Classic elegance best defines the wardrobe sensibilities of Frann Lichtenstein, who divides her time between Houston and Washington D.C. And never was that more apparent than at the Recipe for Success Fashion Gene award event at Tootsies. 

She combined a bright Ralph Lauren jacket and scarf with capris from Etro, worn with Brian Atwood shoes. The silver handbag was also Ralph Lauren and featured the designer' engraved signature. 

Frann and her significant other Jeff Hirschberg had just been in Palm Desert staying at The Vintage Club in Indian Wells, Calif., "which is probably why I felt like dressing as I did." The awesome Houston weather of late also put her in a resort frame of mind.

—SHELBY HODGE

There are few women in Houston as elegant as the statuesque Frann Lichtenstein. We've seen her in workout clothes, in ball gowns, in luncheon suits and on this night in the perfect ensemble for Recipe for Success' Dress for Dinner fundraiser at Saks Fifth Avenue. The wool knit dress by Alexander McQueen was a cool find at Tootsies and, she says, great for travel. The vintage pin by Miriam Haskell brings the simple lines of the dress to life. She picked up the Manolo Blahnik pumps, which she loves for their comfort, at  Bergdorf Goodman. The Wendy Stevens handbag, made from stainless steel, caught her eye at Axel's in Vail.  "Being appropriate for the occasion is probably my No. 1 priority," she says. "But there are many times one really cannot gauge what dress is required, so I just put one foot in front of the other and smile." The smile, of course, is the best accessory of all.