Fort Smith, legendary jewelry and clothing designer to Hollywood’s black elite and Chicago’s high society alike, says that you, too can live the life of the black socialite, if you know how to dress the part of an heiress, that is.
With a clean, old-money look, you can attract the right invitations and perhaps the baller that can upgrade you for real.
Smith shares his best summer wardrobe tips for today’s up-and-coming social climber.
1. High society prefers elegant, yet simple wardrobe basics.
“Simple elegance is always true. Make sure that you don’t overemphasize or overdress for the occasion,” Smith advises.
To that point, you can’t go wrong with a simple black A-line dress, or a fitted two-piece skirt suit or pantsuit for the summer.
2. Let your accessories do the talking, and call the attention to you.
“Accessorizing the suit would bring a level of elegance that is unimaginable,” Smith says.
“Keeping it simple and elegant sends a message. Wearing a simple black dress with a Swarovski crystal necklace, when you wear a piece like that, whether it’s your husband or a single man, he understands that if he’s going to date you, or get married to you, he has to spend that money because you’re a lady of quality to wear a piece that’s so simple but yet elegant and powerful.
3. Shop smart; you don’t have to spend a lot of money to look like you have money.“It’s about taking care of the pocket financially and still having something new,” Smith says. “Instead of spending $300 on a new dress, why not spend $70 on new accessories that will change the dress into being a new dress? Prince William and Kate’s wedding inspired me with the dazzle. I created a three-tier earring in Swarovski crystal that [is] very regal and just very stunning. Also, it inspired me to create some hats. I did a series of six to eight hats for the Red Hatters.
“We do a lot of scarves, bracelets and necklaces and then I might do a skirt that one could use as a wraparound skirt and then there’s an attachment that makes it a more appropriate skirt for an evening dinner or a social of sort. All you have to do is change the top.”
4. Display “the girls” tastefully.
“Top-heavy women, everyone always say downplay, but I say emphasize the girls. Let them be pointy and curved out, and underneath them you bring that out with straps and belts and ties, and then you are able to curve your way into the piece.
“The bottom of the shirt will flare [out] for you and then complement the delicious hips allowing them to … give you a bigger curve at the bottom.
“I recommend for the heavy-top girls for corporate to do a lot of lightweight jackets for the summer and camisoles underneath with accessories, natural shell necklaces for the summer, not expensive shells, a set of jewelry that might cost you $30 or $40.”
“It takes away if you choose the focus on the girls and it allows you to focus on a complete silhouette as opposed to focusing in on one particular thing, we focus on the whole body,” he says.
5. Strategically show a little skin.
“To the ladies that are smaller at the top, let those arms out and let those legs show. Men are tired of looking at those tights and the leggings, they want the legs back. And bring those dresses above the knee. Give the brothers something to look at in the summer in terms of legs and fashion,” says Smith.
Fort Smith says the hottest color of the summer for socialites is orange and leopard prints, however, he encourages the social climber to dabble in every hue under the rainbow.
Photos by Bernard Williams.
