Today we continue our journey through the 10 casual Autumn formulas I blogged about a few weeks ago. Formula #3 is all about the casual dress, so I turned to super stylish, Chicago forum member Laura, who is a freelance writer and busy Mum on the go. She’s a frock gal who owns this look. Who better to convince you that frocks are fab than our very lovely Laura with the killer pixie do and two darling boys in tow.

Of all of Angie’s brilliant formulas for moms on the go, I probably wear Formula #2 the most (for practical weather purposes), but my absolute favorite is Formula #3:

Casual dress + tights or hose + tall boots

I wasn’t always this convinced! Until about a year ago, you would find me in jeans most days. My conversion took place in the dressing room of Macy’s in Herald Square, during the YLF Manhattan convention. Angie dragged us kicking and screaming to the gigantic Macy’s flagship dress department. Thirty minutes and three fabulous frocks later, I was reborn as a dress girl.

Dresses make me feel pulled together and feminine, but still practical and comfy. It’s one simple garment, and all you need to add is tights and boots for extra coverage. What could be easier? Also, wearing casual dresses is a great alternative to jeans and sweaters. I get so sick of wearing jeans!

For Fall I love non-restrictive and forgiving empire cut dresses, A-line dresses and sack dresses in thicker fabrics with stretch. Ponte de Roma knits are pure genius, and sweater dresses and jersey knit are great too. When I shop, I generally look for long or ¾-length sleeves. But sleeveless works as well: I simply put a thin layering turtleneck underneath, or pop a cropped cardigan, military jacket, denim jacket or moto vest over it, and I feel covered. For extra warmth (remember I live in Chicago), I’ll layer over a trench coat, wool coat and eventually a heavy duty down puffer along with headgear, scarf and gloves.

I’ve also gotten over a phobia about hose. Now I wear tights, textured hose and leggings. If you’re not sure about hose, start by wearing leggings under a dress. Leggings are basically a thicker form of tights, and can give you that extra comfort level if your day calls for sitting on the floor with your baby or chasing a toddler around a playground. I love how black tights matched with black boots give me a nice long line. And make sure your dress is the right length — at the knee or a few inches above the knee for most of us.

My handbag of choice is a large tote or cross-body bag when I need to be hands free. I like to wear a fun colour to contrast with my monochromatic outfits which keeps things cheerful on a gray windy day! I always wear my big white statement watch but I tend to keep earrings and necklaces dainty because that’s my style preference.

I have road tested formula #3 time and time again, and what makes it work when you’re running after your 3-year-old around (as I am) is making sure the dresses are casual and pairing them with footwear that’s practical with a capital P. I wear all sorts of casual boots: ankle boots, Doc Martens, knee- high riding boots, flat slouchy boots, Frye harness boots, and cowboy boots.

So, over to you. Are you a dress girl at heart? If not, are you willing to give this formula a try? Let’s hear your opinions on formula #3.

Occasionally I’ll try on an item of clothing in stores and love it. I purchase it immediately and can’t wait to try it on again at home. But when I do so, all of sudden I don’t love it quite as much. Even when the item works with other things in my wardrobe. Why is that? Why are we more critical when we look in the mirror at home?

One obvious explanation is that the conditions in the store are different to those at home. It could start with the mirror itself, which might be “skinny” in the store. Or maybe the music in the store put us in a buying mood. As I mentioned on the Today show, retail stores go to great lengths to get us into this state of mind.

But maybe the real reasons are less about the store, and more about us.

Perhaps we’re subconsciously looking for a reason to get back the money we just spent. Perhaps we weren’t discerning enough in the first place. Perhaps a second opinion from someone at home causes us to doubt our initial perceptions. Perhaps it’s just in our nature to have second thoughts about the items that we purchase.

I do believe that the most important dressing room is the one we have at home. We should re-evaluate our purchases with a critical eye, and with input from someone else at home. That said, it isn’t practical to be constantly bringing items home only to return them the next day. We need to strike the right balance. If you understand the factors that make you return items after trying them at home, then maybe it will help you to make better decisions in the store.

Having spent so much time in the retail environment, I’m usually confident about my shopping decisions. Even so, I too have my moments of doubt when I look in the mirror at home. Does this sound familiar? Are there any recurring factors that make you return an item after seeing it at home?

Here are this week’s bargains:

• Win a cool Big Buddha handbag over at The Budget Babe. Big Buddha makes eco- and animal-friendly bags inspired by all the latest designer looks and trends. This particular handbag style was inspired by a certain very much coveted Valentino handbag. Quite yummy. The deadline is 28 October.
• Get yourself to Banana Republic if you’re after zippered skinnies. They’re on sale for $59.99 and fit well. Read about how to wear them in this post.
• The Olian Maternity Knot Front Top gets my vote as cutest maternity top I’ve seen all season and its on sale for 40% off.
• This coming week is your last chance to win a $500 TJ Maxx shopping spree at The Budget Fashionista.

Happy shopping!

I’m a huge fan of micro fishnets, but I’m also into other types of patterns on black textured hose. Lace, checks, swirls, chevrons, polka dots, florals, stripes and diamond designs are among my favourites at the moment. Textured hose is versatile because you can dress it both up and down.

I know what you’re thinking – hose is dressy. The same way you might think that dresses are generally dressy. But these perceptions are not entirely true because dresses worn with hose can look relaxed if you add casual elements into the mix. The picture below shows gals in dressy ensembles matched with black textured hose and heeled pumps. The hose smartens up the outfits for sure. But wear the hose with a pair of flat, casual boots and a casual dress or skirt and you’ve dressed down the look.

For example, try one of my favorite looks for Autumn: a no-nonsense day dress with Frye boots and sheer black checked hose. This pairing is unexpected and more visually interesting than falling back on plain old black opaques.

Fashion unites us, but style sets us apart. It’s HOW you wear the item that makes the difference. Anyone can purchase black textured hose and wear it with pumps and a dressy frock, because that’s the combination that makes traditional sense. But wearing fashion items in unconventional ways can often be a lot more fun. This also helps you get the most out of a small wardrobe, which is a real cost saver. An all-round win.

Wearing black boots with black textured hose is flop proof because it gives you a long leg line. Mismatching the colour of the hose and the boots can be done, but you might find it harder to achieve the long lean line.