The July 2008 issue of InStyle magazine described sophisticated style as follows:

“Feminine but not frilly, seductive but not showy, you live for luxury but are allergic to bling. Grace Kelly is your ideal, and Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren and Carolina Herrera are your sartorial guardian angels”.

This is pretty close to my interpretation of sophisticated style. Clothes and accessories are streamlined, refined and tailored. Colour combinations are clean-cut and crisp. The fit and finish on garments is impeccable and you are polished to the extreme.

I think this approach makes it easier to look chic, but I also thoroughly enjoy looking a little less sophisticated and more arty and playful from time to time. There is room for both fashion personas and, in my opinion, they are equally stylish.

I’d like to open up an interesting discussion that started on the forum: Do you aspire to a sophisticated style, or do you feel “severe and unapproachable” when you dress this way.

Waistcoat: a fitted sleeveless garment that forms the third part of a man’s formal three-piece suit. Waistcoats are usually worn over a shirt and under a long sleeved jacket. In America these items are referred to as “vests”.

I fancy the androgynous and playful look of a waistcoat. They’re decorative, structured and add layering interest to an ensemble. Eclectic waistcoats are once again on trend and might be worth a try if you don’t have one already.

I prefer waistcoats in woven suiting fabrics because that’s how the item was originally intended (as part of a man’s suit). But woven waistcoats can pose challenges for bustier gals. “Locking and loading” below the bust is an option if the stance is low and the rest of the waistcoat fits well. Alternatively, fine-gauge, tailored knitted waistcoats are available in “knitwear fabrications” (not jersey). They will stretch comfortably over the bust and offer a similar mood to their woven counterparts.

Wearing a waistcoat with a button-down is the typical pairing. But thinking out-of-the-box is even better. Consider popping a waistcoat over the following pieces for a change:

• Soft blouse: a tailored and strict waistcoat over a soft girly blouse creates a yummy contrast.
• T-shirt or knitted top: I’m condoning formfitting printed and plain T’s as layering items for under waistcoats. The sky must be falling down. Surprisingly, it’s a nice edgy look.
• Dress: A similar contrast is created when a soft, flowing dress is matched with a rigid waistcoat. I also like a structured sheath dress matched with a tailored waistcoat. Both looks add a fun dimension to frocks when you’re resting you’re denim jacket and cardigan.
• Sleeveless: waistcoats look super layered over sleeveless tops. It’s a good way of achieving an Autumn look when the weather is warm.

My friend Laurel wore a fabulous waistcoat ensemble last week. She layered a black woven waistcoat over a soft, black polka-dot blouse, and matched it with an abstract patterned cream, black and red knee-length, slightly A-line skirt. I was impressed with how well the mismatched patterns worked. Laurel looked arty, funky and pulled together. Her outfit was a great little transitional look.

An assortment of neutral woven waistcoats over button-down shirts, blouses, T-shirts, and a dress.

Booties were fringe fashion two seasons ago but are completely mainstream today. I’m thrilled. Good looking, comfortable bootie styles with lower heels are available and there’s loads of design and fabric variation. Lace-ups, wing-tips, pointy-toes, round toes, snip-toes, buckle-straps, cuffs, kilty details, buttons, bows, patent, stretch suede and mock croc are to name but a few of the details that caught my eye.

I am a fan of the ankle bootie for three reasons:

• The best of both worlds: booties allow for comfy, warm socks. You can’t wear socks with pumps and nylon knee-highs aren’t as cozy. A bootie offers the look and warmth of an ankle boot, but feels as light and unrestrictive as a pump. A perfect combination.
• No shin rubbing: ankle boots that come up higher can rub against your legs as you walk. Booties are cut off at the ankle so no chance of shin blisters. Get yourself a stretch suede pair and it’s like walking in slippers all day.
• A modern interpretation of a retro look: I enjoy trends that re-invent old fashion statements. Some of the bootie styles look as though they’re from another era. Such fun!

This type of half-shoe-half-boot footwear concept seems to go in and out of fashion. I remember having a pair of brown cowboy booties in the late 80’s. The style made a swift comeback in the 90’s, disappeared, and is back again a decade later.

I expect the bootie to be around for a while this time. Booties are therefore a “must have” and YLF’s shoe of the season. I purchased my “first” pair of booties last year (cream patent wing-tip lace-ups with a chunky heel). I’m also delighted with my new black Franco Sartos. This leaves two-toned spectator booties left on my list.

There’s a super assortment of comfortable bootie options in stores like Aerosoles at the moment. Be sure to give booties a bash.

An assortment of bootie styles. I rather fancy the spectator with the kilty detail, but my fussy feet won’t hear of it.

A selection of tried and tested comfy bootie styles from Easy Sprit and Aerosoles. Don’t judge these too harshly by the pictures. They look better first hand and with a pair of pants or jeans at the right length. One of my clients bought the teal suede pair in olive green and they looked sensational with her bootcut jeans and biker jacket.

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?