I’m into bold statements this year. First, moto jackets are a must and now Fryes. Every gal needs a pair of fabulous Frye boots, and once again, I don’t make these statements lightly. Frye boots are a versatile, timeless, casual classic. Their appeal cuts across all ages, body types and fashion personas, depending on the style you choose and HOW you wear them.

I’ve been wanting a pair of Fryes for years but comfort was always a challenge. Time and time again I’d give them a whirl, but my fussy feet would complain. But I swear, Frye fairies intervened with this season’s collection as they have never looked better or been more comfortable. There are lots of style options for all sorts of feet and calf widths so don’t give up.

After deciding on the Rory Slouch boots last year, they became an instant favourite. Super soft, extra support, sassy edge and fabulous rugged flair. Very happy feet. That’s them on the right (excuse the gratuitous use of my favourite bag in the picture).

The six styles below have been winners among my clients this Winter. The harness style is very biker-inspired and quite the acquired taste. The billy shorties are more cowboy inspired and especially nice in light distressed hues. The Paige riding style is great for tall lasses with wide calves, while the  Veronica Slouch boots are fab for both narrow and wide calf widths. I personally like them best scrunched.

The Melissa Button’s are refined and more sophisticated. My uber sassy 69 year old client almost went home with these in Bordeaux because they fit the bill of sophisticated, classy and edgy all at once. But she opted for the grey Carson shorties instead because they’re a no-brainer easy option with jeans. As she was trying them on in stores with me, my client  wore denim bootcuts, a black button down shirt, black trench coat, peacock scarf and pewter handbag. The grey of the boots picked up the grey streak in her hair. A killer outfit. She’ll be wearing her Fryes well into her 70’s. What an inspiration.

The downside? Fryes are expensive, even on sale. If you can’t afford them just yet, try to find a pair of boots that are Frye-like. But if and when your budget allows, don’t think twice. Fryes are an investment piece.

Like many, many other people, I ached to be a rock star in another life. I can’t sing or dance, but the thought of being able to do so like the best rock stars of our generation seems magical. I’d sport these leather pants in a heartbeat if the fit, quality and price was right. I’d match them up with something soft, silky and drapey like a blouse or item of knitwear to create a contrast with the hash sleekness of the leather. A pair of killer booties and piles of pearls to finish of the look and there you go. Quite delicious.

Leather pants are a fringe trend. They’re awfully expensive and probably a devil to wear, but strangely appealing. Would you wear them?

Yes! Another fun revived 80’s trend, only this time sans the shoulder pads. You’ll find ruched sleeves on tops, knitwear, shirts, blouses, jackets and coats, and there’s no stopping the look as new Spring collections swarm stores. I much prefer this type of voluminous sleeve to the short poufy sleeves that are simply gathered at the crown and hem. Somehow, the integrity of the sculptured ruching seems more grown-up, especially when the sleeve is elbow length and longer.

This design feature is a no-brainer win for lasses with dainty shoulder lines because it instantly widens the width of the shoulders. Surprisingly, a more subtle ruched sleeve works well on broad shouldered gals too. I had the INC ruched short sleeve cardigan (the  one on the right below) on a strong shouldered client last week and it looked fabulous. The shoulder seam was cut deep past the shoulder closer towards the neck. This shortened the shoulder line to compensate for the shoulder extension that is achieved with the effect of the ruching. The actual volume in the sleeve is less dramatic too. So clever. The two ruched styles immediately below this paragraph illustrate these points perfectly, whereas the ruched sleeves on the black dress pictured at the bottom of the post are more voluminous, AND the shoulder seams are cut wider on the body. This automatically makes for a broader shouldered look.

Ruched sleeves are a definite nostalgic yay in my book. It’s probably a fad but fads are fun! You can pick up inexpensive items with ruched sleeve detailing at Macys, Asos, Charlotte Russe, Forever 21 and H&M at the moment and that’s precisely what I did. I purchased a citron cardigan with crazy over-the-top ruched sleeves from H&M, and a more mainstream subtle take on the trend from Macy’s. Does this trend inspire you too?

We’ve covered nine of the 10 casual outfit formulas in great detail (refresh your memories with formulas #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 #6 ,#7, #8 and #9). Formula #10 is about leggings and we’ve also covered that in detail. Phew! That’s a lot of casual Autumn options, just in time for… Winter.

For many of us Autumn has come and gone, and we are faced with bitterly cold Winter weather. Not to fear, these outfits can still work with the appropriate winterizing touches. This means layering with style, or as Sally from Already Pretty put it in a great post she wrote recently, “layering without lumps”. By layering with the appropriate items both underneath and on top of the formula ensembles, you’ll stay warm outside, but feel ventilated when you peel off the layers indoors.

In some instances you’ll wear every additional layer, and in other instances you’ll only add one or two. Here’s my recipe for toasty Winter buns:

1. Thermal silk underwear: Not terribly alluring, but very warm! Personally, silk underwear is not for me. I find it uncomfortable and prefer to layer in other ways. I wear a long camisole that I can tuck into undies and wear tights, often two pairs, under my jeans, pants, skirts and dresses.
2. Tights: Hosiery is a wonderful thing. It’s a no brainer with skirts and dresses and opaques are great to wear under jeans and slacks. If you prefer to wear fine textured hose instead of woolly tights like I do, wear a pair of nude hose under patterned hose for extra cozy warmth. Works like a charm.
3. Warm socks: There are plenty of toasty sock options these days and knee-high wool blends are warmest. If you have a bad reaction to wool like I do, opt for long cotton socks and wear two pairs.
4. Knitwear: Substitute items made of wool and wool blends for tops made of cotton rich fabrications like T’s and knit tops. This is tricky for people who are allergic to wool, but there is a bigger selection of itch-free options every season. I’ve found that cashmere and silk-wool blends are less itchy so don’t give up on wool yet. Keep your knitwear fairly fine gauge to achieve optimal sleekness. Chunky knits tend to make you look and feel bigger and they don’t layer well under jackets and coats.
5. Jackets: Wear a form fitting lined wool blazer or leather jacket over your top layers and underneath your coat. I’ve found the extra insulating layer of a jacket indispensable. It’s also makes me feel chic when I’m still wearing a structured jacket after I’ve removed my coat. (In order for this layering trick to work, you have to get the fit of the coat just right).
6. Weather proof boots: Boots are much warmer than pumps and ballet flats worn with hose. And the more of your foot and leg that is enclosed by weatherproof material, the warmer you’ll be.
7. Coat: The thicker and longer the coat, the warmer you’ll feel. Heavy wool coats with thinuslate linings are effective, but puffers are the best solution for temperatures below freezing. I run colder than most, but I’ve found that coats shorter than knee-length are a waste of time when it’s ridiculously cold. You need total thigh coverage for maximum insulation.
8. Scarves: Thick bulky scarves that you can tie close to the neck in multiple layers are magical. It’s amazing how much warmer you feel when you wear the right scarf. Flimsy, lightweight silk scarves are decorative but not nearly as warm. Feel free to wear a necklace under the scarf so that when your scarf comes off indoors, you’ll feel put together with your other accessories.
9. Hats: Hats can look sensational if you have the hair and face shape that compliments the look. Audi recently wrote an excellent post on flattering hats for every head, which is well worth a squizz. And even if you still don’t feel fab in a hat and loathe hat-head, get over it and bite the bullet. You need to cover your head when temperatures really plummet and that’s all there is to it. The Budget Babe has spotted a few adorable casual hat options that won’t break the bank.
10. Gloves: The right pair of gloves is essential. I prefer leather with a cashmere lining because it’s versatile and works with all dress codes. But preferences differ and you might prefer wool, fleece or even mittens.
11. Legwarmers: If you like this 80’s flashback, they are super cute and very practical.

Sleeveless sheath dresses don’t need to hibernate either. Try layering underneath them with button down shirts, turtlenecks, crewnecks sweaters and other long sleeved tops before you add a jacket and coat. Also, if you’d prefer to wear pumps and hose to work but need to brave the elements on your commute, swap out your shoes when you get there. Kasmira wrote a great post last year on how she creatively bundles up for her bus commute.

There are stylish solutions for all aspects of life! Do you use these layering tricks? Please add to the list in the comments if I’ve missed anything out.

It’s fun to follow trends and keep track of how they either evolve or fade away each season. I’ve kept a close watch on the “booties” or “shooties” trend which resurfaced along with the resurgence of 80’s fashion. The trend was a fringe statement three years ago but has grown into a mainstream look. Fabulous.

Booties and shooties started out being described as peds that looked both like a shoe and a boot. I’ve found that over the seasons, this definition has become a little loose. What I used to call an ankle boot is now also being described as a bootie. So to keep things simple in this post, I’m going to refer to all styles of ankle boots and booties as booties.

Wearing booties under boot cut and wide leg pants or jeans is a no-brainer. Even though you cover up most of their style detailing this way, it keeps the leg line long and that’s instantly flattering. Wearing booties with skinnies or straight leg bottoms showcases more of the ped and is a little more daring. Wearing booties with skirts and dresses is the most daring combination simply because high vamped shoes cut the leg line, especially when there is a strong contrast between the colour of the shoe and the colour worn on the leg.

I love a fashion challenge. If you would like to experiment with the trendiest option, here are some guidelines for wearing this “of the moment” fashion ped with skirts and dresses:

1. Adjust your eyes to the look: It’s always the first step! We have been brainwashed to believe that high vamped shoes do not work with skirts and dresses. True, this pairing often looks dumpy. But by adjusting the rest of the variables of an outfit, AND by getting the right style of bootie, you’ve bent body type guidelines and made the look work.
2. Keep the leg line one colour: The easiest way to achieve a longer leg line is by keeping the hose and booties a similar colour. So black booties with black textured hose is a simple solution. Add a dress in a similar colour into the ensemble mix and you’ve created an even longer leg line.
3. Keep it heeled: Even if it’s only an inch or two, the extra height helps to balance our proportions. Stacked three to four inch heels are best for this look, but never fear. Unless I’m sitting down, I don’t wear heels that high and you can make the look work with lower heels too. Short flat booties are not a no-no, but it’s a hard look to get right.
4. Expose the knee cap: As with mid-calf boots, shortening the hemline just a tad is important. Remember that you can cover up with hosiery if you prefer more leg coverage.
5. Choose a flop proof style: Booties that are cut low and fit close to the ankle tend to look more flattering (like the pair on the left above, and the round toe BC bootie). The Clarks “Cone Sweet” bootie is an excellent style to wear with dresses and skirts because it fits close to the ankle and actually has a low-ish vamp.

Once you’re confident sporting booties with skirts, you can move to YLF graduate school. This means dropping the second guideline and wearing the look with a high colour contrast between the foot and the leg. If you’re already sporting the advanced version, well done. It took me a while to graduate to that level, but I’m there now and enjoying every minute of it.

My guess is that the pairing of booties with skirts and dresses is here to stay, so don’t feel that you’re coming in on the end of a trend. It won’t be too late if you get cracking this season.

Two of my favourite booties right now, both of which are in the YLF store.

I vote yay. In the early 80’s, I wore jailbird striped red, white and blue legwarmers over jeans with high heeled red pumps. I also wore bright red legwarmers over acid wash jeans tucked back into flat suede, maroon ankle boots. It was quite an eyesore. But those were the types of crazy wardrobe pairings you wore back then. Looking totally hip and cool sporting the vibe took priority over flattering your body.

This time round, legwarmers can look flattering. The simplest way of achieving a long lean line is by keeping the colour of the hose, shoes and legwarmers the same (see the pictures on the left). A monochromatic approach like pairing grey with black will also work (see middle picture). You don’t need to keep the components on the foot and leg the same colour (see picture with the purple legwarmers). But the greater the contrast between the components, the higher the risk of shortening the leg line. The way I wore legwarmers 25 years ago cut my leg line in several places. It looked hideous and I’m learning from that mistake.

I like the way legwarmers add self-colour textural interest to an ensemble. They also keep you warm, especially when you wear them inside boots. You could use chunky socks instead of legwarmers to achieve the same aesthetic effect with boots. But personally, legwarmers seem the more fun option probably because they’ve become a retro blast from the past. Plus they’re visually more appealing than socks on the foot area when you match them with pumps or ballet flats.

So what’s the verdict. Do legwarmers get a stylish yay or nay? Alhough I turn 40 in six months, I plan to find an inexpensive black pair and have fun experimenting with a few sophisticated trendy looks. Would you wear them?

I usually post my seasonal “must haves” after we’ve discussed most of the upcoming trends, but I’m cutting straight to the chase this time round. I thought it would be fun to compare how you feel about the “must haves” list now and later in the season. Things that are “no way” today might tickle your fancy later.

The list cuts across all body types, age groups and budgets. It’s a question of finding the right style at the right price, AND wearing it in an age appropriate and flattering way that works for you. So unless you’re vehemently opposed to the aesthetic, try to keep an open mind and give new trends a bash.

• Boots, boots and more boots: It’s always a season for boots when the weather cools down and the possibilities are endless. Slouch boots get my top vote if you’re after something exciting, casual and hip to renew your existing wardrobe. Knee-high riding boots are always classically fabulous and so are booties.
• Skinny or straight leg jeans: If skinnies aren’t your thing, straight legs are just as fab. Either way you’re after a more tapered leg to tuck into boots, or wear with both voluminous and sleek tops or tunics.
• Check/plaid top: Casual or dressy versions in both tunic or shorter lengths are cute.
• Leather or pleather jacket: Biker, vintage, classic or avant-garde, your perfect style is available in all sorts of lengths, colours and fabrications. Go wild.
• Boyfriend jacket: Wearing a tasteful deconstructed silhouette is edgy. The silhouette bends body type guidelines and I love the solvable challenge it presents in our wardrobes.
• Cascading cardigans: Also called “fly away cardigans”, they look new and hip compared to their cropped, fitted counterparts. You’ve got to give this forgiving, playful and comfy alternative a go.
• Waistcoat: A versatile layering piece in either a knit or woven. It’s the perfect way to add structure to an outfit when it’s not quite cold enough to wear a jacket.
• Trench coat and wool coat: Chilly weather means an assortment of trenches and wool coats. One tires of wearing the same coat all Winter long, so try adding another colour or entirely different style to the mix.
• Winter dress: You need frocks to showcase your boots! If the elusive sweater dress is hard to find, opt for frocks in wool crepes and Ponte de Roma fabrications instead.
• Leggings: Still a sleek, comfy and great accessory and there are plenty of new takes on the style.
• Textured hose: Think self-coloured pantyhose in patterned diamonds, polka dots, lace motifs, fishnets, stripes and floral designs. It’s a great way to add personality to a simple frock and boots ensemble.
• Scarves: chic, warm, arty and easy. What’s not to love about a growing assortment of scarves.

For the more daring fashionistas, there are tapered pencil skirts, billowing painters shirts, Ponte de Roma skinny pants, slouchy pleated pants, something ruffled, military jackets, items with motocross detailing, shoulder pads, shaggy waistcoats, leg warmers, leather skirts, over-the-knee boots, small handbags, denim shirts, Winter short -shorts and sky scraping platforms.

I’ll post on how to wear the new looks as the season unfolds. Once you get your head around how to make the new fashions wearable, it’ll be as easy as pie.

There is going to be a lot of black in the Autumn and Winter collections this year. More than normal. I adore the right black wardrobe items and my personal style wouldn’t function without them. Black is a good basic and certain items just look best in this colour. But I’m a little worried about the sea of black that’s forecast for stores this season.

Black is not flop proof. It can look dull, severe and lifeless against the skin, especially as you get older. Yet for many women it’s become an easy fallback option because of the perception that black is versatile, chic and slimming. Black is all of those things, but it has to be worn in the right way. It can look great when worn head to toe, if there is ample textural interest. Texture adds movement and depth to the hue, bringing it back to life. Black is also beautiful paired with white, cream, grey or rich reds, blues and browns. As for the rest, it’s a little trickier to get right.

I hope there’s enough colour variety this season. Although it’s stylish to wear black in the right doses, it’s refreshing and uplifting to wear a colour other than black, especially on a chilly day. Do you wear too much black?

Some typical pairings of black items this season. Wearing black with black is often encouraged, once again confirming my earlier suspicions about a 90’s revival in fashion.