The Butter by Nadia Signature Wrap Dress is the ultimate in convertible dressing. It’s one dress that transforms into many different silhouettes. Simply follow various folding, ruching, wrapping and knotting instructions for the “Signature Jersey” wrap dress and voila, you’ve got a dozen dress shapes at your fingertips with one frock.

The creation of this dress is ingenious. It’s a one-size-fits-all and available in a “soft as butter” jersey or satin knit for around $250. It claims to suit every size and body type and is extra forgiving with weight fluctuations. Sounds like the perfect solution to any frock dilemma.

But I’m not completely sold on the idea. The looks reflect the same Grecian- inspired mood and each of the style options remains the same colour and fabric. So it seems more like one Grecian dress that I can adapt to my mood than a dozen different dresses.

Bravo to the pattern maker and fashion designer. The Butter dress is an extremely inventive piece. It’s not for me, but could you see yourself making use of this frock in your wardrobe?

My late Mother used to say “mirrors never lie”. But they do. Items that look fab in the changing room might look disappointing in your mirror at home. I used to think I was imagining the existence of “skinny mirrors”, but sadly, I wasn’t. Some stores have mirrors that give a distorted impression to make you think that their garments are magically removing ten pounds.

I’m sure that the skinny mirror phenomenon is fueling the return rut. No doubt retailers that employ this tactic have done a calculation showing that the additional sales generated by the skinny mirror compensate for the extra costs associated with the returns. This means that some of us are not returning the items we purchased under “false reflection”. Instead, they are probably becoming wardrobe orphans because we’re never quite satisfied with them when we put them on.

I would like to magically fold up our full length mirror and pull it out when I need it in stores. That’s not going to happen, but the next best thing is to try on your purchases when you get home. Look at them with a critical eye in the mirror you use every day. If you’re in doubt, return the item immediately.

I’m not a fan of corduroy pants. They look masculine and it doesn’t take long for them to start looking worn. They also develop protruding “knees and bottoms” that you can live without. Then there is their “iridescent carpet” effect. You won’t convince me that wide-waled, corduroy trousers look nice on women. They are a stylish no-no. Five pocket jeans in narrow-waled corduroy are closer, but still no cigar.

A pair of jeans in a dark colour like blue, black, charcoal or cream looks infinitely better than corduroy in any ensemble. The argument that corduroy feels warmer than denim and therefore perfect for cold weather is interesting because both fabrics are 95 – 100% cotton. (I have yet to come across a pair of cords with a wool content). But corduroy is softer and cozier than denim which might offer the illusion of extra warmth.

I can manage to get my head around a pair of cream, ultra narrow–waled corduroy pants that are cut like jeans because they look more feminine and aren’t iridescent. But the J. Crew cream version that’s available in stores right now is thin and see-through, so bang goes that idea. Tory Burch has a beautiful cream pair, but $200 is steep for a pair of casual cords.

I’m not dead set against corduroy fabric. I’m all for corduroy skirts and cheeky cord jackets as long as the wale is narrow and the styling is pretty. These are items that are undoubtedly feminine. The look is casual, a little boho and a wee bit rugged in a wonderful way.

One last fact about corduroy pants. They are smarter than sweats, but more casual than a pair of dark wash jeans. Corduroy pants are NOT a business casual option. If your colleagues are wearing cords to work because they’re not allowed to wear jeans, help them out. They’re actually a lot more casual than they thought they were.

Bring on the corduroy debate. I know many of you love cord pants and will continue to wear them. I’m going to be hard to sway, but as Frasier would say, “I’m listening”.

The model on the left is wearing a pair of charcoal grey, skinny corduroy pants. The ensemble looks fab because the pant fabric looks more like grey denim or stretch velour. It’s hard to see that these pants are waled. The green jacket and yellow skirt are lovely items to have in corduroy, and especially nice when paired with denim.

Tailored single-breasted jackets and blazers that are left un-buttoned are usually more flattering. They create a natural vertical line that elongates the silhouette, and draws the eye up-and-down. Leaving a jacket un-buttoned is also more comfortable and shows off interesting layering detail.

Bustier gals and gals who are a little broader in the shoulder can battle with jacket-button closure. The jacket fits everywhere else, but can’t button up. Going up a size means that the buttons will fasten, but that the shoulder line, sleeve length and torso are sloppy. An experienced and superb seamstress can alter anything, but jackets are tricky and expensive to alter (especially if they have lining). In this instance, alteration is often not worth the price and effective results are not guaranteed.

So I’m giving you the go-ahead to purchase a jacket or blazer that doesn’t close across the bust area, if it fits perfectly in all other respects. Obviously, outerwear trenches, coats, parkas and gear need to button up for practical reasons. There is little sense in braving the elements for aesthetics. But I’m fine with leaving other types of jackets unbuttoned as a cost-effective, stress-free and comfy solution.