It's everchanging, always new. . . and believe it or not, there really is more than one look that is right for you.

What a joy to be alive now, when YOU, the individual, is important. Gone are the days of "The Slave of Fashion". Hemlines range from above the ankle to way above the knee. The flared shape, the straight shape, the tent shape. . . the belted look. . . they are all here. They are all NOW. Choosing the clothes for the part you want to play can be a challenge as well as an adventure.

What is fashion anyway? It is a means by which you can tell the world about you! If you want to paint a picture, you would first have to decide on what you wanted the picture to say to the people who will see it. Next, you will need the tools that will allow you to paint this picture. Just as in painting, you would need charcoal, paper or canvas, paints, etc. So, too, in fashion, you would need the dress or suit, scarves, belts, jewelry, handbags, hose (so important to the look today), and shoes. These items make up the total look which is the total you of the moment!

Want to be kicky and groovy one day, and sweet and demure the next? You can, you just have to know the tricks.

Let us take for example tow gals currently on The Edge of Night. Nancy Karr (Ann Flood) and Nicole Travis (Maeve McGuire). Both of them are tall, svelte, dark-haired, fine-boned, and extremely pretty. And what's more, they both want the same man--- charming Mike Karr! So what will determine the differences between them?

Fortunately for me as a costume designer, I would examine the character of these two gals and use this as my yardstick in dressing them, but you need your own whim and imagination to dress the part you want to play.

Nancy, the normal settled homebody, dresses conservatively. Her colors are rich; the lines of her clothes are tailored close to her body. Her choice of shoes is subdued--- pumps, mostly, chosen either to match or enhance the basic color she wears. Suits are her forte. She loves sweaters and skirts, too. They're easy to wear, and they fit the image she presents to her world. They fit in very well with the life she leads. Nancy is a lovely, feminine woman, who contributes warmth and loving care to her family and friends.

Now, Nicole is quite a crafty lady. She wants her own way and will stop at nothing to get it. She took a good look at Nancy the night she was invited to the Karrs, and realized then and there that she would have to use some ammunition to attract Mike away from so lovely and warm a woman as Nancy. Nicole decided to give up her elegant, expensive way of dressing and pursue the more exciting, eye-catching, and groovy world of Mod Fashion in hopes that this would attract Mike and win him over to her side.

Her hemlines rose drastically. Remember when she first met Mike? She was sedate; her clothes demurely stopped at her knee. Now she wears them mid-thigh. Naturally, with the rise in hemline, attention was focused on her legs, and Nicole---with impeccable fashion sense--- immediately employed textured stockings and colored panty-hose to complete the look she wanted to achieve.

Shoes, too, now are a very important fashion accessory for Nicole. Before, they complimented or matched an outfit (very much like Nancy's way of dressing, remember?). Now they swing wildly from satin-bowed, sling-back pump for dress wear, to clunky-heeled buckled and tongued shoe for sportswear.

Nicole wears separates, too---but with a difference. Her blouses are often the see-through variety (she wears these with a body stocking. Nicole is always in good taste!). Her wardrobe includes: Hip-huggers, bell-bottoms, and yes, even cullottes. And ever notice how I use scarves on her? I tie them as you would a man's tie, or just knot them and let them fall gracefully.

I may have also found that in spite of her delicately structured face, large important jewelry was more effective for The Look. Nancy, on the other hand, wears quiet, soft jewels.

While it is true that Nicole Travis is very wealthy, it is not true that you need lots of money to throw your hat in the fashion ring. What you need is imagination, color, sense, wit, and a great deal of courage. Just decide what you want to be---and dress the part!