Neutrals like black, grey, brown, cream, white, navy and nude are considered timeless, but most colours waft in and out of fashion. Recently on the forum there was an interesting discussion about colours that are forever fashionable just for you. These are the colours that are extremely flattering for your complexion, hair colour, eye colour and personality. When I work with my clients I refer to them as signature colors. It really doesn’t matter if it’s not the “it” fuchsia” or last season’s “teal”. If you look fabulous in particular shades, you should wear them regardless of their fashion status because signature colours do not date.

Unfortunately, items in timeless colours are not without their challenges. For some items the style will date even if the colour is forever. And it’s not always easy finding items in your timeless colours. You might find loads of items in one season and nothing for a few seasons thereafter. The answer is to buy items in more timeless styles and stock up on them when the colours are in fashion. This is why I bought quite a few things in tomato red and an acidic yellowy-green over the last few seasons. These are my timeless colours and I’d be awfully unhappy if they were absent from my wardrobe. How about you?

These shades of red and citrusy yellow have always been my forever fashionables. That all too famous 50’s “Tiffany’s blue” is a recent addition to the list. With the resurgence of turquoise for Spring 2009, I plan to stock up.

There are two looks I see every season that don’t seem practical. Both involve mixing cold and warm weather items into one outfit. It seems that if you wore one of the items, it would be too hot or cold for the other.

• Strappy Summer dress with heavy knee-high boots: I’m talking about a skimpy little frock that you’d normally wear in the warmest of weather without a layering cardigan or jacket. If it’s hot enough to wear a light, breezy dress, wouldn’t you be boiling in boots?
• Coat, knitwear and pants with sandals: I’m taking about a Winter coat, a cozy knit, jeans and flipflops or strappy sandals. If it’s cold enough to wear a coat and knitwear, surely you need a closed-toe shoe to keep your feet warm.

I can get my head around the three-quarter sleeved coat because you can layer long-sleeved items underneath, or wear long gloves. This is a great option for milder Winter weather or Autumn weather. But I just don’t understand the combinations above. Am I missing something?

The all-in-one jumpsuit is back in various silhouettes. From work wear and disco-inspired styles, to drapy palazzo 90’s looks. The belted versions look a little better than the unstructured styles, but I’m still not a fan. And wearing a jumpsuit makes going to the loo a chore. No thank you.

I wore both red and cobalt blue jumpsuits as a child back in the 70’s and early 80’s and remember them as wardrobe favourites. I have neither owned nor worn a jumpsuit since then and plan to keep it that way. Not only do I prefer the look of separates, but my bladder isn’t what it used to be.

Jumpsuits today. Although the flowing gray style on the right has a glamorous 70’s vibe about it, I just can’t do the look again. I’d feel like an 8 year old.

Since coming to America I’ve listened to friends, forum members and clients say that they “don’t want to get too dressed up” because they’ll get flack and feel out of place. This came up repeatedly when we discussed Clinton Kelly’s views on under-dressed America. Here are some examples of the comments we heard:

“Everything is just too casual these days. And when you try to wear something normal you get ragged on for dressing up”.

“There is such a relaxed atmosphere in Florida, truly anything goes. I receive compliments on the street from strangers, but am fussed at by friends, who imply I make them look bad just because I don’t want to go to lunch in shorts”.

“FB makes a good point when she says that we are sometimes ragged on for being dressed up. Or worse, we are sometimes seen as being arrogant fashionistas, like we spend so much time shopping and getting dressed in the morning that other areas of our lives are somehow lacking attention”.

“My smart casual has been labeled dressy by many”.

At YLF we discuss the full range of dress codes, from lounging casual to ball gown formal. We respect all budgets. We aren’t about being overly brand conscious and we aren’t fashion snobs. We don’t expect women to stumble around in skirts and heels all day. We promote practical and tangible ways in which we can increase our style quotient, whether we are work, at home, or working at home.

But I will give you flack for under dressing, because I think you’re doing yourself and others a disservice.

Why do you think people “rag” on others who are (in my opinion) appropriately and effortlessly turned out for the day? Do you lower your dressing standard to avoid getting this reaction?