A cool Summer hat is a great way to add a little attitude to your style. Casual, breezy, lightweight and super practical. It’s the perfect way to keep the sun off your face and the hair in place.

The straw fedora is particularly popular this season and I like it too. It’s edgier and more androgynous than the conventional floppy straw hat, which makes for a nice change. It looks sassy paired with just about any relaxed look, both in beach and city settings.

I don’t wear hats unless it’s bitterly cold and a necessity. And although I’ve seen gals with uber short crops pull off headgear with style, I like hats best on lasses with longer hair. It’s almost necessary for hair to peek through from underneath the hat to do the look justice. Either way, a hat is a fab idea if you’re looking for a fun and functional Summer accessory that won’t break the bank.

Beige toned straw fedoras are the obvious colour choice, but consider other shades too. Black, grey, cream and white make nice alternatives. Check out forum member Loulou who has her Summer hat look down.

Professional hairstylist Taylor said a fabulous thing  in a recent thread about hair on the YLF forum:

“I tell my clients to think of hair as an ACCESSORY, it is part of a TOTAL look”.

I couldn’t agree more (and that goes for blokes too). There are few things that impact your look more than a flattering new hairdo, a bit of colour, or both. Your hair is your crowning glory and maintaining a killer style is as important as wearing the best bra. That’s why I loved Kendall Farr’s suggestion of reevaluating your hairstyle BEFORE you attempt to reevaluate your closet. This makes a lot of sense, because you’ll view your wardrobe and the items that you purchase differently once your smashing new do is in place.

So the question is, if your hair is an accessory, how often should you change it up? I don’t think that there are hard and fast rules, but I do believe that an annual hair evaluation is in order. In some cases you might need and want a dramatic change like going from long blonde hair to a short red crop. In other instances subtle changes are the way to go, like taking off a few inches of length, cutting a fringe or adding highlights. Or your current do is still fab so leave it alone.

I enjoy changing my hairstyle because I like to keep my look evolving. Sometimes the changes are dramatic and at other times they’re slight. I fool around with the length, texture and colour, but I’m always blonde and the length is usually above the shoulder. Those are the elements I like to keep constant because they feel like me. I can’t go any shorter, so I guess my next step is to grow my hair out a little once I’m bored with this look.

Are you happy with your hair and if not, why not? How often do you change your hairstyle? Are you frightened of dramatic hairstyle change?

I recently found a second pair of comfy sandals after giving up on all strappy shoes for three years (my fussy feet don’t like straps). It was too good to be true when I scored my first pair of flat gladiators, and now these! It must be my season for Summer shoes so I’m stocking up.

The Kenneth Cole Reaction Cedar City wedged sandal has soft interwoven leather vamp straps that roof an angular open toe. The sling-back heel strap has an adjustable side buckle closure and elasticized inlay for extra comfort. The footbed is cushioned and the outer soles are rubberized for extra grip. The heel stands at two and half inches, which is pretty high for me but, quite doable for shorter stretches of time if the shoe is extremely comfortable. Ideally, I’d have preferred a one and a half inch heel for 8-hour runs, but that’s okay. This wedge passes the 4-hour mark with flying colours and that’s a huge accomplishment with my feet.

The leather is really soft so stretch away if you have a wider foot. Pop in foot petals if you have a narrower foot. Unfortunately, you can’t fit orthotics into sandals without them peeking through so I don’t have a solution for that.

Never give up trying to find the wardrobe items that work for you. Like me and my strappy sandal purchases this season, you will find them eventually if you persevere.

The Cedar City wedge sandal is available in several online and brick and mortar stores in up to eight different colours. They cost around $80 full price, but you’ll get them for cheaper if you do your homework. I bought the pewter pair on sale for $54 at Macys last week as another Summer go-to metallic wedge in my footwear collection. Perfect with frocks, skirts, leggings, clamdiggers, walks shorts, pants and jeans. Flop proof.

Fashion trends often make a comeback every 20-30 years, but generally they are not identical flashbacks. Repeated trends have been modernized, refreshed and improved the second time round, making them more becoming and “new” to wear.

Once you reach a certain age, you’ll probably find looks in stores that you used to wear before. The question is, will you wear them again? I absolutely will, but only if they are a flattering and contemporary incarnation. After all, our goal is a style evolution, not a style stagnation.

Sometimes it takes me a while to get used to the new improved trend. At other times I can scarcely contain my immediate excitement. For example, I had to rethink skinny jeans but I was all over voluminous trends from the word go.

I’m having a ball with the revival of 80’s fashion. It was hideous when I sported it the first time round, but I was at an impressionable age and thought it was fabulous. Like most people, I went through years of cringing at my 80’s style and vowed I would never wear fashions like that again. But I’m blown away with how creatively and successfully designers have re-interpreted the good elements of 80’s looks and I’m embracing them with loyalty and enthusiasm.

At the end of the day revisiting old trends makes me smile because they are nostalgic and current at the same time. Over to you. Do you wear trends that you’ve worn before? If not, why not?