RUNWAY TO REALITY : Cool, Calm and Cost-Conscious
- Share via
What You Want: A summer outfit that can take the heat and hold up to a professional dress code.
If You’re Flush: Calvin Klein’s lightweight silk pants suit in charcoal gray, with a single-button, collarless jacket and wide-leg, elastic-waist pants. He shows it with a simple silk camisole. Available at at Saks Fifth Avenue, Beverly Hills, Klein’s suit is casual, comfortable and chic--but not cheap: the jacket costs $590, the pants, $480.
Total: $870
If You’re Not: Express’ tissue-silk jacket and matching pants. This week at the Beverly Center store, the outfit is specially priced: The jacket is $48 and the pants are $29.40--less than one-tenth the price of the designer label.
Total: $77.40
Bottom Line: Klein’s boxy jacket hangs with a flattering drape. His charcoal gray silk fabric has a rich-looking matte finish. The single-button closure and besom pockets give the jacket a smooth, sophisticated line. Klein’s pants have a long, straight leg, while the Express pants are pegged at the ankle. The less-expensive suit is made of a silk fabric that has a shiny finish, and the patch pockets tend to emphasize the hips. It comes in a variety of colors.
