These heeled sandals have been winners with my clients over the last few weeks. They are all neutrally toned and their comfort levels will vary. Remember to check out all the colour options. 

• Vince Camuto Hannah Sandal: The heel is high but the leather is soft. It encloses beautifully around the ankle. Modern and refined. 
• Cole Haan Air Tali Sandal: A classic two inch wedged sandal that works for a broader foot. The snakeskin is divine and the footbed spongey. 
• Aerosoles Zentry Level Sandal: A Grecian heeled strappy gladiator that’s pretty on the foot. Very comfortable and with a manageable heel height. The gold gets my top vote. 
• Aerosoles Argintina Sandal: These are my best and look much better on the foot than in the photo. Like the Vince Camutos, they are modern and refined. Despite the online information, I’m pretty sure that the heel height is less than three inches because my feet could stand the arch. They enclose a daintier ankle just so and are extremely comfortable. I don’t wear sandals, but these could change my mind. The taupe gets my top vote.

These styles look great with trousers, cropped pants, skirts, shorts and dresses. Versatile and good for several seasons. 

Items or head-to-toe looks that particularly tickle our fancy during a fashion season are often called, for lack of a better expression, our current fashion obsessions. Sometimes our obsessions are expected, like sandals if you love to expose your feet, or handbags if you’re a bag lady. And sometimes we obsess about something completely unexpected, like a new colour, pattern, accessory, clothing silhouette or fashion persona. I’m sure this sounds familiar. 

My current fashion obsessions are both expected and unexpected. Handbags are my thing so I’m always lusting after new bag vibes. Masculine button down shirts, and light or white footwear are pretty much my thing too, so my obsession for them isn’t surprising. Midi skirts and dresses rank high on my “always want” seasonal shopping list.

More unexpectedly, I’m currently obsessed with trousers and suits, in all colours, patterns, fabrications and silhouettes. If my budget were unlimited, I’d be adding all sorts of clean cut trouser suits to my wardrobe right now – in brights, white and patterns, with varied trouser shapes. I’d throw in a suit with long shorts too. I’d wear the suits as suits, and also mix and match the separates.

I just can’t get enough of any of these looks! What are your current fashion obsessions? Feel free to list as many items, head-to-toe-looks or fashion personas as you like. 

The slow-paced, decidedly melancholic documentary L’Amour Fou tells the life story of French couturier Yves Saint Laurent through the eyes of his partner Pierre Bergé. We get glimpses into the timid designer’s career and personal life, from his appointment as Christian Dior’s successor at age twenty-one to his retirement in 2002. Archive footage and interviews with friends reveal his passion for travel and art, his dedication to his work, playful moments backstage, but also the enormous stress of coming out with four collections a year, and his struggle with depression and addiction. 

Part of the movie documents the Christie’s auction of the designer’s extensive art collection after he passed away in 2008. The two gentlemen began collecting art in the 1950s, and I was particularly taken with how they built their collection of valuable and well-loved pieces. Especially in the beginning, Yves and Pierre didn’t go out actively looking for new works of art. They let themselves be led by chance encounters and coups de foudre with items they’d stumbled upon by accident. I love that! And I immediately noticed the analogy with clothing shopping. How many times have you hit the stores needing something specific, say a party dress for an upcoming wedding or pumps in a particular shade of green, to come home empty-handed? Whereas we often find true treasures while we aren’t even looking. My much missed grey pinstriped dress, and more recently, my ink blue slouchy trousers turned out to be two such success stories.

Has this ever happened to you? What are some of your wardrobe workhorses found when you least expected it? Clothes that almost fell into your lap, so to speak, and that quickly became favourites because they are super flattering and a joy to wear?

I encourage women to have a wardrobe that is practical, and that suits their climate, lifestyle and environment. I warn against the dangers of shopping for an imaginary lifestyle because that’s when you fill your closet with orphans, feeling like you have nothing to wear despite a cupboard full of clothes, footwear and accessories. 

But there’s an exception to the rule of only purchasing for the needs you know about. I believe it is a good idea to have at least one outfit hanging in your wardrobe as a fast fallback option for a formal or dressy occasion. That way it’s ready to wear whenever the occasion arises. No need to scramble at the last minute trying to put together a more formal outfit, perhaps ending up with something that isn’t ideal because you ran out of time and had to settle.

There is no need to go on a major shopping expedition and spend loads of money on a formal wear capsule. I’m talking more along the lines of scouring the formal wear sale rails when you’re already out shopping and in the zone. Try on those cocktail frocks, dressy separates and fancy shoes too. If you happen upon a killer look at a reasonable price, snap up the items straight away. Pop them into your closet and voila! You have a stress-free fast fallback outfit for a very dressy occasion.

So the trick is to find an outfit that covers a range of dressy occasions, be it a wedding, theatre night, a cocktail event, a fund raising event, a work soiree, a very fancy dinner or a Christmas party. Look for a fairly versatile, seasonless outfit that you can dress up or down with footwear and accessories. Stay away from anything overly trendy so that it has a longer shelf life. Perhaps it’s a little black, blue, purple grey or red dress in your best silhouette. Perhaps it’s a lace skirt and tuxedo jacket. Perhaps it’s a beaded topper with satin cigarette trousers. A dress with subtle sparkle. Sequined trousers with a silky blouse. Or a lace sheath with satin trench coat.

On recent shopping trips with clients, we’ve been fitting on and purchasing a lot more formal wear than we used to precisely for the abovementioned reason. As hard as it is to spend the money on something that you have no intention of wearing in the near future, you’ll be thankful to have prevented the outfit stress when that super dressy occasion pops up on your calendar.