April 2008

Jennifer Nikerle, 25, the subject of April's "Does This Outfit Work?" story, feels most comfortable in neutral colors, but worries that she can end up looking washed-out and drab. So here's what we did to help her out:

• Swapped her white leather bag for a similar style in light brown, so it would pop a bit against her outfit.

• Traded her belted white jacket for a boxier, cropped style that showed off her printed top.

"It's tricky to dress in creams and khakis: You can look like you're wearing a uniform," says fashion news director Jen Ford. "Both her bag and jacket had big buckles, for example—it was all too matchy. So we simplified everything, and emphasized some of the darker hues: Just those little changes did so much."

Jennifer's reaction: "This jacket fits me better—and it really lets you see the polka-dot top, which I love. I also like how the bag complements the shirt so nicely."

The items we chose: