Does a new party always mean a new outfit?

JAKARTA (JP): Picture this. You have the invitation in your hand, a perfect date and a great party to attend, but what you're doing is grumbling over your far-from-empty closet, complaining that you have nothing to wear. Sound familiar, eh?

"It happens to me all the time," admitted 23-year-old Anna Budhi. "Almost all of my honorariums as an event organizer goes to my favorite designer, because in a month I have to wear at least five new dresses, especially for parties or other social gatherings."

Model Donna Harun, who receives many invitations to parties, allocates a special fund for her wardrobe each month. "It's not huge," she says, refusing to specify the exact amount. "Because I am very picky in accepting invitations. I will check the dress code as one my first considerations for attending." Donna admitted that sometimes she skipped parties because of a wardrobe problems. "As long as it's not an important event," she says. To her, getting dressed up for a party mostly means having a new outfit.

"I disagree with those who keep saying this phenomenon only happens in the female world. I think it is a genderless issue; there are men who get a headache just trying to match a tie with his party suit. The easiest solution is just to get a new one. Even my 8-year-old son cried for a new outfit for his buddy's birthday party," she added.

Donna laughed when asked about how big her dress collection was, saying she donated her old clothes to the needy, including her own relatives and orphanages.

That's why Anna Budhi supports a collaboration between party organizers and fashion designers. "Like at the Oscar ceremony, where all the celebrities have the opportunity to wear a designer's gown for free. I think it's a great solution so we don't have to buy a new and expensive dress that will be worn only once. We won't wear it again because it has already been exposed to the public," she said.

The poor old clothes! Don't they have enough appeal to be worn to more than one party? They sure do.

Sonny Muchlison, senior fashion editor at Femina magazine, and entertainer Debby Sahertian are of the opinion that there is a million ways to wear the same outfit by giving it a new look.

"I attend dozens of parties in a month," said Muchlison. "Sometimes even two occasions on the same day."

Even though he does not always wear a new outfit, he makes sure the clothes have a different look.

He revealed his secret of mixing and matching his outfits. "I just wear my own four or five-piece outfits, adding an Indonesian ethnic touch to it such as a batik sarong, long selendang scarf or even creating my own sarong from ulos or other traditional cloth."

For a recent cocktail party, for example, Muchlison put an ordinary batik sarong, which was a sogan brown color, together with a maroon long-sleeve shirt plus a light-colored vest. For the evening event he added a jacket in a contrasting color for a more formal appearance.

"Sometimes I wear both long and short-sleeve shirts with contrasting colors and fold their collars into one. You can try it, the result is always amazing," he suggested.

Debby Sahertian has a similar trick. Thanks to an earlier career as a model, she learned a lot about the importance of having a basic wardrobe.

"I only collect classic outfits with plain but strong colors, mostly black and red," she said. She purchases some of her wardrobe when she was abroad. "Those classic designer label dresses are never out of date. I can recycle its appearance by adding a little detail such as a scarf or matching it with trendy jacket. I can even just add some glittering accessories, and abracadabra I have a new look for my old outfit."

Both Sonny Muchlison and Debby Sahertian agree that appearing at one's best at a party or other social gathering requires the perfect outfit, but this does not always mean a new outfit.

"The key is creativity," says Muchlison.

-- Agni Amorita