The Spring and Summer 2014 retail season is almost behind us and it’s been brilliant. I bought more than usual for the season and I’m enjoying each new piece even more than I thought I would. But with preselections for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale coming up next week, it’s time to start getting my head around Fall 2014. I need to think about how I want to refresh my own style and how I can help my clients to refresh theirs. 

With my style descriptors in mind — Modern, Clean, Simple, Bold & Dressy — I glanced back at the catwalk outfits I pinned at Fall Fashion Week earlier this year, as well as my own forecast for Fall 2014’s dominant trends. And here’s my first stab at how I’d like to refresh my style for Fall and Winter, my dominant season. 

• Cognac Accents: I’m not an earth tone gal, but I do like cognac leather because it’s a bright, rich brown. I’m in the mood to wear it with lots of white, citron and shades of blue for Autumn to keep the crispness I seek in my style. I already have a studded cognac belt, so I’ll be on the lookout for cognac booties or tall boots, and a bag. And I might throw in a Burberry belt in cognac too.
• Tall Boots: I have worn booties till the cows come home for four years because they are extremely practical and comfortable for our climate. Plus they are much easier to fit than tall boots when your calf circumference measures thirteen inches. I will continue adding to my bootie capsule, but I’m also in the mood for tall boots. I would love to refresh my collection, but it’s going to be very hard to find styles that fit. 
• Oatmeal and Tan: I bought a heathered cashmere oatmeal pullover on a whim last year and enjoy wearing it with Winter White Out, or faded blue denim. I want to explore wearing more of the colours that run through my hair like tan, oatmeal, bone and stone. As long as I wear these soul sucking hues together with white or a shade of blue, my green specs and a brighter lipstick, they’ll look alive against my skin tone. 
• Minimize Black & Eliminate Grey: I am not cutting black out of my wardrobe. After all, a black turtleneck is an indispensable wardrobe essential for my style. But I do want to minimize the black that I purchase for the season, wear more ink blue, and wear black as an accent instead of a statement. I am saying goodbye to grey. It doesn’t make me happy, and it looks pretty awful on my skin tone. 
• Knitwear Mania: I will be adding lots more knitwear in all sorts of colours to my wardrobe, because it’s practical and particularly trendy. Plus I LOVE knitwear. 
• Sporty Luxe: I’m not quite sure how I’ll incorporate this trend for Autumn and Winter, but I plan to do so and will enjoy the challenge. 
• Midi Dresses and Skirts: I’d love to wear Winter weight midi skirts and dresses, but that will depend on whether I find tall boots. I generally feel too cold wearing midis with pumps, booties and hosiery when it starts to get cold in Seattle, and learned my lesson the hard way. I need warm tall boots if I’m going to wear this look at all.
• Trousers: I need to fall back in love with wool trousers because of what I just said about skirts and dresses. Trousers keep me warm and happy as temperatures plummet. So I’ll be on the look out for woolen trouser styles that aren’t cropped that I can wear while I give jeans a rest. 

I’m very much into boxy fits on jackets and tops, relaxed fits on bottoms, and refined footwear all round. I still love a great tailored fit in coats, jackets and turtlenecks. I also love wearing my straight legs jeans, cigarette pants and skinny jeans, but they aren’t very tight. I am saying no to anything with a body con fit, particularly sausage casing skinnies. 

Over to you. Have you thought about your Fall and Winter style? If so, I’d love to hear your first thoughts about how you’d like to evolve your look. Remember, nothing is cast in stone and you can change your mind at any time, but giving it some thought is fun and might help you to be a more deliberate shopper as the season starts.