Yes, cropped pants are the biggest trend for 2012. Yes, I find the trend extremely hard to pull off in flattering ways, although not an impossible feat. 

My long standing suggestion has been to wear cropped pants a little shorter than an inch or two above the ankle bone. That way your leg line looks longer, even when you wear flats, and proportions fall into place. To my eye the shorter cropped pants length looks infinitely more flattering on all body types.

As I was browsing through Dsqaured2’s Fall and Winter 2012 runway collection, my heart skipped a beat. To my delight the designers had cropped the trousers to various versions of that shorter length. I love tapered cropped pants at these lengths! I’ve shown some of the looks below, but do go back and browse through the collection for the full effect.

We might perceive flattering cropped pant lengths differently, and that’s okay. Some like them at the lengths shown here, others prefer them longer or shorter. I’m highly sensitized to the leg shortening effects of cropped pants because creating a long leg line is a figure flattering priority for me. Most designers and retailers are showing cropped pants at that tricky longer length, and often I don’t even find them attractive on the slim and leggy model. So I was ecstatic to find these shorter cropped pants renditions and desperately wanted to share them with you.

We leave for Japan at the crack of dawn tomorrow and will be away for 10 days. Our very good friend Brian is having a formal wedding ceremony in Tokyo with his wonderful bride Tomoko, and we’re flying out to participate in the wedding festivities. You might remember meeting Brian when we visited him in Zurich and he made me wear Crocs.

We’ll first be spending time in Yokohama and Kyoto before heading out to Tokyo for the wedding. I am ready to see the cherry blossoms, admire Japanese architecture, eat the best sushi, soak up the incredible street fashion, catch up with friends, and shop! 

We’ll reduce the frequency of posts while we’re away, but there will be at least one a day. If things go really well we’ll put together some thoughts along the way. Failing that we’ll do a Japanese series when we return. Either way, we are VERY excited. 

It’s important to create a wardrobe that works with your climate. That way you’ll reduce closet orphans, save money, and actually wear what’s in your closet. With a practical approach to your wardrobe, you’ll also feel appropriately dressed and comfortable each day, which goes a long way towards owning your look. 

Sometimes it’s hard to be practical about adapting our wardrobes to the climate, and it’s not uncommon to be in denial about the whole thing. This happens when you love certain wardrobe items so you keep on buying them, but you hardly wear them because the weather is uncooperative. For example, you might adore wool coats and tall boots, yet you live in Hawaii or Singapore where the weather is hot and humid. Unless you regularly travel to a much colder part of the world, you will have little need for these items.

That’s why I suggest shopping (mostly) for your dominant season. For example, if you live in Austin, TX – Summer is the dominant season. If you live in Alaska, Winter is the dominant season. If you live in a place that doesn’t really have a dominant season, make sure that your clothing, footwear and accessories reflect all the seasons in relatively equal proportions. Also, take into account your temperature tolerance levels. For example, you might live in a relatively cool climate, but not really feel the cold. So on days where I’m wearing woolly knitwear, you might be more comfortable in a long sleeved blouse. 

I have lived in different climates all over the world, from tropical Hong Kong, to seaside Cape Town, Western Europe and Seattle. I’ve had to readapt my wardrobe each time we moved to accommodate the climate changes, and for sure I’ve made costly mistakes along the way.

When we first moved to Seattle, I didn’t know that the Summers were short and generally not that warm. On top of that, I feel cold at the drop of a hat. But I love wearing soft skirts, and sleeveless blouses and dresses, and for the first couple of years of living here I stocked up on them in the hopes that we would have a gloriously warm Spring and hot Summer. Well, I learned the hard way. My warm weather stuff was orphaned. Now I know better. You have to put the brakes on warm weather wardrobe items when you live in Seattle. But you can go to town adding items like sleeved tops, jackets, trench coats, coats, knitwear, jeans, trousers, heavier weight skirts, scarves and all sorts of boots. These items are my wardrobe workhorses and money well spent. 

Does your wardrobe reflect your dominant season(s)? Have you made mistakes along the way? Do you purchase items for an imaginary climate?

For a couple of years, Macys has been stocking the Alfani Voyage Wedge Sandal for just under $40, and it’s worth a look. I have the fussiest sandal feet in the world, and even I find this style comfortable. The low heel is manageable, while the elastic straps stretch with your foot as you stride. No rubbing, and no falling off your feet either. The footbed is pretty cushioning too. 

Surprisingly, I have clients with a range of feet shapes and widths sporting this sandal because it seems to work for narrow, regular and wider feet. The stretchy strap placement is extra forgiving, which means it can also work on feet with bunions.

It’s a good little casual walking shoe, great to kick around in on casual days and in relaxed settings. It’s available in three colours, and you might need to size down half a size. Note that it will look better on your feet than it does in the photo.