Karl Lagerfeld - Fashion Advice

Media Platforms Design Team

Harper's Bazaar: The recession is keeping me up at night. My husband tells me I have to cut back on spending, but I'm anxious about shopping on a budget. Can I still look chic while buying cheap?

Karl Lagerfeld: The most important thing is to sleep well. Try to have sweet dreams and no recession nightmares. You have to find out if your husband is telling you to spend less during the crisis as an excuse. Never use the word cheap. Today everybody can look chic in inexpensive clothes (the rich buy them too). There is good clothing design on every level today. You can be the chicest thing in the world in a T-shirt and jeans — it's up to you.

Don't use expensive clothes as a screen for your personal doubts. Be proud of yourself and not only because you wear expensive designer clothes. They are great, but lots of people are happy without them. Don't play the victim: It's too easy. You come first, the clothes later. Reinvent new combinations of what you already own. Play with it. Improvise. Become more creative. Not because you have to, but because you want to. Evolution is the secret for the next step.

HB: With distressed elbows, white T-shirts, and acid-washed jeans all the rage, I am paranoid that my friends will think I have gone to the poorhouse. What impression will I make? Will my friends judge me?

KL: The T-shirt can be impeccable, and the jeans, too. (The body has to be impeccable as well — that helps a lot.) If it's not, buy small sizes and less food. Acid-washed jeans are not new — they existed at the same time as wild shopping did. To reinvent a newly impeccable you in the most modest of outfits, don't skip on makeup, and be sure to have flawless skin and hair. That will have more impact than expensive clothes. And, by the way, what kind of friends do you have? Dress for yourself and the man you love (if there is one). Women dressing to impress other women — forget about that. It's a very bad way of thinking.

HB: My head is in the clouds. I am constantly distracted thinking about my next purchase: a new tuxedo jacket, a ruffled blouse, a strand of pearls. Am I a shopaholic? What should I be buying, anyway?

KL: First, look at the tuxedo you already own. The same goes for the ruffled blouse and the strand of pearls. They all look the same anyway, and they can wait because they're not new. Buy what you don't have yet, or what you really want, which can be mixed with what you already own. Buy only because something excites you, not just for the simple act of shopping. That's a little childish. Going from shop to shop is, perhaps, today considered a form of cultural anxiety. There are more constructive and intelligent ways to spend your time.

HB: I love the shine and bright colors in the spring collections, but I'm a wallflower. Is there a subtle way to incorporate them into my look?

KL: In terms of fashion, those wild prints and bright colors are more from last summer. One gets easily tired of violent prints and wild colors. And if you consider yourself a wallflower, then you better look in another fashion direction. In the city, bright colors and bold prints don't look so great. So if you must wear them, wait for your holiday.

HB: I would love to sport a pair of extra-high sandals to a party, but will I be able to walk in them after a couple of drinks? Some of the models on the runways couldn't stay on their feet!

KL: Please, your question is childish. Don't drink when you wear stilettos. I can't advise you to get drunk at home to find out if you would be able to walk in them at a party. Plus, you aren't on the runway. Life should not be a fashion show. Only the girls in the shows have to wear unfinished prototypes. What you see later in the shops are safe — or safer. Naomi Campbell became a showstopper when she fell in her Vivienne Westwood platforms during a show. You don't have to go that high. If you're short, you can look out of proportion. Very high heels actually look better on tall girls, but men hate to walk around with giants who make them feel like midgets.

HB: I get depressed thinking I can't pull off the bondage trend that was all over the catwalk. What is the best way to wear it without looking like an S&M fanatic?

KL: You should forget all about that look if you question it. There are other trends this season you can carry off. Looking like an S&M fanatic without being one is grotesque. I am very much against looks that put women under what I call "permanent sexual alarm." That can be very embarrassing for others — and, when not followed by action, it's also kind of ridiculous. Don't wear what you question, wear what you think is right for you. If you want to play a part, look for other styles. S&M fanatic should not be your first option.

HB: I love all of the transparency on the runways, but I am no exhibitionist. What am I supposed to wear under all of the sheer fabrics without having a wardrobe malfunction?

KL: That is easy today. There are great flesh-colored bodysuits everywhere. But why go into this seven-veils-dance business if you're a prude? Look at romantic styles: They make for an easy look, although they can be boring. You may look like a confused person if you wear things without being 100 percent convinced that they are perfect for you and your life.

HB: I have OCD about wearing black. How can I brighten up my life?

KL: Black, like white, is the best color! They both look great with added color touches like red.

HB: Bright red lipstick, major chandelier earrings: I am constantly searching for fashion pick-me-ups. What do you think are the newest mood boosters?

KL: I am not sure the new "mood boosters" are in fashion! This is perhaps the moment to think things over. Is your life that flat that you need a new lift all the time? Some people would call you superficial, but as your doctor, I say: Try to look a little deeper into yourself. Fashion is important, but it's not the only permanent booster. Change your hairdo. Reinvent your look. Start at the beginning. Look at yourself honestly, and don't ask me to tell you what you want to hear. I am not here only to please you. My job is also to tell you that it's time for a little change. I hope you don't mind.

HB: In the '80s, I could pull off a micro-miniskirt, sheer hose, and shoulder pads without a worry. Now that the silhouette is back, I am compulsive about getting my figure flawless once again. Is this look a fleeting trend or is it here to stay?

KL: This look is not back for people who wore it when it was new. And why did you let your "flawless figure" go? Good excuse, but it explains your need to hide behind shopping trophies. Get that famous figure back, but forget about looks from 25 years ago. Don't touch them — there are enough new and different looks in fashion for your "flawless figure" when it returns, and I hope it's soon. These are fleeting trends, like all retro looks. Explore what's next in fashion.

HB: I am suffering from split personalities: Do I go for glamour or keep a low-key fashion profile in these tough economic times?

KL: Better a split personality than no personality at all. If you have that feeling, it's a good sign. It means there is enough personality to split in two, but it doesn't say which is the most interesting. Forget the "economic times" and think about what is right for this moment in your life. There is a certain kind of glamour that is terribly dated. The red-carpet look needs to be reinvented, but since you are not a movie star, the only carpet you have to dazzle on is your own.

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