Mixing stripes with other patterns, in both subtle and hectic combinations, is very on trend. Understandably, it might not be your cup of tea because it looks like mismatched chaos. If that’s the case, stick to mixing stripes with solids because it’s a slam dunk. But you can also mix stripes with colour blocked items as a halfway measure.The effect is not as maximal as pattern mixing, but more maximal than matching a print with a solid.

I’ve chosen a basic narrow black and white jailbird striped blouse to pair with each of the colour blocked items below. I like how the lines of the striped top work with the lines of the colour blocking. Sometimes the lines of both items run in the same direction (horizontally), and sometimes in the opposite direction (horizontally and vertically).

Stripes with a Colour Blocked Cardigan / Pullover

Stripes with a Colour Blocked Jacket

Stripes with a Colour Blocked Skirt

Stripes with a Colour Blocked Dress

Stripes with Colour Blocked Trousers

The colour black is common in each of the pairings to create a cohesive look. This is not at all a prerequisite for the formula, but the common colour denominator helps marry the two items together.

A simple two toned stripe, like the blouse, is one of the four patterns that I suggest for easy pattern mixing. You can substitute the simple stripe for any of the other patterns mentioned in that post and mix it up with a colour blocked piece. For example, pairing a black and white polka dot blouse would work just as well as the stripe.

During fashion week Greg takes photographs of the fashion both on and off the runway. Here are my favourite off the runway shots this time round, along with the reason that I thought each one was so fab. 

Check out the right hand column of our fashion week page to see the rest of the candid photos.

This stylish bloke spent long hours on his feet making sure that things ran like clockwork. He was always friendly and helpful. The staff at fashion week deserve a HUGE round of applause. They have to wear black from head to toe, but I love how he added safety pins to his jacket to be more distinctive. 

This lovely lady is captivated by the show that’s streaming on the large screens inside the tent. I love her expression, and how her red specs look so fresh with her platinum blonde locks.

Greg didn’t realize that he had taken a picture of the one and only Bill Cunningham until he was processing the photos later on. What a brilliant surprise!

This photo is so sweet. Two stylish friends clutching the same phone as they take a photo of themselves.

This dandy gentleman caused quite a stir inside the tents as the photographers lined up to take pictures. One of our forum members pointed out that the writing on his leggings sends quite the message, and one that we hadn’t noticed before posting the photo. As someone who does not swear, I was horrified! Yet it’s amongst my favourite photos.

A bloke in a superb coat, scarf and eyewear with greying hair catches my attention. Great look.

And last but not least, I hope this beautiful photo encourages those who love hats, but are reluctant to wear them! They truly are a brilliant accessory, especially when you have long hair.

Go to our New York Fashion Week Page to see all of our coverage.

What is considered a fashion faux pas today can become stylishly acceptable sooner than you think. There are so many examples of this phenomenon that it’s almost comical how fashion moves from one extreme to the other. 

Many decades ago it was considered poor style for a woman to be suntanned, to wear black, or to sport trousers. My word, how fashion has changed. More recently, faux pas like wearing denim on denim, mixing patterns, combining navy with black or brown with black, pairing high vamped footwear with skirts and dresses, leaving off the pantyhose with skirts and dresses, and sporting more than one animal print item per ensemble have become fashionably acceptable. And just when you thought that wearing a very matchy-matchy look was frumpy, it becomes on trend.

It’s a tricky business when faux pas become fashion because this means readjusting our style perceptions. Sometimes we adjust no problem, but it can also be hard. And sometimes we don’t adjust at all.

For example, I never thought that combining black and brown was a faux pas, so that adjustment was a non-issue. I have always liked the look of subtle pattern mixing, so I quickly began to appreciate more advanced pattern mixing. I was initially a little resistant of the denim on denim trend, but soon began to love the possibilities with my denim shirt.

There were adjustments that were harder for me. It took longer for me to appreciate the effect of wearing two similar animal print items like a belt and shoes in one outfit. And although it is hard to imagine now, when skinny jeans became fashionable about seven years ago, I initially battled to readjust my style perceptions. Presently I am still adjusting to the whole phenomenon of stylishly messy hair when it’s long and straight.

Over to you. Have you found it hard to readjust when a faux pas becomes fashion?

Cropped pants and midi skirts are very on trend. But this poll is not just about those trouser and skirt silhouettes. We’ll extend the poll to include ALL styles of non-denim trousers and skirts. 

You are on Team Trousers if you prefer to wear trousers over skirts. You are on Team Skirt if you prefer to wear skirts over trousers. Note that trousers does NOT mean jeans. 

If you asked me this question two years ago, it would have been Team Skirts all the way. I just didn’t wear trousers unless they were jeans. However, I started getting bored of my pencil skirts and I didn’t have any full skirts (only dresses with full skirts). I’ve accumulated a few full silhouettes which has rekindled my love for skirts, AND I’m back to wearing pencil skirts after giving them a bit of a break. But trousers are definitely my new wardrobe love and I’m having fun adding them into my style. I am all over ’80s inspired pleated and slouchy trouser styles as long as they aren’t cropped. I also love wearing black cigarette pants, silky harem pants, classic grey pinstriped suit trousers, micro check pants, tapered glen plaid trousers, and bright tartan skinnies. I am on Team Trousers. 

Over to you. Are you on Team Trousers or Team Skirt? Tell us why, and no batting for both sides.