the top and cape with a glam tee.

Work Meeting: A decent ruffle top matched with your black trousers with a shopper bag, closed toe shoes and beaded necklace can be worn for a work meeting. If you require a more formal look, wear an office jacket over the top and you are ready to take over the world. For a simpler look, wear a formal shirt and kitten heeled pumps with the trousers.

4. Vest or Tunic
One Vest or tunic can create many looks. Here I have re-worked the accessories and garments with the vest to create six different looks.

Most of the looks below are for the day. However, mixing your tunic or vest with the right garments and accessories can create a nice evening look. Tip: Layer the tunic with a satin/embellished sleeveless cameo and team it a smart pair of trousers, a clutch and matching stilettos to carry it for a night-out.




How to work different looks from one piece of garment
- Layering Layering and Layering!!!!!!! I love layering - it looks smart, can help hide flaws of a garment, conceal your extra bulges and creates multiple looks. Layering a garment is the smartest way to make one piece of clothing look different each time. Layering clothes allows you to mix and match a wider variety of different styles, and adds more dimension to your outfit. Sweaters, vest or jacket over blouses over t-shirts, formal shirts, dresses worn with denim, pants, leggings and so on creates multiple looks using same piece of garment.
- You can change your look by choosing different shoes, handbag and accessories to compliment. - Throwing a contrasting coloured shawl over your shoulders is also an excellent way to change the look of your outfit.
- Have fun with accessories, they are the easiest way to brighten up a plain outfit. Same outfit but with different accessories for day and night can create a different look each time (redo your hairstyle and make-up for the evening). Shoes, bag, some statement jewellery, scarf, belt are the key accessories that will help you re-work on one key piece to make it look different every time.


Layering and De-layering

Shweta Jaishankar at Lakme Fashion Week 2008:

In this picture Shweta Jaishankar gave her glam black dress a more casual look by pairing it with a shrug and flip-flops. The same dress, minus the shrug, teamed with a smart clutch, matching stilettos and dressy jewellery (just a nice pair of earrings or a necklace) can be worn for a dinner party or a dinner date.

From Oprah Winfrey's Show:

Incerpts from the show, "The fit-and-flare satin trench coat is a great evening look that Danielle can use after she lands the job. "When you're wearing clothes in the office, you have to think about versatility. It has to work from the office to the evening," says Adam Glassman, creative director for O, The Oprah Magazine. Underneath the coat is Danielle's interview suit—a jacket over a shift dress. The dress has some stretch to it, which is great for travelling.

"Everyone should have a shift dress in their wardrobe. You can dress it up. You can dress it down. It's really very easy and proper", he says."

Twinkle Khanna at HDIL Indian Oaks

I really like this style, teaming a shirt with a dress, especially the black and white ensemble. A very versatile style can be carried from a lunch to a dinner to work.




Interesting Links:
- Check out One Dress Six Looks
- Click here to Dress up the doll in different looks. ITS FUN!!