Outfit Formula: Olives and Blues

Earthy olive green looks fantastic with shades of blue. Choose a warm-toned or cool-toned olive green that matches your complexion, and combine it with blues that tickle your fancy. Think navy, cobalt, slate, sapphire, peacock, periwinkle, French blue, turquoise, aqua, arctic, sky blue, light blue, and any wash of blue denim and chambray. 

Onto some outfit inspiration.

1. Navy

Dark blues look rich with dark olives, and dark wash jeans count as dark blue bottoms. Here, a pair of navy cuffed wide leg jeans is combined with a boxy and swingy two-toned V-neck olive pullover. A navy bandana adds more blue. The white in the bandana complements the light denim cuffs. Black flats add another neutral to the palette. Earthy brown or white footwear would work well too. Add a bag that works with the outfit.

Navy

2. Hint of Turquoise

A pair of low slung and roomy olive utility pants is paired with a bright multi-coloured striped sweater. The turquoise stripes in the sweater create the accent of blue. There isn’t much blue in the outfit, but it packs a punch with the olive pants and bag. The outfit is completed with black stompy boots and a black leather coat that match the model’s hair.

Hint of Turquoise

3. Denim and Whites

These outfits are from Ralph Lauren, a designer that combines blues with olives every season, and for decades. The outfit on the left combines slouchy white bottoms with a tucked light blue chambray shirt and oversized olive utility jacket. A mismatched brown belt and black boots complete the look. The outfit on the right combines layers of neutrals. A pair of olive utility pants is combined with a cream tucked henley. A light wash denim shirt is layered over the duo like a jacket. A peacock and olive bomber jacket is layered over the lot. Cream sneakers match the henley. Add bags that work with the palettes.

4. Aqua and Chartreuse

Last, a fresh aqua shirt is paired with an olive knife pleated skirt. A chartreuse — which is like an acidic bright olive — rib knit tank is layered over the shirt, which is left untucked to showcase layers. An olive utility jacket that matches the skirt is thrown over the top. White lace-up ballerinas add a dressy dose of pretty and crisp up the palette. Add jewellery, handbag, watch and eyewear as desired.

Aqua and Chartreuse

The Waning Popularity of Leggings

Black leggings were the backbone of athleisure for more than a decade. Many wore them as pants for errands, school runs, and even dressed them up with avant-garde tops for fancier settings. They were go-to airport bottoms because they travel well and are easy to pack. Leggings also worked under skirts, tunics, and dresses for warmth, coverage, and outfit interest. Their appeal was rooted in practicality: easy to fit, comfortable, streamlined, lightweight, crease-resistant, and simple to launder. For many, leggings became a wardrobe essential.

Fashion moves on, and leggings are no longer as dominant. After years of body-con dressing with leggings and skinny jeans, the pendulum has swung toward ease and movement. Bottom silhouettes are firmly in a relaxed phase, and the shift has strong momentum. Younger consumers in particular are driving this change, favouring looser, less clingy fits.

Athleisure remains as popular as ever, but leggings are no longer the default. Joggers, sweatpants, track pants, and other roomier sporty styles in technical fabrics have taken the lead. Comfort and practicality have stayed, but the silhouette has evolved. Leggings are not dated. They are simply less current.

This shift is noticeable on the streets of Seattle. Athleisure is one of the most common styles, typically built around joggers, sweats, track pants, or other relaxed bottoms from brands like Athleta, Zella, and Lululemon. I rarely see leggings worn as part of everyday athleisure unless someone is heading to or from a workout, or going for a run in the city. It’s quite a change.

Are leggings still a go-to for athleisure where you live, or have people switched to relaxed bottom silhouettes? Do you wear leggings less often than before?

Fab Finds: Vionics and Utility Pants

This week’s top picks are casual, comfortable, and versatile. The shoes and bottoms can be ideal items to wear and pack for travel. It hasn’t been as much of a skirt season as I had hoped, but there’s a very good assortment of pants and jeans. That said, skirts (and dresses) are most prevalent in Summer collections, and the season is far from over.

1. Vionic Uptown Hybrid Loafer

The Vionic Uptown Hybrid Loafer is a repeat style with excellent reviews. Dressier than a sneaker, and more relaxed than a classic loafer. Clients rave about the shoe. It runs bigger and wider, so you might need to size down half a size. It has supportive, cushioning, and thick footbeds, which are removable so you can replace them with orthotics. Lots of colours to choose from. You’ll also find them on Zappos, T.J. Maxx and the Nordstrom Rack at bargain prices.

Interestingly, if your heels slip out of the back in one or both loafers, try half a size down. Or, fit half an insole (that is the shape of the ball of the foot) in the FRONT of the loafer under the footbed. The altered fit pushes the foot back into the shoes so that your heels don’t slip out of them. It’s counter-intuitive, and works quite well.

2. Vionic Uptown Sneaker

The Vionic Uptown Sneaker looks nicer on the foot in person, and is VERY lightweight. It has a practical gum sole toe that is robust and easy to clean. Signature to the brand, it has the same supportive, cushioning, and thick footbed, which is removable so you can replace it with orthotics. A little like walking on clouds.

3. Wit & Wisdom Absolution Utility

Both styles of utility bottoms are different from the norm because of their interesting pocket placements, colours, and waist “absolution” detailing. Many present more like casual pants than jeans despite the descriptions. Some of the styles are in a subtle stripe and resemble a false plain. The waistbands of the bottoms are structured, AND have elastic on the inside for extra comfort and forgiveness. The waists mould to the body perfectly, and do not stretch out. The regular sizes work well for petites, and one of the styles comes in petite sizes. Might need to size down.

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: Spring Eggplant

Eggplant is a very dark purple, and typically more available in Autumn and Winter collections. Interestingly, the rich dark colour is appearing in Spring and Summer collections, which is more unexpected. Some eggplants skew blue like a grape, and some red like a plum. Take your pick. 

Spring eggplant is a hit with some of my clients and friends, who are snapping up lightweight and summery items in the colour. Do the same if you enjoy wearing the colour in warm and hot weather silhouettes.

Onto some outfit inspiration.

1. Bottoms

These COS pleated culottes are gorgeous, and look elegant and breezy in a casually polished and fashion forward way. I loved them on my client, who wore them with a summery navy top and burgundy loafers in the dressing room. She also had a burgundy bag to match. Chic! Here they’re paired with a long sleeved black tee, black sandals and bag. Feel free to scrunch the sleeves to showcase forearm skin.

Bottoms

2. Co-ord

I saw this pants set at MANGO and it’s fantastic. The eggplant is more rich-looking in person. The bold graphic pattern packs a playful punch, and the items can be worn separately too. Runs big so size down. It’s super easy and comfortable to pull on a co-ord like this on a hot Spring or Summer’s day. Add shoes and bag and you’re done. Here, black flats with ties bookend the model’s hair. Cream, metallic, tan and burgundy shoes could work well too. The black cord necklace works well with the black accents.

Co-ord

3. Patterned

You might like to wear warm weather eggplant in a pattern if a solid is too much of a commitment. Here, a patterned eggplant cowl neck blouse is combined with a pair of breezy caramel pull-on palazzo pants. Pewter toe-loop sandals complete the care-free look. Add a bag that works with the palette.

Patterned

More patterned eggplant items that might inspire you:

4. Top

Last, an ‘’ 00s inspired combination, and trending. An asymmetrical eggplant dress is worn over scrunched black straight leg bottoms like a tunic. A short black boxy jacket is the third piece. It matches the black bottoms, and black sandals. The low contrast between the three pieces accentuates the long lean line. I can see the look work well with flared pants and jeans too. The vibe is a 2026 version of what some of us wore back in the ‘’ 00s (myself included). Dresses were very short back then, so I wore them over pants and jeans as tops instead. I fondly remember the combination of two decades ago, and plan to wear a current version with a pair of old red flared trousers. I need to find just the tunic or dress. Exciting!

Top

Fab Finds: COS, Flats, Barrels

I’m doing lots of Spring and Summer shopping with clients. Like me, they are welcoming back the in-person brick ‘n mortar experience after shopping online almost exclusively for years. Our malls are buzzing, and people are in the mood to shop. Shoutouts to COS, MANGO, Zara, Levi’s, Banana Republic, Dillard’s, Nordstrom Rack, Ralph Lauren, and the Nordstrom footwear department for their particularly good retail assortments this season.

Onto this week’s top picks, which were winners on clients.

1. COS Items

COS fabrics drape beautifully and are gorgeous. Notably, the Twist-Detail Jersey Midi Skirt creates a stunning two-piece dress with the Twist-Detail Jersey Top. They can also be worn separately, and come in navy and chocolate. The Gathered Crinkled Shirt is elegant, fitted, and runs very small. The Pleated Cotton Pants, are very elegant, trendy, and for Team Eggplant.

2. Flats

The Vionic Alameda Woven Mary Jane Flat is good on wider feet, and feet with bunions. It has a snap fastening so you don’t need to fasten and unfasten the buckle. Quite supportive and very comfy. The André Assous Brielle Pointed Toe Slingback Flat is a brilliantly dainty summery slingback that is versatile and comfy. Awfully pretty and refined on the foot. Best on narrower feet. The Lucia Mary Jane Flat comes in suede and mesh. The suede is much more comfortable than the mesh. It works well on wider feet, is super soft, and has fantastic mixed metal hardware.

3. Uniqlo Jersey Barrel Pants

These VERY crisp, clean, and extremely well cut and sewn barrel pants are $50, and almost sold out because they’re outstanding. The back pockets are quite the work of art. The fabric feels heavenly, and the off-center seams are genius. They run a size big, and are quite long. Comes in seven neutrals. WOVEN poly-cotton, and a bestseller for good reason.

Uniqlo Jersey Barrel Pants