I love this look. Don’t take too much notice of the pictures below if the items in the mix are not to your taste. Use what you have in your closet by applying the following formula:

This combination is a little unexpected because both items are sleeveless. To me, there is something alluring about the combination. A tad androgynous but still feminine. And you don’t need to stick to pants as your bottoms option. Substitute a skirt or sleeveless frock too. Quite edgy.

I wore a casual version of this look yesterday. Dove grey voluminous sleeveless ruffle knit top, a black pinstripe waistcoat and casual denim clamdiggers. I finished off the outfit with a long necklace, cobalt bag, silver flats and wayfarers. Perfect for Mum-on the-go, a great way to layer in the heat and dead simple. Please give it a bash if you have the components in your closet.

One of our readers left a very interesting reply to last week’s post on layered necklaces:

“Statement piece….? What is the statement? Is it something like a secret that only the wearer knows? But then you’d be making a statement to yourself. That word is used sooo much in fashion and I really want to understand. Like the necklaces above…is the statement something like “Oh, hey I AM BIG!” or “Look here!” Or is it more like “I am a deep person with a unique interest in complex/simple design… a reflection of my inner self…? Or is it like, “I am da bomb!”Maybe I am thinking too much…..impossible…aaaargh…..I do get the “Key” pieces in the wardrobe thing…..but again, what is the statement that the wearer is trying to make…?

I talk about statement pieces all the time, so this got me thinking. What is it about an item that makes it a statement piece?

I think of statement pieces as interesting, attractive and relatively eye-catching wardrobe items that reflect your personality. They are usually quite bold and unique, but not necessarily brightly coloured and oversized. They are often, but not always, the thing people notice first about your outfit. Sometimes they become items that people associate with your signature style.

For me personally, the first statement pieces that come to mind are accessories: my specs, my watch, my wedding ring and my handbags. But I also have coats, scarves and shoes that I consider to be statement pieces. My cream trench or red Kate Spade shoes, for example. All of my statement pieces make me confident and happy with my outfit.

Are statement pieces a personal inner thought, or an overt statement to the rest of the world? I think a true statement piece has elements of both. My philosophy is that style is about creating a positively reinforcing feedback loop between the way we feel and the way we look. It connects our inner thoughts and feelings to the story we tell to the rest of the world. Statement pieces are like the headlines in this story.

How would you define a statement piece? What are your statement pieces?

Designers are bringing back grungy fashion looks with boyish flannel shirts and unkempt ripped jeans at the moment. Not so fab.

This is not a “new” look at all. We see casual fitted checked button down shirts and torn jeans in teeny bopper stores like Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle all the time, so I guess there’s a grunge element to junior fashion every season. But the writing is on the wall when you see grunge looks in haute couture and prêt porter collections. It’s not long before trends fizzle down to fashion forward women’s boutiques and chain stores, and before we know it, it’s mainstream fashion.

Trends seem to repeat themselves every 20 to 30 years which means that 90’s inspired fashions are next on the list. As always, I’m champing at the bit to see how old trends are reinterpreted because for the most part, they’re improved modern incarnations. But I’m not loving the look of plaid shirts and ripped jeans so far.

Grungy Seattle rocker vibes and the remnants of bad 80’s silhouettes is what springs to mind when I think of 90’s fashion. TV shows like Seinfeld, Beverly Hills 90210, Ally McBeal, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Melrose Place, Friends and Full House are a good representation of 90’s fashion. Not very inspiring. But I’m holding out hope. I’m impressed with how well 80’s fashions have been reinterpreted so we might be pleasantly surprised.

For several seasons now, the heels available in stores have been predominantly at one of two extremes: either flat or in excess of three inches. There is an ongoing abundance of ankle breaking and foot distorting high, high heels in stores and no stopping the trend.

Things look different on the street. During the day I mostly see women putting flats and low heels though their paces. There are far fewer super high heels. Understandably, the high heels are more popular at night, but for the most part, they are a rare daytime phenomenon. Even in cities like NY, Paris, London and Hong Kong, you will occasionally see super high heels during the day, but flats and lower heels are definitely more common.

So who’s wearing these sky scraping heels? It’s a mystery. They must be selling at retail because buyers wouldn’t be putting them into stores every season if women weren’t purchasing them. But the retail supply of super high heels does not seem to reflect what’s being worn in the real world.

Perhaps women purchase sky scraping heels for night time use only. Perhaps they swap out their comfortable shoes for heels when they get to the office. Perhaps there’s an epidemic of four inch heeled closet orphans. What’s it like in your neck of the woods? Can you solve the mystery of the missing heels?