(Continued from front.)

jacket with rounded neckline and hem, zip front closure, short or long sleeve). Black, navy or camel suit separates are perfect pieces for building a foundation wardrobe as they can easily mix and match with other components in the wardrobe. To avoid looking like you got dressed in the dark, match separates with contrasting colors for best effect (i.e.: camel jacket with brown pants and orange sweater). Unless you purchase separates from the same collection, colors such as black or navy will not match perfectly due to dye lots resulting in an “off” look (there are zillions of shades of black.)

How do you tell if your suit needs pitching?

• Jacket - too long or boxy, wide lapels, large buttons, huge shoulder pads

• Skirts - front pleats, gathered waistlines, full widths (bulky fabric), incorrect lengths (see section on hem lengths)

• Pants - front pleats, wide legs, tapered legs (narrow at ankle), too short

• All Over Fit - patterns (funky prints), unflattering color for skin tone, unfashionable colors, wrong fabric (too shiny, worn), detailing (excess embellishment, large hardware) ■

What started out as a uniform for miners, cowboys, railroad workers and farmers in the 19th century, more than a hundred years later, dungarees have grown to be one of the most prestigious garments in the wardrobe. German immigrant, Levi Strauss, was one of the founding fathers in the development of what we now call “blue jeans.” During the California Gold Rush, Strauss made durable pants for miners out of fabric from Italy called “genes.”

The official birthday of jeans is credited in 1873 when Levi Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis patented the riveted design to keep jeans from ripping at critical stress points such as pockets and zippers. It wasn’t until the baby boom era around 1960 that the traditional name for workpants, “waist overalls” was changed to “jeans.” ■