My favourite season is here! Most people blossom in Spring but I blossom in Autumn. Clear blue skies, fiery foliage, and the crisp, fresh nip in the air puts me into a fabulous mood each day. That, and the fact that I can haul out my boot collection.

It cools down quickly in our neck of the woods, but that might not be the case for you. If it’s still hot at this time of year, it’s completely stylish to continue wearing Summer clothes into Autumn. But if you are starting to get bored with your Summer outfits, here are some ways to look more seasonally “Autumn”, even in warm weather:

• Wear darker colours: Keep the fabrication Summer weight with cotton and silk blends, but wear more black, grey, brown, ink blue, earth tones and muted colours instead of white and acidic brights. But please don’t think that you can’t wear bright colours in Autumn, or black in Summer. Of course you can and I do it all the time. I’m merely suggesting a change from what might be routine in your style.
• Change your accessories: Swap out tropical looking jewelry like shells and brightly coloured stones for more somber and dramatic looks. Tweed floral pins and brushed metals will do the trick.
• Add a cotton scarf in Autumn colours: Pair a scarf in muted tones to a sleeveless outfit.
• Change your handbag: Switch to black, brown, taupe or grey if you’ve been sporting a colour for Summer.
• Change the shade of your toenail polish: Opt for rich, dark hues instead of bubblegum brights. It’s a nice salute to the new season if you’re still in sandals.
• Wear pumps, loafers or ballet flats: Still too hot for boots, but cool enough for more foot coverage. Tweed, animal print and rich suede screams Autumn.
• Keep jackets and knitwear lightweight: Waist coats, biker waistcoats and short sleeved or sleeveless jackets and cardigans are effective ways to layer in the heat.
• Add boots of any length to short shorts, or super short miniskirts: This is daring and you’ll need youth on your side to pull it off, but it’s fabulous when the components are right. I tend to stick to clamdiggers with boots and add a breezy top as a more age appropriate take on this look.
• Wear slouch boots with short dresses: This is my favourite way to introduce Autumn back into my style this season. I pair sleeveless cool wool sheaths and jersey frocks, or short sleeved silk dresses with mid calf slouch boots. The dresses are best a few inches above the knee for mid calf boots to work, otherwise you’ll look dumpy. I’ve found that doing the look sleeveless works well because it keeps you cool, but this is not essential.

It’s still hot in Hong Kong when Autumn comes around, but the stylish lasses there do a fabulous job of incorporating a seasonally appropriate twist to their outfits. Refresh your memories on how they do it.

This colour combination is not a faux pas at all. In fact, black with ink blue is a stunning pairing when the colours and fabrications are right. It’s so luxuriously dark, rich and sophisticated. Very yummy in my book.

It isn’t flop proof though. I’ve found that black and ink blue work best when paired using the following guidelines:

• Keep the colours saturated: Pair very rich black and dark blue items together. Faded items don’t work as well.
• Keep one of the items texture rich: Texture adds depth to a colour, so opting for something with a bit of textural sheen is an excellent idea. For example, black slacks look magical with an iridescent ink blue top or jacket. Shantung silk that’s “shot”, meaning it changes colour when it moves, is another good example. So are self-colour jacquard fabrications.
• Add another black or ink blue item into the ensemble: Repeating one of the colours will pull the look together. For example, adding a black belt to an ink blue top and black bottoms is an easy solution.
• Add white or cream to the mix: Sometimes adding a white or cream item or accessory into the ensemble does the trick, like white bottoms, a white jacket or a pearly white necklace. It’s not a necessity, but it can add extra pop.

You might be sporting this colour combination without thinking about it. Wearing a black top with super dark blue/black wash jeans is a great example. The jeans provide the textural component that the outfit needs. Easy.

My favourite red carpet frocks are usually the ones with strong, sleek, simple and retro lines. I don’t fancy the looks that are overly revealing, ruffle-y, shiny, voluminous or ornate nearly as much. But picking red carpet favourites is a subjective thing and I wouldn’t be surprised if we had completely different lists.

This year, Emmy’s style belonged to the gents because they generally dazzled more than the ladies. A first! Just for kicks, here are my lists:

Blokes:

• Jon Hamm could not be beat. Classic, immaculate, clean cut and very movie star handsome. A sight for sore eyes.
• John Krasinski looked fabulous in his satin trimmed tux and skinny black tie. Utterly adorable.
• Steve Carell was wearing a similar satin piped tux and looked just as dashing. He’s a scream.
• Seal’s all black suit ensemble with straggly polka dot tie was dark and edgy. He pulls this look off like no one else can.
• Kevin Bacon was delicious in his mod tux, messy hairdo and geeky black framed specs. So cute.
• Alec Baldwin looked distinguished in his tux with broad lavender tie which matched the colour of his hair and eyes. Very fab.

Lasses:

• Debra Messing in a magnificent one-shouldered electric red gown was my favorite of the evening. A redhead in tomato red is pure perfection.
• Heidi Klum was flawless in a classic strapless, beaded black fish tail gown. It’s easy to make the best dressed list if you can look like that when you’re 8 months pregnant. Seal accessorized her ensemble perfectly.
• Sandra Oh in a vintage gold strapless gown was stunning from head to toe. The corded low slung belt was an elegant touch and I loved how the clutch matched her hair.
• Jamie-Lynn Sigler was beautiful in a cowl front halter-necked metallic gown. A superb take on modern retro glam.

Did you see the show? If so, let’s hear your favourites for the night.

Click the thumbnails to see the red carpet fashions at E! Online and MSN Entertainment.

I was blown away by the number of entries to the Zina’s painters shirt giveaway. My guess was that this level of garment deconstruction would not be popular on YLF. What a surprise!

Congratulations to Rebecca, who was the lucky entrant chosen by our random number generator. Rebecca said:

“Yes, I would wear it. I’ve worn this look for years, starting with a linen jeweler’s smock that I bought in a work wear shop in Paris. Slim trousers or a long, skinny skirt look good below”.

Rebecca, we’d love to see you sport the look if you’d like to post a picture of your outfit on the YLF forum. Enjoy your new acquisition!