Style books and fashion experts often suggest avoiding scarves when you have a shorter neck. Well guess what! I believe that all neck lengths look great in scarves. The secret lies in HOW the scarf is tied and knotted.

To elongate the neckline, make sure that there is space between the knot of the scarf and the base of the neck. So pull down the scarf knot (or the section that’s usually right up against the neck) so that its repositioned further down the front of the chest. In other words, tie the scarf a lot more loosely around the neck.

The pictures above illustrate my point quite well. The knots or “wrap around” part of the scarves are not tight. This technique works particularly well with infinity scarves (like the red on the right) because that style ties loosely by default. Feel free to use all sorts of scarf tying techniques like the Angie Knot or Euro Knot and re-position the knot further down the front of the body.

Lasses with regular or long necks can also tie their scarves this way, since loose scarf  knotting techniques tend to be quite flop proof. Of course, throw this neck lengthening strategy out the window when it’s freezing because you have to tie your scarf in tight circles around the neck for warmth and insulation. But you can re-tie the scarf loosely when you peel off the layers indoors.

When the temperature drops into the 50’s and 60’s (between 12 and 16 degrees Celsius) the style of urban Seattle comes into its own. Ladies haul out their boots, scarves, lightweight trenches and blazers and the overall effect is chic, put together and interesting. More casual and grungy than the East Coast cities we’re familiar with, but fabulous nonetheless.

Tucking leggings and leans into boots is an extremely popular look around here because it’s practical for wet weather. All sorts of boots with dresses and skirts sans hose is another one. I’m also thrilled to see fashion forward over-the-knee boots and booties matched with just about everything, from short shorts to skinnies and frocks. Love the look of Seattle street style at this time of year!

What does Autumn street style look like in your neck of the woods?

Adding a layer underneath a dress is an effective way to transition our wardrobes from Summer into Autumn. Got to love the versatility of a frock!

There are two important things to keep in mind. First, layering in this way requires a certain style of dress. You’re after a dress made of fairly thick fabric, either lined or unlined, knit or woven. This way the under layer doesn’t show through the dress. Sleeveless wool blend sheath dresses are ideal for layering because they are fairly rigid and substantial. Second, the layer underneath the dress should generally be thinner than the fabric of the dress. While this is by no means a hard and fast rule, it’s a pretty flop-proof strategy.

Consider layering the following items under dresses:

• Button down shirt: Any color and sleeve length. Scrunch up the sleeves for outfit texture and a more relaxed vibe.
• Soft blouse: Solid or patterned. Blouses with collars work best as do those with mandarin collars. Blouses with pussycat bows are extra-sweet layered in this way.
• T-shirt: Three quarter sleeves or long sleeves will do. These work best under a more casual dress.
• Knit top: Depending on the integrity of the fabric, knit tops can also work under dressier dresses.
• Turtle neck: These come in both jersey knit (T-shirt fabric) and fine gauge knit (sweater fabric). The former is for casual occasions whereas the latter dresses things up.

I don’t want to stifle your creativity, so don’t limit your dress layering options to sleeveless sheath dresses and the layering pieces suggested above. But it’s a good place to start if you’re new to the concept.

Get stuck into that wardrobe and begin the experimentation! Combine all sorts of layers under your dresses and see what happens. The results could be arty, hip and above all cost effective. Inspire us by posting your favourite combinations on the forum.

Update: A few days after this post I followed up with another where I model two examples of layering underneath dresses.

Use your imagination to picture these dress styles layered over the right button down shirt, soft blouse, T or knit top. I vote fab.

As I mentioned this morning, I seldom shop online. Apart from shoes and my loyalty to Zappos because of their incomparable customer service and extended selection, I can probably count on one hand the times I’ve shopped online for clothing this year. I am Team Store all the way.

Because of my line of work I’m in brick and mortar stores frequently, which makes this type of shopping easy for my lifestyle. I also enjoy the ambiance of a store setting and love to touch the fabric of an item before I make the purchase. And it’s a social thing — I enjoy shopping with other people. Call me old fashioned, but I get a kick out of shopping the archaic way.

On the other hand, it’s totally understandable to me that online shopping is easier for most people. Press a button and wait for the goodies to appear on your doorstep. You can’t beat that for convenience.

I’m willing to bet that Team Online is going to beat Team Store by far. Over to you to prove me right or wrong. Are you Team Online, or Team Store? Tell us why. Please pick a side — no batting for both Teams.