A wardrobe can’t function without at least one pair of fab jeans. If you don’t have a pair, make it your next mission. A smart casual look is flop-proof and well worth the investment.

So there’s a minimum, but how about a maximum? I see wardrobes full of jeans where many are either ill-fitting or seldom worn. So answer these questions: how many pairs of jeans do you own and how many do you actually wear on a regular basis?

I’ll go first. I have 10 pairs of jeans:

• 2 pairs of duplicated Diesel straight-legs (very dark blue) that are almost skinny. They are my favourites. I can wear everything with these jeans. They work with every tunic, top, blouse, jacket, trench and heel height. I can wear them with flats and pumps in Summer and tucked into boots in Winter. Absolutely brilliant.
• 1 pair of 7 for all Mankind skinnies (mid blue wash) for any heel height.
• 1 pair of AG bootcuts (dark wash) for heels.
• 1 pair of Arden B bootcuts (dark wash) for heels.
• 1 pair Abercrombie & Fitch bootcuts (lighter wash) for flats. I travel in these jeans. They’re a little tatty at the hems and super soft. They come out during my less refined moments.
• 1 pair of skin tight, tapered denim jodhpurs that I wear tucked into boots for a pukka Equestrian look. That’s all. These jeans are like denim leggings.
• 1 pair of David Kahn bootcuts (white) for heels.
• 1 pair of Esprit skinnies (white) for any heel height.
• 1 pair of Club Monaco wide legs (cream) for heels.

This sounds like a lot, but I live in Seattle where we wear jeans all year round. It’s just too cold to wear pretty frocks with flats for more than a few months of the year. I’m also smart casual most days and evenings, so I need more jeans than someone who is business casual during the day.

How many do I wear regularly? Well, I only wear the two white pairs in summer. The one cream pair is very dramatic and therefore only worn from time to time. The jodpurs are reserved for winter when I am wearing boots. The remaining six pairs are in constant rotation. I did have a pair of wide-legged orphans, but they have been passed on.

Now it’s your turn to confess.

Shocking pink (or hot pink) was “the” fashion colour of the ‘80’s. After a sickening overdose, pink disappeared, but was revived in many shades from 2002 to 2004. It disappeared again until this season. It’s the last fashion colour to hit collections before end-of-season-sales (yup, Autumn collections are lurking).

The last fashion colour to emerge before a retail season ends often becomes the “it” colour of the following season. This is common international retail practice and the path yellow followed from last season into the current one.

I like pink, but I’m fussy about the shade. I prefer a saturated purple-pink that’s more like fuchsia. I like it best paired with orange, yellow, a sour green, smoky grey or white. If my predictions are correct, turquoise is going to be big next season. If shocking pink comes to play we’re in store for the biggest ‘80’s colour revival yet. Do you like pink, or have the ‘80’s killed it for you?

I’ll wear shocking pink clothing before I sport it as an accessory. I do fancy the idea of the bright pink pencil skirt though. I might need to have a squizz at J Crew.

Gladiator sandals have been trending for two seasons and this year they’re bigger than ever. They’re the “it” Summer sandal for sure, flooding the Parisian footwear market. The look is global, ethnic and edgy and at its best worn flat as it was in Roman times. I prefer gladiators in shades of brown, metal or white. I’m don’t mind black, but they are my least favourite.

Gaudy gladiators are out, but tasteful styles get my thumbs up. It’s about the ankle strap this time around and the strappier the better. The catch? More straps = less comfort. They wouldn’t last two secs on my fussy feet.

Gladiators aren’t supposed to look pretty. They are casual and have a bit of a hard edge, which I find appealing when contrasted with a girly dress, beautiful feet and a nice pedicure. I adore the look with skinny or straight leg jeans, frocks, walk shorts and clamdiggers. If they tickle your fancy, go for it. I’m envious.

An assortment of gladiator sandals. I’ve had one client all season who’s been able to appreciate and walk in this ped. Don’t feel alone if you are bypassing this trend.

I spent time at Ann Taylor and the Loft last week because of their “30% off everything friends and family promotion”. These stores are running both hot and cold colour palettes at the moment. Hues are rich and saturated.

Ann Taylor makes an impeccable product that’s perfect for the modern-classic. But the modern-classic needn’t stick to the colour discipline that a store provides. Mixing and matching items to suit your own style is key. This is precisely what happened with my client when we combined a burnt orange dress with a rich raspberry cardigan, gold and burgundy accessories, brown patent sandals and a straw handbag with dark bamboo handle. The result was simply delicious.

We continued to match the raspberry cardigan with a burnt orange sleeveless silk blouse, white pants and pearls. We then paired the same burnt orange silk blouse with blue jeans, white jacket and burgundy beads. The brown patent sandals and straw handbag remained constant and the burgundy jewelry reflected a raspberry glow in a certain light. Dynamite does come in small packages as my petite client felt explosively tall in her new colour combination.

The Ann Taylor items we used to put together the outfits described above, shown with similar accessories. A metallic go-to Summer wedge would work equally well. You don’t need to go to Ann Taylor to put this colour combination together – it might be lurking in your closet.