Wearing tunics and dresses over jeans or pants is my favourite look. I’m all for outfit variety, but when it comes to a uniform, this is mine. I was first inspired by the look when my late mother sported the trend in the ‘70’s. There’s something extremely elegant AND funky about this ensemble combination and I’ve been besotted with it ever since. I started incorporating this look into my wardrobe 10 years ago and I haven’t looked back.

You don’t need to be tall or tiny to wear tunics and dresses over pants with style. It’s a question of getting the components and proportions right. You’ll need to pair slim boot cuts, straight legs, skinnies, leggings or clamdiggers with the right tunic or dress. Here’s how:

• The correct length: The shorter you are, the shorter you’ll need to go on the tunic or dress. You’re looking at a length somewhere between mid-thigh and a few inches above the knee. Go shorter or longer and you’ve lost that long lean line. Regular height and taller gals can shop in petites for this item as it often brings the hemline up to the correct place.
• The correct silhouette: Pear-shaped and apple-shaped gals need structured A-line silhouettes like shift dresses and baby dolls. Hourglasses, inverted triangles and rectangles get away with straighter and more fitted styles like shirt dresses and sheaths.
• Heels or flats: The trend is especially good with some sort of heel if you’re petite or pear-shaped, but it’s not a necessity. Judge the overall look once the ensemble is complete.

Chances are high you’ll need to commit a tunic or dress to wear over jeans or pants. It’s seldom that a dress will work over pants and on its own. It’s either too short to wear as a dress, or too long to wear over pants. Sometimes dress and tunic lengths work out perfectly and you get the biggest bang for your fashion buck by wearing them both ways, but it’s no guarantee.

Pairing tunics and dresses over pants is comfortable. And the right style tunic or dress is particularly forgiving around the tummy and thigh area if those are spots you’re self conscious about. Don’t be afraid to try something new. You can be a modern-classic that pushes the fashion envelope once in a while.

Tunics of varying lengths worn over pants, jeans and clamdiggers.

These are the types of dresses that work well over pants provided they are the correct length. From left to right: Sheath, shift, shirtdress and baby doll.

It’s become increasingly clear that brown haired girls with blue, brown or green eyes look stunning in the right shade of blue. It’s possibly one of their best colours. I’m talking light blue, cobalt blue, French blue, ink blue, dusty blue, sea blue, teal blue, royal blue and turquoise. Any one or all of the above, so take your pick.

Are you a brunette and do you wear blue? If so, what shade of blue do you wear and how do you mix it up with other colours?

Brunettes in beautiful blues.

I see closets full of beautiful skirts and the tags are still attached. These skirts are often closet orphans because their owners don’t have tops to accompany them. As a result I end up doing a lot of “skirt-top-matching” when I shop with my clients.

So I am proposing a new rule: Don’t purchase a skirt unless you purchase the accompanying top at the same time, or you already have a top that will work in your closet.

Retailers are also at fault. They don’t seem to offer sufficient top options alongside their skirts. Unless they are belted and blouson’ed, tops must be shorter and more fitted to work well with skirts. Retailers often cheat on mannequins by pinning, tucking and layering the wrong type of top with skirts to create an attractive ensemble. We’re lured to the outfit, try it on, love the skirt and loath the top because it’s not a “skirt top”, but leave with the skirt and welcome another orphan into our wardrobe. Sound familiar?

Stop this from happening by following the skirt rule. Do not be tempted by gorgeous skirts unless you know how you’re going to complete the ensemble by the time you get home. If you don’t, chances are high you’ve wasted your money.

This top is available in regular and petites and has just gone on sale at Banana Republic for $29.99. It looks pretty good with skirts and is better in the flesh, so don’t judge it too harshly from these pictures. It’s very short and fitted, but not too clingy (look at how short it is on the pant-wearing model). It might be your solution for an orphan skirt.

Outfit variation is a controversial point in the fashion and style world. Some stylists feel that sticking to one ensemble formula is great, whereas others believe you don’t have style unless you wear an assortment of silhouettes. Nicole raised an interesting question on the forum:

“Should someone stick to one pant style because it’s the most flattering?”

For example, should you stick to straight leg pants because they look best, or is it better to throw in boot cuts and wide-legs once in a while? Nicole went on further to say that if you decided to stick to one pant style…

“It would be like eating chicken every single night, but using a different kind of dressing”.

I thoroughly enjoyed this analogy, but I think you can have your cake and eat it too. I’m all for uniforms and diversity. No one should feel like they’re in a clothing rut; but wearing something less flattering or less comfortable for the sake of change is not the solution. Style rule number one is that we wear clothing that flatters our body type. If you happen to look great in many silhouettes, I say go for it because variety is the spice of life. But by the same token, you can maintain a stylish appearance when you stick to few silhouettes and wear them well.

I personally feel in a rut if I stick to one ensemble formula. I like a menu change and prefer to mix it up with different denim silhouettes, pant styles, dresses, skirts and a rainbow of colours. Throw in a different heel height and handbag combination and you’ve changed the entire flavour of your ensemble.

I encourage newness and ensemble variation with my clients because I fear that people get bored wearing the same silhouettes day in day out. But people don’t seem to get as bored with their outfits as I do. Some people are happy eating chicken every night. Are you? Do you wear a uniform, or do you change your outfit combinations daily? What are your favourite outfit combinations and why?