Very few grey items are actually pure grey. Most often they have a touch of colour, some tending to a warm taupe while others are a lot more cool and blue. This makes it unexpectedly hard to match multiple greys in one outfit. You think that a pair of grey shoes will work perfectly with a particular grey top, but when you put on the outfit it looks quite off. 

Here are three simple ways to deal with this challenge when integrating grey footwear into outfits.

Make Your Footwear the Only Grey

First, the obvious solution. Avoid the problem entirely by making your footwear the only grey in the outfit. You may still want to consider the warmth of the grey and how that complements other colours in the outfit.

Bookend Your Footwear to Grey Hair

If you happen to have grey hair, bookend the look by choosing a matching grey for your footwear. This will instantly pull together the look. It also makes the combination more forgiving of other greys in the outfit.

Wear a Metallic Grey

A metallic shade of grey is more versatile. The shiny integrity of the finish draws attention away from any touch of colour in the grey, and as a result it’s easier to pair with other greys in the outfit, and other colours in general.

Of course, mismatching the greys in your outfit is also stylishly acceptable, so feel free to do just that if the juxtaposition of different greys doesn’t bother you. Wearing items that don’t match, but still work, is a modern dressing concept that can be quite liberating.

A new outfit from Daniella Robins of LellaVictoria, whom we introduced to YLF in July 2013.

Statement culottes with a bold, high-contrast floral pattern are the centrepiece of this Summer outfit with subtle juxtapositions. The soft chiffon material, pretty pattern, and elegant midi length give the look ladylike flair. The ragged hemlines create a subtle RATE (rough around the edges) vibe. The roomy polo shirt’s piqué knit adds contrasting textural interest. The zipper collar is a casual and playful design detail. Black and white colour blocked sandals pick up the colours in the culottes. The thin ankle straps give them a delicate feel, while the block heels ground the look. Daniella’s nonchalant ‘do and bright red lip add the romantic finishing touch.

I’m helping some of my clients refresh their jeans capsule, which is extra fun because I’m currently refreshing my own jeans capsule too. Although clients are still wearing straight legs, skinnies and streamlined boyfriend jeans, those who wear jeans several times a week, or daily, are ready for a change. These are the silhouettes I’ve been recommending to them across an assortment of washes. 

Flared Jeans

Think full length bootcuts or bell-bottom jeans that are dramatically flared at the hems. Both silhouettes are fitted on the thighs, and this structure makes them easier to pair with fluid and oversized tops. Choose high or low rises depending on your preference. Personally, I like flared jeans best with a low, mid or high heel worn with extra long hems that almost skim the surface of the ground. Elegant and retro. 

Cropped Kick Flare Jeans

These bootcut or straight leg jeans are cropped above the ankle, creating a subtle or dramatic flare on the hem. Choose a mid or high rise. To ensure a longer leg line, wear cropped kick flares with ankle strap footwear, or booties with higher shafts to close the gap. They look nice with low contrast pumps too. They are harder — but not impossible — to wear with flat, high-contrasting, high-vamped footwear. Showcasing the waistband of the jeans with a full tuck or semi tuck further lengthens the leg line, as does wearing a column of colour. 

Cropped Skinnies

These are the easiest silhouette to elongate because the tapered hem draws the eye up and down. As with cropped kick flares, wear them with ankle strap footwear, or booties with higher shafts to close the gap. Or with footwear that is the same colour as, or low contrast to, the skinnies. 

Cuffed Jeans 

These are a fun throwback to the ‘90s. They are a slam dunk on tall gals because of “built-in height”, but shorter gals can absolutely wear them too. Great with high heels. You might need to semi-tuck the top to elongate the leg line from the hips up if you’re wearing flats and are long waisted. 

Denim culottes or gauchos also look fresh, and are great styled in the same way you would style a flared skirt. Coloured jeans, especially in burgundy and olive, look fresh to my eye too. 

Thanks to unseasonably mild and dry Seattle weather, I’ve been wearing my extra long flared blue and white jeans all year long and love the change. I am thoroughly enjoying the throwback to ‘70s fashion. I’ve also been frequently wearing the Current Elliot cropped kick flare jeans that I got at the NAS. I’m looking into getting another pair of cropped kick flares to wear with high-shaft booties. They are going to be my casual uniform for Fall & Winter as I retire my blue boyfriend jeans. 

Carine Roitfeld partners with Uniqlo, a new plus-size boutique concept at JCPenney, Boden brick-and-mortar stores, and more fashion news from around the world this week.

• Fun news for the Boden fans: The British retailer plans to open a number of brick-and-mortar stores in the UK and the US.
• A new exhibition at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn explores activism in the garment industry.
• Madewell’s online store is now shipping to more than 100 countries globally, across Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and South America.
• Racked has more info on Carine Roitfeld’s clothing collection for Uniqlo that launches on 29 October.
• Kate Spade snagged Gloria Steinem for a cameo appearance in the latest episode of their Anna Kendrick video series.
• The “Liberty in Fashion” exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum celebrates the London store’s 140th anniversary.
• JCPenney introduces “The Boutique” which will offer more contemporary clothing options in sizes 14W to 24W, and 1X to 3X, both online and in brick-and-mortar stores.

Fun Fashion Fact

The world-renowned Liberty store on London’s Great Marlborough Street is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year. Did you know that the building with its mock-Tudor façade, designed by Edwin T. Hall and his son Edwin S. Hall in 1924, was constructed from the timber of two Royal Navy battleships, HMS Impregnable and HMS Hindustan.