Suz suggests reading this article in the Guardian on body image, which discusses the role of the fashion industry in creating body image dysmorphia. 

Inge enjoyed seeing Gap’s 1993-1995 “Who Wore Khakis?” campaign on That Kind Of Women. 

Velvety Chocolate thought that this infographic in The Big Picture showing the retail strength of Amazon was eye-openeing. 

Kari was taken aback by the high cost of cheap fashion, and shares her thoughts on the subject on A Pencil Skirt Life. 

Mac read on Passage des Perles how many women have fit issues when clothes shopping, and what a few retailers are doing to address these challenges. 

Rae is excited about another season of printed pants and so am I. 

MaryK recommends reading an article about how Gloria Steinem feels about aging and looking your age in USA Today. Coincidentally, we recently had a great discussion in the forum about looking one’s age. 

Last but not least, Kat from Corporette talks about what to wear to an office pool party.

Note: by white footwear I mean all shades of white, off white, bone and cream, but excluding athletic sneakers. 

I LOVE the look of white footwear throughout the year. My love for white peds started in the ’80s and it stuck. White boots, booties, stacked sandals, ankle strap shoes, thong sandals, mules, peep-toes, ballet flats, mary janes, Converse, espadrilles, loafers, flat oxfords, sandal booties, pumps – I adore these styles in all shades of white, although I wear only a handful of them. 

I have a thing for white items in general, so that might be why I am drawn to white footwear. White footwear looks fresh, crisp, bold, and above all modern to my eye. It can also look graphic or retro depending on the style of the shoe. 

White footwear is a perfect marriage with white trousers, cropped pants and jeans, creating an elongated column of colour. They also look great when matched with a top, topper or dress that incorporates white. You don’t need to be tanned to wear white footwear either. I think it looks fabulous on all skin tones. 

When I work with my clients, I’ve found that their thoughts on white footwear are divided. Some like it for the same reasons that I do, while others find the vibe frumpy, unflattering, jarring, unsophisticated, hard to successfully pull together in an outfit, or just old fashioned. 

Granted, white footwear is bold and bright, and not quite as versatile as a metallic or nude-for-you shoe. For me, there is something magical about white footwear, and my wardrobe is never without it. 

Do you wear white footwear? If so, do you wear it in the warmer months, or throughout the year? Do you think that white footwear is hard to match up in outfits? Does it look frumpy to your eye?

I had a little time to shop on our recent trip to Japan. If space and budget were no object, I could have brought back suitcases full of gorgeous goodies because the one item was more fabulous than the next. The shopping in Japan is that good. But with lots of shopping discipline I came home with one suit and a pair of shoes. 

Although suits are one of my current fashion obsessions, I wasn’t planning on bringing one home at all. This is the season of pattern and colour, so why on earth would I bring back a black suit? Well. It just worked out that way because after fitting it on, it had to be mine.

It’s tuxedo integrity, fabric sheen, inset panels, ruffles, and intricate ruching detail make for an interesting masculine and feminine juxtaposition. Also, the fact that the cropped trousers were at the perfect length was a big sign that this suit should come home to Seattle. The great fit and excellent quality were the clinchers.

I have been living to wear this suit since we got back from Japan – after all, I bat for Team Wear. But it wasn’t until a recent business trip that I had the right occasion for its debut. These photos were taken just before our meeting in sunny and breezy San Francisco last week. The crease-resistant fabric made my outfit feel crisp all day. Perfect for travel. 

There are countless ways to wear this suit, but for it’s debut I opted to wear it with a tucked, masculine, French blue button down shirt complete white cuffs and collar. It’s similar to the light blue and white striped shirt I sported a few weeks ago — I’m loving my button downs more than ever this year.

I wore the shirt tuxedo-style for our meeting: buttoned up, but creating a butterfly by wearing the collar up at the back. For the rest of the day I wore it open collared.

A black patent belt with sculptured bow and off white satchel finish off the look. No jewelry other than an oversized pair of specs, silver watch and wedding ring. True to this leg of my style journey, this outfit is soft and a little masculine.

And then there are the shoes. I almost cried when I saw them in Japan and popped them on to my fussy feet. They are low heeled, soft and so very comfortable. Their dainty straps and slender wedge heel are refined and ladylike. I had already worn these a few times before the debut of the suit, but felt just as special for this trip.

I am extremely pleased with my versatile new black suit. I can dress it up or down, wear the items as separates, throw on boots or flats, and mix it up with sparkle, pattern or denim. No item of clothing can substitute for real confidence, but the quality and design of this suit definitely doesn’t hurt.

You are on Team Fitted Summer Top if you prefer to wear tailored tops that define the waistline during the Summer months. You are on Team Loose Summer Top if you prefer to wear baggier tops that surrender the waistline. Empire cuts that are roomy on the torso are loose Summer tops. 

I wear both fitted and voluminous tops in the warmer months, although most of my fitted tops aren’t all that fitted, many of them only hinting at my waistline. I sometimes tuck in my voluminous tops to give them more structure. Or I layer over a tailored blazer for extra polish. 

I wear loose shirts and blouses more frequently in the Spring and Summer months, so I’m on Team Loose Summer Top. I love that easy slouchy vibe of soft, boxy tops with scrunched sleeves and a popped collar. My silhouettes are more waist defining in the Autumn and Winter, so I’ll be switching teams at the end of September. 

Over to you. Are you Team Fitted or Team Loose Summer Top? Tell us why, and no batting for both teams.