FASHION AND BEAUTY TIPS

Red carpet round table: The best and the worst of the Met Gala

Now that fashion week, the Globes and the Oscars are all done, we’ve been starved for serious red carpet action for the past couple of months. Last night’s Metropolitan Museum of Art Gala in New York at least promised to give us fodder for red carpet punditry. The theme was American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity–the exhibit currently on at the Met’s Costume Institute and the most awaited guest of the evening was the American fashion force Lady Gaga. She didn’t show up on the red carpet and the result was a mostly-expected line-up of dresses. (Though even Gaga wore an Armani bodysuit that was near-identical to the one she wore at the Oscars, so yawn.) Diane Kruger’s blazingly white Calvin Klein was the clear winner of the evening, but Gap’s “collaborations” with Rodarte, Sophie Theallet, Thakoon and Alexander Wang were an almost universal disappointment.
After the jump, features director Leah Rumack, fashion market editor Sarah Casselman and I dish on the best, the worst and the most, um, interesting ensembles of the night.
Topics: Anne Hathaway, Brooke Shields, Chanel Iman, Chloë Sevigny, Diane Kruger, Gisele Bündchen, January Jones, Katy Perry, M.I.A., Met Ball, Naomi Watts, Nicole Richie, Rachel Bilson, Red carpet, Vera Farmiga, Zoe Saldana

Wardrobe Basics - Items Every Women should have?

Weather you are just starting out in this world and need to put a foundation wardrobe in place or if you are giving your wardrobe a refresher here are some wardrobe ideas to help you get started.

Two pairs of dark slacks - either black or navy blue. Go with a slim cut in a wool crepe or a seasonless cotton.

One pair of dark slacks for the evening with a fuller cut. These can be a fabric that drapes either a light wool or jersey mix.

Two pairs of jeans -one hemmed for heels and the other hemmed for flats. Jeans that are hemmed for heels you should see just the toe box.

Three skirts - a pencil skirt, a A-line skirt which incidentally looks good on all body types and a skirt in a neutral fabric so you can mix and match with others items like tweed, wool or boucle.

Shirts - A white button front shirt and a few t-shirts.

Three sweaters - The fabric should be a lightweight, merino or cashmere.

• One should be black and match your black trousers.
• The second one should be more neutral like off-white, camel or taupe.
• The third sweater should just simple be a sweater that you love and feel great in. Nothing too dressy - one you can wear to the office and with jeans.

Two Jackets

• A tailored jacket that matches your black pants.
• A sporty leather jacket

Three coats

• A classic trench coat or raincoat with a zip -out wool liner for multiple seasons.
• A knee-length transition coat that works for day and night.
• A winter coat in a wool or cashmere blend or if you live in a warmer climate try tropical wool.

Dress

• A little black dress

Three Bags

• A classic leather style with clean lines that works for everything.
• A catch all fun tote bag
• A envelope shaped, bracelet style for the evening.

Shoes (5 pairs)

• A pair of black pumps 2.5-3.5 inch heel in a the current style.
• A evening shoe with a close toe in a black satin.
• A pair of tall black boots
• Bad-weather boots
• A pair of sneakers or tennis shoes.