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Business women are the new focus for fashion PAGE 10 - PLAINDEALER • FRIDAY. OCTOBER 21,1983 The iiflu of American into the traditionally uninaled world of busi- management and other profesaions has effected a major revolutioa in the fashion indus- •» Demand for smart, classic designed clothes that are sui: able for the office as well as for executive-level business meet­ ings and interviews has risen tant asset for the business Maxine Forman has been a determining force in the indus­ try's shift of focus onto the needs of the career woman. For­ man started at an executive trai­ nee at Bloomingdale's, With 32 percent of America's women at work and another 10 million women expected to join the workforce by 1990. the fashion industry has begun to take notice of their needs. ' ' Aspiring executives More and more of these women have their sights set on middle and lop management po­ sitions and need to dress in an appropriate, conservative style that parallels their male coun- becoming later a buyer for Macy's. Adams Purchasing, and Gus Mayer stores. She then moved to Hoechst Fibers and became the first woman on the salesforce of this conservative male-dominated The problem for the younger middle-income woman with ex­ ecutive aspirations is to find the right style and look at prices that she can afford. She has been faced recently with escalating costs for suit­ able business attire and no via­ ble alternative at reasonable prices. The necessity to dress appro­ priately is no longer questioned. "The woman in business to­ day." observes Maxine For­ man. Vice President of 'Merchandising for the Russ Di­ vision of Russ Togs, "must con­ tinually prove mat she is as competent and accomplished as her male colleagues. "And, part of the proof lies in her ability to project an image of professionalism and authority. The clothes she wears are of ut­ most importance in creating and maintaining this image. " "For a long time men have simply had to put on their busi­ ness suits to produce automati­ cally the corporate look. Women, though, have no such pre-ordained uniform, and I think it would be a mistake if hard and fast rules for corporate autre did develop the flexibility to classic style with a flair is an impor- iust b lines < McHENRY NAUTILUS 'VISIBLE RESULTS GUARANTEED ON YOUR FIRST VISIT 344-2202 Suitable Solid colors, tweeds, and fairly subdued plaids are the patterns most suitable for the business situation. Medium- gray, medium-blue, camel, dark brown, beige, dark ma­ roon and navy are all colors that are particularly effective. Three years ago she moved tc Russ as the head of merchandis­ ing where she has espoused thi cauae of the business woman. She is one of the few women in the fashion manufacturing in­ dustry who has risen to a signifi­ cant decision-making position and who can have an important impact on the industry. "Over the past few years the traditional looking, classic clothes in woven fabrics -- the essential wardrobe of the busi­ ness woman -- have become very expensive. "The manufacturers of rea­ sonably priced main floor fash­ ions were not providing these styles. The middle-income business woman was being ne­ glected," asserts the energetic Looking weM-drcaaed "I really felt there were many women, working and non- working, who wanted and even needed the classic look at prices they could afford. And, 1 be­ lieve firmly that every woman has the right to look well- dressed even though she doesn't have a lot of cash to spend." The style that has consist­ ently tested best in all research is the man-tailored blazer skirted suit, in other words a jacket with a blazer cut and a matching skirt. The length of the skirt should not be extreme but should fall : below the knee. The hem i of the most effective busi­ ness suits have not varied more than two inches in a decade. The best fabrics for look, feel and practicality are blends of natural cotton and wool with polyester. Blouses in sylid colors, at well as prints, are best in any natural or synthetic fabric that looks like cotton or silk. A sim­ ple cut with a minimum of frills most befits the business In the 1930s Russ pioneered the concept of coordinated sep­ arates that have been the staple of main floor fashions for 23 years. Groups of clothes--skirts, pants, blouses, jackets and sweater*--are assembled in co­ ordinated colors and styles and I in die stores together. : clothes are designed to be mixed-and-matched, to be for different < Forman has used this same concept in assembling outfits for the business woman '"today's lifestyle demands clothes that, win perhaps a change of one piece, will adapt to a completely different i' bou," she says. "The new lines will t*e " She can be appropriately, dressed for the office and fa 'addition of a piece of jewelry or a smart look­ ing scarf, she can be ready for a cocktail party or dinner at night. Thai's the kind of flexibility that is demanded of clothes by the Russ' new line of classic de­ signs is their version of clothes that have proven themselves successful. "What we have done to create our new line,** explains Forman, "is to exam­ ine closely the fashions that we d have had < feel have I "We have taken expensive blazers and skirts, analyzed the style, fit. cut and fabric to deter­ mine those elements that are es­ sential to their success. "We then recreate the look less expensively while main­ taining the quality of workman­ ship and fabric. We have ved signi prices through a combination of volume buying of fabric and tight fiscal management of the company." The business woman is in for a pleasant surprise when she shops for her clothes in the main floor fashion departments. An investment of $200 can add two skirts, two pairs of pants, four blouses, and a blazer - all to be mixed-and-matched - lo her wardrobe. "I think it's important," says Forman. "to dress the working woman well, in clothes that are classic and understated and at reasonable prices." NEW WOMEN'S SHOE LINE FOR FALL ©A new fessionaJ new shoe line for pro- ' women, first intro­ duced and test marketed by Johnston A Murphy in fall 1982, will be celebrating its first anniversary with an ex­ panded fall line for 1963. "The fall line follows the fashion trend of shorter hemlines and offers a more open and lower cut in the footwear. We design the women's line of Johnston A Murphy to be the epitome of elegance, comfort and style for the professional women of today." said Bill Dragon, general manager for Johnston A Murphy. Variety of styles Made with the best Euro­ pean leather;, the compa­ ny's fall collection offers a selection of 14 styles with design variations on the vamp and delicate stitching detail with heel heights in the IVi" - 2" range. John­ ston A Murphy's fall line was designed to comple­ ment the classic look in suits and dresses which domi­ nates current fall fashions. Shades will be both darker and brighter. Black and burgundy will remain the most popular darker col­ ors, while Uuipes, greys, lo- den green and plum are also among the most fashionable colors for fall. "This fall, Johnston A Murphy's expanded line will be available in selected shoe salons, specialty shops, better department stores and boutiques in m a n y m a j o r c i t i e s , " Dragon noted. s p u r g e o n s ATTENTION ALL YOU WORKING GUYS AND GALS FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE WE'RE OPEN EVENINGS TIL 8 PM Monday thru Friday FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT Phone 385-4520 ! SALON HOURS: DAILY • TO «. SAT. 8fO 3 McHENRY MARKET PLACE Wo m and rocommond Holono Curtis professional hair earn product* The bottom line... Ways of making your dreary old kitchen look like new again Does your kitchen look grimy, with worn flooring and tired looking appliances? Given today's money crunch, where do you start? With all of it.. if you'll do some of the work yourself. Your time and a minimal investment can do wonders. If your appliances are in good working order you can even up- date them. There is a special epoxy paint designed for this do-it-yourself job. Preparation the key The secret of success is in the preparation before you paint. These tint, which may not be with the directions, will IP™ . give your appliances a good scrubbing, then clean them Main with a lacquer thin­ ner. This will remove hidden rust, dust and soap residue. Chipped areas should then be fille o in with porcelain touch-up paint. Next, lightly sand the whole surface and apply a primer. Once you do this, your p*"* will go on more easily, and with a smoother finish Select a color other than white if the surface is badly damaged. Proper timing important TYy to plan this job when you have time to spare because, no- like latex or oil paint, a second coat of epoxy must be applied within 12 to 24 hours, or before the first coat is completely dry. Epoxy paints can be sprayvd or brushed on. The brusned-on variety requires some mixing of ingredients, but mix only as much as you will use within eight lo 16 hours After that it becomes unstable. And, now for floors and walls. If you're doing this job yourself we suggest no-wax vi­ nyl tiles because they are pliable and easy lo handle. If you want to give your kitchen a com­ pletely new look, extend the tiles up one or aU the walls. DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY far oo-wa* floare, Pwk. ilealj Fr 'at the i linahnid Hp aadyaad--'^ have tartans. If you already hv flooring which has grown dull, this problem may be due to sev­ eral things--wear from traffic, dulling from detergent residue or polish build-up. But, this floor may be reslor- abk. If you've used polish, try stripping the floor with a solu­ tion of one cup ammonia, one- half cup powdered detergent and a gulon of lukewarm water. Let it soak if the problem war­ rants it. For floors that keep shining Then, lo restore the shine and keep it sparkling like new. try Perk- Beauty Freshener. De- 1 specifically for no-wax floors. Perk cleans so your floors are really clean, and brings up the luster at the same time. No And, equally important, there is no build-up. You don't have to rinse, and you woj't have a need to atrip your floor­ ing again. Once you have your kitchen looking like new. it will be easy to keep it that way. (A booklet. "How lo Select and Care for No-Wax Floor­ ing," offers extensive informa­ tion. Send 23d to P.O. Box 1304, Plainfidd,NJ 07061.) Building a fragrance wardrobe Ibday, women want to look terrific, feel marvelous and smell great, and the ute of fra­ grance is no longer regarded as a luxury. Along with fashion that suits their mood the occasion, women have begun to acquire a whole wardrobe of fragrances to be worn at different times. Gone are the days of "signa­ ture'* scents, when a woman al­ ways wore the same fragrance. Now she may chooae to wear a light floral cologne to the office but prefer a woody, oriental per- fume for party-going. When you're trying to find the perfumes and colognes that best reflect your style and the various roles you play, visit drag and department stores and spray tome of the samples on the warm inside of your wrist and elbow. The Aerosol Packaging Council suggests you try only a few at a time before making choices. Sinee it takes about 10 minutes for a fragrance to inter­ act with your skm oils, and at least an hour to fully develop its whole range of scent, don't make your decisions right away. Aerosol s are the ideal form of petfame and cologne pnekag- mg. They provide simple, oo- t a r g e t a p p l i c a t i o n o f t h e fragrance; without waste or Fragrances'have a longer life in aerosols since they are not exposed to the fir, avoiding f "pfUlim ml rrmtaminatinn you like a per­ fume on someone else does not mean you'll like the way it smells on you. Your body chemistry, your own skin ous and the amount you perspire all determine the final effect. What is the beat way lo use fragrance? Start by spraying your wrists, behind your ears, mside the elbows, behind the knees and on the throat. The idea is to spray the warmest parts of the body so that evaporation will be in­ creased and the scent will be 're wearing around the liv- Some clever hostesses spray the inaide of tamnhades so that the warmth of At bulb will re- lease the tcent. Store your perfumes at room temperature. Extreme cold can of perfume, although colognes are not affected. In me summer, a spray pf refrigerated cologne can do the trick to revive your Spray some inside the collar of your coat. If yon're entertain­ ing, spray the same fragrance Developing a fragrance wardrobe will help you feel bet­ ter about yourself You'll know you're projeeth^ a total image of the person yon really are. EXPRESS THE MANY SIDE!'of ya )art perfect to i wo I hey eaa*t pwfcsw assd enlnpi Spray in want spota. I life Car