I’m besotted with the grey footwear trend. I think I caught the bug when I saw the abundance of grey footwear in Paris earlier this year. We’re in Hong Kong this week and, if anything, the trend is even more pronounced.

Grey peds are an effective alternative neutral. The colour operates like a metallic without the glitz, which makes it a more versatile choice than neutrals like brown or navy. I’ve found that grey shoes add a refreshed edge to Autumn and Winter outfits. They also tend to soften the look. As much as I adore a great black ped, I’m enjoying and encouraging the refinement and newness of grey footwear this season.

I currently have grey Chuck Taylors and distressed titanium pumps. Both pairs are in heavy wardrobe circulation because they seem to “lift” my current clothing combinations. So much so that I am bringing home a pair of grey knee-high, slouchy boots and round toed, studded pumps from Hong Kong.

I love it when a single item like a new pair of shoes brings life to an existing wardrobe. Try adding grey shoes to your mix. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

An assortment of grey ballet flats, pumps, booties and boots. Those of you that are ahead of the game and own grey shoes, help me to convince others.

Ruffled clothing is a common trend that wafts in and out of mainstream fashion. But ruffled accessories and footwear are a little more fringe. I’m partial to dramatic ruffles so I’m all for this look. It’s a nice way of adding texture to an ensemble.

I started seeing ruffled accessories in London just over a year ago. My stylish sister-in-law who lives there sports a killer white ruffled pleather handbag with black tipping. It creates such a stir! Keri receives loads of compliments whenever it comes out to play. Quite the statement piece.

I was gifted a black, baby version of Keri’s ruffled handbag, tipped with zips instead of piping. The design is a winning combination of rock-chic-biker-tough and girly playfulness. The contrast is attractively eye catching and it always evokes a positive response. Ruffled shoes and handbags are not items I would wear every day, but they’re festive for the odd occasion.

Sport a ruffled accessory the same way you’d sport an animal print – one item at a time. Do not wear a ruffled shirt with a ruffled handbag or shoes because that’s “matchy-matchy” overkill. Less is always more.

My black ruffled handbag is a simpler and smaller version of the cobalt blue style above. Ruffles tipped with biker zips. So Angie. I don’t wear it with my biker jackets. It comes out with equestrian tweeds and modern-classic looks instead.

Long and lean boyfriend cardigans, another revived ‘80’s trend, are a key look for the season. They are fab layered over button-downs, camisoles, blousy tops and sleek sweet pea tops, either buttoned-up, or buttoned and belted at the waist. They also look quite nice belted over frocks. Look at how effortlessly Dani, Tanya and Debbie sport their boyfriend cardi looks.

Although the longer length cardigan is an easy and comfortable item to add to one’s wardrobe and a nice alternative to the more traditional cropped cardigan, I’m battling to get clients into the style. Eyes are not adapting to the tunic-y boyfriend as quickly as I had hoped. For some it’s a bad ‘80’s flashback, and others see it as a dumpy, hippy and unflattering look.

I like the look of these tunic-length cardigans, especially on taller gals. I think it’s a refreshing change and adds variety in stores. I do caution petites to keep their cardi a little shorter to balance out proportions.

Are you going to sport a boyfriend cardi this season? Has your eye adapted to the look? If not, why not?

An assortment of boyfriend cardigans (also referred to a “grandpa” cardigans). They can be worn open or closed, and belted or unbelted. They’re also available in the petites if you’re after a shorter tunic length.

I am impressed with the new Citizens of Humanity high rise amber cut jeans. I’ve had these on a whole slew of body types from slim-limbed inverted triangles, to adorable apples, boyish rectangles and curvy hourglasses. The results have been stellar (pretty pears also look fairly good in the amber cut, but they look better in Joe’s, David Kahn and Paige Premium).

The amber cut has a bootcut hem and is available in a range of washes. It’s higher rise is comfy, flattering and acts like a girdle at 8.5 inches in front and 14 inches at the back. The denim is very soft and does not grow.

Unfortunately you pay premium price for premium denim, so the cost is steep. But I highly encourage the purchase if the fit is fab and you can afford the dent in your budget. At the very least, try them on and compare them to your current jeans. That won’t cost a cent.

These are two of the COH amber cut washes available online. There are more washes available in stores. I much preferred the feel of the lighter denim wash against my skin in this cut because it was soft. You also might like to read this forum thread if you still doubt whether premium jeans are worth their price.