This has been the season for wide-legged pants. They are the “it” pant silhouette in America and I too fell in love with high-waisted wide legged jeans. I have tried on several high-waisted wide-leg and mid-rise wide-leg styles and they look great when I wear heels and sport a slim-fitting blousy top.

But my wide-legged styles from last season are wardrobe orphans because I don’t feel fabulous when I wear them. There is a strange something about the excess fabric around my legs and feet that “gets in the way” when I’m charging around town. They feel like excess baggage. Perhaps this is why I’ve seen so few of them while in Paris over the last couple of days.

Women often look wider in wide-legged pants. It’s actually a hard silhouette to wear well and it has not been a popular style amongst my clients. Height and heels are a prerequisite and getting the silhouette of the leg line right is key. For those of you that fancy wide-legged pants and wear them well, I’m interested to know what it is about the style that appeals to you?

On the right person, I like the way wide-legged pants look. I’m probably alone, but I don’t like the way they feel.

The ‘70’s and ‘80’s fashion revival continues with white wash, acid wash and cornflower blue denim across all jean silhouettes. For most of us, it’s another blast from the past. We either wore this look ourselves, or had parents that wore the look. I’m all for retro revivals but I don’t think I can wear these blues again. I’d prefer to keep them a faded memory. How about you?

Can you imagine not buying a single new thing to add to your wardrobe for an entire year? This means no clothing, footwear, underwear, socks, jewelry or accessories. Nothing. I read an article in British Vogue (October 2007) about a woman who did just that. Her name is Anna Shepard and she likes fashion and clothing so this was indeed the ultimate wardrobe challenge.

Anna came to the realization that…

“I have enough clothing in my wardrobe to keep me clothed for a decade. And I only wear a fraction of what I own. If I spent time organizing my clothes and trying out different combinations, I rationalized, I’d be less tempted to make a beeline for the shops every time an invitation landed in the letterbox”.

Anna stayed clear of the shops for six months, but she was allowed to have clothes swapping parties and make trips to the seamstress to breathe life back into a tired wardrobe. On the odd occasion, Anna was also allowed to get items from charity shops because those clothes weren’t new but already in circulation. We don’t know how the story ends because Anna hasn’t completed the year yet, but she seems to be holding up.

“I’m not saying that I won’t be hitting the shops when my year is up, but I’d like to think that I’ll be a more discerning consumer” .

The shopping ban is less of a challenge if you start out with an organized, efficient and effective wardrobe. Flexing those creative muscles to come up with fresh ways of combining items and accessories becomes the new challenge. On the other hand, it’s difficult to ban shopping for a full year if your wardrobe is in desperate need of an update, or if your body changed to the extent that you can’t wear the clothes you have.

I have an effective wardrobe and my body has not changed, but I would find this challenge extremely hard. I thoroughly enjoy the excitement that new seasonal items bring to a landscape of monotonous clothing. I’ve been in the rag trade for 16 years and it’s my bread and butter. Fashion is a passion and I’m therefore always tempted. But it’s a very interesting challenge and I’d love to know what you think: could you do it?

It’s extremely important to sport a healthy handbag. One way of ensuring this is to carry a simple flat tote that’s no deeper than one to four inches. You’ll keep the dramatic and fashionable effect of the oversized-tote-look, but without the weight (if you’re disciplined about keeping the contents of your handbag to a minimum). Hardware, bells and whistles, slouchy styles and wide handbags tend to be bulky and heavy, especially if they’re leather.

If you stick to a slim, streamlined tote that’s no bigger than the size of your upper body, you might be pleasantly surprised at how much easier it is to stride comfortably as you go about your day. This style of tote was all over the streets of San of Francisco when I visited earlier this year. Urbanites like to keep it practical, funky and stylish. My type of handbag.

When a handbag is simple, let the colour and fabrication do the talking. Patent or cracked patent leather or faux leather adds depth to this look and are my favourite options.