Getting some fashion tips from 'The Starter Wife'

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Getting some fashion tips from 'The Starter Wife'

Published: Thursday, November 20, 2008

When "The Starter Wife" got a new life, star Debra Messing had to ditch the lady-who-lunched wardrobe and start wearing more professional clothes.

It was time for a tweed jacket, a black turtleneck and nude-colored peep-toe pumps, says Agata Maskiewicz, costume designer for the USA network show. She is charged with putting together the closet in the now more budget-conscious home of Messing's character Molly Kagan.

Any busy woman juggling many roles can learn from Molly's new look:

Start with high-quality base pieces. A Chanel textured jacket, for example, never gets wrinkled and instantly elevates any outfit, even if you wear it with a T-shirt and jeans.

The perfect jeans. Trend doesn't matter here, fit does. Get a pair that flatters your shape and, ideally, have an in-between length that can accommodate both flat shoes and moderate heels.

Peep-toe pumps. You still will have to splurge on a pedicure, Maskiewicz says, but they are appropriate for many more occasions than sandals. A nude-colored shoe has a polished look, but it's also not too heavy or dressy. It complements most colors - and it will make your legs look longer.

Pearls. To keep them from looking stuffy or stodgy, try layering jewelry pieces of different sizes and with varying sizes of beads.

Black turtleneck or a sleeveless black turtleneck, depending on climate. Maskiewicz paraphrases Yves Saint Laurent, saying that a black turtleneck is the ultimate in elegance - and an item that could take a woman anywhere, anytime.

Associated Press