Sometimes, when you’re wearing a long Summer knitted T-shirt dress or a woven one in a similar silhouette, it’s oh-so-comfy, breezy and easy, but can feel a bit shapeless. If it’s A-line or has side slits, you can tie a knot in one of the front corners. This creates an interesting asymmetrical hemline with a magical diagonal line. It shortens and tapers the hemline a little, and adds an interesting touch. These small visual changes add effective structure to the silhouette.

Lane Bryant

Jersey Midi Dress

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Lane Bryant

Jersey Midi Dress

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Here the same dress is shown in blue and red. The red version on the right has had the front corner of the hem knotted. The unknotted blue looks great too. But in case you prefer the silhouette with a little more structure, you can try tying the knot. The knotting trick can work with tunics too.

The knot leaves hectic creases when unknotted so you have to commit to wearing the dress with the knot until it needs the laundry. Or press out the creases. I know some readers are knotting dresses and tunics already, because I’ve seen members of the YLF forum do it with panache.

I sometimes purchase the same item in multiple colours, because if an item works well, I milk it. There is something about the uniformity and repetition of the item weaving through my look that I find appealing. It’s also a time and energy saver, and usually a low-risk wardrobe addition. The strategy works well until one of the colours doesn’t hold up as well as the others. It could be a quality issue, or with footwear, it’s often a comfort issue.

Banana Republic

Essential Leather Sneaker

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Banana Republic

Essential Leather Sneaker

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Banana Republic

Essential Leather Sneaker

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For example, I have three pairs of the same Banana Republic Essential leather sneakers. I bought the white with the pink soles three years ago. They were extremely comfortable from their first wear, so a year later I bought the citron. They aren’t quite as comfortable because the leather is slightly less soft in the different colour. But they are comfortable and I wear them a lot.

A year after that, I needed to replace a basic pair of wardrobe essential white sneakers, and bought the same pair in white, thinking they would be as comfy as the original pair with the pink soles. They weren’t. After a couple of wears, the white kept rubbing my heels despite the addition of Moleskin and Body Glide. They were also a little shorter in exactly the same size. These were not fit issues I noticed when I tried them on before committing to them. I eventually passed on the white pair because I couldn’t make them sufficiently comfortable.

The lesson here is that the same item in a different colour can fit quite differently. Especially when the items are bought a year or two apart like these sneakers. The manufacturer of an item can change, and so can the fabric, which alters the fit. I need to be more careful about this, and maybe purchase my multiples in the same season — budget permitting — when fits might be more consistent. That said, I’ve been purchasing the same style of ECCO Soft 7 sneakers for years across multiple colours, and the fits are perfectly consistent and equally comfortable year after year. I guess ECCO has a much stricter quality control team, and the items are probably produced by the same manufacturer. That helps.

When I love a pair of blue jeans, I sometimes look to see if they have the same style in white. When they do, I try the white pair too. Often the white jeans don’t fit as well as the blue because the fabric is a little different. The lengths can vary too. Inconsistent fits across the same item in multiple colours can be annoying. As far as you can, check how well items fit before you commit to multiple colours. Sometimes, one colour will fit better than the others.

• Old Navy has launched BODEQUALITY, a new initiative that promises price parity for all clothes, regardless of size. 
• Pinterest now gives you the option to narrow down your searches for hairstyles, haircuts, and hair colours by your specific hair texture or type. The new feature is designed to make the platform’s hair content more accessible for people of colour. 
• Here’s a first look at the Costume Institute’s upcoming “In America: a Lexicon of Fashion” exhibition.
• Serena Williams and her Nike Design Crew debut their first collection.
• Hiro, the photographer whose experimental images transformed fashion and beauty advertising, has died aged 90.
• Allbirds is branching out into activewear with pieces made with premium natural fibres, labelled with its carbon footprint and available in sizes XS-XXXL.
• Ilona Royce Smithkin, of Advanced Style fame, has passed away at the age of 101.
• Target has just announced its Fall slate of designer collaborations.
• After the success of their skinny jeans in only two sizes that apparently work for size 23-28 and 29-34 — made from innovative fabric that incorporates organic cotton and recycled poly, also reducing the brand’s carbon footprint —  denim brand Frame is now introducing a flare jean of the same sustainable quality.
• Workout wear brand Sweaty Betty has been sold to US footwear manufacturer Wolverine Worldwide.

Fun Fashion Quote

 I like Ayana Lage’s take on body neutrality:

“When I found the body positivity movement, I was really energized by it. But because I’m so hard on myself, I immediately felt like a fraud: I can’t call myself body positive if I don’t love every inch of my body every single day. Then I discovered the concept of body neutrality. Instead of focusing on finding yourself beautiful, it’s realizing that beauty isn’t one of your most important qualities. How you look doesn’t impact you’re worth as a human. That shift has helped me in how I view myself during pregnancy, too. Instead of trying to feel positive about going up a size, I spend less time thinking about my body overall.”