Footwear with hole-y uppers are becoming more popular. I remember having my first pair of white perforated flat oxfords in the 80’s, which I wore until they disintegrated and then bought another pair. Over the years I’ve also worn perforated clogs and ballet flats.  At the moment I have two pairs of wedged sling back sandals which are kind of perforated on the toe-box. I guess, technically speaking, the toe boxes are lazer cut, but there are intentionally designed holes in the upper part of the shoes all the same.

I like perforated and lazer cut footwear, from sandals right through to boots, so I vote yay. The effect is pretty, interesting and texture rich. Sometimes the perforated parts are backed by another layer of leather. Or the leather isn’t backed and you can see foot skin peeking through the holes of the shoes. I like the styles that allow skin to peek through just a wee bit more.

Over to you. Would you wear a perforated or lazer cut footwear?

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Many of my clients hire me for one primary reason – to help them move out of their style comfort zone. They are bored with their current style and it’s time to change things up. Sometimes the changes are drastic, and sometimes they are subtle. Either way, I love helping people transition into new ways of presenting themselves to the world. Their journeys are always interesting, reflective, a learning curve and full of surprising aha moments.

One of the surprises: The hardest part isn’t figuring out the new style, or even purchasing all the items and creating the ensembles. It is making the change and actually wearing those ensembles. The thing is that most people are fairly resistant to change. Even though they have decided to evolve their style, and are paying me to help them do so, it ends up being harder to embrace the change than they ever expected. It’s my job to make the transition as fun and painless as possible.

When I help clients move out of their style comfort zone, I start off by asking two big questions:

1. What are your style aspirations, goals and expectations?
2. Are you happy with your hairstyle?

The first question they expect, but the second often comes as a surprise. I ask it because I’ve found that a person’s hairstyle has a very dramatic effect on how they view their current and future style. By addressing a client’s hairstyle right from the start, things naturally fall into place. Often the new hairstyle alone makes my client’s style feel completely different. And sometimes it is exactly the impetus they needed to get out of their comfort zone.

After in-depth discussions and reflections (and frequently that all important trip to the hair salon), my client and I start working towards achieving her desired new look. We review and edit her closet, create outfits with existing wardrobe items, shop for missing pieces and build a range of lifestyle appropriate ensembles. This style renewal process takes time and we often spread it out over several months.

During the process, my client has one important piece of homework: To road-test her new style as soon as possible.

This is when we get to the crux of moving out of the comfort zone. Even with all the right wardrobe items in place, a cheat sheet of dressing formulas, photos on how to put the new looks together, and all the encouragement in the world – it can still be challenging to put a new personal style into practice, especially when the changes are drastic.

I can only take them so far. THEY have to do the rest.

At this stage, I offer two alternatives for how they can move forward with the transition:

1. Throw yourself in the deep end: Pick a new look outfit from our styling sessions, put it on and head out the door without thinking too much about it. Just do it. Expect to feel a little weird at first and expect outfit commentary from others. Do the same thing the next day, and the next day because practice makes perfect. With a little perseverance, tenacity and motivation, your new style will feel more “normal” – both to you AND others.
2. First dip in your toes, then your waist and then the rest of your body: Break in your new style slowly. Mix aspects of your old style with aspects of your new style. Take an item that’s out of your comfort zone and wear it with a few trusty old wardrobe friends. Eventually you’ll work your way up to your new personal style. I spend A LOT of time helping clients to incorporate their new looks slowly but surely, holding their hand as much as I can.

Often people use both of these strategies as they move out of their comfort zone. For example, when I wanted to wear gold metal, I threw myself in the deep end. I walked out the door in gold accessories and hardware one day and that was that. I did it again the next day and the day after that, and soon it felt like me. But when I incorporated skinny jeans back into my wardrobe in 2006, I had to break in the look slowly. I first wore them with long tops and boots. As I got more confident I sported them with short layered tops, jackets and boots. I had to work my way up to wearing them with blouses and flats. In a couple of months, putting on skinny jeans felt every bit as natural as putting on a pair of bootcuts.

I’m sure you’ve moved out of your comfort zone at various points in your style journey. Do these transitional strategies sound familiar? Care to share examples of how you moved out of your style comfort zone? Were your strategies successful? And what did you learn along the way?

As long as the hair is healthy and the cut and colour are flattering, I love the look of both straight and curly hair. When I see a head full of gorgeous cascading curls, it’s amazing! When I see fabulously styled stick straight hair, it’s equally amazing! But I’m still not batting for both Teams. I’m going to keep things simple and bat for Team Straight Hair because I wear my own hair straight every single day. Although my hair is a little wavy, I never wear it that way because it doesn’t feel right on me.

Over to you. Are you on Team Curly Hair or Team Straight Hair? Tell us why. Don’t feel limited by your own hairstyle. For example, if you wear your own hair straight, but prefer curly hair on most other people, feel free to join Team Curly Hair. Also, for the purposes of this poll, wavy hair falls into the Curly Hair Team.

And just because Spring is in the air, I’ll let you bat for both Teams if you can’t decide.

Wide leg trousers are especially popular right now so here’s a crash course on how to wear them with effortless spunk and panache. We bring back our gorgeous Fernanda to showcase the looks because her outfits speak louder than my words! Fernanda has a 40’s element to her style so it’s no wonder that she loves wide leg trousers as much as she loves skinnies.

Of course, there are countless ways to style wide leg pants. These are not rules, but merely guidelines to get you on your way:

• Hem to the correct length: I like flared trousers absolutely no shorter than half an inch off the ground. I wear my bootcuts even longer to create a longer leg line.
• Add heels: Although some super tall, long legged gals pull off wide leg trousers with flats, I am on Team Heels for this one. Wide leg trousers scream for extra height in my book. Fernanda is wearing 3 inch heels here, but two inch heels are perfectly fine.

• Add a belt if there are belt loops: I like to see exposed belt loops filled up with a belt. It finishes off the outfit and adds texture to the trousers. Fernanda’s tweed trousers are sans belt loops, so we left off the belt.
• Add a waist defining top: It’s best to keep the top waist-defining when wearing voluminous trousers in order to create a structured look. Tucking in tops defines the waist, as does wearing a form fitting un-tucked top. Adding a belt over a boxier top will also do the trick. Fernanda is a button-down-shirt-gal so it’s a no-brainer to match her trousers with tucked-in shirts, which we scrunched at the sleeves for a more relaxed effect.

• Add a short jacket: Jackets are an optional extra, but they do kick things up a notch. Tailored classic blazers no longer than crotch point work well because they add even more structure. Longer blazers tend to look a little dumpy with wide leg trousers. Cropped leather jackets add edge and denim jackets dress down the look.
• Create the mood with your handbag: It was important to Fernanda that she understand how to dress an outfit up and down in order to get the most out of her wardrobe. So we spent time creating both casual and dressy outfits with these trousers. The shoes stayed the same, but we swapped out the jackets, jewelry and handbags accordingly. The slouchy hobo style handbags dress down the trousers, while the clutches dress things up. It’s that simple.

Now take the guidelines and create a style that’s all your own. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section below, or share further tips on how you wear wide leg trousers.

We have posted these photos and a couple of the outtakes on our Facebook page.