It’s fabulous that dark blue, from light navies to deep ink blues, is once again available in retail stores across most wardrobe items. I’m a huge fan of this dark neutral as an alternative to black and grey. Some of these items are available in colours other than dark blue. 

• Halogen Leather Moto Jacket: It’s hard to find a dark blue leather jacket that looks equally good open and zipped up, but this one fits the bill. The vibe is more sporty-casual than dressy because of the topstitch detailing and stretch inserts on the underside of the sleeves. 
• Halogen Twill Jacket: A very lightweight and fluid jacket with a fun notched collar. 
• Halogen Three Quarter Sleeve Sweater: A simple sweater in a fluid fit and pretty neckline. Sometimes we ignore basic pieces like this because they’re boring. Yet they are often precisely the piece our wardrobe requires to complete a handful of outfits. 
• Halogen Stretch Cotton Blend Pencil Skirt: A great skirt for the inverted triangle body type because it visually broadens the hip and thigh area.
• Vince Camuto Bootie: Sleek, pretty, comfortable and unexpectedly dark blue. Read the rave reviews. 
• Vince Camuto Smart Denim Asymmetrical Zip Skirt: A pencil skirt with a difference. Fun look for date night or the like. The front vent creeps up when you sit down, and your legs will feel a little exposed as you stride, so consider yourself warned. 
• Brahmin La Scala Arden Satchel: A stunning structured bag with a retro quality. The tassel is removable. 
• French Connection Runaway Clutch: Modern and elegant. 
• Eileen Fisher Wool Poncho Top (Plus): Drapes like a dream. Great neckline for a shorter neck and larger bust. Needs an underlayer because it’s sheer. 
• Sejour Faux Leather Trim Jersey Tee (Plus): It’s a shame that the photo does not do this piece justice because it’s a super fit on an hourglass and pear shape body type. The top hangs too wide if you’re narrower on the hip. Gorgeous fabric and colour. 
• T Tahari Deanna Sheer Pinwheel Lace Jacket: The prettiest lace moto jacket I’ve seen. It’s well made and not as delicate as it looks. Perfect over a black column of colour or with a white tank, jeans and pumps. 
• Classiques Entier Sleeve Glen Plaid Jacket: A mixed media darling that works for apple shaped body types. Structured, professional and comfortable. 
• Kate Spade Millie Woven Blazer: Bold, beautifully made and very crisp. The fit errs on the fluid side of tailored which I find very flattering. 
• Tsubo Rylee Flat: Ink blue patent is a rare find and here it is. A comfortable laceless oxford with a Jil Sander integrity. Sporty yet elegant and modern. Read the rave reviews.
• Vince Stripe Linen Tee: A timeless Summer sweater in a breezy slubby knit with pretty neckline. Very Euro and pretty timeless.
• Topshop Textured Sweater: Non-scratch and an inexpensive way to sport the round shoulder trend. Fab over a pencil skirt or with baggier bottoms. 

Dark blue works well with shades of orange or green. I also love it with black or white. It’s super with blue denim and light blue. Or with mint, lilac or blush. It’s also rich with dark shades of purple or tomato red.

Creative Mum-on-the-Go Anna Liesemeyer (29) lives in Atlanta, and blogs about fashion, design and DIY projects over at In Honor of Design. She adores high heels, and combines a very girly casual style with arty layers and some rocker influences: 

“My style a few years ago was a lot of bold color and print mixing. I loved showing my love of color through clothing. I still appreciate print mixing and color blocking, but have slowly navigated into a more minimalist style and realize many of my more recent looks have a bohemian edge to them. Laid back and relaxed is kind of a reflection of my personality so it has started to translate in the way I dress. I love to choose pieces that are simple and modern and maybe one bold piece to tell a story. I think style should evolve as your life evolves. It makes it a fun adventure and a fun way to look at how it parallels with your life.”

A simple, stylish and practical look that makes it easy for this Mum of three little ones under five to get on with her day. It’s the details that make this outfit. You don’t need extra bells and whistles when you go with a great pair of jeans with an interesting jacket. Anna regularly sports flares, wearing hem widths that work proportionally with her frame. The mixed media jacket has beautiful quilted detailing and an asymmetrical zipper. Wearing it closed over a simple black top creates an edgy minimalist effect. The herringbone haute baseball cap adds textural interest and a playful sporty touch. I find it irresistibly cheeky in combination with Anna’s sweet freckles. A modern daytime clutch in brown leopard print finishes off the look.

A stylish casual look for a radiant Mum-to-be. Cargo pants are a fun alternative to jeans and just as fuss-free. Anna rolled up her khaki slim fit pants to showcase her two-toned strappy sandals. There’s only a sliver of skin showing between the low-contrast ankle straps and pant hems, which elongates the leg line. A simple V-neck tee covers Anna’s sweet baby bump, the dark colour bookends her brown tresses. The crochet effect of the white cap-sleeved cardigan adds a girly integrity to the tomboy bottoms. The neon orange border on the chevron clutch is just plain fun.

Here’s Anna’s take on maternity dressing:

“I think when you are pregnant, comfort is the most important factor. This doesn’t mean you have to forgo your style in the meantime. I usually chose the comfortable tank or tee and layered with an edgy jacket or shoe. It can be just one thing that can make all the difference in how you feel as well. I found that if I made some effort to be put together, my energy level would take note and try to keep up;)”

The navy and red striped pleated skirt is what first caught my attention. It suits Anna’s playful casual aesthetic to a T. She has paired the flared skirt with a longer-length blazer, which isn’t the easiest look to pull off. Opting for a tailored, low-stance blazer and closing the one button keeps the silhouette streamlined. Then it’s time for a spot of pattern mixing. Adding the plaid button-down is a little unexpected and very fun. I especially love the effect of the rolled blazer cuffs with the folded-over shirt cuff because it draws the eye to the gorgeous turquoise blue in the shirt. Pumpkin ankle boots — the only warm colour in this outfit — and a cream beanie add a bit of rocker and bohemian nonchalance, as does our blogger’s long, wavy hair.

Arty layering is Anna’s forte. Finding one-of-a-kind pieces is another talent of hers. Here she combines both. The navy herringbone cape is lightweight and drapes like a dream. The large front panels collapse back onto the body, while the asymmetrical hemline and faux sleeves keep the unstructured style fairly streamlined. Popping it over a charcoal long-sleeved top, and wearing it with black bottoms creates a coherent, monochromatic look. Slim fit pants, like these faux leather panelled leggings, are a great choice to counterbalance the volume on top. The diamond brocade fabric clutch is another unique find, one that brilliantly complements the pattern of the cape. An interesting gold bracelet, emerald cocktail ring, animal print pointy-toe pumps and fab red lipstick are all the accessories this outfit needs.

Once in a while Anna does a dress-up challenge on her blog, for which she comes up with a look inspired by a red carpet event. This is her “inspired by the Golden Globes 2014 Daytime Look“. A beautiful graphic black and white outfit with the plaid wool coat as the star of the show. The collarless style has a sweet mod vibe. It’s also the perfect backdrop for Anna’s black oversized bib necklace. A statement accessory that works in a subtle way because of the ton-sur-ton effect over the coat. The lace trim skirt popping out from under the coat adds girly frill, the patent clutch shine and textural interest. The messy updo is playfully nonchalant, the super high ankle boots with eye-catching curvy heel are Anna’s rocker touch.

My favourite look because of the gorgeous white Chanel-esque jacket. I especially adore this type of jacket when worn in a spunky way. Anna uses it to dress up a pair of black velvet skinnies and casual pumpkin-coloured boots. The white on white on top looks fresh and crisp. The tweedy texture is fab over the soft silk blouse. A tailored style like this is easier to wear than its boxy equivalent, plus the small collar adds structure. Our blogger kept the dark tan crossbody bag in the same colour family as her booties, which makes for a coherent pairing. The plaits and crisscross stitching down the centre add subtle texture. The gold part of the turquoise-tinted necklace with fringed chain ties in nicely with the jacket’s gold buttons. As always, the devil is in the details.

Hop on over to Anna’s blog to check out the rest of her outfits, or browse her pinboards for tons of visual inspiration. But first let us know in the comments what you think about Anna’s stylish Mum-on-the-Go looks.

I’ve been using Lancôme’s Définicils High Definition Mascara for years, but recently switched to Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effet Faux Cils Babydoll Mascara. I was shopping in Sephora with a friend and realized I needed mascara. I asked a sales assistant which non-waterproof version she thought was best, and she recommended YSL’s Babydoll Mascara. 

I decided to give it a bash and I’m pleased that I did. I prefer it to the Lancôme mascara I was using before. The magic lies in the soft rubber bristle brush, which applies the mascara a lot more evenly and smoothly than conventional mascara brushes with hard bristles. Wow. I love this mascara. 

I also bought an eyelash curler for nostalgic reasons more than anything else. It takes me back to my Mum’s makeup drawer in the ‘70s, which was the last time I used an eyelash curler. I was seven or eight at the time and now, 35 years later, I have one that looks exactly the same. With the memories of my late Mum fading a little, it is very special to get a little reminder of her every time I open my makeup drawer.

I am a huge supporter of wearing most wardrobe items regularly instead of saving them for special occasions. After all, clothes, footwear and accessories were bought to be worn, and the only way to whittle down their cost per wear to nothing is to wear the heck out of them. So when my clients ask me, “I love this top, but when will I wear it?” More often than not, my reply is, “Every day.” To which they frequently reply, “Every day? That top is too special to wear every day!” I smile and say, “But you are special, and life is too short to save wardrobe pieces for special occasions.” 

That said, I absolutely do ration the wear of certain wardrobe items. Not because they are pricey, dressy, delicate or impractical, but because it will be hard to replace them. Items like this currently in my wardrobe include  my white Anne Fontaine shirts, black Tokyo suit, jodhpur jeans, cream patent booties, cream go-go boots, cream Jil Sander skirt, grey pinstripe Theory suit, pink Joseph man coat, and Alice & Olivia black wide leg trousers.

Some of these are better-end items, but that’s not why they are on the list. Some of them, like my cream booties and the go-go boots, were actually quite inexpensive. It’s that these pieces are one of a kind or hard to replace. In many cases they are items that need to be pristine in order to work in my outfits.

By wearing and laundering these items regularly, I would wear them out. So I deliberately wear them less often to keep them pristine. This takes discipline on my part because I would love to have them in more regular rotation.

Do you ration the wearability of some of your wardrobe items? If so, why are you saving them? Or do you wear the heck out of them anyway?