The season of style is upon us in Lipstick Red

Lipstick Red	Now we’re talking.  A touch of blue in your Bordeaux. This is not fire-engine red or cranberry.  It is deeply red.  Get ready for leather.
Pantone says	A deeper, more dramatic sensual red makes its imprint on fall, particularly in cosmetics.
Priority Item	Renoir Red lipstick from Marilyn Miglin.  The original, classic formula in gold.  It’s the perfect red for Fall 2010, presented with understated elegance.  Still, no matter how great it looks on your lips or fingertips, never ever touch up at the table.
$	Start by editing the reds you likely have in hand: Lips, nails, clothing, outerwear, accessories, shoes…  Narrow down to the vital few that meet the color expectation, and then stop.  If you have no Lipstick Reds in anything, you have permission from The Epaulettes to take a few dollars to the flea market.  Have fun, you deserve a great red!
$$	If this is your red (like Admiral Tzu), find a new silk blouse or sweater.  Remember quality counts, not where you shop or how much you spend.  A little sheen or shine is OK, and it will serve you well through the holidays.  You are buying red, so this is a highly reusable wardrobe basic.  If this is not your red (like Admiral Mu), it is your new pedicure color.
$$$	One word: Leather.  Perhaps a divine briefcase or journal cover, or a skirt in your perfect shape.  Oooohhh…boots!
$$$$	It’s time to switch out the rugs.  Bring back the antique orientals that are flooded with Persian red.
Caution	Red is essential, and Lipstick Red is lush.  The amount of red in your wardrobe, whether it is on you or around you, must suit you.  Be true to your signature style.  If it is not your red, don’t force it.

The season of style is upon us in Living Coral

Living Coral	Kidding, right?  This is pink. Maybe salmon.  Coral is orangey red.  I don’t get it.  Accessories, perhaps.
Pantone says	A softer, more inviting orange with a hint of pink undertone.  The perfect complement to Lagoon, whether heading for a tropical destination or just fantasizing about it.
Priority Item	Large or long chiffon solid color scarf. Sheer is good.  Layer it over knits and leathers.  Wrap it around your nasty (but toasty!) knit hat and knot it behind your neck.  The scarf ends will trail behind you, elegantly, while the functional fabric keeps your woolies in place.
$	The chiffon scarf may be a perfect flea market or thrift store find, especially at this time of year!  Just remember to stick with solids.  If you can’t find it, look for tulle remnants: two layers of pink and one orange then baby you got it!
$$	Do a little online digging for a vintage pink mohair sweater.  The vintage wools have the more natural color that includes a touch of coral.  If it’s too much to wear or your can’t find your size, throw it over the back of your chair at the office.
$$$	Think jewelry.  Whether you raid your grandmother’s stash or head to a department store, look for large transparent or translucent beads.  Carved or natural pink coral is the opaque target.  In a big stony pin, this color makes a perfect landing on your Endive collar.
$$$$	Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rose 1998…for breakfast...wearing Harry Winston's padparadscha saapphire. One look at this stone and all of a sudden Living Coral seems essential to life itself.
Caution	We are not talking baby pink or poodle pink.  Don’t go there.

The season of style is upon us in Golden Glow

Golden Glow	Gorgeous.  Do not be afraid.  This is one color that will—used judiciously—make your Fall 2010 wardrobe the stuff of legend.
Pantone says	Reminiscent of a radiant sunset on a brisk autumn evening, an earthy deepened shade of yellow, creates a retro look with Purple Orchid or Woodbine.
Priority Item	Clean, high-polish copper.  No burnishing, etching or patina.  The bigger the better.
$	Glam up the glow.  Find a big plastic accessory that you already have, and spray paint copper over orange.  Just be sure to get the paint that is specifically made for plastics: Chipping on the subway totally ruins the effect.
$$	This strong color translates beautifully through the gentle, soft silks and the very lightest knits.  In the right fabric, a strong statement in Golden Glow will grant you a competitive advantage in your field and elevate your good taste.  Stay away from the dense or shiny silks (charmeuse, damask and satin) and heavier knits.
$$$	This is the lead color for After Five.  Glowing copper velvet.  Deep sunset beading over graphite silk or steel angora, offset by a touch of anything else in the Fall 2010 palette.
$$$$	Grab hold of the Great Pumpkin.  That’s what we call the hand-held fireplace that Harry Winston placed on Halle Barry’s finger for the 2002 Oscars.
Caution	Too much of a good thing really can be bad.  If you must purchase a solid color knit suit in Golden Glow (likely vintage), please consult the designer or any psychiatrist prior to accessorizing.

The season of style is upon us in Endive

Endive	Isn’t that divine?  I do believe that if I saw endive this color in the produce section I’d pass.  Too much green to be ecru, not enough green to be celadon.
Pantone says	A revitalizing yellow-green, adds freshness to this season’s top ten, and will enliven any wardrobe. Add it to Lagoon, Chocolate Truffle and Purple Orchid for an invigorating fall look.
Priority Item	This color is a great neutral in small amounts.  Find it in fur.  If not the real thing, then by all means go for some petroleum-based faux-pseudo-un-fur fur product.  Oh, come on, it’s just putting cheddar next to Velveeta.  They look the same at a distance but one is organic and the other is chemical art.
$	Scan the flea markets for fur pieces and the fabric stores for remnants.  A little will go a long way.  Seriously.
$$	Update a suitable coat or jacket with a fur collar or fur-like scarf.  Indoors, wear the scarf with a blouse or sweater and one of grandma’s pins.
$$$	Same as $$, and bump the quality.  Do not go overboard on quantity or you will look like a blob of baby puke on its way to the park.
$$$$	You really don’t need our help to spend that much money.
Caution	If you get your Endive next to a healthy dose of Woodbine and Oyster Gray you’ll likely get shipped to a war zone.  That’s not a bad thing in and of itself but let’s face it, if you’re reading Art of Wardrobe you’re not likely prep’d for military action of the bullet variety.

The 2010 season of style is upon us

The heavens are changing once again, thankfully in their own predictable style.  Yes, it's just the onset of Autumn with cooling winds, falling leaves and thickening fabrics.  It happens every year, yet somehow it seems to take us by surprise.  

Why is that?  Because we are told that with the onset of Autumn we must spend on clothes in new colors, cars with new lines, and tablecloths with tassels from yet another Terra Firma territory.  And we are told which colors, cars, and tablecloth tassels we must add to our wardrobes if our fields will be competition-ready.  

Nonsense.  That the messages to spend and change will be masterly spun from every medium is profoundly predictable.  You, your wardrobe and style must be anything but predictable.  In this way only will you expand the arsenal that is your wardrobe, adorn yourself and your fields with timely style, and retain your gold. 

How is that possible when billions in gold and silver have been given to others so that you may be told your own mind? Watch and learn.  

Last February, when we were all pondering the encroaching Spring, the Leaders of Wardrobe gathered to share knowledge of Fall 2010 fashion among the favored few. That's fine, because they need to get keep their stories straight and you don't need the distraction.  

Well, now it's time.  These are your tactical wardrobe colors and changes for Fall 2010.   Please notice how we did not say Must Haves because the mere idea that you "must have" something in order to present yourself well is...say it together...crap. And please don't make every change or buy every color.  This is about you, and your signature style.  It's just a seasonal update.  Look through all that you have, first, then plan what you will look for in the shops.

First, color.  

What, did you miss it?  OK, again, slowly this time. Click a color, and if we've completed our pearls of wisdom a window into our world will open.  

      

To destroy is not so good

Sun Tzu said: In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them.



The Epaulettes say: [[[divorce?  relationships?]]] When practicing the art of wardrobe in competition for your enemy's field, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's field whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good, because once it becomes yours it will have less value and you'll need to clean or fix everything.  So, too, it is better to win the respect and admiration of your enemy's army than to destroy even a single soldier and his or her field.   

The Cost of Wardrobe

Sun Tzu said: In the operations of war, where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots, as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand mail-clad soldiers, with provisions enough to carry them a thousand li, the expenditure at home and at the front, including entertainment of guests, small items such as glue and paint, and sums spent on chariots and armor, will reach the total of a thousand ounces of silver per day. Such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000 men.


The Epaulettes say: In the operations of wardrobe, where there are in the field a thousand silk blouses, as many pairs of shoes, and a hundred thousand well-wardrobed competitors for your field with money enough to carry them through a thousand malls, expenditure on wardrobing your home, your work and your leisure, including entertainment of guests, small items such as hair gel and makeup, and sums spent on dry cleaning and accessories, must be accommodated within your budget.  Knowledge lowers the cost of creating and maintaining your wardrobe.  The cost of creating and maintaining your wardrobe does not determine its value or your worth. 

Heaven rules your day, your wardrobe and your field

Sun Tsu said: Heaven signifies night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons. 

The Epaulettes say: Heaven signifies night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons. We couldn't agree more.

As the heavens change, so do we.  Our outlook, looks at each other and looks at our inner and outer selves change with the time of day, the time of year and the temperature.  Longer term trends in our life cycle, politics, society and individual life cycles also influence our competition, responses and fields.

We do not pretend to make decisions for you.  We do not accept your abdication of decision-making in favor of fads and wannabe Wardrobe Leaders.  We encourage you to make appropriate decisions, and attempt to share the knowledge, experience, expertise and tools you need to wardrobe your self, your life and your environments with excellent taste and signature style.

And so we begin with the colors of Fall Fashion 2010.  We will expand our focus on change to include many items that legitimate Wardrobe Leaders consider Priority Items, so that you may decide what to choose to from your existing wardrobe, and how to enhance your wardrobe to the greatest field advantage.

We will continue with field intelligence on fabrics, flowers, destinations and much more.    

Follow your wardrobe leader into the field, fearlessly

Sun Tsu said: The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.

The Epaulettes say: The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with those who rule the world of wardrobe, so that they follow without regard to their own habits, undismayed by any suggestion of style.

Streep
Neeson
Loren

The matter of life

Sun Tsu said: It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.

The Epaulettes say: Wardrobe is a matter of life over which you have control.  Hence your choices determine how the matter of wardrobe influences your life toward safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.

The Five Factors

Sun Tsu said: The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field.  These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; (4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline. 

The Epaulettes say: The art of wardrobe, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations, when trying to decide what to wear and how to style everything in the field. These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; (4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline. 

State of Being

Sun Tzu said: The art of war is of vital importance to the State. 

The Epaulettes say: The art of wardrobe is of vital importance to your State of being.


And this is where we write our great glorious wisdom, complete with pictures and everything else.  I'm going to past these two sentences a zillion times just to make it look like there's some text.


And this is where we write our great glorious wisdom, complete with pictures and everything else.  I'm going to past these two sentences a zillion times just to make it look like there's some text.And this is where we write our great glorious wisdom, complete with pictures and everything else.  I'm going to past these two sentences a zillion times just to make it look like there's some text.

And this is where we write our great glorious wisdom, complete with pictures and everything else.  I'm going to past these two sentences a zillion times just to make it look like there's some text.And this is where we write our great glorious wisdom, complete with pictures and everything else.  I'm going to past these two sentences a zillion times just to make it look like there's some text.And this is where we write our great glorious wisdom, complete with pictures and everything else.  I'm going to past these two sentences a zillion times just to make it look like there's some text.  

And this is where we write our great glorious wisdom, complete with pictures and everything else.  I'm going to past these two sentences a zillion times just to make it look like there's some text.

The Art of Wardrobe

You are engaged in war, every day, with forces that want to take possession of your money and your self-esteem. They employ smart and sophisticated tactics that erode your best defenses common sense and confidence. They convince you to place your gold in their hands.

Victory is your smart, confident presentation of your signature self to your world on your terms.

As we present The Art of Wardrobe, you will change nearly every facet of your wardrobe: Clothing, accessories, fragrance, cosmetics, skin care, your environments and your mind.

We’re not saying that every wardrobe decision you’ve made is wrong, or that every marketing message is a lie. Certainly your own good common sense, and that of a few others, has done you much good. And there are a few truths out there in the realms of fashion and beauty conventional wisdom. On the whole, however, what you read, see and hear about all you buy, smell, feel and taste is absolute rubbish. And that’s being polite.

We want you to employ critical thinking, own your decisions and take back your purchase power. We want you to apply your limited resources to the best possible presentation of your signature self within your world.