I’m owning up and eating my words. I said I would never wear neon again, but I’ve just bought a blindingly bright, neon pink, wool rayon-blend turtle neck. It was displayed on a mannequin matched with a funky black pencil skirt, chunky pearl necklace, textured hose and boots. This outfit screamed my name. I had my size peeled off the mannequin and it was love at first sight in the fitting room. I felt electric. Surprisingly, the neon shade actually worked with my skin tone.

Neon pink is a fringe trend this season. It’s much more intense than the fuchsias and citrons that form part of my regular wardrobe. This turtle neck glows in the dark, which will make it extra fun to wear on a cold grey Seattle day.

It’s good to fess up to things that we thought we’d never wear because it means that we are evolving our style. Keep those fashion feet moving! Do I hear any more fashion confessions?

I’ve been starved of bright colours this season, which is why I was drawn to neon pink. I look awful in muted tones and for the most part, that’s what’s been on offer as an alternative to neutrals. I guess we should never say never. Not even to neon.

Eighties inspired slouch boots make my “must haves” list for the season because they’re a simple way to update your existing Autumn and Winter wardrobe. They’re available in all sorts of vibes: heeled, flat, platform, ankle, mid-calf, knee-high, cowboy, biker, bedazzled, distressed, suede, canvas, plastic and leather. You name it and you’ll find it.

At first, you might not fancy the slouchy volume around the calf and ankle, but it has its advantages. It tends to balance out ensemble proportions so that you don’t look like you’re going to topple over (boot cut pants achieve a similar sense of proportion with their wider hem). Slouch boots are often easier to fit than regular knee-high boots because they don’t need to fit precisely around the calf area. They can either gape on narrow calves, of fit snugly under a wider calf. And slouch boots do a great job of dressing down a dressy outfit.

You can wear slouch boots over skinnies and cigarette pants, with skirts and shorts, or under dresses. Paired with shorter frocks, with or without hose, is my favourite way of wearing them at the moment because the outfit transitions into Autumn so perfectly, especially if your weather is mild.

Click pictures to enlarge

It’s important to raise the hemline of the skirt or dress with slouch boots. Somehow the proportions are off when the hemline finishes on or below the knee making you look dumpy and short-legged. Wearing my frocks this short is one of the ways I’ve evolved my style this season. I haven’t exposed my knee caps and the top part of my thighs for fifteen years! But the boots provide extra coverage and hose helps too.

I’ve paired the look with sleeveless dresses because that’s my style preference, but most frocks and skirts will work with slouch boots as long as the hemline is shorter. I add a boyfriend jacket, cascading cardigan, biker jacket, denim jacket or boxy Chanel-esque jacket on top when it’s chilly, and peel off that layer when it’s warm. You don’t have to stick to heeled styles with this look either. Both my grey and black boots are flat because I also love to wear frocks with flats.

Remember that you can substitute dress and slouch boot styles that are more to your taste to make this look work for you. Lasses of all ages and sizes are wearing this combination in downtown Seattle recently and it’s fun to see different takes on the same outfit formula. So do you think you’ll wear frocks with slouch boots?

A big yay from me. Boots are my favourite form of footwear and I’ll wear them in all combinations: with skirts and frocks, under jeans and clamdiggers, over skinnies, with hose, or bare-legged.

But I’m surprised that so many lasses don’t like to wear mid-calf and knee-high boots with skirts and frocks unless they pair the look with tights or hose. In other words, boots with bare legs is a no-no. Why is that? It’s the perfect transitional outfit when it’s still too hot for hose, but cool enough for boots. It’s a great way to get more mileage from your boot collection before you have to wear hose to keep warm. Also, this is your boot solution for mild Winter weather.

I’ve heard one explanation: “when it’s cold enough to wear boots, it’s cold enough to wear hose and tights”. In my book this simply isn’t so. I take full advantage of in-between weather so that I can wear my boots more frequently. And trust me. I have plenty of unsightly varicose veins all over my lily white legs. This won’t stop me from showing bare skin because I moved on from being bothered about that long, long ago.

What am I missing, ladies? Will you sport boots and bare legs? If not, why not?

Mainstream chain store Anne Taylor have evolved their merchandise mix and I’m excited about the changes. They used to offer a strictly modern classic look that focused on business attire. But no longer. The Ann Taylor label has incorporated items that are “of this fashion moment”: Boyfriend blazers, biker jackets, straight leg jeans, cascading cardigans and ruffle tops that are as trendy as they are fabulous. They’ve also supplemented their collections with designer wear. This has been the most interesting addition.

I’ve never been an Ann Taylor clothing customer because their look was a tad classic for my trendier fashion persona, and their fits did not work for my body type. But I do purchase their costume jewelry and I’ve taken plenty of very happy clients to their stores. So I have been a fan, even if it wasn’t for my own wardrobe. I love, love, love their quality. Their product is clean, crisp and beautifully made. They offer a wide assortment of sizes (00 to 16) and have an especially good petites section. They also regularly offer discount coupons, which comes in handy because their prices aren’t cheap.

But now that Ann Taylor has changed its look and adjusted some of their fits, I’ve got two of their frocks hanging in my closet. I’m impressed with what I’ve seen in stores over the last few months and they’ve certainly won me over as a regular lurker. Their trendier look has also gone down well with my clients, so from my side it’s all good.

I’m not sure that this change is good for all Ann Taylor shoppers. Becoming a more fashion forward retailer has its downside. What do you think of Ann Taylor’s fashion forward statement? Have you noticed the change? Are you an Ann Taylor customer? If not, why not?