Outfit Formula: Spring Eggplant

Eggplant is a very dark purple, and typically more available in Autumn and Winter collections. Interestingly, the rich dark colour is appearing in Spring and Summer collections, which is more unexpected. Some eggplants skew blue like a grape, and some red like a plum. Take your pick. 

Spring eggplant is a hit with some of my clients and friends, who are snapping up lightweight and summery items in the colour. Do the same if you enjoy wearing the colour in warm and hot weather silhouettes.

Onto some outfit inspiration.

1. Bottoms

These COS pleated culottes are gorgeous, and look elegant and breezy in a casually polished and fashion forward way. I loved them on my client, who wore them with a summery navy top and burgundy loafers in the dressing room. She also had a burgundy bag to match. Chic! Here they’re paired with a long sleeved black tee, black sandals and bag. Feel free to scrunch the sleeves to showcase forearm skin.

Bottoms

2. Co-ord

I saw this pants set at MANGO and it’s fantastic. The eggplant is more rich-looking in person. The bold graphic pattern packs a playful punch, and the items can be worn separately too. Runs big so size down. It’s super easy and comfortable to pull on a co-ord like this on a hot Spring or Summer’s day. Add shoes and bag and you’re done. Here, black flats with ties bookend the model’s hair. Cream, metallic, tan and burgundy shoes could work well too. The black cord necklace works well with the black accents.

Co-ord

3. Patterned

You might like to wear warm weather eggplant in a pattern if a solid is too much of a commitment. Here, a patterned eggplant cowl neck blouse is combined with a pair of breezy caramel pull-on palazzo pants. Pewter toe-loop sandals complete the care-free look. Add a bag that works with the palette.

Patterned

More patterned eggplant items that might inspire you:

4. Top

Last, an ‘’ 00s inspired combination, and trending. An asymmetrical eggplant dress is worn over scrunched black straight leg bottoms like a tunic. A short black boxy jacket is the third piece. It matches the black bottoms, and black sandals. The low contrast between the three pieces accentuates the long lean line. I can see the look work well with flared pants and jeans too. The vibe is a 2026 version of what some of us wore back in the ‘’ 00s (myself included). Dresses were very short back then, so I wore them over pants and jeans as tops instead. I fondly remember the combination of two decades ago, and plan to wear a current version with a pair of old red flared trousers. I need to find just the tunic or dress. Exciting!

Top

Fab Finds: COS, Flats, Barrels

I’m doing lots of Spring and Summer shopping with clients. Like me, they are welcoming back the in-person brick ‘n mortar experience after shopping online almost exclusively for years. Our malls are buzzing, and people are in the mood to shop. Shoutouts to COS, MANGO, Zara, Levi’s, Banana Republic, Dillard’s, Nordstrom Rack, Ralph Lauren, and the Nordstrom footwear department for their particularly good retail assortments this season.

Onto this week’s top picks, which were winners on clients.

1. COS Items

COS fabrics drape beautifully and are gorgeous. Notably, the Twist-Detail Jersey Midi Skirt creates a stunning two-piece dress with the Twist-Detail Jersey Top. They can also be worn separately, and come in navy and chocolate. The Gathered Crinkled Shirt is elegant, fitted, and runs very small. The Pleated Cotton Pants, are very elegant, trendy, and for Team Eggplant.

2. Flats

The Vionic Alameda Woven Mary Jane Flat is good on wider feet, and feet with bunions. It has a snap fastening so you don’t need to fasten and unfasten the buckle. Quite supportive and very comfy. The André Assous Brielle Pointed Toe Slingback Flat is a brilliantly dainty summery slingback that is versatile and comfy. Awfully pretty and refined on the foot. Best on narrower feet. The Lucia Mary Jane Flat comes in suede and mesh. The suede is much more comfortable than the mesh. It works well on wider feet, is super soft, and has fantastic mixed metal hardware.

3. Uniqlo Jersey Barrel Pants

These VERY crisp, clean, and extremely well cut and sewn barrel pants are $50, and almost sold out because they’re outstanding. The back pockets are quite the work of art. The fabric feels heavenly, and the off-center seams are genius. They run a size big, and are quite long. Comes in seven neutrals. WOVEN poly-cotton, and a bestseller for good reason.

Uniqlo Jersey Barrel Pants

Breaking Up With Linen

I’ve lived in Asia and Africa for half my life, and linen is a very summery and breathable fabric to wear in those hot climates. As a result, I’ve worn linen tops, skirts, pants, jackets, waistcoats, and dresses for decades. Usually in solids, and sometimes as patterns. Linen items were particularly big in the ’90s, and that’s when I had my largest capsule of linen everything. I liked wearing linen, and was at peace with the crease. It worked well when I lived in breezy and beachy Cape Town that has a Mediterranean climate.

Over the years, I’ve grown less fond of wearing linen clothing. I am no longer at peace with the crease, and more importantly, I don’t like the feeling of linen against my skin. Some linen items are scratchy and can irritate my skin. I much prefer the physical feeling of cotton and silk. I stopped buying linen items four years ago, but continued wearing the linen items I had.

Currently, I’ve passed on all linen items apart from this Boden citron co-ord. The colour launches me into orbit, and the set looks awfully punchy and beachy on a hot Summer’s day. This linen feels fine on my skin too. I adore the set when it’s freshly pressed and I haven’t moved much in it yet. By the end of the day, I don’t like the way the set has creased. I’m keeping it anyway. I’ll push through my annoyance with the crease just because of the colour and fit.

Granted, cotton poplin items can crease as badly as linen, but at least the cotton feels heavenly against my skin. No more linen for me. I’m breaking up with linen and focusing on cotton, silk, and cotton blends for Spring and Summer. How about you? Are you breaking up with linen, or another type of fabric?

Roundups

Simpler Items

This week's list of top picks list is about basic pieces.

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Assorted Items

Items for Summer, both in and out of air conditioning.

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Casual Summer Vibes

This week's top picks are good for a casual Summer vibe.

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Summery Earth Tones

These items are for those who like to wear casual earth tones in warm and hot weather.

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Hints of Spring

Some tried-and-tested winning items to refresh your style for Spring.

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Dressier Items

An assortment of dressier top picks might be just what the doctor ordered.

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Trend: Lace Trimmed Hip Scarf

There are lace trimmed skirts, lace trimmed camisoles, and today’s post is about lace trimmed scarves. They are solid and patterned, and mostly neutral. Most of the scarves are trimmed with lace, and some are made entirely of lace. The idea is to wear them around your waist like a sarong over jeans, casual pants, dressy trousers, skirts, and dresses. I remember that this was a thing back in the ’80s. Since the ’80s are influencing current fashion, it’s good timing of the trend.

Lace trimmed scarves are the newest look, although you can create a triangle with ANY large solid or patterned square scarf and add it to your outfit by wrapping it around your waist and hips. The examples below show lace trimmed scarves and patterned scarves wrapped this way. It’s a fringe trend that began last year, and it’s gaining momentum.

Create a low or high contrast with the scarf. Wear it over a column of colour. Keep it the same colour as the column of colour. Or layer a jacket or coat over the wrapped scarf outfit. A nice square knot will ensure that the ends lie flat and neatly against the side of the body.

Lace Trim Hip Scarves





Personally, I’m not a big decorative scarf person. Most of the time, I wear woolly scarves for warmth around my neck in cold weather as opposed to adding it as flair and embellishment to an outfit. I’m much more into wearing belts than scarves, so I’m bypassing this trend. However, I’ve been helping clients style some of their scarves this way, and the results have been most successful over skirts and dresses, although pants and jeans ensembles have worked too.

Over to you. What do you think of the lace trimmed hip scarf, or any square scarf wrapped around your waist and hips?

Trend: Lace Trimmed Camisoles

Silky lace trimmed camisoles are trending as much as lace trimmed skirts. A matching pair can be worn together to create a two-piece dress. The vibe is another nod to early ’00s fashion, which is influencing current fashion. Most are a longer tunic length, although there are short versions too. Lace trims adorn necklines and hems. Lace is contrasting or self-colour. Some hems are asymmetrical. Most camisoles have spaghetti straps and some have built-up shoulders. Colours run the gamut. Most are solid, and some are patterned. The collection shows an assortment of examples.

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The idea is to wear lace trimmed camisoles as a very summery strappy top with casual pants, jeans, dressy trousers, shorts, and skirts. That’s how many of them are styled by retailers. Of course, that might leave you too exposed, which is why I’m suggesting the LAYERING route. A long lace trimmed camisole can be a pretty, romantic, interesting, and alluring layering item. Feel free to wear a regular bra under the camisole when you layer it under a third piece.

Here are lace trimmed camisoles layered under blouses, tailored blazers, and a denim jacket.

Here are examples of lace trimmed camisoles layered under bomber jackets, oversized blazers, funnel neck jackets, and sweaters. Unless the pullover is much shorter, it covers most of the camisole apart from the lace hem. Feel free to use a cardigan as a topper instead of a jacket to showcase more of the camisole. Cardigans layered over camisoles are toppers you can wear more comfortably at home.

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Lace Trim Camisoles 2





I’m a fan of a bit of lace peeking out from under layers. I have short cotton camisoles with bits of lace on the neckline that I enjoy wearing under some shirts, blouses, and dresses. I’ll be looking out for just the right long one to layer under a few pullovers and jackets. The neckline needs to come up quite high for it to work for my style.

Over to you. What do you think of this trend?