WHAT CAN YOU GET FOR $200?

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 21, 1993                   TAG: 9303180253
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 18   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: KATHLEEN WILSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
WHAT CAN YOU GET FOR $200?
ANNA Goodwin is a 25-year-old graduate student at Virginia Tech. She lives with her grandmother in Salem and juggles two jobs to help finance her master's degree in construction management.
Like just about any woman, Anna loves clothes. And sure, all the stuff in the stores is to die for, but who can afford it?
Anna can. And so can you.
The secret is in knowing just what to buy.
We asked four retailers how they would dress Anna if she walked into their store, wanted to buy something new, but only had $200 to spend.
How could Anna best invest that $200 on something new and fashionable, get the most for her money, and still know for sure it wouldn't look ridiculous a couple years from now?

Let's start with a fashion basic: the little black dress.
Patina got a lot of mileage out of that $200. In addition to the slim black cocktail dress, they were able to pair it with a black pump, a funky long strand of faux pearl baubles, earrings and an evening bag.

Millie & Co. in Salem dressed Anna in the classic urban outfit for the '90s - a long, feminine skirt, topped by a T-shirt under an unconstructed jacket of washable linen in neutral tones.

For $200, Anna could get a mix-and-match combination - including the jewelry shown above - from The Limited. The linen vest could be paired with either linen walking shorts for the office, or with seersucker trousers for a more casual look.

Finally, Bonomo's put together a classic twist on western style, with its two-piece denim vest and wrap-around skirt, peppered with silver and suede accents.
Anna says she can't picture herself wearing the more professional outfits offered by Millie & Co. or Bonomo's. Yet.
"Maybe someday when I finish school and have a real job," she said.
But Anna loved the looks Patina and The Limited put together, and considered either a good investment of her fictional $200.
"I love that dress!" she exclaimed more than once. "Now all I need is some place to wear it!"

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB