The Perfect View

The CAbi trunk show provides fashion without the stress

WITH fashion constantly in flux, there are probably those who wish getting dressed in the morning were as easy as tapping their closets with a magic wand and having them fill up with clothes that are on season and on the mark -- fashionable without the sins of being too trendy or too conservative (read: boring).

You might say stylishness without stress is the key to CAbi, a personal shopper-driven clothing line offering two collections a year, for spring/summer and fall/winter.

The name stands for Carol Anderson by invitation, after the designer who started the line and her concept of private fashion presentations in which hosts invite a handful of friends for a few hours of fun and shopping.

Judith Brower brought CAbi to Hawaii this year, as an independent consultant, after learning about it during a visit with her sister in Boise, Idaho, last Christmas.

"I loved the concept of trunk shows, and I loved the clothes because they fit real women's' bodies. We have hips; we have these things," Brower said, patting her thighs.

"Women want their jeans to be flattering, and Carol completely understands a woman's figure. She takes a lot of time with details such as placement of pockets.

"A lot of clients say they like the fact that the jeans have Lycra, and even if you have to hem, you don't lose the leg. Even if you have to hem 5 inches, like me, they still fall nicely."

And Brower's a tough customer, having worked in the fashion industry for 25 years, in high-end retail and most recently as a personal shopper. In helping others organize their closets and wardrobes, Brower is well acquainted with the phenomenon of the full closet containing "nothing to wear."

That's because few shoppers have the wherewithal to actually build a wardrobe. Instead, many shop without a plan, perhaps buying the prettiest thing they see without considering its impracticality, or shopping for whatever's on sale without considering colors that don't match anything else they own or that at season's end it might already be out of style.

"I'm guilty of that myself, and that's one of the reasons I took on this line," Brower said.

CAbi aims to solve closet dilemmas with separates that range from sizes 0 to 16, and XS to XL, and covering a price range of $39 for a camisole top to $298 for a leather jacket. The line covers all of today's necessities, from tissue tees meant for layering, to plush velour hoodies and wraps that could double as skirts.

"The idea is to keep it simple but always look fashionable and put together," Brower said. "CAbi's colors are coordinated from season to season so you can utilize all of your wardrobe. This season some of the key things are the crisp white shirt and jeans worn with a big wide belt. Next season, you may have to trade the wide belt for a narrower one, but the shirt and jeans are classics that you'll be able to use for a long time."

CAbi offers 130 pieces in its fall collection, but Brower said most people need only add five to seven pieces of clothing -- coordinated groupings known as "CAbi Capsules" -- to their wardrobes each season to look timely. Anything else is gravy.

"I just did a show with six pieces of clothing -- jeans, a white shirt, a basic V-neck sweater, cropped glen plaid pant, vest and a belt -- showing how you can incorporate those clothes into a seven-day week, for seven different looks from workplace to weekend."

In the private showings friends are able to try pieces on and get immediate and honest feedback as to how they look.

"Men have 'Monday Night Football' and women have trunk shows," Brower said. "We try to do a lot of fun things."

At some shows, she might incorporate some non-CAbi pieces to show the line's versatility with other items that might be found in an individual's closet, whether it's a basic black or white T-shirt, or vintage Escada pant.

"One of my favorite pieces from the fall collection is the Joey jacket ($158) with a red vintage-look collar and leopard lining.

"It's a dark gray jacket that can look very businesslike and dressy but can also be dressed down to wear with jeans and the sleeves rolled up to show the lining underneath. It's really fun."