Q: Everything seems to be stretch these days -- is a navy business suit out of stretchy material a good investment?

A: It probably is. Stretch is good: Look for a fabric that feels nice - fine quality, lightweight, tightly woven Merino wool with 2% to 5% Lycra, for instance. Some nylon, rayon and polyester blends also work well. The fabric shouldn't LOOK stretchy, it should stretch just enough to be a little more comfortable and a lot less wrinkle-able.

So a navy suit with some stretch is definitely a good investment as long as you are a person who has someplace to wears suits. A professional woman I know bought one this year and says she's practically worn it to death. It's as comfortable as pajamas, but you look like a dressed-up grown-up. If you work in a casual office/industry, you might be better off with a navy skirt, a pair of pants, and a cardigan sweater. But you knew that.

Something that's looking surprisingly new and fresh and desirable is that old duo, the skirt and blouse. Blouses had sort of disappeared for a few years, and now they look almost exotic. Tailored shirts are fine, too, but the ladylike silk blouse with a pussycat bow at the throat -- think Catherine Deneuve in YSL -- made a big splash for fall. Weird, huh?

Patricia McLaughlin is a nationally syndicated fashion columnist.
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