I’m into wearing dressier trousers on this leg of my style journey, and casual blue jeans are taking a back seat. l do wear my blue jeans, but not as frequently as I used to. I’m loving the change. It’s just how I wanted my style to evolve, especially since I wear fashion sneakers almost exclusively these days. Casual jeans with fashion sneakers just feels a little too casual for my dressy preferences, but dressy trousers with fashion sneakers feels dead right.

This brings me to my search for dressier jeans, which is easy to accomplish when I wear crisp and polished white jeans. But it’s not as easy with blue. I don’t wear solid black anymore, so black jeans are not an option. Dark blue trouser jeans would be a great solution. They were popular about thirteen years ago and several of my clients wore them. They looked dressy and elegant, and the hems had a little swoosh factor too. They were made of regular dark blue denim with a slightly raw denim integrity. The denim was a uniform shade of blue. To keep the vibe dressy, there was no denim topstitching or patch pocketing. The silhouettes were wide legs or bootcuts with side entry pockets. Basically the bottoms were cut like regular trousers but from a rigid piece of dark blue denim, and it’s what I feel like wearing right now. Of course, now that I want to wear them, they don’t exist.

The closest options I can find are the ones in the collection below, but they aren’t quite trouser-y enough. Although super cute, the silhouettes tend to resemble jeans more than trousers. I will probably give them a go, since both manufacturers are sustainable and ethical.

G-Star Raw

Lintell High Dad Jeans

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Top Pick

9

Boden

Patch Pocket Wide Leg Jeans

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Top Pick

13

G-Star Raw

Tedie Ultra High Long Straight Jeans C

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Top Pick

11

Over to you. Did you wear trouser jeans back in the day, and do you feel like wearing them again like I do?

Atlanta-based Monica Awe-Etuk (41) documents her outfits on Instagram, and on her blog Awed by Monica. She’s a trendy dresser with exuberant style who enjoys playing around with all kinds of different vibes. Our blogger often sports interesting footwear and maximal arm candy, and loves neutrals as much as she loves colour.

“As I get older, I do believe my style has evolved a little. I say a little because I have always maintained a core principle when it comes to style and that is ‘classic with a modern twist’. The only thing that has really changed for me is showing a little less skin lol. I love having fun with fashion and will continue to do so.”

This ribbed knit maxi dress looks like a two-piece set made up of a turtleneck sweater and cosy skirt because the self stripe on the top is horizontal and vertical on the bottom. This makes for an interesting design detail and draws the eye up and down. The side splits provide room to move and showcase Monica’s striking snakeskin boots in all their glory. The cool-toned stacked heel boots are undoubtedly the star of the show, and work perfectly with the heather grey of the dress. Bracelets on both arms add a touch of colour and pattern. Our blogger’s braided updo creates texture and works well with the turtleneck. Raspberry lipstick is the colourful finishing touch.

Columned chic in head-to-toe mint. Monica has combined tailored flared trousers with a mock-neck ribbed knit sweater in the same colour. The cropped sweater is a great length to wear with the dressy high-waisted trousers because it lengthens the leg line from the hip upwards. Sporting a column of colour further emphasizes the vertical integrity. As a third piece, our blogger picked a fluid-fit double-breasted woolly jacket in the exact same shade of mint, which amps up the luxe vibe of the look. The tortoise shell buttons add a touch of soft contrast against the green. The low-contrast pointy-toe snakeskin slingbacks peeking out from under the trousers in shades of light grey work beautifully with the pastel outfit.

This fashion-forward look is all about texture created with faux and genuine leather pieces. Monica has paired a faux leather button-front overshirt in gorgeous chocolate brown with black faux leather Bermuda shorts. The colour combo is chic and eye-catching. Tucking the shirt into the below-the-knee shorts lengthens the leg line, while the strict pleat on the tailored shorts adds structure. The dark brown of the stiletto slides sits in between the black and lighter chocolate brown of the shirt on the colour scale and are a great way to pull the look together. The quilted material adds further textural interest, as does the handwoven effect on her softly structured hobo bag. Lots of arm candy, raspberry lippy, and oversized pearl hoop earrings are the playful finishing touches.

This exuberantly happy floral print tiered dress makes me smile. The pattern together with the voluminous fit and big on-trend bell sleeves is stylishly dramatic. The tailored fit on the shoulder, waist seam and V-neckline tone down the volume, while the lower section has tiers that amp up the volume. Monica’s flat white sandals, crossbody bag, and big white-rimmed sunnies echo the white background of the dress. Her bright pink lipstick and lighter pink toenails match the pinks in the fun frock.

The dark wash denim is perfect in this polished casual Fall look. Monica has tucked a gorgeous multi-coloured striped sweater into cropped, fluid-fit straight leg jeans. The dark blue denim makes the striking mix of earth and jewel tones pop. Tucking the top lengthens the leg line and exposes the playful rectangular patch pockets on the jeans. The shimmery material in parts of the sweater add subtle bling. Our blogger’s sharp black pointy-toe booties bring more shine into the mix. The brown crossbody and soft pink lipstick work well with the rest of the colourful palette. Monica’s long braids add groovy flair. Huge silver hoops and pearl arm candy complete the look.

Pairing two pieces with a very similar graphic circle and angular pattern but reversing the background colour is a fab way to do modern matchy-matchy. Monica is wearing a puffed sleeve jacquard sweater with black and white pattern together with a high-low midi skirt in cream with black pattern. The cropped sweater lengthens the leg line from the hip up, while the floaty fabric of the elegant pleated skirt creates tons of movement which makes the striking pattern stand out even more. Pairing the dressy skirt with stompy black boots creates on-trend outfit juxtaposition. Note how the white stitching on the boots ties in with the black and white colour palette, as do the big checked Chanel tweed bag and Monica’s white sunnies. Oversized silver hoops and a pile of hard-edged silver arm candy bring the bling. Finally, bright red lipstick brilliantly complements the graphic black and white.

I’m looking forward to hear what you think of Monica’s beautiful, eye-catching outfits. Let us know in the comments, and be sure to check out her Instagram account and blog for more style inspiration.

You bat for Team Winter if you prefer wearing Winter outfits to Spring outfits, and vice versa. Note that any type of Winter and Spring outfits count, whether your climate is mild or extreme. In Seattle our Winters are cold, grey, and very wet. The beginning of Spring can feel like Winter, but it’s usually warmer, drier, and sunnier by the end of Spring. That said, Spring is by no means hot in this neck of the woods. You usually need layers, toppers, and closed footwear for most of Spring.

I bat for Team Spring outfits by a billion percent. Spring shopping is by far my favourite of all the seasons. Because our Summers aren’t overly hot and I run cold, I can wear Spring wardrobe items well into Summer. I wear the same colour palette throughout the year — which is a Spring palette — so it’s not about sporting my favourite colours. It’s more about lighter layers, crisper fabrics, wearing patterned shirts and blouses, adding more optical white to my look, showing a bit of skin, sporting pretty dresses and skirts which add outfit variety, and leaving off the knee-highs because the weather is warmer. I can leave off the bulky beanie, woolly scarf, gloves, thick coat, thick knitwear, and fleece-lined hi-tops too. Plus I love the feeling of the warm Spring sun against my skin. It’s energizing, and I look forward to the onset of Summer weather.

Over to you. Do you bat for Team Winter or Team Spring Outfits. Tell us why, and no batting for both teams. If you can’t pick a side, I’m serving wholesome and fresh chicken noodle soup and keto za’atar olive bread on the bench in take-out boxes so you can enjoy it in the safety of your own home.

The goal of closet organization is to increase visibility and accessibility so that you can efficiently and effectively create fabulous outfits for all aspects of your life. When items are stored and displayed in a neat, orderly way, it creates a sense of control and calm. The creative juices flow, allowing us to come up with a larger variety of outfit combinations. This gives us the biggest bang for our fashion buck, and reduces time and stress.

There are many ways to divide a wardrobe into sections to make it more manageable. There is no right or wrong. It is about what works best for you, your lifestyle, and the available storage space. Here is a list of strategies that have worked well for me and my clients. You can implement one or more of these at once, or even change strategies through the year.

1. Colour Coded by Item Category

This is the most common way to organize a wardrobe. Your different item categories — jeans, blouses, shorts, skirts, dresses, knitwear, T-shirts, pants, jackets and outerwear — each have their own section. You can make the categories look pretty by hanging similar colours together, and going from light to dark. Or you can hang similar silhouettes together if that makes things easier. Like keeping all sleeveless layering tops in one group instead of remixing them with the rest of the tops. You can further subdivide by season, hanging cold-weather and warm-weather items together.

2. Seasonal Switcheroo

This is a very popular way of dividing up a wardrobe when you live in a climate with four distinct seasons. Most of my clients like to keep what they are going to wear for the next six months on hand and pack away the rest. Some like to do a seasonal switcheroo every three to four months. This way of dividing up the wardrobe is especially handy when storage space is limited.

3. Work and Play

Some of my clients have found it handy to keep what they wear to work during the week separate from what they wear over the weekend, or when they get home in the evening and change out of work clothes. They further divide work and play clothes into colour-coded wardrobe categories.

4. 30 Days

A few of my clients create a 30-day capsule from their existing wardrobes, put the items on a rolling rack, and wear mix-and-match outfits from the selection for a month. Then they start the process again with a different set of wardrobe items for the next 30 days. The capsules do not include wardrobe basics.

5. Weekly Outfits

This is a great way to divide up your wardrobe when you want to minimize the time it takes to put outfits together in the morning. Or to ensure feeling great in your look all day because it’s a tried-and-tested combination. It usually involves doing a mini outfit creation session on the weekend so that you know exactly what to wear for the next seven days. The strategy works well for Team Daily Uniform and Team Plan Ahead, but does not work well for Team Mood Dresser.

5. Lifestyle Capsules

Organizing a wardrobe according to your lifestyle can work well too. For example, I have a retired client who likes to organize her clothes into four sections. She has a section for her part-time job and volunteer work, another for socializing with friends and running errands, a third for workouts and hiking, and a fourth for at-home loungewear. Interestingly, apart from some outerwear, a few pairs of shoes, wardrobe basics and a couple of accessories, items do not cross over between the lifestyle sections.

6. Ready-to-Go Outfits

This is the least popular way of dividing up a wardrobe, but a practical one for some nonetheless. A handful of my retired clients like to hang complete outfits together. They might hang up to four tops and a few toppers with one pair of bottoms. They’ll hang a scarf and necklaces with the toppers too. They keep a separate section for what they wear to tennis, golf, and walking the dogs. Another section of wardrobe items for crafting, gardening and painting. And another section for at-home-only attire. This strategy can work like a charm when you have a small wardrobe, like to repeat outfits, and have the discipline to put items back in the right section after laundry.

I live in a four-season climate, but do not switch out my seasons. Storage space is at a premium too. Every wardrobe item is in the same place year round because I like to see exactly what I have at a glance. I organize items per category, and colour code them too. I have a few drawers for wardrobe basics, keep shoes on the floor on racks, and outerwear in the coat closet downstairs. I don’t plan what I wear beforehand unless I’m packing for travel. I’m a mood dresser, and I love the spontaneity, freedom and creative process of deciding what to wear in the morning. For me, this is part of what makes fashion fun. That’s why having all my options available to me at once is important.

Please share the way you divide your wardrobe into sections in the comments below.