It’s important to distinguish between knits and wovens in your wardrobe. Knits are fabrics like jersey, mesh and knitwear. Wovens are fabrics like denim, twill, tweed, raw silk and satin (refer back to my detailed post if you need to refresh your memory on the differences). Each fabric has a set of good and bad properties and there is room for both in your wardrobe.

The pros of knits:

• Predominantly casual
• Comfortable to wear and always stretchy
• Easy to launder
• Relatively inexpensive
• Often wrinkle-resistant (e.g. mesh)

The cons of knits:

• Lack a certain “crispness”
• Never as dressy as a woven
• Shrink and stretch-out
• Look shabby fast (less stable fabric composition)
• Can cling in the wrong places thereby spotlighting muffin top

The pros of wovens:

• Tend to look “crisp”
• Offer a smarter appearance and luxurious integrity
• Add structure to an outfit
• Look pristine for longer, seldom shrinking and losing shape
• Have a rigid fabric composition that combats muffin top

The cons of wovens:

• Not as soft as knits
• Don’t always stretch and sometimes feel restrictive
• Can be laborious to launder (dry clean and press)
• Wrinkle quite easily
• Relatively more expensive

Knitted tops are ideal for busty gals because they stretch comfortably over the bosom (no woven gaping). They also tailor the waistline in ways wovens won’t unless they’re altered, or contain a  stretch component. Wovens are a must for all bottoms because they create structure. Knitted bottoms are for lounging and gear only.

I have a strong preference for wovens. I love the way they look and last. I’m usually sporting woven tops, jackets, dresses and skirts. I often wear knitwear and sometimes knitted tops, but I always wear woven bottoms. I seem to be in the minority with my woven preference here in the US. Do you prefer wearing knits, and if so, why?

The classic 30’s and 40’s spectator ped makes a modern comeback for both men and women. You’ll see them two-toned, three-toned or monochromatic. Peep-toed, mary jane and T-strapped, close-toed, matte, patent, flat or heeled. Take your pick this season. Spectators are huge and there’s lots of variety.

I adore spectators and like them best two-toned. They’re magical with a suit and just as fab with a pair of jeans. I also like spectators with frocks and skirts and a great pair of sassy hose. So chic!

I have a pair of cream spectator booties from last season that I can’t wait to wear. But they’re 3-hour shoes, so ideally, I’d like to get a pair two-toned 8-hour spectator pumps with a two inch heel. I know: tall order.

An assortment of spectator shoes for lasses and lads. If I could be assured of their comfort level and “hem” their heel height, I’d be all over the cream and black Marc Jacobs pair (top right). They send me into orbit.

Menswear inspired trends are hot for Autumn, and I love a bit of the old androgynous look thrown into the mix with an uber feminine twist. Ties, waistcoats, spectator peds, tuxedos and boyfriend cardigans are great ways in which menswear looks can work on women with the right amount of grace and girly edge.

Bobbie Thomas of NBC’s TODAY describes several ways that women are working masculine items into their wardrobes. Katie Holmes takes this trend to an extreme, wearing what looks like hubby’s jeans. Do you think she pulls off the look with style?

I run into loads of Mums taking kids on shopping sprees at this time of year. I suspect that treating kids to new clothes before school starts is common. Perhaps even an American tradition and a fun bonding opportunity.

The concept of wearing civvies to school is completely foreign to me. I wore a school uniform for both Primary and High school. As much as I disliked my uniform, it made life easy. I  knew exactly what I had to wear each morning. There was no clothing rivalry because everybody looked the same (for the most part anyway). As soon as I grew out of my uniform, my parents bought the next size up without pause. My individual school style was stifled, but I made up for that after hours. We dressed up to the nines every opportunity we got. Walking across the road to hang out with a neighbour became a major fashion event.

School must have been a different experience sans the uniform. I’d love to hear what it was like expressing your individual style at school. How did you feel about what you wore, and how did  your peers make you feel about your style? Is there really variety, or is it just a new type of uniform as most kids make every effort to conform with their cool outfits from AE, Abercrombie and Fitch, Old Navy and Hollister.