August 2008

Maria Martyak, featured in our August "Does This Outfit Work?" story, was looking for a summery outfit that could transition seamlessly from office to going out. Here's how we helped her get it right:

- Switched her black closed-toe pumps to silver open-toe wedges.

- Replaced her short black chiffon scarf with a longer cotton one in a soft cream hue.

"Maria's original outfit felt heavy, despite her bare arms and legs, plus the combination of the small dark scarf and the tight tank played up the fact that she's more narrow up top," says fashion news director Jen Ford. "So we gave her a longer, paler scarf, which helped balance out her figure. Adding an open-toe, lighter shoe really helped with the overall feel of the outfit, too."

Maria's reaction: "I think my style is pretty chic, but after looking at the original picture, I saw that the outfit could be a bit boring, with only whites and blacks to play with. I love the open-toe shoes—they move away from my staple of black stilettos but would still match just about anything in my wardrobe."

The items we chose: