Melissa Huston of Bangor was having a wardrobe malfunction. Not nearly as scandalous as Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl stunt, but troubling nonetheless.

A fortysomething mother of two who works for a nonprofit, Huston was in dire need of basics. So she e-mailed ShopGirl via the WLBZ-2 Web site: “I feel ridiculous walking into the Gap and Talbots still feels too matronly – help!”

(Allow me to interrupt for a bit of shameless self-promotion: Catch my weekly spot on the WLBZ-2 news at 5 p.m. Fridays. OK, now back to your regularly scheduled column.)

A lack of basics is a huge problem, because, as every woman knows, black pants, white blouses and the occasional pair of khakis are the pillars on which any good closet stands. But Huston was right – there are few places in the Bangor area that are sure bets, and if the Gap or Talbot’s aren’t your bag, you’re out of

luck.

Or are you? It took a little longer than a quick trip to the mall but Huston and I managed to fulfill most – if not all – of her wish list.

First, we started with her closet. In order to see what she needed, I needed to see what she had. Fortunately, Huston had a clear vision of what had to go – worn out black pants, brown pants with pills, a pair of gray wool slacks that she had worn so often that the lining was shredded, and a surplus of camel-colored neutral tops that don’t flatter her coloring. Like most women, she also had a shapeless suit and a too-big jacket, both of which I urged her to donate to some worthy cause.

Next, we determined what she should keep. When I saw a blue skirt and shirt combo that she hadn’t worn in a while, I urged her to set her separates free – they don’t need to go together, and by pairing the top with black pants and a festive scarf, it gives the whole ensemble a fresh look. She pointed out a few long skirts that could use a little updating, so I suggested a pair of classic high boots.

Armed with a shopping list, a credit card, and a somewhat flexible budget, we hit the road and headed to T.J. Maxx ‘n More in Bangor, where I had seen several pairs of classic black pants, sweaters and jackets earlier in the week. We filled our cart to the point of overflowing, and then we did a marathon try-on.

Fortunately, Huston was up to the challenge of changing into 30 pairs of pants, 15 or so sweaters and a few jackets. We were in the fitting room for an ungodly amount of time, but our persistence paid off: Huston found not one, but two pairs of black pants by Dalia for $19.99 apiece; a pair of chic, cuffed, gray pinstripe pants, also by Dalia, for $19.99; and a pair of Rafaella tan corduroys for her hockey-mom days for $24.99.

On top, she found her new neutral, a wildly flattering off-white, and bought a jacket for $59.99 and a merino wool sweater for $19.99 in that shade. We also threw in a red merino wool sweater for $19.99, which matched the pinstripe pants. And as a practical impulse buy, she found a soft, fuzzy angora sweater in pear green that looked smashing on her – the soft shade complemented her skin tone and brought out the copper highlights in her hair.

A pair of square-toe Liz Claiborne pumps with contrast stitching rounded out the mix – she needed new shoes, but she wasn’t sure she’d really wear high boots. At $29.99, the heels were a wise buy that’s sure to get plenty of mileage.

Our T.J’s excursion was a success, but we still needed to cover a few bases – namely a casual jacket, a white blouse and a pair of dressy chocolate-brown pants. We found all of these at Burlington Coat Factory – two pairs of pants, to be exact. Huston was torn between the two, so she put them on hold. Somewhere along the line she decided she probably wouldn’t wear a white blouse even if she bought one, so we scrapped that idea. But she did find a hip update to her big blue blazer – a slim-fitting black suede jacket that’s light enough to wear indoors, but heavy enough for a fall day outdoors. And it was a bargain at $29.98.

After checking out the brooches (a nice, trendy accent to her existing scarf collection), we headed to Filene’s for jeans and perhaps another pair of brown pants. We found the same pair of brown pants Huston already owns, which weren’t bad to begin with, just a little worn, but struck out on the jeans front – they were all either too dowdy or too teenybopper. I’m confident she’ll find the right pair. In the meantime, though, she did find the right pair of earrings for $16 – by Liz Claiborne, in soft, antiquey green shades to match the much-loved new sweater.

By this point, Huston was out of time, and we were both exhausted, but our mission was mostly accomplished. Over the weekend, she and her daughter picked up a few trendy accessories at Target, too. I’m still pushing for the high boots, and she’s still weighing her options for brown pants, but she’s in good shape.

Now she has a foundation on which she can build her wardrobe, because while trends may come and go, a good basic is forever. Or at least for a few good seasons.

Reader question

Good morning Kristen,

Enjoy your column. Where can I get 3-X clothes and sweaters. I have always been obese. Pointy shoes?

– Nancy

Dear Nancy,

Thanks for writing!

Lane Bryant in the Bangor Mall and Fashion Bug shops in Bangor, Dover-Foxcroft and Ellsworth all carry sizes up to 28, and both have sweet sweaters, stylish pants, ponchos and long-sleeve tops. Wal-Mart and Mardens stores are also a good bet, although Mardens is a little more touch and go. You could also try a few online retailers: www.justmysize.com and www.catherines.com.

I hope this helps, but if any readers have suggestions, I’d love the feedback.

ShopGirl would love to hear from you! Send questions, comments or suggestions by e-mail to: kandresen@bangordailynews.net, by U.S. mail to: Kristen Andresen, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402-1329, or by fax to: 941-9476. Tune in to ShopGirl at 5 p.m. Fridays on WLBZ-2.