I have clients who are adverse to wearing any form of pattern. They either stick to solids because that’s their style preference, or they’re completely overwhelmed with pattern choices so it’s easier to go without.

The world of pattern choices can be overwhelming because there’s just so much out there. And on top of it all, pattern preferences are very personal.

If you like a pattern-free wardrobe then that’s okay. You don’t need to wear patterned clothing to have a great sense of style. But what do you do when you want to wear patterned items but don’t know where to start?  Here are the baby steps that I suggest to my clients:

• Start with your favourite colours: So if you like blues and greens, start with that colour palette. Alternatively, choose a pattern in your favourite neutral tones.
• Start with a small geometric pattern: A dainty geometric tends to be the most neutral, simple and safe option.
• Keep it subtle: Avoid patterns with big, bold shapes and colour contrasts. That’s pattern graduate school. Instead, turn to patterns with softer designs and low colour contrasts.
• Choose a spaced pattern: Most patterns are continuous, evenly covering most of the background colour. Spaced patterns, on the other hand, cover less of the background and are  often easier on the eye.

You can apply all these guidelines at once, or just a few at a time. You might find that you stick with subtle, low contrasting, geometric patterns, and that’s fine too. No need to wear big bold florals and abstract patterns if that’s not your thing.

I’ve been wearing patterns forever and happen to like big bold patterned garments, especially when they’re geometric and make a simple yet strong statement. Although I can appreciate just about any pattern on other people, I’m still quite fussy about the actual designs I choose for myself.

How about you? Did you have to break patterns into your wardrobe slowly, or have you been a pattern wearer most of your fashion life?

The first pattern is a high contrast floral design, but neutrally toned and spaced. The second is subtle, geometric and neutrally toned too. The third pattern is an animal print design, but still fairly subtle and geometric. The first three examples show how to take baby steps with patterns. And then there’s the fourth pattern which is bold, bright and very busy. That one’s for pattern graduates!

Italian denim house Diesel has great stuff so I give their collections a once over each season, both for myself and for Greg. Sometimes we walk away with fab pieces and sometimes we walk out empty handed.

But I don’t understand their advertising and this year’s “Be Stupid” campaign has me stumped. Each ad is a funny or irreverent image that accompanies a statement about so called smart and stupid thinking. Here are a few examples:

• “smart may have brains, but stupid has the balls”
• “smart listens to the head, stupid listens to the heart”
• “stupid might fail, smart doesn’t even try”
• “smart says no, stupid says yes”
• “smart critiques, stupid creates”

There are many more and you can see the entire “Be Stupid” campaign at the Coloribus advertising archive (note that some of the content might not be suitable for work).

Some of the ads are funny, some are cute and others are just beyond me. Every young generation has a rebellious element that is very aspirational, and perhaps this is Diesel’s attempt to tap into it. “Smart” has been defined by the establishment, so “stupid” must be cool. Or maybe they are trying to encourage uninhibited creative thought, because sometimes crazy ideas can become fabulous ideas.

I’d like to hear your views. Maybe I’m missing the point entirely, which I guess would make me stupid. But according to Diesel, that’s cool.

Extra soft cotton-rich leggings paired with a T or tank might be your answer to comfy sleepwear. Roomy long-length or three-quarter-length pajama bottoms look adorable, but if you’re like me, you can’t stand the way they creep up and bunch while you are sleeping. Totally uncomfortable and sleep depriving. Leggings stay put because the leg is tapered. Does this sound like a good idea?

“Tipping” is a form of colour blocking. It’s when the edges of a garment, like the bottom of a hem, the tops of pockets, the outlines of collars, and the centre front seam are tipped with fabric in a different colour. The contrast between the colours can be high or low and the border can be up to two inches wide. A black jacket with cream tipping is high contrast whereas a charcoal jacket with black tipping is low contrast. Both look equally fabulous to my eye.

Tipping is not to be confused with piping, which is a narrow chord of trim inserted into seams. Unfortunately, garment descriptions on retail sites sometimes use the word piping instead of tipping and it drives me batty. When I was studying fashion design and as a fashion buyer, it was important to recognize the differences between both techniques because the visual effects are quite different.

Jackets, skirts, dresses, coats, handbags and wallets lend themselves well to tipping. I love, love, love tipped jackets! Think preppy collegiate blazers and classic Chanel jackets and you’ll get the right visual in your mind. At the moment tipped jackets are not in fashion, but I believe that the classic look is still in style. Karl Lagerfeld would not continue to put tipped jackets into Chanel collections if he thought the look was dated.

I have a few tailored and fully lined tipped jackets, all several seasons old, that I wear frequently. I pop them over soft silky blouses, button downs or knitwear, throw on jeans, then add dressy shoes and accessories. I also like to swap out the jeans for denim Bermuda shorts as you can see in the picture below, just to add an unexpected and spunky touch. The outfit mix is an acquired taste, but I like the contrast between the dressy and casual elements in this ensemble. The same way I enjoy wearing my tailored tipped blazers with jeans and Converse sneakers.

This is not a business casual outfit because the bottoms are denim, but dressier Bermuda shorts would have worked too, as well as dress slacks, pencil skirts and some A-line skirts.  Dressy flats are another great alternative to the heels and I wear those with this type of look just as often.