Fashion News Roundup: July 2019

Zappos turns 20, the latest Met fashion exhibition, and other style news that made headlines this month.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that Target was the first chain to master high-end fashion collaborations

“Target has done more than 80 apparel collaborations dating back to the early 2000s, often punching well above its weight. It’s collaborated with established, well-respected fashion labels like Alexander McQueen and Proenza Schouler. In recent years, the Missoni and Lilly Pulitzer collections took it to a new level of chaos, crashing servers and causing in-store stampedes. Pieces regularly end up on the secondary market of eBay.”

Team Light Blue or Team Light Pink

Today we’re choosing between the two most iconic pastels. You bat for Team Light Blue if you prefer wearing light blue to light pink, and vice versa. Note that light denim and chambray count as light blue, and blush counts as light pink. Patterns with lots of light blue and pink in them count too.

I wear light blue and light pink about the same amount, and throughout the year. They are my favourite pastels. I find them versatile and wear them with light and dark neutrals, earth tones, and sour brights. I also wear them together with white. I find blush footwear and bags extremely useful and wear them much like a neutral metallic. A light blue bag works with everything as does light denim. At the moment, each pastel is equally represented in my wardrobe and across various items. Here they are.

Yoox
Furla Handbag
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Top Pick
20
Boden
Kristie Broderie Top
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Top Pick
12
Club Monaco
Weylyn Shirt
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Top Pick
20

I can’t choose so I’m sitting this one out on the bench with a healthy feast of lemongrass brown rice, ahi tuna, seaweed salad, octopus, honey wasabi dressing, and homemade strawberry and banana frozen yogurt for dessert.

Over to you. Do you bat for Team Light Blue or Team Light Pink? Tell us why and no batting for both teams, but feel free to join me on the bench. My guess is that the race will be close, but that Team Light Blue will pull out ahead.

Slow Adoption of Trendy Shorts

I mentioned in my trend report that shorts across all sorts of lengths, colours, fabrics, silhouettes, and patterns are one of the “it” items of the season. From the shortest hot pants, to the longest Bermudas, and most of them have high rises. Vibes are both straight, stiff and boxy, or as pretty, structured and soft as can be. Lots of paper bag waists, pleats, and harem styles. Thigh-length and knee-length spandex cycling shorts across neutrals and non-neutrals are there too. Here’s an assortment of trendy shorts.

Mango
Chain Print Bermuda
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Top Pick
5
Shopbop
R13 Crossover Shorts
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Top Pick
3
Shopbop
WALLIS Epique Shorts
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Top Pick
3
Shopbop
R13 Crossover Shorts
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Top Pick
1
Shopbop
Ganni Suiting Shorts
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Top Pick
1
Shopbop
PAIGE Colima Shorts
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Top Pick
1
Shopbop
Tibi Ruffle Shorts
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Top Pick
1
Shopbop
Vince Pull On Shorts
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Top Pick
4

Most of my clients and friends enjoy wearing shorts in warm and hot weather, usually more than wearing skirts and dresses. Only a couple of my clients have delved into trendy shorts territory, though, which really surprised me. I thought for sure that almost all shorts wearers would be tempted by the fun new silhouettes. Not at all! Instead, most clients and friends refreshed with simple and classic essentials, gear shorts/skorts, and board shorts for the beach. Inseam lengths range from three to ten inches. The collection shows the types of shorts they refreshed the season with.

John Lewis Joules Cruise Long Chino Shorts

John Lewis hush Chino Shorts

Why this lack of interest in the trendy shorts? I think few women are interested in pleated, cross-over and paper bag waists, because of midsection bits, the fuss factor, and short waists. Almost no one likes harem pants, basketball looks, and bike shorts. Dressy shorts are off for their lifestyles, wouldn’t be worn to work, and knee-covering casual shorts are too hot.

I don’t wear shorts at all. That said, I LOVE knee-covering dressy shorts and have a pair of eleven year old black silky harems that I adore. I would have definitely been tempted by the long and dressy styles this season had I not been besotted with midi dresses and skirts that, for me, take centre stage in hot weather. Maybe next year.

Over to you. Are you a shorts wearer? If so are you wearing trendy styles, or sticking to simple classics and gear like my clients.

Roundups

Simpler Items

This week's list of top picks list is about basic pieces.

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Assorted Items

Items for Summer, both in and out of air conditioning.

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Casual Summer Vibes

This week's top picks are good for a casual Summer vibe.

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Summery Earth Tones

These items are for those who like to wear casual earth tones in warm and hot weather.

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Hints of Spring

Some tried-and-tested winning items to refresh your style for Spring.

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Dressier Items

An assortment of dressier top picks might be just what the doctor ordered.

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Outfit Formula: Easy Breezy Summer Skirt

Here are four casual skirt outfits for hot weather. The lengths are midi, but feel free to sport them shorter. The silhouettes are lightweight, soft and flared because that’s the most ventilating option in hot weather. Movement and swoosh for the win. Each outfit has been styled with sandals, but by all means choose sandal booties, espadrilles, mules, ballet flats, loafers or sneakers if that’s more to your taste.

1. Playfully Patterned

Combine a patterned skirt with a slogan tee in a similar colour palette. The tee should be fairly short and fitted if you want to create structure above the flare of the skirt. Or side knot the tee at the hem if it’s too big and long. Or semi-tuck the front. The heeled casual sandals are a nice touch, as is the straw hat. A straw bag would be fun too. Lots of colour, but you can sport neutrals.

hush Marina Stripe Skirt

2. Frilled Denim

Combine a frilly full prairie skirt or the like with a tee or tank, and top it off with a denim jacket. It’s best when the tees and tanks are fitted and short if you’re going to wear them out. If they’re a little fluid and long, create a semi-tuck. The denim jacket can be short and fitted, or longer and oversized. Sleeve scrunch creates structure. I like the addition of the platform Birkies here, and how they create a complement with the striped crossbody.

hush Veria Frilly Daisy Print Midi Skirt

3. Handkerchief Utility

Combine a handkerchief hem skirt with a tank, cami or shell top, and top things off with a utility jacket. The utility jacket can be short and fitted, or longer and oversized. The former is classic, and the latter trendy. I like the gladiators in this outfit because they are dainty and classic. A wedge sandal is another classic way to go. A chunky sporty sandal or slide would be the trendy addition.

hush Rocket Animal Print Midi Skirt

4. Wrapped & Strapped

This is the breeziest of the four. Combine a strappy camisole with an A-line wrap skirt. Tuck the cami into the skirt for structure. Add slides, mules or thong sandals and you’re done. Add jewellery, watch and eyewear as desired.

M&S COLLECTION Checked Asymmetric Midi Skirt

Handbag Storage

Handbags can be tricky to store, especially when you have many of them and closet space is limited. If you swap them out frequently, they should ideally be visible and accessible. They need enough space so that they’re not squashed together and losing their shape, or fighting for room at the bottom of the coat closet. 

Handbags are my favourite wardrobe item. I lead an urban walking lifestyle so bags are not only the visual cherry on top, but a practical necessity. I currently have 25 wardrobe pets which I’ve carefully collected over time. They range from one month to 26 years in age. I swap them out as regularly as twice a day because they’re very much part of my signature look. I keep them looking pristine, wiping them down after every few wears and handling them with care.

 Here are my current handbags in a collection:

Over the years I’ve stored my bags in different ways, depending on what worked best with the spaces available to me. I’m currently storing 23 of them on a very wide shelf above a set of built-in drawers in the walk-in wardrobe of our new apartment. They are perfectly visible, have plenty of room, and make me happy every time I walk into the space. My bags are structured, so most of them stand upright on their own. A few of them are stuffed to retain their shape. The Chanel bag is kept in its original black box on a shelf above the hanging space. And my two very casual crossbody bags are hung on a rack where I keep my trousers and jeans.

Handbags

Drawer

Hanging

I’ve also stored my bags on the shelves of a walk-in wardrobe, on an over-the-door hanging purse organizer, on hooks behind doors, in drawers, in wardrobe boxes, stacked neatly in an armoire, or on the shelves in a closet. I’ve seen clients keep them in see-through containers so that they stack easily at the bottom of a closet or under a bed. I’ve seen them stored neatly in an antique chest, placed in closet cubicles, or hanging on hooks, racks, and purse organizers in the coat closet.

Over to you. How do you store your handbags?