Fashion is fickle, at times ridiculous, and not nearly as diverse as it should be. So don’t take it too seriously. Laugh at it. A lot! Take from the trends what you find inspiring, therapeutic, practical, rewarding and fun, and leave the rest. 

Don’t let anyone make you feel that your sartorial choices are inferior to theirs. Style is subjective, and beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Conversely, don’t make anyone feel bad about their style, no matter how different it is to yours.

When style rears its bossy head, step away and focus on something else. Pinpoint what makes you happy and creates good energy in your life. Incorporate as much of that as possible. Style is there to serve you, not the other way around.

A new outfit from Sabra of My Style Is My Brand, whom we introduced to YLF in May 2022.

This is a fab example of Angie’s Wide Pants and Short Jacket Outfit Formula. Sabra has paired ankle-length barrel jeans with a denim shirt in the same wash for an on-trend denim-on-denim look. The fringed hem and panels on the jeans are fun visual details. Our blogger dresses up the denim with a hip-length cropped blazer in an eye-catching canary yellow. The yellow makes the blue jeans pop, while the tailored shoulder adds structure. Dressy black-and-white houndstooth spectator pumps bring playful patterns to the mix. Sabra’s matching newsboy cap cheekily bookends the footwear. A structured satchel cleverly repeats the colours of both footwear and headgear. Bright red lipstick, oversized hoop earrings and round sunnies complete this polished denim look.

We see some metallic footwear every season, but this year it’s having a fashion moment. You’ll see all sorts of silvers, golds, bronzes, pewters, and mixed-metal shoes across a variety of styles. Some metallics are hectically shiny, futuristic, mirrored, and bright, and others more subtle, dull, weathered, and matte. Metallic shoes can be super dressy and formal, or as casual as a sandal, espadrille, wedge, or sneaker.

Here are some examples.

Metallic footwear is thought of as neutral and versatile. For some, it is a wardrobe essential. It can dress up a look, make a statement, break up a column of colour, and add interest with its shine. The right metallic shoe can bookend your hair and effectively pull together an outfit. It you like shiny things, you’ll probably like metallic footwear.

I like shiny metallic footwear, and vote yay. Gold works well as a neutral for the palettes of my wardrobe, and can bookend my blonde hair. I usually stick to gold, but have also worn silver shoes in the past. Currently, I have two pairs of gold shoes that I use for formal occasions. They are several years old, but in good shape because they are infrequently worn.

This brings me to the thing about metallic footwear that I don’t enjoy. Unless the leather is weathered, textured, or matte to begin with, metallic leather tends to scuff very easily. I like to clean the scuff marks off my shoes so that they look pristine and new. I haven’t yet achieved that with metallic footwear. I’ve had metallic boots, pumps, flats, sandals, and oxfords that were workhorses, but my word, were they prone to scuffing. After a while, I simply made peace with the scuff.

I can successfully clean the scuff marks off my white and cream shoes, but gold shoes are problematic. Protecting them with leather protector hasn’t worked either. It’s why I haven’t bought gold footwear for years, and why I have held off getting these gold ECCO sneakers which I know are a comfortable match for my feet.

Over to you. Do you like and wear metallic footwear? Have you been able to remove scuff marks without damaging the leather?

Following on from my post about the cargo skirt trend, here are some outfit ideas that might inspire you. It was hard to find retail cargo skirt outfit examples that cover the midriff. But with a bit of imagination, you can create your own version of these looks with a similar vibe. The palettes are neutral and earthy, but feel free to switch that up.

1. Summery Black and Olive

Here’s a great and easy way to wear an olive cargo skirt if you enjoy wearing black in the Summer. Combine it with a short and fitted knitted top. If you don’t like fitted black tops, choose a boxy or fluid style but it needs to be short and finish at or a little below the natural waist. No need to showcase midriff skin though. Match the black top with black sandals. These chunky ones have a ‘90s flavour, but a less chunky pair is as fab. Add a bag and hat that matches the palette. Or leave off the hat.

2. Mini, Tank, Lug soles, Trench

Here’s an interesting mix of lengths. A dark olive cargo mini skirt is paired with a tucked white tank top or tee. It’s topped with a maxi tan trench coat that is much longer than the skirt. Off-white mid-calf lug-soled boots ground the look of the mini and complement the length of the trench. I like how the boots add coverage to the lower legs. If the trench coat were closed, the wearer would be quite covered. Take the trench off indoors where it’s much warmer, and you’re comfortable too.

3. Blousey

This cargo skirt look is dressier and less utilitarian. Combine a dressier cargo skirt with a shorter blouse. The fitted silhouette here adds structure to the outfit. Feel free to wear a fluid and longer dressy blouse tucked or semi-tucked if that’s more your cup of tea. No need for ruffles or frills if you don’t like them. Pointy-toe metallic wedges, and a clutch to match amp up the dressy vibe of the look.

4. Thrown Together

And last, a casual look that looks as if it was thrown together in a hurry, and works marvelously well. An asymmetrical olive cargo skirt is combined with a cropped earthy patterned sweater. Black mid-calf platform boots add a ‘90s vibe and match the black bag. A stone trench coat tops the lot. Add watch and jewellery as desired.