Secretary chic
By Jennifer Campbell
Around here, I am sometimes known, style wise, as the sexy secretary. I assume this is because of my predilection for pencil skirts as opposed to my filing skills, which are nil. Happily, the fall runways (to say nothing of Mad Men) were full of strict, administratively-inspired outfits.
Pencil skirt, crisp blouse, lipstick, heels. It’s a formula and every piece is crucial—especially the shoes. Flats and a fitted knee-length skirt always equals stumpy for me so I’m keeping one eye on my local Payless (payless.com) for the imminent arrival the Abaeté Nell peep-toe pump (shown, $60) to give me a little height. Part of designer Laura Poretzky’s eighth collection for the shoe chain, this beauty, and the rest of the seven piece line of shoes, boots and handbags, was paraded down the runway at Abaeté’s fall ready-to-wear show. Poretzky brought the same Madame Grès-meets-medieval inspiration of her main collection to these fabulously affordable accessories, mixing the pretty folded fabric of the Nell with tough metal studs that say, “Don’t mess with my stapler.”
